And leave the rest of the budget for film-developing. Its predecessor, the Leica CL (sometimes labeled Leitz Minolta CL), was designed in concert with Minolta and released in 1973. In 1966, DHW Fototechnik successor of Franke & Heidecke of Rolleiflex and Rolleicord fame introduced the Rollei 35 at Photokina. The issue is, you have to press two buttons at the same time to activate it. Theyre the only autofocus point-and-shoot camera I can think of that allows you to see your aperture, exposure compensation, focus distance, and the number of exposures remaining without raising it to your eye. I also have a personal preference for the Color Minotar over the MC Minoxar. The exposure time will be kept in memory until you explicitly set another value or switch of the camera. Its not unlike the old Pentax ME Super in that regard with the button setting of shutter speeds. Its not silent though. Within each of those, they are broken down into four pricing brackets: Ultra-Bargain, Bargain, Mid-Range, and Premium. 14 January 2015 by Asser Stadsfotograaf The Konica Hexar AF: the ultimate compact film camera Konica has always been a company with its own master plan on photography. I was tempted to put the Nikon F2 Titan here, but I set aside my personal bias that sees the Titan as my white whale of cameras to instead choose not one, but two of the best (and last) 35mm cameras ever made. Everything about it is designed to be. No Hexar case, flash . In short focus and recompose does not always work. That camera was the G1 a titanium-clad body with electronically controlled exposure, autofocus, and rangefinder system. The FX-103 Program has four modes: P (Program), HP (High-Speed Program), A (Aperture Priority), and M (Manual). In simple terms, if you set the cameras critical speed to 1/30 even if the light meter in the camera determines that there isnt enough light it wont use a slower shutter speed. For more precise shots Ive used the manual mode. The only thing that doesn't put it in the same league is the fixed 35mm lens. Typically, I mostly just leave it in program mode and use it for snapshots or in aperture priority wide open to get some depth-of-field. So capable and tech-filled was the EOS-1V, Canon would continue to manufacture it for another 18 years until they ended production of all non-digital bodies in 2018. Cameras should *not* have Easter eggs! So if its designed as a kickass P&S, why be chuffed at hidden features. The Minox 35 is just about the only discreet, pocketable 35mm camera out there that comes in at an affordable price. It uses the Contax Yashica (C/Y) bayonet mount, which means it can utilize all of the extremely excellent Contax Zeiss lenses, many of which still hold their own even on high-resolution digital cameras. The Hexar AF came in two primary versions: the black original Hexar AF (1993) and the better-featured Hexar AF Silver (1997). Once the exposure info is set, I use a half press of the shutter button to lock focus, recompose if necessary and take the pic. It also adapts easily to most mirrorless systems as well though due to the lack of a focus ring on G lenses, focus must be controlled by a ring on the adapter, which is not as bad as it sounds in practice. from Japan. Despite all the complaints though, I do now want to draw your attention back to two things I said at the beginning of this review. I guess I may just be a tad envious that youve actually worked with a Hexar and I havent. A working Canon 7 can be sourced for under $150, though if you intend to use the light meter, be sure to check its accuracy as selenium meters often didnt stand the test of time. I found the G2 more more versatile because of the higher shutter speed but also found that the iq of the hexar to be superb. Like the Canon, the F6 would remain in production for over a decade until its discontinuation in 2020, at which time it was the last remaining film SLR still being manufactured. There are two ways to experience 35mmc without the adverts: Paid Subscription- 2.99 per month and you'll never see an advert again! (Free 3-day trial).Subscribehere. I fully get you feelings about using this camera and I suspect users who have a wide technical knowledge of photography might be expected to have knowledge about what its features would allow them to do and then get frustrated when trying to access a specific feature in a hurry. 