Hexar AF Camera and the Hexar RF Camera

[raid]

The Hexar AF is a fixed lens AF camera with a hellish sharp 35mm/2 and other nice properties. Still, it is a fixed lens camera with a max 1/250 shutter speed. It can be programmed for a "silent" shutter for the SILVER model while the BLACK model is "silent".

The Hexar RF camera is an M-mount camera with AE and 1/4000 max shutter speed. It has automatic film advance, like the Hexar AF camera.

How do users of either camera feel about their cameras. I am particulalrly interested in features you find as being negative. They may be elusive and not known to others. The positives seem to be plenty with either of these two cameras.

How would you compare the Hexar RF with an M mount Bessa R(.) camera?

Thanks.

 

[Ghiom]

Hexar AF is just fantastic if you do appreciate AF and 35mm...lighter than a M, it feels right by itself and less "precious" compared to it. It only asks fr being kept around anywhere. All functions can be added to any version of it... (I actually have a silver with silent mode added) In fact a few functions are a bit annoying to activate as it takes combination of button press (manuel focusing / de-coupling AF and AE, etc...) But in fact I mostly do not use them... set on P mode, minimum speed set, manual ASA + AE compensation... is the way to go... Adding a grey filter to turn 400 to 100 asa if you might feel limited...
It is the most silent and fastest RF camera I know... other negative aspects ??? No, as long as the shutter button works fine...

Hexar RF is much diffrent and can be seen as a M7 contestor... (I had one, but unluckily its shutter died for no reason... sold it as it was ) great ergonomics, a bit noisy compared to a Leica M but not that much, and very intuitive to use... more on the Leica M type of weight in the hands...

 

[raid]

Thanks for your input, Ghiom. I wonder how frequent such a shutter death occurs.

I sold my Silver Hexar AF and I got a Hexar RF camera.
It just happened this way and it was not planned.

 

[jmkelly]

I've had both. Still have the RF and will keep it until there is nobody left to fix it. That said, I haven't had a single problem in the 9 years I've owned it.

I have two complaints about the Hexar RF. One - the viewfinder: it's not as big and bright as the Zeiss Ikon's. I don't shoot wides, so the 0.6 magnification is not an advantage. I have a 1.25x HK Supplies magnifier semi-permanently attached. With the mag on I can't see the shutter speed indicator in the left of the window. Two - the shutter button: the travel is too long and soft, and I wish there was a detent to indicate the point of exposure lock. More often than I want I will squeeze off a shot when all I wanted to do was set the exposure. The relatively short RF baselength has not been a limitation, and I have never missed a shot due to a delay in shutter actuation.

The AF was a different story. Don't get me wrong - the AF is a great and very capable camera with a fantastic lens. But the 1/250th limit meant I couldn't carry the camera outdoors when I had 400 speed film in it - not interested in carrying a ND filter with me. It was otherwise a seriously overachieving point-and-shoot. Then along came my Panasonic LX-2 digital. The Hexar AF was so much bigger that I just stopped carrying it for p&s work.

 

[fixbones]

The Hexar AF is SO silent and the lens is just faultless.

My only beef is that the max shutter is 1/250. Thought i could live with that but its proving to be a bit more difficult than i imagined I feel that it'll have to go soon.....

 

[PatrickT]

I've been reading about these recently also (AF). Does anyone know if the Silver version can be upgraded with Silent Mode? The cameraquest article on them says that they can't, but I've heard that they can. Anyone have a link to instructions?

Also, what do these go for in decent condition (AF)? I'm REALLY tempted to pick one up...

Patrick

 

[vrgard]

I've been reading about these recently also (AF). Does anyone know if the Silver version can be upgraded with Silent Mode? The cameraquest article on them says that they can't, but I've heard that they can. Anyone have a link to instructions?

Also, what do these go for in decent condition (AF)? I'm REALLY tempted to pick one up...

Patrick

Patrick, yes, the Silver version can definitely be programmed with the Silent Mode. I've done it to mine and it works fine. Don't recall now where I found the instructions for doing so (I have them printed out at home) but they are posted on the net somewhere.

As for price, I bought mine for about $450 two years ago with all the original packaging, etc. I'm not using it much (too many other cameras to play with) so would be willing to let it go for what I paid for it. Also bought a good neutral density filter for it so I could have more film speed latitude that I could throw into the deal.

