amateriat
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Well, once again, I was off across the river to assist someone on a tech job. And, once again, he brought his newly-acquired Zeiss Ikon with him. This time, though, I brought my Hexars as well, in the name of setting up an after-work comparison for everyone out here who might be curious about the cameras' similarities and differences. Last time out, I declared that the ZI is the near-perfect non-motorized body to use alongside a Hexar, or the camera to grab when you know anything with a motor (except perhaps a Hexar AF) isn't going to work at all. Now I have a bit of photographic evidence to this end.
I like the finish of the ZI: neat, straightforward and businesslike. Nothing distracting. Funny how that's becaome rather novel in a new camera these days...
Controls: yes, there's a bit of a difference here; the Hexar's shutter-speed/exposure-mode dial is out at the edge of the body, while the ZI's is well-inboard. Ah, but, in my case anyway, I'd likely be using both cameras in AE mode roughly 75% of the time. The exposure control counts a bit more often, besides exposure-lock, is the exposure-compensation dial. Look at the similarity in location in this case. (Though, yes, I see that the dials are biased in opposite directions. This would not keep me up nights.) (Edit: In fact, the direction of operation is identical, although just glancing at the dials would have you think otherwise.)
Both cameras are near-identical in height, width and depth, and have rather similar handling characteristics, in spite of the fact that, as Konica chose to square-off the camer at all corners, while Leicas are fully-rounded, Zeiss splits the difference with squared contours at the front of the body, and softly-rounded corners at the back.
(Edit 2: You might have noticed the film-plane indicator on the Hexar's top plate. The ZI has one as well, hidden under the film-advance lever. Why there? You tell me.)
As much as I like CVs, one deal-breaker has been the manual frameline-setting arrangement. A lot of people can live with it, and that's fine. I can't. The ZI, of course, aces this one. I also love the VF overall. Both cameras' shutters betray their OTF metering arrangement in this photo. (Note: yes, this Hexar's lens mount is a tad scratched up. I'm not kidding when I say I put a lot of mileage on the things.)
On to Part Two.
- Barrett
I like the finish of the ZI: neat, straightforward and businesslike. Nothing distracting. Funny how that's becaome rather novel in a new camera these days...
Controls: yes, there's a bit of a difference here; the Hexar's shutter-speed/exposure-mode dial is out at the edge of the body, while the ZI's is well-inboard. Ah, but, in my case anyway, I'd likely be using both cameras in AE mode roughly 75% of the time. The exposure control counts a bit more often, besides exposure-lock, is the exposure-compensation dial. Look at the similarity in location in this case. (Though, yes, I see that the dials are biased in opposite directions. This would not keep me up nights.) (Edit: In fact, the direction of operation is identical, although just glancing at the dials would have you think otherwise.)
Both cameras are near-identical in height, width and depth, and have rather similar handling characteristics, in spite of the fact that, as Konica chose to square-off the camer at all corners, while Leicas are fully-rounded, Zeiss splits the difference with squared contours at the front of the body, and softly-rounded corners at the back.
(Edit 2: You might have noticed the film-plane indicator on the Hexar's top plate. The ZI has one as well, hidden under the film-advance lever. Why there? You tell me.)
As much as I like CVs, one deal-breaker has been the manual frameline-setting arrangement. A lot of people can live with it, and that's fine. I can't. The ZI, of course, aces this one. I also love the VF overall. Both cameras' shutters betray their OTF metering arrangement in this photo. (Note: yes, this Hexar's lens mount is a tad scratched up. I'm not kidding when I say I put a lot of mileage on the things.)
On to Part Two.
- Barrett
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amateriat
We're all light!
Hexar RF–ZI Comparo, Part Two
Hexar RF–ZI Comparo, Part Two
Other matters:
Film-loading: that one's a no-brainer.
Also note the (slight) difference in rear-body contour of both bodies. The Hexar has the option of automatic (DX) or manual film speed setting; the ZI is strictly manual in this regard.
