Hexanon 50 2.4l collapsible lens

alan davus

alan davus

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I've just bought this lens and as an owner of four other Konica M/L offerings I'm willing to take a punt that I won't regret the purchase (providing it makes it to Happy Valley in one piece.) However though supposedly in mint condition it is coming unboxed and without documentation. Has anyone in RFF land a copy of it's specifications, weight, length etc or of the original paperwork that came with the lens?
Cheers, Alan
 
While I can't help you out, I too would be interested - simply because I like Konica lenses (Lord knows I have a few) and have been tempted by this one, while successfully resisting. My recollection is that Erwin Puts (not a known Japanese lens fan) said that your lens was superior to the modern Elmar 50/2.8, but that article was no longer on his web site last time I looked (though I may well have a copy saved somewhere). If he's right then you now have a very fine lens, because I couldn't/didn't wait - and love my Elmar.

...Mike
 
Ted (Ampguy) has one for sale (which I cannot afford at the time, sigh...)

He might have the documentation.

I saw one getting sold to HongKong recently for true peanuts (under USD 400 if I recall correctly😱), but that was somebodies biggest luck of this decade, these lenses are rare and I'm pretty sure the ones sold currently are the last ones on the open market, after that it's 'off to Westlicht' if you want one.
 
Wow Alan,

You are really going to be impressed. I just spent some time looking at my photos with this (taken with an M8). It's the sharpest and only lens I know that really beats all of the Leica lens in 50mm.
 
ampguy said:
Wow Alan,

You are really going to be impressed. I just spent some time looking at my photos with this (taken with an M8). It's the sharpest and only lens I know that really beats all of the Leica lens in 50mm.
Click to expand...

I have never had one, but from all the photos and reports I came across - Hexanon 50/2.4 draws similar to M-Hexanon 50/2 but not as sharp at the same f-stops. If yours is sharper than all Leicas - it's either you have one AMAZING lens or all of your Leica lenses were of poor quality.
 
Hi Krosya

Hi Krosya

It's an amazing lens. Before I bought mine, I read and looked at everything I could find about it.

Puts raves about it being sharper than Elmarits.

Tom A raves about it in an old LHSA article.

Rumor has it that HBC wanted a better sharper lens that looked like his old 50/2 crons and quietly asked Konica for something that he could quietly use but still look sort of like a Leica lens 😉


Krosya said:
I have never had one, but from all the photos and reports I came across - Hexanon 50/2.4 draws similar to M-Hexanon 50/2 but not as sharp at the same f-stops. If yours is sharper than all Leicas - it's either you have one AMAZING lens or all of your Leica lenses were of poor quality.
Click to expand...
 
ampguy said:
It's an amazing lens. Before I bought mine, I read and looked at everything I could find about it.

Puts raves about it being sharper than Elmarits.

Tom A raves about it in an old LHSA article.

Rumor has it that HBC wanted a better sharper lens that looked like his old 50/2 crons and quietly asked Konica for something that he could quietly use but still look sort of like a Leica lens 😉
Click to expand...

As far as I know Puts said it's sharper than Elmar-M wide open, and closed down they are about the same. He also said, If I'm not mistaken that built quality of his samble was not as good as Leica. Nothing about Elmarits best I recall. - If you have different info - please post a link to it.

I have never heard Tom A's opinion on it - do you have a link to that?

And as far as last one - about HCB, ( I assume thats who you mean by HBC), I dont believe that for a minute without any hard evidence - and I'm one of the biggest Hexanon fans. 😎
 
Krosya

Krosya

If you have the LHSA archives, or access to them on the website, just search for Hexanon LTM, I can't remember the year, I just ran a search on the DVD of archives that they sent me. Not sure I can re-post.

Krosya said:
As far as I know Puts said it's sharper than Elmar-M wide open, and closed down they are about the same. He also said, If I'm not mistaken that built quality of his samble was not as good as Leica. Nothing about Elmarits best I recall. - If you have different info - please post a link to it.

I have never heard Tom A's opinion on it - do you have a link to that?

And as far as last one - about HCB, ( I assume thats who you mean by HBC), I dont believe that for a minute without any hard evidence - and I'm one of the biggest Hexanon fans. 😎
Click to expand...
 
Gee this is an old thread. I've had my Hex 2.4 for a couple of years now and love it. It's at least the equal of my other Hex's, (I have 5) and of the four 50mm lenses I own including the Hex M 50 and the CV 50 3.5 collapsible this is the one I usually reach for first. Like all Hexanons, it's beautifully built. If you can pick one up for $5-600 bucks grab it. At the very least they will probably increase in value.
 
alan davus said:
Gee this is an old thread. I've had my Hex 2.4 for a couple of years now and love it. It's at least the equal of my other Hex's, (I have 5) and of the four 50mm lenses I own including the Hex M 50 and the CV 50 3.5 collapsible this is the one I usually reach for first. Like all Hexanons, it's beautifully built. If you can pick one up for $5-600 bucks grab it. At the very least they will probably increase in value.
Click to expand...

I was looking for one for a while till I found a late Elmar.-M I have seen them around $400, but paying up to $475-500 is probably within the outer boundaries of reasonable. Since my Elmar was a little less than $400 I am not seriously looking at the Hex any more. Here is a link to one that sold for $355 recently..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320502328831

According to Puts the Elmar-M is a "shade softer at full aperture" than the Hex. (Given the results of my Elmar-M, I would assume that is very sharp.) He also notes that the build is not as good Leica's and the tube design is loose and that this affects the performance. I have read other comments regarding play in the tube.

I have read comparisons here that the Hex 2.0 is a better performer. Probably the best Hex deal going, but collapsing it takes much more effort...
 
Last edited:
I think that the loose tube thing is a bit circumstantial. With any collapsible, if it's abused, I would expect play. Mine has none.
 
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