-Randy

 

[johannielscom]

This article on my website provides basic info on the Hexar AF and links to more extensive write-ups, including a link to the Silent Mode Hack.

I sold the Hexar AF (well, in fact I sold many, but also my own) in favour of a Konica L-Hexanon 35mm f2.0 which is the Hexar AF's lens in screw mount.
But, would have kept my Titanium Hexar AF if I could have afforded it, killer camera!

 

[raid]

I sold my Silver AF for $350a few days ago. I programmed it for silent mode.

 

[FrankS]

I bought the Hexar AF from Raid to replace the one I sold to Blake. ($400 or 450, including flash and orig. leather case)

I like both AF and RF.

 

[Michiel Fokkema]

I had both and sold them in the end.
The AF is just too big for a one lens camera. Also the 1/250 top speed is very limiting. I replaced i with a Leica CM.
The RF haad too much shutterlag and the focus patch drove me crazy. I replaced it for a Leica M7.

Cheers,

Michiel Fokkema

 

[vrgard]

Yep, Johan, that looks the instructions I followed. Thanks and my apologies for not remembering that you were the source for them.

-Randy

 

[raid]

I have two complaints about the Hexar RF. One - the viewfinder: it's not as big and bright as the Zeiss Ikon's. I don't shoot wides, so the 0.6 magnification is not an advantage. I have a 1.25x HK Supplies magnifier semi-permanently attached. With the mag on I can't see the shutter speed indicator in the left of the window. Two - the shutter button: the travel is too long and soft, and I wish there was a detent to indicate the point of exposure lock. More often than I want I will squeeze off a shot when all I wanted to do was set the exposure. The relatively short RF baselength has not been a limitation, and I have never missed a shot due to a delay in shutter actuation.

John,

The first point is obvious since the 0.60 magnification makes it more difficult to focus fast lenses. If you cannot see the selected shutter speeds in the window when using a magnifyer, then this is also not a good thing.

The shutter button is a good point. I am just now trying to use this camera.

 

[raid]

This article on my website provides basic info on the Hexar AF and links to more extensive write-ups, including a link to the Silent Mode Hack.

I sold the Hexar AF (well, in fact I sold many, but also my own) in favour of a Konica L-Hexanon 35mm f2.0 which is the Hexar AF's lens in screw mount.
But, would have kept my Titanium Hexar AF if I could have afforded it, killer camera!

What's special about a Titanium Hexar AF, Johan?
I don't use my cameras in a way that would require extra robustness.

 

[Ghiom]

About the shutter death of the hexar RF, I cannot say... I have never heard anyone else having the trouble... (I really got unlucky I guess)...
I do not know how do the Hexar RF command age with use, but I could see one with the "on/off to single or multiple shot" shift getting a bit loose ... Then I would also add that the rangefinder has tendancy to get unaligned quite easily compared to Leica M... a slight shock is sometimes enough. I have seen somewhere on the net how to re-adjust it easily... (which is not that simple with Leica's...) Apart the flaws I had, I really think it is a great camera, especially for its current price, and the fact that Sony is still doing its maintenance a great news (I then really regretted mine)...

About upgrading the Hexar Silver with the silent mode, yes it is possible (mine was), check the following link (down the page): http://photo.net/photo/hexar.html

I really consider the Hexar AF to be a fantastic camera for those who like 35mm... Sold mine and bought another 6 months later... not to mention that for its price, you hardly get 1/2 of a summicron 35... that makes it my back up / fixed 35mm body...
(And I really do not mind the 250th top speed which is not an issue for my use...)

 

[mfunnell]

With the Hexar AF I have only two problems/concerns: the first is the maximum 1/250th shutter speed, which is fairly easily addressed with an ND filter while the 2nd is a problem with all AF/viewfinder cameras: sometimes I focus it on things I didn't intend (without visual confirmation of exactly what you've focused on it can be hard to tell if it's focused where you think it is).

Nonetheless, I find it to be a great camera and it gets a good deal of use, especially as a night/indoor camera. Notwithstanding the above, it can focus in low light better than I can manually and better than most AF SLRs can. Where needed, it has a nice set of flash modes as well.

