Hexar AF or Yashica T4?

[OlliL]

It's worth noticing that the luxury P&S's price has gone skyrocketing. And that's not just the Contax cameras, but anything that looks remotely smart. For example the Minilux's price had doubled during the past year. Some youngsters in Asia are snatching these as fashion accessories like crazy. The TC-1, Klasses, Nikon 35Ti (not the 28Ti, since it's black) and even the Fujifilm Tiara are all very expensive now.

This makes the Hexar, which was largely unaffected, an extremely good value. It's very fortunate that the Hexar was made into the large lump of black, unattractive plastic enigma as it is. No hip, no bling, it's just there to take pictures...

Ugh, didn't know it got that expensive now. 🙁

Well, I'm happy to report then, that you can still get the Rollei AFM35 (rebranded OG Fuji Klasse) at around 200€, which was what I did recently and couldn't be happier, for the amount spent.

After checking some prices on the bay, on those other ones, the Hexar is really ok-ish price wise then.

 

[papo]

Heres the thing: i had the Hexar and T4 in the past and they both died down on me. The question is also, which one could theoretically last me longer? I heard theres some guy in the Netherlands that knows how to fix the Hexar, that would be a significant plus. The Contax T2 is also attractive becaus it is well built like the Hexar but i also wonder what can be done in terms of repairing it.

 

[Axel]

... I also have an M6 but sometimes i just want to have quick and uncomplicated fun 🙂

I recently had a similar wish. Now my bag:



Just take out, shoot and be happy 🙂

 

[Peter_S]

The Contax T2 is also attractive because it is well built like the Hexar but i also wonder what can be done in terms of repairing it.

I do understand to some point the worry of repair, but whats to repair on a T2? I have a T3 that got beaten heavily and never needed a repair (yeah OK the tooth in the spool, a 10 min self-fix). Now I do understand that just because mine does not need it, others do not neither. That said, I would get a T2 and use it. The T series is fantastic.

Use them, if they die, they die. Chances are, the T2 does not.

Or get a G2. I much preferred that over the G1. Contax are built really well, and as said, none of my Contax ever needed service. All my Ms did.

 

[02Pilot]

I loved my AF and agree with everything said about them above. However, if they die, and they do, that's it.

Not so:

https://jabcam.wordpress.com/2016/08/24/topic-resurrecting-konica-hexar-af-from-the-dead/

Here's my application of the repair:

https://filmosaur.wordpress.com/2017/04/26/meet-the-camera-hexar-af-rhodium/

 

[valdas]

Speaking of reliability... I am not worried about my Hexar or T2. I have already put many many rolls through, so I consider those cameras already paid off in the sense of time being in use. So if they die one day (which I hope is not soon) - so be it, they will go to ebay for spares (and will probably recover about 50% of what I paid for them, without inflation factor of course). There are no unbreakable cameras and those two particular models do not have bad reputation in terms of reliability. Well, maybe Hexar is known for the sticky shutter button issue, but the fix is an easy DIY job.

 

[Archlich]

I do understand to some point the worry of repair, but whats to repair on a T2? I have a T3 that got beaten heavily and never needed a repair (yeah OK the tooth in the spool, a 10 min self-fix). Now I do understand that just because mine does not need it, others do not neither. That said, I would get a T2 and use it. The T series is fantastic.

Use them, if they die, they die. Chances are, the T2 does not.

Or get a G2. I much preferred that over the G1. Contax are built really well, and as said, none of my Contax ever needed service. All my Ms did.

The wire board that extends with the lens can break. Just like the dreaded E02 error of the Minilux.

Had such a T2 of a friend's fixed last summer.

 

[DrMcCoy]

I understand that both are different kind of cameras but since i like both, i wonder what to get and why. I also have an M6 but sometimes i just want to have quick and uncomplicated fun 🙂

I have both so I can probably answer most of your questions. What kind of uncomplicated fun are you looking for? What exactly does that mean to you? Both of those cameras offer simplicity but in very different ways.

