Hexar AF - manual focus & filters

[horizonism]

I've just excitedly bought a used Konica Hexar AF from eBay, due to arrive early next week. I've read a huge amount of positive things about the camera on here and elsewhere, which helped convince me it was time to upgrade, after a year or so of using a small set of fixed-lens RFs (Vivitar 35ES, Konica Auto S2, Konica c35 etc.).

Though I'm a little concerned about a few things. I tend to gravitate towards layered, somewhat abstract compositions, involving either reflections in water and glass, or the layers beneath the surface via the use of polarizing filters. I've read about mixed results when auto-focusing through glass with the Hexar, and I realise that the focusing system is not TTL, thus my polarizing filter calibration will be somewhat clunky, and the notion of using AF to focus beyond the surface of water through a filter could be nigh-on impossible.

So I'm wondering if any of you have had extended experience of manual focusing and using filters with the Hexar. From what I've read, it seems the manual mode is pretty limiting, and somewhat difficult to use precisely.

From a technical standpoint, I'm also wondering how close this Hexar lens is to the M-mount version (I've seen some incredible results with the latter).

 

[Phil_F_NM]

The Hexar lens is not a Summicron copy. It's closer to the 3.5cm f/1.8 Nikkor rangefinder lens. The lens is outstanding regardless of what it may be based upon. Read Dante Stella's excellent review of the camera.

I owned a Hexar before I sold it to buy my first Leica M2 and I wish i kept the Hexar. The Leica was great but the Hexar is truly special.

Manual focus isn't quite a kludge but you'll have to get used to using the small buttons to do so. The hyperfocal and focus memory features of the Hexar come in to play in order to get around manual focusing. One thing I learned to do was to autofocus on something the same distance away then recompose. It's quite quick in practice.

Have fun shooting it and if you decide it doesn't work for you, sling it here on RFF.

Phil Forrest

 

[taemo]

I use mine mostly at P mode since it's like a smarter Av mode IIRC
ie it will try to use the aperture you have it set to, then change if needed.
manual mode if I'm using a flash only

for filters, the Hexar AF takes 46mm filters, i use a 46-49 step up ring and works fine, only con is that I cant pop out the hood.
regarding compensating the filter, I use the exp compensation or change the ISO.

for MF, I have mine set to 7ft considering that at f8 and f11, almost everything will be in focus

this was taken with the Hexar AF while driving, since I was shooting through the windshield, I just pressed the MF button until it was set to infinity
Neopan1600 (12) by earl.dieta, on Flickr

 

[k__43]

Manual focus is somewhat cumbersome with the hexar but not impossible.
The Hexar is really a great camera. I don't know how the UC-Hexanon or the Hexanon-M are performing or if they really are identical to the Hexar but the lens on the Hexar is without a doubt a really great lens. It would worth more than what a Hexar costs when it would be in M-Mount and you get a free camera attached that is also very fast focusing (and accurate even in the darkest dark .. something that most digital cameras can't do) and also stealthy.
Manual focus is rarely needed - most people don't shoot often thru a window or in a mirror.

 

[horizonism]

Thank you all for the insightful responses. Well, I've just got back from my second shoot with this thing, and I can't say enough good things about the experience of using it. It's just a breeze, especially after all my long hours of difficulties with various 60s-70s fixed-lens RF cameras (including repairs / re-calibration & compensation for various shortfalls etc.) :bang:

I'm yet to send the films off for processing (the notion of which has me pretty excited, considering what I've heard about this lens), but the experience alone of using this camera is worth writing home about. I'm a very happy Hexar user already. 🙂