Konica Hexar RF purchase concerns

Shao:
Mine's a 1445xxx and has been trouble-free for 7 years. Kinoglas's anti-Hexar rant aside, it is an excellent camera for what it is. No more poorly made or trouble-prone than anything else out there, including the supposed quintessence from Solms.

I don't baby my cameras but then I also don't stick mine in a fanny pack and go for a five mile gallop before being thrown by my horse either. If you are tough on mechanical objects - and you KNOW if you are or not - give the Hexar a pass and go for a Bessa. Or a Leica, or an Ikon.

BTW - I also love my black M6 (for different reasons than the Hexar) but it is showing a bit of brassing at the edges after only a year of use. Brassing will never be a problem with the Hexar, nor will paint scratches and chips. Just wanted to throw that in.

- John
 
AusDLK said:
If you are an M6 minded traditionalist, switch off the AE mode and manually meter to your heart's content.
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AE was very accurate, but metering manually (which I prefer) was awkward. the LED's did not respond quickly. You could move the aperture quite a bit -a full stop or more- before the LEDs showed any change. I had this checked out and Konica said nothing was wrong. Just another reason I got rid of mine.
 
aizan said:
...

am i the only one who doesn't get the whole "disappearing meter display in the sun" thing? i've had my share of sunny days, and it's never happened.
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It's not a "sun thing" in my case, anyway. It's more an angle of view thing. I don't wear glasses (yet), but on both the Hexar RF and CLE, which has a similar meter display, the display can disappear if I don't view squarely through the finder. It's hard to describe, but it happens.

:)
 
Ok, I went to my local store and saw the new Hexars. Surprisingly, one is a body only and one is the limited edition kit.

Body Only Serial: 1448XXX

Limited Edition Serial: 0013XX

I won't talk about prices yet because I haven't finalized anything with the store. With the vanilla Hexar, I noticed the RF was a tiny bit off vertically but I repositioned my eye and the mis-alingment went away and it was then that I noticed that the tiniest change in the position of my eye could throw off the vertical alingment of the RF. I guess this is just how it is in RF land.

Anyway, I know this is a tough question but what are some high/low prices I should take into consideration for the limited edition kit with the 50/1.2? I don't even want that fast of a lens let alone pay for it since its way too heavy and big for my current RF needs but its sexy as hell.
 
Wow...a whole lotta posts since I last dropped in...

Both my Hexar bodies are 1449XXX (I bought mine in early- and mid-2002, respectively), about a few hundered units apart in production.

The RF patch behavior is par for the course; it's best to have your eye centered in the VF, although I haven't had any issues being a bit "off".

Millenium Edition prices: I've seen them a bit all over the place, the high side being around $3200 or so. Worth it? Depends on how much you like fast, big 50mm lenses. The current price of, say, a late-model Noctilux, will alone eclipse the price of the Hexar outfit. The 50mm f/1.2 M-Hexanon has gotten good marks for overall performance. But if you don't dig big (at least by rangefinder standards) primes like this, save the extra cash and get the standard-issue Hexar. You'll stll have a wide range of tasty glass to choose from.


- Barrett
 
Look at the site of Leicatime, who has ads on rff. He has new Hexar rf as old stock.
Personally I love both my Hexar rf and af and find the build quality very good.
I had a problem with the finder but it was solved on this site, seems you have to keep your eye dead center of the rangefinder spot.
Before buying mine I had a lovely time reading the review of http://www.dantestella.com/technical/hexarrf.html
Good luck
 
Shaocaholica said:
Ok,

I won't talk about prices yet because I haven't finalized anything with the store. With the vanilla Hexar, I noticed the RF was a tiny bit off vertically but I repositioned my eye and the mis-alingment went away and it was then that I noticed that the tiniest change in the position of my eye could throw off the vertical alingment of the RF. I guess this is just how it is in RF land.
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No I don't think so.
My Leica's don't have this. The Hexar rf I bought yesterday has the same thing. It is a bit annoying but I have to get used to it.

Cheers,
Michiel Fokkema
 
Sorry to point this out, but a well centered optical system, which the HEXAR RF is not, will keep the image positioned regardless of whether your eye is centered or not. The HEXAR RF does not have the necessary adjustment. This is a purely technical comment not to interfere with any emotional attachment or desire to have or own one (or many) HEXAR one wishes.
 
Shaocaholica said:
I've been doing some research on a first RF and I didn't really think I would be interested in the Hexar but I found one new locally and I have a few concerns that I'd like to discuss before committing to the purchase.

1)What are my odds of getting a bum camera that has focusing issues even
with the kit 50/2?

