Hexar RF - different Versions?

[Arjay]

I just received my 2nd black Hexar RF body - like new in its original box, and the price was almost a steal. 😀

Upon closer inspection, I discovered that the new body is slightly different from the copy I already had: I exhibits a little semi-circular ridge around the lens release button, apparently as protection against inadvertently unlocking the lens from the body.

My older Hexar RF body w/o ridge has a serial number of 1448xxx.
My 'new' body with the ridge has a serial number of 1453xxx.

Has anyone of the other Hexar RF owners observed other s/n-dependent changes between copies of this camera?

 

[Arjay]

Bump.

If anyone of you also has a Hexar RF copy with the ridge, please also specify your camera's (anonymized) serial number.

Did anyone of you observe other variations? Hm - I guess I need to post reference pictures for those who only own one copy of this camera ... (I'll come back later with pictures)

 

[flip]

double ixnay here on a black and an ltd.

 

[Arjay]

Excuse me, but what's an 'ixnay'?

 

[flip]

sorry, end of the day and I start to speak pig latin. I meant that they do not have the raised portion.

 

[Krosya]

I have one of each:
one with the raised border is 1453xxx
one without is 1446xxx

Other than that I dont see any difference in them.

 

[Issy]

I know there are at least two versions of the internal rangefinder mechanism/light table (only distinguishable with the top removed)

I know the service manual mentions at least 3 or 4 serial number groups, but has very little to identify the differences.

Bill

 

[KoNickon]

Interesting. Precious little out there about variants of this camera. Mine is 1444xxx so I will bet (I'm away from home just now) that it does not have the ridge. Sounds like this is similar to that on the M3?

 

[kzphoto]

I have 1444xxx as well, no ridge on my Hexar.

 

[Arjay]

I know there are at least two versions of the internal rangefinder mechanism/light table (only distinguishable with the top removed)

That's interesting, and it might be relevant for me: It brought my non-ridge Hexar (the older one) to a service technician for RF adjustment. Since he has only worked on Leicas before (he has received his training at the Leitz factory & worked for them for 10 yrs) , I mailed him a summary of the RF alignment instructions that have been posted here on this forum (the one with pictures & drawings), and I wonder which version is depicted in these instructions.

Or - asked the other way around: What are the differences in the RF assyembly? Will the tech still be able to align the mechanism, even if the pictures are referring to the 'wrong' version?

 

[Issy]

There will be no issue. The differences are very subtle, and have no impact on the alignment procedure (more of a difference of how the RF section mounts on the camera). There is a slight difference of one of the parts. There is an image I got from a fellow Hexar owner that shows one of the visual indications that I posted in my "transplant" note:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90196

I noticed a mounting hole difference for the entire mechanism, too, in that process.

Bill

 

[Doug]

For the record, my black HRF 1450xxx does not have the ridge, so this further defines the number where the change occurred.

 

[Arjay]

I recently did some web research to have my Hexars serviced, and one technician told me in subsequent phone conversation that the version with the ridge apparently had been specifically produced for the Asian market.

 

[Paul T.]

There will be no issue. The differences are very subtle, and have no impact on the alignment procedure (more of a difference of how the RF section mounts on the camera). There is a slight difference of one of the parts. There is an image I got from a fellow Hexar owner that shows one of the visual indications that I posted in my "transplant" note:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90196

I noticed a mounting hole difference for the entire mechanism, too, in that process.

Bill

I was told by Greg Weber that the earlier versions had one nylon part in the adjustment mechanism, later replaced with, IIRC, a brass part. The first version is the one that easily drops out of alignment and contributed to much of the smoke and noise about the Hexar's focusing accuracy.

 

[Pablito]

I used to have what was apparently an early version and the RF simply would not stay aligned. After various trips to what was then the Konica service center, I gave up. The camera would come back as bad or worse than before. My understanding is that the later productions models were improved so the RF alignment was less likely to go off.

 

[Krosya]

Have both - early and later and both have no problems with RF allignment. Bad examples can and do happen with every camera. Yet majority of Hexars are just fine. Actually, I had a much better track record with Hexars than with Leica, but I dont go around saying that Leicas are problem cameras.

 

[mtargz]

1454xxx, with a raised portion around the lens-release. It's about the same height as the release.

 

[Evan Bedford]

For the record, my black HRF 1450xxx does not have the ridge, so this further defines the number where the change occurred.

Except that my 1449xxxx does have a ridge. I bought it from Japan, if that's any help.