90mm Leica glass on Hexar RF

[laptoprob]

This is a mythbuster test. The myth is Leica glass is made for M mount, being different slightly from the Konica KM mount. Therefore not focussing properly.
I tried my last version pre-asph chrome Summicron at f2 and f2,8 at the end of the roll with the 50mm test. After that there was one shot left for the Tele-Elmarit at f2,8.

All three are in perfect focus, set with the camera rangefinder on tripod.

Myth busted!

 

[laptoprob]

Crops of the focus area. Both lenses are indistinguishable at f2,8.

 

[Nick R.]

I think for a proper test you'd have to do the exact same shots with these lenses mounted on a Leica. That way we'd see if the resultant shots were the sharpest possible with these lenses.

 

[Gid]

Rob,

Looks pretty good to me.

Regards

Gid

 

[ray_g]

Thanks for sharing these, Rob. I agree with Nick about shooting with a Leica body for comparison. Also, I would suggest, for testing purposes, shooting something with gradations such as an angled ruler or book - it would be easier to judge any subtle differences.

 

[laptoprob]

If only I had a Leica M body... I will keep on checking close-up focus on different bodies, but I am confident there will be no problem.

 

[erudolph]

Maybe not a myth-buster

Maybe not a myth-buster

From what I've read, some Hexar RF owners stated that they had a problem with Leica lenses on RF bodies and some said they didn't. One suggestion made was that there was a small variation in the RF bodies that could account for that. Perhaps in the tolerances of the mount.

Ed

 

[SDK]

Telephotos less problematic with older Hexars.

Telephotos less problematic with older Hexars.

I had problems with my first early Hexar RF body with focusing a Leica 35mm/2 ASPH, but not with a 90mm/2.8 TE. I exchanged the body for a newer late serial # one that does not have that problem.

The Hexar RF back focus error is more of a problem for wideangles than for telephotos, which have more tolerance for error behind the lens. Look at how far a tele has to be cranked out to go from infinity to 1m distance. Now pick up a wideangle and notice how small the distance the elements move forward to travel the same focus difference. So a small mount to film distance error in a telephoto is less likely to critically degrade the focus of the subject than the same error in a wideangle.

The greater problem for the Hexar RF is that the rangefinder mechanism is much more delicate than a Leica M camera's rangefinder and comes out of alignment way too easily, so that the rangefinder and viewfinder images do not coincide at infinity (and can be off vertically or horizontally or both). Both of my cameras had this problem out of the box. I readjusted my current one, but it's out of alignment again. Still it's good to have a couple faster shutter speeds when you need them.

 

[enochRoot]

i'm surprised at how IDENTICAL the two photos are at f2.8. i can literally see NO difference between those lenses (fliping back and forth real quick). never seen that happen on any kind of lens test before. there is always some difference in how the lenses render the subject.

 

[Issy]

Agree with SDK... I have never had any back focus issues shooting Leica lenses on my Hexar RF. The kicker is a slight difference in infinity focus for the same Hexar RF and a Hexar lens versus a Leica. If the Hexar RF rangefinder is aligned to a Leica lense, no issue. An they do go out from time to time (I always check infinity alignment when I mount a lens).