7 watching. Three years later, Canon would release the Canon 7, whose biggest design change was the addition of a selenium exposure meter into the cameras top. Silent Mode: During the 1990s, Konica got into a bit of legal trouble by including an optional silent mode where the camera makes virtually no noise when autofocusing, tripping the shutter, and advancing the film. Its refreshing to read a meh review of a camera that reviewers usually fawn over. Oddly enough, the W-Nikkors barrel distortion is much better controlled, perhaps due to its use of discontinued (and slightly radioactive) lanthanum glass. Automatic Infrared Film Focus Compensation: When using infrared film, the AF has a setting that will automatically adjust the focus appropriately. The latter was unusual for the time since most rangefinders of the era had long since moved over to. Right then, now that all of the niceties are out of the way, cast your eyes on some lovely camera porn showing the . The Hexar AF is a bit larger than others due to its significantly larger (and magnificent) lens, but none of these cameras will comfortably fit in a jeans pocket or shirt pocket anyway. Ok What do you mean by realistic? . Lens: The 35mm f/2 Hexar lens on the AF is a multicoated, Xenotar-type descendant of the Nikons 35mm f/1.8 W-Nikkor. This camera was on my list to try some day. The Konica Hexar is a great camera, but to my mind its not quite as untouchable as it is sometimes touted as being. And all the points are valid Dont care . Hamish, it was one of the best reviews I was expecting to read about it. Both offer six-month warranties and free shipping on a majority of products. But still, in silent (or slow) mode the Hexar is doing an awesome job. Just out of curiosity as to where traditional cameras had moved, recently, as an example, I got hold of a Minolta 800si very cheaply to add to my collection. It's not the most compact point-and-shoot, but it's plenty small. It also works well for exposure compensation when using filters. INTRODUCTION Top Specs Performance Recommendations The Konica Hexar is a magnificsnet 1990s 35mm film camera that no one has ever seen. Leica and Minolta designed and released the Leica 40/2 Summicron with the camera as well as the Leica Elmar-C 90/4. I can do what I want quickly and easily with the camera and the results are worth it. These shots would have looked a lot different if they were scanned with a frontier scanner compared to the Noritsu that was used. Designed by Yoshihisa Maitani, chief camera designer of Olympus Optical Co Ltd. and the man behind the Pen, OM, and mju series of cameras, the Olympus XA line comprised five distinct models. Photography & ProjectsLooking for some inspiration, or just want to flick through the project work and photos? The internet also tells me (here) that the later models did still have the silent mode, it just needs unlocking via a crazycombination of buttons akin to activating some sort of horrendous finish him move on Mortal Kombat, Assuming you have either an early model, or youve entered the magic code you can active silent mode by turning the camera off, then turn it back on whilst holding the MFbutton (obviously!?). That being said, I feel I have a growing awareness of my own pickiness. It takes seconds to take a meter reading, set the aperture on the camera and press a button a few times for the right speed. Its fun to be a contrarian sometimes eh?! In my opinion, the most impressive aspects of the AF include: (1) its fantastic 35mm lens; (2) its modern implementation of the 1960s guide number flash system; (3) its nice parallax-corrected viewfinder; (4) extensive user control over all of its functions; (5) its optional "silent mode;" and (6) the ability to use regular camera filters. The comment went something like this: Please dont just write another post about all the hidden features. And what do you mean by post process something in the scan, or lightroom? Konica Minolta Hexar Rangefinders user reviews : 4.6 out of 5 - 69 reviews - photographyreview.com . Required fields are marked *. The program auto on the Konica Hexar is much as you might find on most cameras. curates egg Ive not head that before sounds about right! And youre right: the way of unleashing the hidden potential (or: simply trying to use the manual functions in a sensible way) is completely unlogical most of the time. At 50 ASA, daylight photos can be shot at normal apertures. That said, since the distance reading is only accurately shown on top of the camera, the only way to use it with ease and accuracy is to look at the top of the camera rather than through the viewfinderwhen activating it. When we think of rangefinders, our first thoughts drift to those of Leica and Zeiss Ikon, the two earliest and most highly regarded rangefinder camera manufacturers. With the Hexar, we are talking about some pretty major features that you have to fumble through the user interface to find. I use it as a quieter, quicker stylus epic or yashica t5 with a better viewfinder and faster lens. This only works in program mode of course, but it makes the program mode pretty much the best program mode I can think of in any camera thats even remotely similar to this one. But as I say, its basically moot, since you cant see the when youre taking a photo anyway. Both the Canon P and Canon 7 are very desirable rangefinder options, with a plethora of affordable M39 lenses to choose