I still love my M2 and M3 but this Hexar RF..

[StillKicking]

Having sold one of my M3 bodies I recently picked up a battered and beaten Hexar RF as an cheap alternative to a M7.

I have been pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy using the camera. Both my M3 and M2 are better made and have nicer viewfinders but the Hexar is no slouch!! Sacrilegious as this may seem I am loving the AE and auto film advance, particularly when shooting shooting in busy street settings.

The M7 still appeals but to be honest I am not convinced it will be that much better than the Hexar. Have any of you shot with both? Which is you preference?

 

[Mr G]

I love the hexar too, but the problem with konica is that you don't find replacement parts that easily anymore..
g

 

[Beemermark]

I had one for years before the M7 came out. Loved it but gave up on the VF / RF. The RF was always out of kilter. Went back to Konica under warranty a couple of times, finally they sent me the repair instructions to do it myself. Finally went with a zone focus 28mm and never used the RF.

When the M7 came out the Hexar got sold. It was a good idea that unfortunately died still born.

Still miss it, though

 

[mfunnell]

I had one for years before the M7 came out. Loved it but gave up on the VF / RF. The RF was always out of kilter. Went back to Konica under warranty a couple of times, finally they sent me the repair instructions to do it myself. Finally went with a zone focus 28mm and never used the RF.

When the M7 came out the Hexar got sold. It was a good idea that unfortunately died still born.

Still miss it, though

You obviously had a very bad experience. But I didn't and haven't: each of my Hexar RFs is quite capable of successfully focusing my Summilux 75 wide open if I take a little time and attention. Sure, that's better and more swiftly done with my M3 but it is quite possible with the Hexar RF as well.

One thing you have to note is that eye position when focusing the Hexar RF is important in a way that it isn't (or isn't nearly so much) for the RF in a Leica.

But I do have two of them because of the repair situation: if one breaks then I'll still have the other while I try to source a replacement, since repair these days seems next to impossible. I have a spare because I like mine so well that I wouldn't be without one.

...Mike

 

[sepiareverb]

You obviously had a very bad experience.

Not the only one. I owned one for about a year and a quarter, it spent far more time in the shop than in my possession. Sad, because it really had the potential to be the best camera for me. Ergonomics like the Contax G2, but the VF of a Leica or ZM. In the end too fragile for real-world use. And impossible to repair reliably.

 

[Michiel Fokkema]

I really liked the 1/4000th and automatic transport. I didn't like the fact that you have to position your eye exactly right and the shutter lag. Got a M7 and never looked back. But I sure miss that 1/4000th

 

[Landshark]

When this camera was introduced, the people I worked with and myself thought "this is the camera Leica should make"
Obviously they didn't listen. 😡)

 

[StillKicking]

When this camera was introduced, the people I worked with and myself thought "this is the camera Leica should make"
Obviously they didn't listen. 😡)

Obviously they didn't listen.. don't get me wrong I really love my Leica M's but the product managers down at Leica should really have listened. Not too late.. you never know what they might come out with next.

 

[furcafe]

I have both & still use both. Never had a serious mechanical problem with either, though I have managed to damage both due to my own clumsiness & stupidity.

Generally, I prefer the M7, but that's mainly because mine has the standard 0.72 VF & is a better fit for my 35-50mm preferred fields of view. The Hexar's 0.6 (I think) VF works better w/a 28mm & if that were my primary focal length, I would certainly use it more. I also like that the M7 is easier to switch to manual (no need to "unlock" the shutter speed dial like on the Hexar) & prefer its straight numeric shutter speed display rather than the Hexar's lit-up scale (however, I'm annoyed that the M7, & M8/M9, doesn't show shutter speeds once you're in manual). It also would have been great if Konica had adopted more of the controls & features of its close cousin, the Kyocera Contax G2 (like a separate switch-based AE lock & custom modes).

But your post reminds me that I should probably take the ol' Hexar out for a spin this weekend.

The M7 still appeals but to be honest I am not convinced it will be that much better than the Hexar. Have any of you shot with both? Which is you preference?

 

[bobby_novatron]

I've had LTR's (long-term relationships) with the Contax G2, the Hexar RF, and an M7.

The shared DNA between the G2 and the Hexar RF are both obvious ... similar case, controls, and construction.

