Deciding on a Konica M-Hexanon 50mm f2

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hon910

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Hi,

I need some advice here.
I am currently using a Summicron C 40mm on my R-D1 and I am also looking forward to have either a 35 or 50mm for my M6.
I have come across a great condition Konica M-Hexanon 50mm f2 locally and very tempted to buy.

How good is this Konica M-Hexanon 50mm f2 compared to Leica & voigtlander?
Should I get it or should I get a 35mm?
I was thinking to bring along a digital & a film camera when I am travelling.
But mostly I find many people are using only a 35mm on their their M6.

Hard to decide, please help.

Thanks in advance
 
i'm sure others here will agree when i say that the 50 hex's one heck of a lens.

It's great wide open, not too sharp like the crons, but renders nicely at f2. Stop it down a stop or 2, and you (or at least I) can't tell the difference between images shot with it and the latest cron 50.

When shooting colour, the hex gives a pleasant hue, similar somewhat to its later leica counterparts. But what i like best, is the price.

The VC 50s are also pretty good, from the 50 2 (heliar??) to the 50 1.5 nocton.

hope this helps.
 
The Hexanon 50mm f/2 should cost you around 450 USD or maybe less. I had this lens before but sold it as I'm planning to get the Sonnar 50mm f/1.5 later on.

Anyway at that price, it's a real bargain when you compare its optical qualities to the Summicron 50mm f/2, which is as good I would say, but also the lens is very flare resistant !!!
 
I can't fault the Hexanon 50mm/f2 in any way. For me it is the "great all-rounder". I have other 50mm lenses, which I use to their strengths, but if I want a 50 that I know will get the job done, even if I don't know what that job might be, then the Hex is the lens I take every time.

The much-less-common M-Hexanon 35mm/f2 works that way as well. And the M-Hexanon 28mm/f2.8 is the 28 I'd pick over anything else I've tried in that focal length. Judging by my experience so far, I don't think you can go wrong with an M-Hexanon (if the UC Hexanon 35 is anything to go by then the LTM Hexanons are also great, but somewhat more quirky).

...Mike
 
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Hexanon 50mm

The 50mm and 35mm are equivalent to the Leica counterparts. You will not be able to tell the difference. Actually..... you will be able to tell the difference, in your wallet.
 
The M-Hex 50/2 is almost as sharp as the current Summicron - the difference is hardly noticable. The Summicron is less flare resistant. The ZM 50/2 Planar has similar performance. They are all three quite contrasty.

The other 50/2 you might consider, that can be had for a good price on occasion, is the Summicron rigid or Dual-Range. I believe it has even higher resolution than the current Summicron, and the most beautiful bokeh you can find. At the cost of lower contrast (which can be a good thing, in particular on high contrast color film).

Best,

Roland.
 
The 50mm Hexanon is a very fine match for the R-D1, so good it led me directly to the more expensive 35mm UC Hexanon. I have kept these lenses while selling off a couple of 40mm Summicron C's.
 
I concur

I concur

ferider said:
...The other 50/2 you might consider, that can be had for a good price on occasion, is the Summicron rigid or Dual-Range. I believe it has even higher resolution than the current Summicron, and the most beautiful bokeh you can find. At the cost of lower contrast (which can be a good thing, in particular on high contrast color film).

Best,

Roland.
Click to expand...

I team 2 Konicas (28mm M-Hexanon and 35mm UC-Hexanon) with a very nice 50mm DR Summicron. The DR Summicron is probably my best and favorite lens.
 
a 40mm on your R-D1 is about a 53mm. so if i were picking a complementary lens for an M6 i'd look at a 35 or maybe even a 28mm. a 28mm could also serve as a 35mm equivalent on your R-D1.

debating about hex vs leica in the 28 thru 50 range (f2 to f2.8) is, image-wise, splitting hairs. but the money saved, that's another thing :)

my fav lenses on an R-D1 when i had one: canon 35/2.8 and canon 50/1.5. both inexpensive, relatively. a rigid cron was quite nice as well. lovely bokeh as roland mentions, even comparable to the canon sonnar.
 
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I had 4 Summicron lenses (DR 2x, Rigid I, Rigid II) and now have the 50mm M-Hexanon. While the DR Summicron has the edge for BW, the 50mm M-Hexanon is the best 50mm allround lens, regarding price and performance, IMHO.
 
I heard some rumors here and there about compatibility problems between Leica-M and Konica-M (Leica glass on the Hexar RF and Konica glass on the M Leicas) but haven't experienced it myself.

My 50mm M-Hexanon works well with both of my M Leicas and the Noctilux focused well on my Hexar RF. :)
 
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