from. Since the finders are interchangeable, a regular F3 can become an F3HP by swapping in the DE-3 finder, and an F3HP can use one of the many other finders available including the basic DE-2 finder. Hold the two results side by side and you would see one more natural looking image and one with clipped reds. The Program Mode (which is really an intelligent Aperture Priority mode with an over/under exposure safety net, if you look at the charts in the manual) is the only setting that matters in my world they could have just built it with that and called it a day, as far as Im concerned. Furthermore, from 1972 to 1973, some Rollei 35 cameras featured a 40/3.5 S-Xenar lens made by Schneider. In the case of the Konica Hexar, the button is on the top quite close to the shutter button. The Konica AR System Viewfinder accessories Eye cups The rubber eye cup protects the viewfinder from light reflections that can make focusing difficult in strong-light conditions. My issue is with when you want to use it as something more than a point & shoot. Of course, the AF can also use any regular old electronic auto mode flash. Seven years later, Minolta introduced the very similar Minolta CLE one of the most advanced rangefinders of its time due to the inclusion of aperture-priority autoexposure (something Leica wouldnt accomplish until the release of the M7 decades later). After you cross that point, the differences become academic in my opinion all of them will do just fine in a jacket pocket or dangling from a wrist or neck strap. With the Contax, its customisations are very much set and forget major features are all available through clearer functions when the camera is switched on. I bought the Hexar AF and was familiar with all the buttons in about 1-2 hours of shooting. Quite often cameras include a button on the back of the camera for thumb activation of modes like this this isnt the case with the Konica Hexar. But if you just want to have a small package, similar to the Hexar in size and quality, a simple Nikon F75 and a 35mm f2D for 1/3 of the price. Because of the Rollei 35s success, in 1967 a higher-end variant was planned for market, but due to the productions shift from Germany to Singapore, it would be a number of years before it saw an audience. It doesnt look as beautiful or slim, but it really gets your job done if you just care about the image more than the gear. If you use it in a simple way much I think like Rob does I suspect it can be very rewarding; Rob certainly seems to enjoy his, and gets great shots too. However it seems like one of those cameras that make sense if you shoot them exclusively, but arent in any way instinctive to operate occasionally. Some M3s have markings on their rangefinder patch that need to be learned to be used, and Id guess most dont know what they are for. This cooperation continued for about a decade until Canon began manufacturing its own Serenar branded lenses. Fixed sharp 7 element 6 group 35/2 Lens to f/22, 46mm filter. Ive always appreciated clarity of function, but writing the post about the lure of the uncomplicated camera made me realise just how much of a preference I have toward simple design so perhaps this is all just my issue, and theres nothing wrong with the camera at all? , Pingback: The Konica Hexar AF - Guest Review by Rob MacKillop. Along side the automatic functions common to the genre of cameras the Konica Hexar best fits into, it features aperture priority and even a full manual mode. The Canon EOS-1V, released in 2000, was the fifth generation of Canons top-of-the-line professional series which started with the F-1. + 35mm f2 (199.6g). It would be pointless trying. My final complaint is with the silent mode. Followers 0. You have only the distance numbers to go by, you can't look through the viewfinder and use a focus patch to focus. The Hexar AF (silver version) is indeed a fine and easy-to-use camera. After 10 months of not having a 35mm film rangefinder, I finally have one again!This time I review a Konica Hexar RF - a Leica M-mount rangefinder with auto . It made me really inspired to talk about the Nikon 35ti. The focus and advance are not truly silent, but they are pretty muted. Neutral Density Filters: One of the best things you can do to get the most out of the AF is to invest in a high-quality 2 or 3 stop neutral density filter. The lens out of the original Hexar AF has been independently converted by many into a Leica M lens (though this takes a lot of work and frankly is not as elegant as Konica's own ported versions). I just dont expect cameras from past eras to be great interface wise. This Konica Minolta film camera sports a brilliant range finder that is adorned with various shutter speeds on its left for easy use. Easter eggs are delicious, if one likes chocolate. No sense I mean there are simpler, almost same compactness combos that are simpler to operate. The F6 is fully