Hexar AF reliability

[pismo923]

Well you can now count me in as a Hexar AF owner. At the end of the day, in my mind the positives far outweighed the negatives and I have purchased a complete kit in like new condition. The original owner put a few rolls through it and then stored it in a safe as part of his collection. Silent mode was enabled and I have added the "hidden features".

So far I have put five rolls of b/w through it and all is good. It is indeed very quiet and the AF in low light is a revelation. The lens is superb and if the camera suits ones needs it is a true bargain.

Time will tell if the Hexar "works" for me but the investment is not so great that it is worth worrying about. Too many good things said about it by many and the images speak for themselves. Like many here I enjoy using a mechanical camera and always will. However, after using the Hexar for even a short period of time, I am pretty certain that it will allow me to get some shots that would be difficult if not impossible for me to get with a mechanical body.

 

[andephotographic]

Love my Hexar.

Got it for a steal and a week after I got it I thought I'd discovered why, the shutter button.

Managed to find a guide to cleaning it via a Flickr group and hey presto, good as new.

It did start to play up again last week while I was out on a cold and wet day so I took the film out and fired it a few times, was acting a bit funny. Got it home and it seemed to have recovered but took it apart once more to clean the switch, it didn't seem too dirty actually so maybe t was due to the dampness and the cold.

Hopefully it'll keep on going for a good while yet.

 

[mfunnell]

I took mine out for the first time in a while, the other day, and suffered some panic: it didn't want to work at all. I consulted my memory of Douglas Adams, though, calmed down and tested the battery - which could barely raise 4 volts. When I used a new battery the camera began behaving perfectly. OK, no big deal, but I thought I should put in a reminder: this camera really doesn't like faded, unhealthy batteries.

...Mike

 

[andephotographic]

My battery is fairly recent but perhaps cold was degrading it.

 

[bensyverson]

Yeah, I've found the battery to be sensitive to freezing temperatures. So if you're going to be hiking or walking in the cold, keep the camera under your jacket or in your bag. Or at least the battery.

I've also been able to revive the camera by switching from silent mode to normal mode. I wonder if silent mode uses more power?

 

[kubilai]

Bought my Hexar AF in 1993. In 2009 I had the shutter syndrom. I opened the cover, unscrewed what I could, blowed on the thing (no cleaning), then closed it and it now works.

What a pity the circular eyepiece disapeared.

 

[bensyverson]

Bought my Hexar AF in 1993. In 2009 I had the shutter syndrom. I opened the cover, unscrewed what I could, blowed on the thing (no cleaning), then closed it and it now works.

What a pity the circular eyepiece disapeared.

Ha, nice!

My eyepiece started to come loose at one point. I screwed it on nice and tight, and now I'll be sure to keep an eye on it in the future!

 

[filmfan]

Ha, nice!

My eyepiece started to come loose at one point. I screwed it on nice and tight, and now I'll be sure to keep an eye on it in the future!

Use locktight (or is it lock-tite?).

 

[Zonan]

Use locktight (or is it lock-tite?).

But make sure to use the blue version, which can be unscrewed if needed.

 

[philosli]

For shutter button repair, just follow this video and you'll be all set:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhT3jwYx0LM

Mine is Silver model and I've had it for 3 years. A few months ago it developed the shutter button problem. I watched the video and fixed it in 15 min. It's not hard at all.

 

[FalseDigital]

It WILL need to have the shutter button cleaned. I've actually had to do it twice already in 3 years. (Although it was not difficult to do myself)

However now mine has a leaking capacitor (I think) sending it out to have it looked at.
If you live in a humid place, be careful.

It's my favorite camera to shoot on, period.
When it works, it works beautifully.
However, it is an electronic camera and Konica aren't known for reliable electronics.
*cough* Big Mini *cough cough*

 

[Dante_Stella]

The shutter switch needs to be replaced, not cleaned. The interwebs are fraught with stories about how this is dirt. It's not. There is a reason that the "fixes" last a couple of months - it's because the problem is not fixed. It's metal fatigue and wear and tear. This is not a problem that will be fun to find has recurred when you are doing something critical.

And it's not that big a deal to fix. Konica didn't invent this Alps switch with a 25K actuation service life (that's 600-1,000 rolls of film, by the way), and newer and better DSLR switches have the same surface mount points. In fact, my guy dropped a Canon DSLR release in mine eight years ago, for 90 bucks, and it has not missed a beat.

But if you want to keep stretching the leatherette, marring the screws, stressing the hot shoe contacts, bending flex connectors on the circuit boards every so often, and still having periodic malfunctions, be my guest. The camera itself can take a lot of abuse, but its internals are not as tough, and the less "servicing" you do, the better.

 

[f16sunshine]

Hi Dante
When the time comes for mine to need a new shutter switch, I might bug you to give me the info for your tech 😀

 

[Archlich]

That's exactly what's happening to my otherwise trustworthy Hexar...cleaned the contacts, spent 2 weeks in the arctic wilderness (where the camera endured the ever-present sand very well) and it developed the shutter syndrome again recently. The inside's perfectly clean, including the contacts.

Guess next time I'm in China I'll go find one of those cyber wizards in Shenzhen...where they have mountains of shutter switches in stock

 

[02Pilot]

It would be great if we could identify the specific replacement part that fits the Hexar AF. Mine is working OK at the moment, but I'd certainly rather fix the problem than just put a Band-aid on it.

 

[Archlich]

It would be great if we could identify the specific replacement part that fits the Hexar AF. Mine is working OK at the moment, but I'd certainly rather fix the problem than just put a Band-aid on it.

Old thread (https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42099) reveals it's likely to be this one: https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetai...ha2pyFadugkMsGLUNnpe2mnE2tX16%2bkTNLxBATGo0s=

Which does look identical to what's underneath the Hexar's shutter button.

In Beijing next week, I'll try if I could have mine swapped.

 

[02Pilot]

Thanks for that. Since they're so cheap, I may order a few of those just to have around in case I need to attempt the repair.

 

[analogpics]

I have one hexar af that moves the aperture constantly when on and closes all the way down to f22 when set to f2(?) I have one that's totally dead. Yet, i love the lens and the amazing AF so i went and bought a third one 😛

 

[02Pilot]

The aperture problem may just be an issue with the dial. Have you pulled the top plate off to investigate?

 

[karlin]

Dead Hexar Af

Dead Hexar Af

Hello!
My dear hear af, one of my most important cameras suddenly died.
I'v tried changing battery and a local tech opened the camera but was not able to fix it.
It happend couple of months ago. about 3 weeks ago it suddenly woke up but than went to sleep again. since then- no sign of working.
before I buy another one, did anyone here got this problem before? is there a good tech you could recommend , who still fix those and know them well?

thanks
Ophir