RF alignment in Hexar + 2 questions

[Ruvy]

one of e-bay sellers stated that Hexar are known to have RF go out of alignment but his (surprise surprise) are fine...

1. I am considering buying another (not from ebay) and wonder if there is any truth to this statement.

2. AFAIK Hexars are totally battery dependent. Is there a problem getting batteries for it? how many rolls can be shot w one set of batteries? Is there a limit of outdoor temperature when it stops working?

3. Are there any M lenses that will not fit? is there a problem to use LTM lenses with an adaptor? I' may be interested in one lens in 75-135mm range and one 21mm

Thanks for any relevant inforamation

Ruvy

 

[ravid905]

To answer your first question, I have heard the same thing. When I first got mine, I thought it was out of alignment. After using it for a week I found that if my eye was in a certain spot, everything looked fine. But that in no way means that it doesn't happen.

The second question is the batteries are pretty common, so much so that I can find them at any corner store near my house. Of course they can be gotten in bulk off ebay as well. The second part of your question is, I'm not sure. The camera came with batteries, which I have no idea how old they are but I have shot about 25 rolls since I got it in September and it is not indicating a low battery.

Third question can be answered I think by going to Dante Stella's site. He has a section on the Hexar, which has a list of lenses tested on these cameras regarding the focus issue that there was/is/maybe with Leica lenses. This is the page: http://www.dantestella.com/technical/hexarrf.html. He does list that the Jupiter 12 with the deep rear element works, maybe that will be the same with the 21, but I am sure someone else can answer that one better than I. As far as LTM's with adapters, my Summitar mounts and works jsut fine.

 

[trix]

I bought both of my Hexar RFs used more than 6 years ago. I have shot aprox. 650 films and have yet to knock them out of alignment. I average about 30 rolls with one set of batteries. The bad thing is that the indicator is quite useless, it goes from full to empty within half of a roll.

I have never owned a leica lens, but i made a couple of shots with a 28 Elmarit, 50 Cron and 90 Cron..no problems at all. Also a 1,7/35 VC Ultron caused no problems.

If you are frequently shooting with lenses longer than 50mm don´t get a Hexar, due to the 0,6 viewfinder it does not make sense. If you are into 28 and 35..go for it, it´s a gem !

 

[Ruvy]

Thanks for all the info and I am sure DanteStella will be helpful too

. This is the page: http://www.dantestella.com/technical/hexarrf.html. He does list that the Jupiter 12 with the deep rear element works, maybe that will be the same with the 21, but I am sure someone else can answer that one better than I. As far as LTM's with adapters, my Summitar mounts and works jsut fine.

 

[Ruvy]

Thanks

Being new to RF I am not sure I understand the difficulty with 90mm and its relation to 0.6 viewfinder - could you explain or post a link to a place that explains that?

If you are frequently shooting with lenses longer than 50mm don´t get a Hexar, due to the 0,6 viewfinder it does not make sense. If you are into 28 and 35..go for it, it´s a gem !

 

[Paul T.]

Thanks

Being new to RF I am not sure I understand the difficulty with 90mm and its relation to 0.6 viewfinder - could you explain or post a link to a place that explains that?

The longer the lens, the more critical your accuracy in focusing. A .72 or .9 viewfinder is proportionally more accurate than a .6 (which has the advantage of showing the framelines for widers lenses, like a 28mm).

More details here:

http://cameraquest.com/leica.htm

I would guess the Hexar is good enough to focus a 90/2.8 lens, but you might struggle with s 90/2.

Incidentally, I was told by Greg Weber that later Hexars have a more stable RF than earlier ones; they changed one of the RF parts from nylon t brass. Unfortunately I don't know at what serial number they changed - but I think it was reasonably early, so perhaps 75% of the produciton run has the improved system.

 

[trix]

Thanks

Being new to RF I am not sure I understand the difficulty with 90mm and its relation to 0.6 viewfinder - could you explain or post a link to a place that explains that?

Like Paul pointed out it´s an accuracy issue and also the design of the 90 and 135mm frames is....well, lets say second rate 🙂

The 135mm frame is to small, it is IMO imposible to compose a picture with it.

The 90mm frame is design like this I = I, only 4 bars, no edges, IMO very difficult to use.

On the other hand..the 90 Hexanon is a stellar performer. Due to my discomfort with the 90mm frame i hardly ever use the lens, but when i do i am always amazed with it´s performance..and the pictures come out well composed IMO...now go figure 🙂

 

[Krosya]

Wow - cool pics! Post moreeeee!!!!

As far as Hexar RF adjustment - dont know about how easy it is to knock one off, but it is very easy to adjust back to normal.

 

[awilder]

It's easy to adjust providing you're comfortable removing the top cover. Once removed the hardest part is removing the glue atop the "cogwheel" surrounding the rf adjustment prism that prevents turning for alignment.

 

[twopointeight]

I was told by Don Goldberg (DAG Camera Repair) that the adjustment screw in the RF is harder to fine tune and maintain than the Leica M. Those are not his exact words. I've never had a problem with alignment. Mine had to go back to Sony in Tokyo for a flashing 11 sign in the LCD. Cost $200.