As for the Hexar RF: I like it well enough that I have two, just in case one breaks. I wouldn't want to be without one. It's downsides:

. its finder isn't as bright as a Leica or (so I'm told) a ZI finder
. you have to centre your eye in the VF fairly well to get RF patch alignment right

I like the low-magnification finder. I like using 28mm lenses from time to time, and I can see the framelines in the finder even wearing glasses. I often prefer to have plenty of room around the framelines, which I find aids me in composition, so find the Hexar RF 35mm and 50/75mm framelines occupy a pleasing portion of the viewfinder (as they would in a Leica .58x finder).

While focus of long/fast lenses may be a little more tricky than with a higher magnification finder, I've had no insurmountable difficulty focusing, say, a 75 Summilux wide open.

Shutter/motor-wind noise makes the Hexar RF a bit louder than a Leica (and a lot louder than a Hexar AF) but I've never found it to be a real problem. I've never experienced anything resembling "shutter lag" as reported by some. Either I'm simply an insensitive and undiscerning individual or something else is going on there. I suspect this is really more to do with the physical feel of a mechanical vs electromechanical shutter release. But what would I know? I'm insensitive and undiscerning.

...Mike

 

[Pherdinand]

the lens on the AF is sharp, but it vignettes considerably.
The 1/250s max speed can be very limiting.
Otherwise, it's an excellent camera.

 

[flip]

In addition to what's been said, the RF has some very minor niggles:
1 - The battery indicator says you're full until you're empty. I just learned this. That said, batteries last forever on it.
2 - The speed dial sometimes rolls from AE to AEL and back during use.
3 - The rubber gasket on the eyepiece is easily lost.

 

[furcafe]

I have both cameras & my take on them is very similar to Mike's below. I use the RF as my low-magnification body for wides (a nice low-cost alternative to the M6 TTL 0.58 I used to have), but have had no problems focusing the Noctilux or 75 Summilux.

I would add some of my own minor criticisms:

AF: I don't like the lack of shutter speed information in the VF. Having it on the LCD on top of the camera is pretty pointless, IMHO, unless it's on a tripod all the time.

RF: I would have preferred an additional auto-exposure lock switch like its AF sibling, the Kyocera Contax G2, as I use my thumb to release the shutter when shooting vertically. However, that's a gripe that I have w/the M7 (& M8), too. Having the ability to set custom functions, again like on the G2, would have been nice as well. Finally, I would have preferred a simple digital shutter speed readout rather than the illuminated scale, which can be difficult to see & isn't as precise.

With the Hexar AF I have only two problems/concerns: the first is the maximum 1/250th shutter speed, which is fairly easily addressed with an ND filter while the 2nd is a problem with all AF/viewfinder cameras: sometimes I focus it on things I didn't intend (without visual confirmation of exactly what you've focused on it can be hard to tell if it's focused where you think it is).

Nonetheless, I find it to be a great camera and it gets a good deal of use, especially as a night/indoor camera. Notwithstanding the above, it can focus in low light better than I can manually and better than most AF SLRs can. Where needed, it has a nice set of flash modes as well.

As for the Hexar RF: I like it well enough that I have two, just in case one breaks. I wouldn't want to be without one. It's downsides:

. its finder isn't as bright as a Leica or (so I'm told) a ZI finder
. you have to centre your eye in the VF fairly well to get RF patch alignment right

I like the low-magnification finder. I like using 28mm lenses from time to time, and I can see the framelines in the finder even wearing glasses. I often prefer to have plenty of room around the framelines, which I find aids me in composition, so find the Hexar RF 35mm and 50/75mm framelines occupy a pleasing portion of the viewfinder (as they would in a Leica .58x finder).

While focus of long/fast lenses may be a little more tricky than with a higher magnification finder, I've had no insurmountable difficulty focusing, say, a 75 Summilux wide open.

Shutter/motor-wind noise makes the Hexar RF a bit louder than a Leica (and a lot louder than a Hexar AF) but I've never found it to be a real problem. I've never experienced anything resembling "shutter lag" as reported by some. Either I'm simply an insensitive and undiscerning individual or something else is going on there. I suspect this is really more to do with the physical feel of a mechanical vs electromechanical shutter release. But what would I know? I'm insensitive and undiscerning.

...Mike

 

[raid]

The previous owner of the Hexar RF camera lost the original eye piece. Has anyone here experienced such a thing, and is it still possible to get a replacement eye piece? For the time being, optical glass has been adapted as an eye piece for accurate focusing. The view is somewhat distorted though.