2)What other Konica KM mount lenses were released for the Hexar RF and how hard are they to find? How costly are they?

2)What kind of tests can I do in store without developing film to test the camera considering there are few to none options for repairing this camera? I've never owned a RF and have only handled a few in store and a few weeks reading online.

3)What would be a bargain and high price for a new in box Hexar RF kit? There are 2 currently on ebay but no recent data on completed auctions.
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If you have not read this review by Stephen Gandy you might want to read it. It's an excellent review by someone who knows rf's.

http://www.cameraquest.com/konicam.htm

Bob
 
Thanks for the links but I've already read both those articles before posting here :D

I will talk to the store today and see if they can give me a deal considering there's no more warranty services for the Hexar. If I don't like it, I can always flip it and get a R2 or CLE which are my other considerations.
 
kinoglass said:
Sorry to point this out, but a well centered optical system, which the HEXAR RF is not, will keep the image positioned regardless of whether your eye is centered or not. The HEXAR RF does not have the necessary adjustment. This is a purely technical comment not to interfere with any emotional attachment or desire to have or own one (or many) HEXAR one wishes.
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this is more an outcome of viewfinder magnification than some imagined deficiency in design. ever tried a .58 leica? would be interesting to see an r4...
 
You are right about the Leica .58 I think trying to fit more than the 35mm FL field in a RF is pushing things. The loss of focusing accuracy at short distances is one problem and the cluster of bright lines is another. My favorite was the M4 and of course I love the purity of the M3 design. The present choices are mostly dictated by marketing, including the "a la carte" choice. But, eh, cosmetics, perfums and cameras don't mix too well, especially with photography, that ancient art!
 
Actually, I used to have a 0.58 M6 & still have a Hexar RF. The Hexar's RF patch "wanders" a lot more than the Leica ever did.

aizan said:
this is more an outcome of viewfinder magnification than some imagined deficiency in design. ever tried a .58 leica? would be interesting to see an r4...
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well, the edges of the patch also fade out faster, so you know when you need to reposition your eye. i found out about and looked into this "issue" because of internet threads, not through any real world use. it's just natural to put the eyepiece directly in front of your eye...
 
kinoglass said:
You are right about the Leica .58 I think trying to fit more than the 35mm FL field in a RF is pushing things. The loss of focusing accuracy at short distances is one problem and the cluster of bright lines is another. My favorite was the M4 and of course I love the purity of the M3 design. The present choices are mostly dictated by marketing, including the "a la carte" choice. But, eh, cosmetics, perfums and cameras don't mix too well, especially with photography, that ancient art!
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I'm pretty much with you on this. The advent of more available focal lengths has made the viewfinders of modern RFs a tad cluttered in some cases. (Wouldn't mind an M4 myself.)


- Barrett
 
I'm glad it's not a problem for you, but it can certainly be an issue in the real world for others. If you wear glasses, your eye doesn't always "naturally" center itself in the eyepiece & I don't think the Hexar's fuzzier patch edge helps @ all.

The RF patch wandering doesn't keep me from being able to use the Hexar. I generally like the camera & still have it after all. However, it is often annoying, like the patch flare in my M6 & M7 before I had them modified (another real issue that affects some, but not all, users).

aizan said:
well, the edges of the patch also fade out faster, so you know when you need to reposition your eye. i found out about and looked into this "issue" because of internet threads, not through any real world use. it's just natural to put the eyepiece directly in front of your eye...
Click to expand...
 
My Hexar RF turned into a costly disaster and I regret buying it. Nice features in theory but sub-par compared to Leica M camera. For example, the Hexar controls are WHIMPY to say the least.

I'd save the money and get a M6.
 
35mmdelux said:
My Hexar RF turned into a costly disaster and I regret buying it.
<... Uwe_Nds: deleted as not being relevant for my reply ...>

I'd save the money and get a M6.
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My Hexar RF (bought new last year in Cologne w/o lens) also turned into a costly disaster.
I am most pleased with the Hexar's performance and bought - up to now - the 90 and 50 mm M-Hexanons. The 28, 35 and - maybe - the 21-35 are on my wishlist.

The Hexar just fits into the pocket of my jacket and therefore gets some banging around. Up to now, no problems whatsoever. Haven't used my SLR since I have it.

I am very happy I didn't save up to get an M6, which would also have been an option. Instead, I enjoy aperture prioriy metering, built-in winder instead of the lever sticking into my right eye (I am left-eyed!) and the quality of both the camera and - mainly - the 50 M-Hexanon.

Best regards,
Uwe
 
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