Also, that's a very good photo of the baby doll on the scythe.

 

[Krosya]

It's easy to adjust providing you're comfortable removing the top cover. Once removed the hardest part is removing the glue atop the "cogwheel" surrounding the rf adjustment prism that prevent turning for alignment.

True. But this is sort of implied anyway - I mean if a person is willing to do RF adjustment on an expensive camera - they are or should be comfortable enough to open top, etc. Someone who dont want to risk it - can always send it to DAG or such and pay lots of money for what can be a 15 min mechanical adjustment. Now, electronic problems - that's a whole different story.

 

[Ruvy]

to Paul and Trix

to Paul and Trix

Thank you guys for this attention. I thought that when 90mm lens is inserted to frame takes most of the view finder like the 35 or 50... Its really bad news as RF are no easy to start with (specially for slr shooter)- having this problem is a serious problem to consider. Is this the way its on all rangefinders or something special about the Hexar RF?

Like Paul pointed out it´s an accuracy issue and also the design of the 90 and 135mm frames is....well, lets say second rate 🙂

The 135mm frame is to small, it is IMO imposible to compose a picture with it.

The 90mm frame is design like this I = I, only 4 bars, no edges, IMO very difficult to use.

 

[Ruvy]

Trix
Forgot to mention how wonderful your images are. Went also to your gallery and had a great time visiting there.

 

[infrequent]

@ruvy - thats an issue with all RFs and also why tele lenses are not all that suited to RFs. personally, anything above 75mm, SLRs have a distinct edge in framing accuracy.

i think there was nikon RF that either had multiple VFs suited to wide and tele lenses or zoomable VF. given when they were released, it was far ahead of the times!

note: multiple VFs was the Nikon SP. the zoomable VF was designed for the Nikon SPX which was sidelined as the Nikon F sales were off the charts.

 

[awilder]

The problem with small area framing for a 90 mm lens is pefectly normal with the Konica RF as it's finder magnification is rather low at about 0.60x. The best M in this respect is the M3 giving about 0.91x magnification. Most rangefinder enthusiasts have long gotten past this issue and either live with it, use a separate finder magnifier, higher mag viewfinder or simply limit their lens choice to shorter lenses. A separate 90 auxillary finder is another option.

 

[Ruvy]

Thank you infrequent. Price wise nikon is not an option... your post made me think about my shooting style and subjects in my DSLR.. Its rare that I shoot wider than 50 but at times I get down to about 28+mm. So, if RF are not suited for longer than 50 and I ma not used to wider than 50 perhaps all I should get is a fixed lens 40 or 50mm... On the other hand, while testing a RF I used only 35 and 28 and enjoyed itvery much... go figure. So conusing.

@ruvy - thats an issue with all RFs and also why tele lenses are not all that suited to RFs. personally, anything above 75mm, SLRs have a distinct edge in framing accuracy.

i think there was nikon RF that either had multiple VFs suited to wide and tele lenses or zoomable VF. given when they were released, it was far ahead of the times!

 

[Ruvy]

Thank you awilder. After reading your post I went to visit your gallery and was amazed at the beautiful colors (how so beautiful? film? exposure?) and concise compositions - it brightened my day in several ways one of them had to do with camera choice. Considering I have looked at a film camera just for black and white imagery, it was a joy to see I don't have to give up on colors and possibly also save some time by not developing and scanning films at home....

Still, the whole issue is very confusing. All my life it has been SLR 35mm or MF rolleiflex TLR... Last month I grew to love the RF but felt bad not shooting my slr...I like RF ease and coneniece of being handy and small.. like wise I love my dslr for best colors and all other advantages. Its not practical to take two cameras along, so I am finding myself hanging in one day convinced in one thing just to be doubting it in the following day.

oops, too much mumbling - sorry.

The problem with small area framing for a 90 mm lens is pefectly normal with the Konica RF as it's finder magnification is rather low at about 0.60x. The best M in this respect is the M3 giving about 0.91x magnification. Most rangefinder enthusiasts have long gotten past this issue and either live with it, use a separate finder magnifier or higher mag viewfinder or simply limit their lens choice to shorter lenses. A separate 90 auxillary finder is another option.

 

[awilder]

Thanks Ruvy. Film choice is usually Velvia 100 and exposure is the built-in meter of my MP or Hexar RF, no special modifications except when I had the Minolta CLE and had to resort to the AE compensation dial for tricky lighting. Modern silicone type TTL meters are quite accurate these days and any error is most likely the photographer's fault in how they take the reading.

 

[infrequent]

@ruvy - i think you will like shooting all normal lengths such as 28-50mm on the RF. there is a certain je ne sais quoi about RFs!

 

[Issy]

Mine had to go back to Sony in Tokyo for a flashing 11 sign in the LCD. Cost $200.

Sorry for the aside, but that is the first instance of a Hexar RF I have heard going back to Sony (not K-M) for repair. Was this recent? How did they do? How long did it take? Would be nice to know if Sony is truly continuing to support these.

Bill