A view from the top. I was a little concerned about using ultrawides that require external VFs on accoung of slightly-different hot-shoe locations on both cameras. But then I noticed the relative positioning of the lens mount to hot-shoe, and I calmed down a bit. (Never used an external VF with a rangefinder, so tell me if I'm out of my depth here.)
Verdict: I'm getting a ZI. It'll make a solid-working trio. And, don't they look so nice together?
- Barrett
Hexar RF–ZI Comparo, Part Two
Other matters:
Film-loading: that one's a no-brainer.
Also note the (slight) difference in rear-body contour of both bodies. The Hexar has the option of automatic (DX) or manual film speed setting; the ZI is strictly manual in this regard.A view from the top. I was a little concerned about using ultrawides that require external VFs on accoung of slightly-different hot-shoe locations on both cameras. But then I noticed the relative positioning of the lens mount to hot-shoe, and I calmed down a bit. (Never used an external VF with a rangefinder, so tell me if I'm out of my depth here.)
Verdict: I'm getting a ZI. It'll make a solid-working trio. And, don't they look so nice together?
- Barrett
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Question: did someone mention that there was essentially no issue regarding the ZI's 85mm framelines when used with 90mm lenses? (I imagined the difference being negligible, but I'm asking anyway.)
- Barrett
- Barrett
mfunnell
Shaken, so blurred
A nice run-down. Thanks for posting it!
(BTW, when is RF Gen Disc going to show up on the front page again??)
...Mike
(BTW, when is RF Gen Disc going to show up on the front page again??)
...Mike
amateriat
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Mike: Thanks. It's a mystery why it doesn't show up on the front page. I'd hate to have to double-post it elsewhere in order for more people to see it. :bang:mfunnell said:
- Barrett
back alley
IMAGES
the zi 85 fl has been measured and is identical to the leica 90.
i think it was roger hicks or his wife who measured and printed it in a published review.
joe
i think it was roger hicks or his wife who measured and printed it in a published review.
joe
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Thanks for that info, Joe...I had thought someone had compared their 85 to someone else's 90, but had no memory as to whom.
- Barrett
- Barrett
foto_fool
Well-known
I can second every one of Barret's comments. I would add that the ZI's shutter is noisier than the Hexar's.
On the Ikon I pretty much only shoot the 75mm Summilux, which brings up the 50mm frameline. This is a bit of a pain in the a**, but it is easy enough to nudge the frameline selector to confirm composition with the 85mm frameline. And isn't it nice that the framelines on the ZI are labeled?
I spent most of Sunday afternoon outdoors with the Hexar/90mm Elmarit/Efke 50.
- John
On the Ikon I pretty much only shoot the 75mm Summilux, which brings up the 50mm frameline. This is a bit of a pain in the a**, but it is easy enough to nudge the frameline selector to confirm composition with the 85mm frameline. And isn't it nice that the framelines on the ZI are labeled?
I spent most of Sunday afternoon outdoors with the Hexar/90mm Elmarit/Efke 50.
- John
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John: I noticed the ZI's shutter being a tad sharper in sound than the Hexar's, but not as noisy as I'd been led to believe by some; it's quiet enough, and the fact that it's not motorized helps as well.
(For anyone who has never handled a Hexar RF: the Hexar's motorized advance is not crazy-noisy; I've used it in some instances where a number of other motorized cameras would have turned heads and had no problem, but there are places and times where most anything with a motor in it, save for something like a Hexar AF, would be intrusive. For me, that's where the ZI comes in.)
- Barrett
(For anyone who has never handled a Hexar RF: the Hexar's motorized advance is not crazy-noisy; I've used it in some instances where a number of other motorized cameras would have turned heads and had no problem, but there are places and times where most anything with a motor in it, save for something like a Hexar AF, would be intrusive. For me, that's where the ZI comes in.)
- Barrett