Konishiroku Hexar 50mm f3.5

[shawn]

First day out with with my new to me Hexar 50mm f3.5. Information on this lens is fairly rare so I wanted to post some first impressions. I shot some film today but I haven't developed it yet. All pictures are with it mounted on a Fuji X Pro 2. They were all shot using the OVF mode with the small zoomed in window for focus confirmation. Focus tab on the lens made focusing very quick and easy as I am already learning the position of the tab and how it relates to focus distance and I was having a lot of fun shooting this way. I shot in film simulation bracketing mode to quickly see how the lens does in color and B&W.

The lens is well built, 10 bladed iris and coatings on multiple elements. Compared to an Industar 22 the lens does not collapse as deep and fully collapses on the Fuji without interference. The infinity lock also works fine on the Fuji in contrast to the I22.

On of the nice features on the Hexar is the aperture has click stops and is engraved on the top and bottom of the lens. That way no matter where the focus is, or where the barrel was locked when extended, you can see the F stop without having to turn the camera upside down.

Note the F stop markings in relation to the focus tab...

Now see the other set of F stop markings....

Compared to the I22 this is dramatically easier to use, esp. with a hood on the lens.

I cleaned and adjusted the I22s lens group for proper focus on a rangefinder. This made a noticeable improvement in picture quality when shot on a digital but the Hexar is in another league. Wide open the Hexar is sharper and has better contrast than the I22 at f5.6. I haven't touched the Hexar other than regreasing the focus helical.


Hexar vs Industar 22 both at f3.5

Hexar at f3.5 vs Industar 22 at f5.6

Wide open at close focus to see bokeh...

Same thing in Acros film simulation

On a Leotax with a lens hood...

Shawn

 

[splitimageview]

very nice!

What filter thread?

 

[shawn]

I think it is 34mm, at least that is what my calipers are saying. I don't have a 34mm filter to test that yet though. Outside of the barrel is 36mm so it is the same lens cap/hood size as the I22, and I think the Elmar as well.

Shawn

 

[David Murphy]

Very interesting, thanks for posting this, and stunning shots. I have a Fuji Photo 5cm F2 Cristar, a similarly rare vintage Japanese LTM collapsible which looks quite similar in build. I think your Hexar may outperform it however.

 

[splitimageview]

I think it is 34mm, at least that is what my calipers are saying. I don't have a 34mm filter to test that yet though. Outside of the barrel is 36mm so it is the same lens cap/hood size as the I22, and I think the Elmar as well.

I wonder if it is 34.5mm like the Nikkor 35mm LTMs. That size filter is hard to come by.

Should take the slip on A36 filters in any case.

This Hexar looks cool.

Very interesting, thanks for posting this, and stunning shots. I have a Fuji Photo 5cm F2 Cristar, a similarly rare vintage Japanese LTM collapsible which looks quite similar in build. I think your Hexar may outperform it however.

I ended up selling my Cristar as it was too similar in rendering to my Summitar, and worth too much. 🙂

 

[David Murphy]

I ended up selling my Cristar as it was too similar in rendering to my Summitar, and worth too much. 🙂

Yes you are totally right about that - it is Summitar-like, which is good company to be in. The value of the Cristar is perfectly ridiculous, but I'm not complaining - I guess not many were made. I lucked upon a rather low priced copy, which I had CLA'd to perfection. The Summitar apparently was the model for another Japanese collapsible prime from the early post-war era: the Canon Serenar 50mm F1.9, a gorgeous lens.

 

[shawn]

Very interesting, thanks for posting this, and stunning shots. I have a Fuji Photo 5cm F2 Cristar, a similarly rare vintage Japanese LTM collapsible which looks quite similar in build. I think your Hexar may outperform it however.

Thanks, I am very pleased with the lens. I'll add more as I continue to shoot with it.

Shawn

 

[shawn]

I wonder if it is 34.5mm like the Nikkor 35mm LTMs. That size filter is hard to come by.

Should take the slip on A36 filters in any case.

This Hexar looks cool.

Could be. I'll pick up a cheap 34mm filter and test it.

Shawn

 

[02Pilot]

The design of the Hexar is nearly identical to the Canon 50/3.5 (as seen below on my IIIg):

Agreed that it is far easier to use than the 50/3.5 Elmar-type lenses, though some compactness is sacrificed. FWIW, the Canon uses 34mm filters.

The Canon 50/1.9 is a strange intermediate design, with a body that's clearly inspired by the Summitar, but with optics that are much closer to the earlier Summar. A fine lens, but the rendering is more Summar than Summitar.

 

[raid]

Is the 50/2.4 the latest variation or development from the older 50/3.5, or are these two lenses completely different and have no common design features?

 

[shawn]

Developed and scanned the first roll from the Hexar. A couple of shots I was shooting it side by side with the digital shots above so it is interesting to see how the Fuji's ACROS simulation compared to film. Fuji is more cropped due to sensor size.

Fomopan 200 in HC110 DilE

Shawn

 

[shawn]

Is the 50/2.4 the latest variation or development from the older 50/3.5, or are these two lenses completely different and have no common design features?

No idea, sorry. I have found very little info on the f3.5 Hexar other than speculation that it is the same lens as in the Konica I rangefinder.

Shawn

 

[xayraa33]

Decades ago I was told by a knowledgeable camera collector that the 50mm f3.5 Hexar lens evolved from Konishiroku's popular (in Japan) enlarging lens .

 

[raid]

I like the Hexar lenses, and I have used Konica I, II, III, and IIIM cameras.

 

[shawn]

Decades ago I was told by a knowledgeable camera collector that the 50mm f3.5 Hexar lens evolved from Konishiroku's popular (in Japan) enlarging lens .

Maybe, I read somewhere that the enlarging lenses were six element compared to four on the ltm lenses.

Shawn

 

[xayraa33]

Maybe, I read somewhere that the enlarging lenses were six element compared to four on the ltm lenses.

Shawn

Most of the modestly priced 50mm f3.5 enlarging lenses are of a 4 element Tessar design like the Schneider Comparon and the El Omegar etc.

The more expensive ones like the 50 mm Schneider Componon are 6 elements and they may have a max aperture opening of f4 or f2.8

 

[ForestCap]

Decades ago I was told by a knowledgeable camera collector that the 50mm f3.5 Hexar lens evolved from Konishiroku's popular (in Japan) enlarging lens .

http://www.ebay.com/itm/konishiroku-hexar-50mm-f-3-5-as-is-condition-87979/162683199657

Just saw this on eBay. Maybe this is the enlarging lens?

 

[xayraa33]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/konishiroku-hexar-50mm-f-3-5-as-is-condition-87979/162683199657

Just saw this on eBay. Maybe this is the enlarging lens?

Wow, speak of the devil. these are not often seen outside Japan.
It looks like a later production made lens though.
Worth owning for the historic connection to their fine camera lenses.