Hexar RF...?

[agoglanian]

So ive been reading up on this little beast, kinda intrigues me, in all fairness, as far as real world usage goes, how does does it hold up? and is it true it doesnt work too well with leica M-lenses? would i be better off with a R3A?

also. it has around a .6x VF correct? im still kinda new to RFs and the only VF im used to is the 1:1 on my R-D1 would i be hurting to use a 50mm on the Hexar? I NEEEEED a 50mm, lol.

so fellas, if any of you have them, or know a thing or two about them, feed my unquenchable thirst for rangefinder knowledge.

 

[ray_g]

I have one and I love it. The VF magnification is fine, especially if you plan to use wider lenses like the 28mm, but I have no trouble with the 50mm view. It is almost as heavy and dense as the M, and is very well built.

The modern electronic shutter and the meter are very accurate, and the 1/4000 speed lets me use the Leica lenses wide open in daylight, if I want.

Haven't had trouble with leica lenses at all.

This photo in my gallery was with a collapsible summicron, wide open, on the RF:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=8196&cat=4877&page=1

 

[agoglanian]

ive heard mixed reviews about how quiet it is. im not so picky that if i could hear it in a quiet room i wouldnt touch it with a 10 foot pole. because im used to the interesting "ping" sound of the R-D1 haha. but im curious to what you would say about its noise levels.

 

[ray_g]

The shutter is quiet. It's the winder that makes the noticeable sound. Still, not as loud as an SLR's. The Hexar AF's is softer, especially with the silent mode on. All in all, I still think it was quieter than my old Bessa R.

 

[ray_g]

Hey, I have even used it inside a church

 

[aizan]

the volume hasn't been an issue while taking candids. it's practically no different from a leica m or bessa r. the .6x viewfinder is a nice complement to your r-d1's 1:1, especially if you use a 50/28 combo. it's also a bit nicer than .72x if you use 35mm and wear glasses. only a few of the early bodies have problems with leica lenses. those problems were fixed later on, though i've never heard what the serial # cutoff is.

 

[agoglanian]

grrrrr. im so so severely torn between one of these ( why did i have to see the hexanon 50mm f/1.2 !?!?!?) and a bessa R2A. 50 is as tight as i want to go, but im all for those gnarly super wides.

wouldnt the .6x make it hard to focus a 50mm correctly?

 

[Doug]

My Minolta CLE is also a .6x magnification finder... never used a 50 on it, but 40 and 43mm are great. So I think 50 for the Hexar would be excellent, easy to focus. I have to say the 90mm Minolta framelines are small enough to make it a bit of a chore to use. But the 28mm framelines are easy to see, with enough "air" around them to make 25mm feasible too. This may or may not be true for the Hexar as well. 🙂

Not having used either one (but I do have a T) I can't compare build quality, yet I'd be surprised if the Hexar isn't better than the Bessa R2a in this respect, and right up there banging on Leica's door!

 

[aizan]

no. to focus the noctilux, you only need a 25mm effective baselength. the hexar rf has a 41.10mm ebl.

 

[HenningW]

Using a Hexar RF

Using a Hexar RF

grrrrr. im so so severely torn between one of these ( why did i have to see the hexanon 50mm f/1.2 !?!?!?) and a bessa R2A. 50 is as tight as i want to go, but im all for those gnarly super wides.

wouldnt the .6x make it hard to focus a 50mm correctly?

It works quite well. I haven't used my Noctilux on the two RF's I have, but I have used the Summilux quite often. The 90/2 AA is too much for the rangefinder, but 50 and shorter or the 90/2.8's work great.

I mostly use 35's on it, or the Tri-Elmar. The latter is almost ideal, and a great travel combo if speed isn't needed.

After I got the first Hexar, I was soon looking for a second body. The flange/film plane issue is a a red herring, and in practice Leica lenses work as well on the Hexar as any Leica body. Konica shot themselves in the foot by making the vague statements they did about incompatibility, which others then picked up on. The proof is in the shooting, which is most easily seen with larger aperture wideangle lenses. My favourite lens on the RF's is the 35/1.4 ASPH, and it shows no focussing errors. Leica lenses (or Cosina, or Zeiss, or whatever) work on these bodies. I've had more errors with Leica M bodies.

The cameras have been dead reliable, the rangefinders can be adjusted through a little hatch under a plastic cover on top (although they have been remarkably resistant to going out of adjustment) and are great complements to M's. I've shot about 500-700 rolls through each. The frame selector lever on one has fallen off and quite a bit of paint is missing. Watch out for the eyepiece; it can unscrew, and the outer piece of glass is not flat but is part of the optical system.

It is a little bit harder to use manually than an M7, but a bit easier to use on automatic. It makes less sound when the selector is set on 'continuous' rather than single. If a light lens is on the camera, it leans back when on the strap, so that the back edge of the top plate rubs against your body when you walk with it; an annoyance. That's about it. Battery life is great.

Henning