Personally, I liked using the G2 more. It seemed to be less fragile. The controls are better on the G2 as well. Things they left off the Hexar: exposure dial lock, bracketing controls, AE lock ... the list goes on. Most annoying (for me) on the Hexar is the exposure compensation dial moves too easily. It only takes a casual brush with an errant finger to bump the dial and turn your Kodak Gold 400 into Kodak Horrible 1600.

The technical abilities of the Hexar definitely exceed the M7 (shutter speed, motorized advance, self-timer, etc.), but the viewfinder on the M7 is better. Metering is a draw, I think. They both use slightly different ways of getting AE but they're both effective.

In the end, I use the M7 the most often, despite its flaws. It just 'feels better' to use. Once in a while I use the Contax G2. The Hexar doesn't get enough use, I'm just not in love with it. I also feel like the Hexar is haunted by the specter of that infamous Hexar focal-plane / film registration issue that people bring up ... even though I haven't yet had a problem.

 

[SDK]

The later Hexar RF bodies are not bad. I have one and am probably going to give it to my nephew, who is into photography, for his next birthday. I did have to adjust the RF alignment on mine, but it’s stayed in place ever since I did the correction. I prefer my M7 0.58x and M9P cameras overall. One thing i don’t like about the Hexar RF is the incompleteness of the 28mm framelines, with the missing side line due to the placement of the shutter speed readout. The M7 has a much better system for this in my opinion.

 

[dogbunny]

I still love and abuse my RF, nvr an issue. I'm glad you are enjoying yours, continue to do so--until you don't. I think there is a time and a place for an auto-advance, and sometimes I wish it either was manual advance, or it had the Hexar AF's silent mode, but it doesn't. I'm content with the body, the damn lenses will be the death of me.

 

[Paul Luscher]

The RF was a cool camera. Had two of 'em once. Thought it was the rangefinder Leica should have made. I liked the fact that it had a built in motor drive, which made it great for action/candid work--you could keep your head locked in the viewfinder. And that in a body about the same size as a Leica M. And the lenses were fantastic.....

Sold 'em because I really couldn't use my 90mm F2 Summicron --a lens I use a lot--on 'em--focus was iffy, due to the viewfinder magnification. Also the fact that Konica got out of the camera business didn't help. But there have been many times that I have regretted my hasty decision to sell them. Those cameras had good mojo--got many of my best shots with them....

 

[kenneth-rahne]

I purchased an ex+ Hexar RF off ebay about 4 months ago for $650. I also enjoy this camera. Was concerned it would have a difficult time handling the harsh winter conditions I often encounter in the White Mountains of New England. Outside of a couple of battery changes during hikes it has been flawless -particularly enjoy the auto advance and ease of exposure compensation. I previously owned a M7 with .58 finder and used for over 5 years-met its demise in backpacking accident and water. The Leica was bulletproof in winter conditions. If money was not an issue, I personally prefer the M7 over the Hexar for its tank like feel, ease in manual setting and viewfinder displays. However, for the cost, the conditions I tend to subject the camera to, and that both are electronic; I feel comfortable with the Konica for as long as it lasts. Regards,Ken

 

[KoNickon]

I don't understand the comment above that there is no AE lock on the Hexar. That's what the AEL setting is....

I also don't get the shutter lag criticism, or the lack of build quality compared to the Ms. This is as well made a camera as I've ever used.

I need to use mine more -- I have all the lenses except for the 21-35 and they are superb. Actually, my main criticism is that the RF patch is a little too bright for the rest of the viewfinder, since it makes it a little harder to tell when images are aligned, especially when it's indoors.

 

[furcafe]

You're probably referring to bobby_novatron's post, but I think what he meant was similar to my complaint: unlike the G2, which gives you the additional option of an AE lock switch (or the Zeiss Ikon & CV Bessa R2A/3A, which have a separate AE lock button), the Hexar has no separate AE lock other than the shutter release. The M7 suffers from the same flaw. Not a dealbreaker, but it is annoying if you want to recompose after metering without keeping your finger pressed on the shutter release (same problem arises if you're like me & use your thumb to release the shutter when shooting vertically).

I don't understand the comment above that there is no AE lock on the Hexar. That's what the AEL setting is....