Hexar AF Journal

Wow, gosh this thread is just wonderful! Really inspirational too to see what can be done with the Hexar. I think it's safe to say that it has been my favorite 35mm camera so far. It's just so easy to connect with. I like it way more than my 1V, and I LOVED that camera.

Please keep posting, your images are wonderful!
 
Really like your "Eye"

Really like your "Eye"

Your picture quality reminds me of 'Film Noir' with the rich contrasty
subject matter....
 
Lamp
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Bubba
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The best processing was at Shoppers Drug Mart Toronto,
was on Danforth, east of Pape, south side. :bang:
i use King St at Yonge but it's so-so.
No high rez scans.
Suggest Downtown Camera on Queen at Church.

This thread simply wonderful. Really keen eye.
The Konica cameras were really good.
Your shots add to the total impressiveness.
Bookmarked!:)
 
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I just bought a Hexar AF, in part inspired by this great project.

It is not the first Hexar I have owned, either, and like you I am promising not to sell this one.

I got it in the mail today from Japan and was initially disappointed. It was not mint as described. I could send it back...but i got it home and cleaned the shutter button, which stopped being fussity. I programmed it for quiet mode. I wrote Aki-Asahi about a new skin for it (they list it in Japanese but not on English page). I have a bulk roller full of Ektachrome 100 and another with, I think, Fomapan 50. I have to check that! I have some other random film, I'll try to shoot through the Hexar.

I've been away from film for a long time, chasing the digital dragon, and I got tired of the constant push to get new and better cameras, and the unsettling idea that I will, for the rest of my life, have to keep transferring all gigibytes of images from one whirring hard drive to the next. The old slides and negatives I have need only be kept dry, they don't need any further energy input or technology, at least for simple preservation. I guess I'm looking at longer term simplicity. And just having some fun with film, while it lasts.

I love digital, and can jump back in any time. I may pick up a Sony R1 for digital dabblings, old but still quite decent. In the meanwhile, I have a Hexar Journal or my own to begin.

thanks!
doug
 
Doug - I think you posted in another thread that Aki Asahi do skins for the Hexar AF - I have a dark blue lizard skin soon to go on the Hex AF Silver thanks to that! And one for the FM3a. They sent me a free practice bright pink croc pattern for the Nikon as a practice one - impressed.
 
md2008 said:
Hopefully, by the time the pool of functioning Hexars die out we'll have a real digital replacement for the Hexar with film like rendering. We're getting close - think X100 with full frame XPro sensor, near instantaneous AF or the Hexar AF system, and a viable manual focus system although not a big deal if AF works well. Add a rugged weather sealed body in M form factor and I think I'd be set for the rest of my picture taking days...
Click to expand...

Looks like we got a whole lot closer. Personally, my bugbear on the X100 is the close focus; the fact you have to go to macro mode at quite far away, around 1m; it takes a couple of button pushes to switch to macro, sometimes it misses, and it's in macro mode that focus is slowest and not at all reliable. Sometimes I wonder if it's only me who finds it hugely impractical, but I hope this is one of the improved features.
 
I did end up getting an X100, the digital Hexar. I tried to retake a few Hexar pics and they feel very much alike in use.



Lamp, Hexar, X100

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Specimens, Hexar, X100

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Elevator door, Hexar, X100

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Paul T. said:
Looks like we got a whole lot closer. Personally, my bugbear on the X100 is the close focus; the fact you have to go to macro mode at quite far away, around 1m; it takes a couple of button pushes to switch to macro, sometimes it misses, and it's in macro mode that focus is slowest and not at all reliable. Sometimes I wonder if it's only me who finds it hugely impractical, but I hope this is one of the improved features.
Click to expand...

Paul, pushing the focus to MF with the left thumb and focussing with the AEL AFL button allows a quicker more reliable close focus without invoking macro.
 
Paul T. said:
Looks like we got a whole lot closer. Personally, my bugbear on the X100 is the close focus; the fact you have to go to macro mode at quite far away, around 1m; it takes a couple of button pushes to switch to macro, sometimes it misses, and it's in macro mode that focus is slowest and not at all reliable. Sometimes I wonder if it's only me who finds it hugely impractical, but I hope this is one of the improved features.
Click to expand...

The X100s certainly sounds like it'll be close if it can deliver. Using the X100 for a few months now, my biggest irritation is still the autofocus even with the newest firmware. It still takes a while to lock and seems to hunt quite a bit - but then, I'm used to the AF on the D700. Hopefully things will improve with the PD on the s.
 
My Hexar AF is dead. It won't even power on anymore. Fresh batteries. No sign of life. Any ideas on getting it fixed?

Thanks
 
I had one die on me after 3 weeks / 2 rolls, and another develop strange occasional shutter instability (holding half-press then re-composing would sometimes result in a not being able to trip the shutter, or it would lose AF acquisition sometimes).

I've been in contact with Greg Weber in Nebraska about repairs since he seems to be the only person still doing them, but if it's related to the main circuit boards he can't seem to source any parts for them any longer :(
 
taomei said:
I had one die on me after 3 weeks / 2 rolls, and another develop strange occasional shutter instability (holding half-press then re-composing would sometimes result in a not being able to trip the shutter, or it would lose AF acquisition sometimes).

I've been in contact with Greg Weber in Nebraska about repairs since he seems to be the only person still doing them, but if it's related to the main circuit boards he can't seem to source any parts for them any longer :(
Click to expand...

Fixing the sticky shutter button yourself is really easy. You will find some tutorials on the internet. Did it myself.
 
This Hexar is now dead. It won't power on at all with new batteries. I'm not going to try to repair or troubleshoot. If anyone is interested in trying to get it fixed it is free - you just pay for shipping. I have an ad up in the classifieds. Let me know if anyone is interested.
 
Hexar AF has been taken.

I had mentioned in this thread way back in 2012 or so that I hoped a digital Hexar AF would become available sometime in the future - I tried the X100 but it's now up for sale, so no go. Now I've got this really bad nagging voice telling me the Leica Q is it. Must resist....
 
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