28mm f/2.8 M-Hexanon: what does it do?

[Dante_Stella]

Having realized that I never really used the KM 28 after I got the M typ 240 (on my M8, it was like a 35), I ran a bunch of test shots last night to see what it would really do. Of course only after I had pretty much resolved to broom it out the door.

I was a bit dismissive of this lens and only bought it to round out my set, but I did not realize that it, too, apparently has a touch of bokeh engineering in it.

https://themachineplanet.wordpress.com/2016/05/25/konica-m-hexanon-28mm-f2-8/

Dante

 

[sanmich]

All Konica KM lenses are real winners.

 

[anerjee]

Agree. The mtf curves indicate as such as well.

http://www.konicaminolta.jp/about/research/technology_report/2000/pdf/83.pdf

Having realized that I never really used the KM 28 after I got the M typ 240 (on my M8, it was like a 35), I ran a bunch of test shots last night to see what it would really do. Of course only after I had pretty much resolved to broom it out the door.

I was a bit dismissive of this lens and only bought it to round out my set, but I did not realize that it, too, apparently has a touch of bokeh engineering in it.

https://themachineplanet.wordpress.com/2016/05/25/konica-m-hexanon-28mm-f2-8/

Dante

 

[Dante_Stella]

Agree. The mtf curves indicate as such as well.

http://www.konicaminolta.jp/about/research/technology_report/2000/pdf/83.pdf

Interesting that the 90mm had three cams, each tailored to variations in focal length. I thought that was only a Leica thing.

The 90mm has an eye-burning amount of contrast if you can focus it well. Digital has actually improved the results from that lens because there is no more variation due to film curl.

Dante

 

[taomei]

Nice review. I'd recently gotten one of these for cheap but haven't had the opportunity to test it out yet. How exactly did you get it recolimated for digital? What did that entail exactly?

 

[Dante_Stella]

Nice review. I'd recently gotten one of these for cheap but haven't had the opportunity to test it out yet. How exactly did you get it recolimated for digital? What did that entail exactly?

You may not need to do it. This was an issue with M8s (and to be honest, I don't remember whether this was an actual issue with this lens or whether I just went OCD). The M240 has turned out to have a sensor position more friendly to old film-tested lenses. I heard that the position changed starting with the M9.

To recollimate these, you adjust a spacer inside the lens. Microscopic amounts in a wide-angle lens. It's about $150 to have Focal Point do it. Not cheap, but when I had my 8, pretty much everything I owned back-focused. The worst lenses were the 75 Summilux and the 90 Summicron. It's irritating that I got to spend about a grand doing that for all my lenses back then. But hey, no doubts about focus, ever. Peace of mind has to count for something, I guess.

Dante

 

[thompsonks]

Since acquiring a Hexagon, I don't think I've used 28 Summicron at all. This and 40mm Cron make a great pair.

Kirk

 

[anggono]

Perhaps I'm rather mad to own 2 of the KM28. One is from a camera shop in Sendai (Japan) which were closed down due to Fukushima nuclear plant disaster. I wonder if it carry residual nuclear radiation. The other one I plan to sell but never get to post the classified.

There is something about pictures from KM28 that I found particularly attractive compared to other more modern 28mm. It has adequate sharpness that is yet gentle, smooth OOF and most importantly a very definite separation of foreground, midground, and background.

 

[Nelson Tan]

Short and snappy review. The photos speak a thousand words... thanks for sharing!

 

[Bob Michaels]

I shot with a Hexanon 28mm 2.8 as my primary lens for several years. Before that, it was a CV 28mm f3.5. For some reason, I sold the Hexanon and replaced it with a Zeiss 28mm f2.8 which I used for years.

No one has ever been able to discern any difference in 10 x 12.5 prints from any of the 3 lenses.

 

[MCTuomey]

Good review! Can't go wrong between the KM or ZM 28's.

 

[lawrence]

The KM 28 is an excellent lens although it can suffer from flare with strong backlighting. Not sure if the ZM is any better but to judge from my other ZM lenses I guess it could be.