Konica Hexar AF questions

[DrMcCoy]

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[johannielscom]

Look for a Nikon SB-30. 100% compatible, much smaller and easier to find. Or aim for the HX-18W, the dedicated flash for the Hexar RF.

Also, there's a similar flash for the Leica compact film cameras but I'm not sure if it's working in TTL. But, I think I saw one at mwclassic.com last night for EUR 35.


The Hexar AF portal page is here: http://johanniels.com/en/camera-gea...7-konica-hexar-af-the-ultimate-compact-camera

 

[Richard G]

He wants the camera too. Buy it from the classifieds here and be prepared to have to DIY fix the dreaded shutter button issue. They come up regularly.

 

[Dante_Stella]

Awesome! Good info. Thanks. With regards to the compact flash, do you mean the Metz 20BC6?

Also, does that SB30 need to be +/- EV corrected in any way since the flash on the Hexar isn't TTL?

Not really. The Hexar's flash is GN 14; the SB-30 is 16. That's a very marginal difference. You could set the camera's GN function for 16 in "flashmatic" mode (flash essentially fires at full blast but the aperture adjusts to the focused distance), but the reality is that most Japanese flashes are overrated for GN anyway. The SB-30 also has a +/- 0.5 stop adjuster you could probably also use in manual mode.

Or you could shoot on automatic. The HX-14 only has one auto mode (i.e., the flash's sensor controls brightness); the SB-30 has multiple (you can take your choice of aperture for a given distance range and ISO film).

The SB-30, though it takes a CR123A, is still a much better flash for battery life because it has a thyristor that recycles the unused flash power in auto mode. And you can get rechargeable 123As now.

Dante

Edit: depressingly, I realize I wrote almost exactly this same thing in 2011:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1630824&postcount=9

 

[nasmformyzombie]

eBay has changed a great deal over the years. If anything, today the experience is tilted in favor of the buyer. Buy from a reputable seller (look at their feedback) and pay for your purchase with PayPal, and you have little to worry about. Don't ever pay by check or by bank transfer.

The odds of seeing one at a major retailer are slim. None of them carry anywhere near the amount of film gear as in years past.

 

[splitimageview]

Japanese ebay sellers are, as a rule, top notch. It appears they all signed up for the same ebay sales seminar as they tend to use the same wording and format. 🙂

 

[roseha]

I sold my 2 Konica Hexars (a black and a silver) to a guy from usedphotopro.com at the PDN photo expo in October. I don't know if they still have them but you might want to look. They were both working fine at the time, I was just trying to make up for an impulse buy of a Mamiya 6 and lens on the Bay.
If you do get one, I recommend getting a 46mm spacer (I think I got one made by Cokin) to put between the lens and any filters as apparently there's some issue about the filter maybe touching the lens otherwise.