 

[lxmike]

A great camera but T4 prices are a bit too high for my liking

 

[stompyq]

They are both over priced. Just buy the cheaper one that's fully functional. A word of advice after reading the responses. I have had a total of 6 hexar AF's in the last 5-6 years. It's not the magical camera that everyone makes it out to be. It's a frustrating quirky camera. The lens is ok. Decent and nothing special (at least to my eyes). If I were you I would save the money and buy something else. You already have something that's uncomplicated in the M6.

 

[f16sunshine]

They are both over priced. Just buy the cheaper one that's fully functional. A word of advice after reading the responses. I have had a total of 6 hexar AF's in the last 5-6 years. It's not the magical camera that everyone makes it out to be. It's a frustrating quirky camera. The lens is ok. Decent and nothing special (at least to my eyes). If I were you I would save the money and buy something else. You already have something that's uncomplicated in the M6.

Oh ?
This is quite an unusual statement.
You bought the camera 6 times in as many years and still say it's nothing special (against otherwise overwhelming positive feelings from other users ).
What is it you don't like but can't seem to get enough of?
Just curious. :angel:

 

[stompyq]

Oh ?
This is quite an unusual statement.
You bought the camera 6 times in as many years and still say it's nothing special (against otherwise overwhelming positive feelings from other users ).
What is it you don't like but can't seem to get enough of?
Just curious. :angel:

I kept reading RFF and other sites online and kept thinking I had a defective copy or I wasn't doing something right. I've finally given up. My last one I gave a good run of about 6 months shooting about 50+ rolls. It was ok. Just not what I expected based on the adoration I see written about it

 

[stompyq]

I'm not trying to say it's a piece of junk. It's a decent camera. Not worth $5-700 used when you can buy a Leica M film body for that price. Or a Nikon F6. Heck get 5 F100's!

 

[f16sunshine]

Well I guess after 100+ years of camera manufacturing and 1000's of different models made available.
Another old cliche is proven true.... "different strokes for different folks" 😀

 

[ForestCap]

Hexar AF is a large camera while the T4 is pocket-able.

I think the T4 would work better with your M6. You can bring both cameras out easily. One on shoulder one in pocket. M6 with 50mm, T4 with 35mm.

I would recommend a Yashica Electro 35 CC as a 35mm compact. Specification-wise it is not worse than Hexar AF, just no AF.

 

[Wouter2]

Yashica T3 with its Tessar 2.8/35mm is a more interesting camera in my opinion. Tack sharp lens, great travel camera. I had several of them. I also had several Hexar AFs. Keep going back to both of them.

 

[papo]

How is the autofocus on the T2? I read somewhere that its significantly less reliable (lagging) compared to the T3 - can anyone confirm this?

 

[DrMcCoy]

How is the autofocus on the T2? I read somewhere that its significantly less reliable (lagging) compared to the T3 - can anyone confirm this?

You mean the T3 and T4?

Each iteration has better AF than the last. Possibly not the T4 and T5 though - pretty sure they were identical.

 

[Axel]

How is the autofocus on the T2? I read somewhere that its significantly less reliable (lagging) compared to the T3 - can anyone confirm this?

Yes, the Autofokus on the Contax T2 is a bit slower but all "T"s have a usable and quick AF.
Prefocussing with the AE/AF-lock is possible.

 

[Archlich]

I find the Contax T2's (suppose it's not the Yashica T2 you're talking about) autofocus to be quite fast. The measuring is done in an instant, but the lens has to extend after you press the shutter button, which slows the process a bit. Still very fast, compared to the Contax T3 which would hesitate a bit. It's faster than the Nikon 35Ti which uses a similar active infrared autofocus system.

The drawback of the active system is it's less accurate than the T3's passive phase-detection method, and is likely to be fooled under strong sun light. Not to mention the old "shoot through glass" frustration (I didn't find it bother that much though, as the T2's handy manual focus dial easily overcome it). To make it worse, you have no idea where it'd focused at, unless you manual focus.

This is where the Hexar shines. It's the active type as well but has more steps (perhaps more than any other infrared system) thus is more accurate, and you can quickly pinpoint the focus with the in-finder distance/parallax-compensating display. It lets you know where it's focusing, so no blurry subject and sharp background etc.