Konica SLRs and third-party lenses

[seany65]

@MikeMGB, couldn't you help me out by saying "You'll almost certainly be alright with it" or something? That may put my mind at rest and help me decide.😱

@johnf04, that wouldn't bother me too much, as I recently bought a Zenit C, which hasn't got an 'instant return' mirror, it uses string to pull the mirror back down.

 

[MikeMGB]

@MikeMGB, couldn't you help me out by saying "You'll almost certainly be alright with it" or something? That may put my mind at rest and help me decide.😱

@johnf04, that wouldn't bother me too much, as I recently bought a Zenit C, which hasn't got an 'instant return' mirror, it uses string to pull the mirror back down.

You'll almost certainly be alright with it

There, how's that? 🙂

Find a good Konica and you won't be disappointed.

 

[Bille]

I've been considering getting a Konica T4 for landscapes, as it has a multi-exposure capability, (for blurring water etc. without using ND filters on top of any other filters I may be using at the time)

Not sure what you are trying to do here. "Multi exposure" on the T4 is nothing more than the double exposure feature found on most SLRs. It cocks the shutter without winding the film. How does this replace an ND filter?

 

[seany65]

@MikeMGB, I'd say thank you, but your "Find a good konica and you won't be disappointed."

makes me think "Hmmm, does that mean I'll have to buy half a dozen to be sure?"

I don't know if just being pessimistic and finding something to 'think' about in an effort to stop myself spending any money, or just being cautious.😱😀

 

[newst]

If you buy a Konica camera that needs service you can contact Greg Weber at http://www.webercamera.com/ . Greg has decades of experience repairing Konica SLRs. When Konica stopped making cameras he bought out their parts in the US.

In fact if you want to buy a camera that you are sure is in top condition you could buy directly from him.

NOTE: I do not have any relationship with Weber Camera beyond being a satisfied customer.

 

[MikeMGB]

@MikeMGB, I'd say thank you, but your "Find a good konica and you won't be disappointed."

makes me think "Hmmm, does that mean I'll have to buy half a dozen to be sure?"

I don't know if just being pessimistic and finding something to 'think' about in an effort to stop myself spending any money, or just being cautious.😱😀

You could say the same of the Nikon. Buy one from someone who seems to know what they are talking about, they're more likely to be honest.

Here's mine, beat up, battered, heavily used but still working just fine.

 

[seany65]

I suppose you're right, MikeMGB.

I read that last line of your last post as:

"Here's mine, beat up, buttered, heavily used but still working just fine."😱

 

[konicamera]

I thought I'd just chip in here about the "shutter opening when winding the film..." issue. As someone already pointed out, this is an issue with the body, not the lenses. Moreover, this issue is found on the Autoreflex T3 and T3N bodies only. Those two cameras have different linkages in the automatic exposure mechanism than the cameras that preceded them. The later cameras (Autoreflex TC and Autoreflex T4) are not affected either. The problem has to do with the lubrication of the ring within the camera's throat that actuates the lens' aperture mechanism, whatever lens is mounted on the camera. This problem is more likely to arise with some lenses than others only to the extent that the spring tension on the aperture mechanism of some lenses is stiffer than on other lenses and the ring in question has more resistance to overcome. Hope this helps.

 

[seany65]

Not sure what you are trying to do here. "Multi exposure" on the T4 is nothing more than the double exposure feature found on most SLRs. It cocks the shutter without winding the film. How does this replace an ND filter?

Sorry Bille, I've only just noticed your post.😱

I know that 'multi-exposure' is the same as 'double exposure', but Iwant a non-digital camera with an actual switch rather than have to faff about pressing the rewind button and holding the the re-wind lever while operating the film-wind lever to cock the shutter without winding the film, which is what the instruction books for many of the cameras I've considered say to do.

What I want to use multi-exposure for, is to blur things like water and maybe long grass while having the rest of the picture basically sharp unless I'm trying to go for the 'painterly' softness angle. I want to do this without ND filters so that I can use graduated gray filters to balance out the sky and land and not have to use too many filters at once, thus affecting image quality too much.


@konicamera, thanks for the useful info.

 

[johnf04]

The only camera I've come across with built in double exposure is the Ricoh 500 me - a small rangefinder camera.
http://www.ricohforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=8028

 

[johnf04]

The other cameras that have a (slightly) simpler double exposure are Zenit Es and Bs. After firing the shutter, hold down the shutter release and wind the speed setting knob anticlockwise, then let go the shutter release. This winds the shutter, without moving the film.

 

[oftheherd]

@MikeMGB, couldn't you help me out by saying "You'll almost certainly be alright with it" or something? That may put my mind at rest and help me decide.😱

@johnf04, that wouldn't bother me too much, as I recently bought a Zenit C, which hasn't got an 'instant return' mirror, it uses string to pull the mirror back down.

@MikeMGB, I'd say thank you, but your "Find a good konica and you won't be disappointed."

makes me think "Hmmm, does that mean I'll have to buy half a dozen to be sure?"

I don't know if just being pessimistic and finding something to 'think' about in an effort to stop myself spending any money, or just being cautious.😱😀

I really appreciate a man who is easy to please. 😛

As to your question on multiple exposure, using the rewind button and lever, it can be done. I haven't done it often (not my usual style) but I have used it successfully. Tighten the film a little in the cassette, but not so much as to cause it to pull the film back in when you push the rewind button. Push in the rewind button (you may have to hold it in with some cameras). Slowly use the film wind lever as usual and take your photo. I would suggest you try it a few times on scenes you don't care too much about, to see if what you do works, or if not, try some slight variation, like more or less tensioning of the film in the cassette. Of course, the above should be on a tripod.

As to Hexanon lenses, the father of one of our interpreters the last time I was in Korea, had told the interpreter that many in the far east professional photographers preferred the Konika cameras due to the excellence of their lenses.

 

[seany65]

@johnf04, I've got a Ricoh 500GX which has a multi exposure sliding button thing and little circle, but it's only a fixed lens, and so is a bit limited for landscapes.

Interestingly, there are copies of the 500gx that also have a raised hotshoe and an orange button on the multi-exposure button, with the noughts of the '500' further apart than 'normal. Ther are some with a white GX instead of red.

Oooops, I sound like a real 'anorak' in that bit don't I?😱

The Rollie SL35E has a multi-exposure lever just below the wind-on lever on the back. Apparently it's also got stepless shutter speeds even in manual! I was thinking of getting one but it seems the electronics a really unreliable.

I appreciate you mentioning the zenit E and B, but Nah, too much messin' about.

@oftheherd, thank you for the instructions, but that's even more messin' about than johnf04's suggestion, and me being a bit of a thicko and lazy, clumsy little turd, I won't be daring to try it that way.

Call me cowardy-custard if you must.😱