compatible, including metering, with almost all F-mount lenses since 1977. Ive probably only shot 20 rolls in mine but it is a keeper. Find One For (in 2023): $500. This silent mode is actually just a slow mode. Well be looking at three categories: 35mm SLR Cameras, 35mm Compact Cameras, and 35mm Rangefinder Cameras. The viewfinder is acceptable (but not the best available) for glasses wearers. It appealed with its superb lens and the general high quality of its construction. Ive noticed that the more a person pays for a camera, the more inclined they are to review it positively. ! Yes, I know thats not completely analogous, but you get the idea. The date function only goes up to December 31, 2019. Inside the viewfinder, you do get a basic distance indicator, parallax correction and a few little lights that tell you useful information. Yet, it has a dedicated button just for the self-timer. Im including two options here because they are both exceptional and about the same price, yet one or the other may better suit your personal preferences. Took a fall I thought would shake all the fittings loose. Here is the AF compared with the internets favorite point-and-shoots with fixed lenses around the 35mm focal length: the Contax T3, the Fujifilm Klasse, the Leica Minilux, the Nikon 35Ti, and the Yashica T4. lens, control of every parameter, silence, autofocus RF, battery life, viewfinder. Posted by Davide Caniatti on Wednesday, March 17, 2021 Point and shoot are always a polarizing topic among photographers. All scanners have their own colour profiles too, and are often set up slightly differently so they will have an impact, as will the quality of the scanner and the skill of the person using it. Roberts Camera is rarely without several X-700 bodies in stock. No camera is perfect and Im not about to pretend the Hexar AF is. It sets an intelligent average of shutter and aperture to get the best average results in any given lighting. No matter how fiddly all the modes are, of course we want to try them all. Weight: 495g without battery If unlike me you can ignore the confusing stuff, and just get on with taking photos with it as a point & shoot, I suspect youll get on very well with it. It was not really marketed the way other cameras were marketed in the 90s. Within a hybrid workflow theres a lot that can change and impact on the results. Modes being accessed through combinations of unlabelled buttons combined with important shot feedback that can only be seen on the top of the camera just doesnt work for me. If using 400/800 speed film in daylight conditions, a neutral density filter is pretty much necessary. It also has a focus hold function that could be useful on a camera like this for the separation of either autoexposure or autofocus from the half shutter press. The first rangefinder to hit the market from the Canon Camera Company was the Hansa Canon in 1936, which was fitted with a Nikkor bayonet focusing mount. Content contributor- become a part of the worlds biggest film and alternative photography community blog. I admit at the outset to be a non-technical shooter, and I still rate this camera as my favourite. While not technically a rangefinder camera, it's 'rangefinder style design' and popularity in the film. As someone with quite strong feelings toward good user interface design, the idea that a cameras user interface would hide features from the user baffles me to the core. mashtosh (959) 100%. Exposure Compensation: In either P or A mode, you can easily set exposure compensation using two buttons beneath the switch. And if I wanted a Hexar (Hexanon lenses are BRILLIANT) Id probably buy the RF. This feature effectively stops the camera from choosing a shutter speed lower than the one you set the critical speed to. While this function may have been useful for some documentary, industrial, or scientific purposes, it is useless for taking real photos. Unlike the XA2 and XA3, which only gave users the choice of one of three focus positions (1.2-1.8m, 1.8m-6.3m, and 6.3m to infinity), the XA4s sliding scale allowed for incremental positioning anywhere between infinity and the cameras 0.3m minimum focus distance. (but the Hexar RF does have interchangeable lenses) So, if you have to have interchangeable lenses, this is not the camera for you. Ironically, the M5 has risen in value more than any other model over the past few years it has at least doubled in four or five years. Nippon Kogaku (later Nikon), Chiyoda Kogaku Seiko (later Minolta), Tanaka Kogaku, Showa Kogaku there was no shortage of options, many of which used Leicas M39 thread mount. To any reasonably knowledgeable photographer some cameras dont need much thinking about to operate them. 35mmc is a community blog that is authored by its readers and curated, moderated & edited by a small core team. While the F5 sported an integrated vertical grip, Nikon opted for a smaller, traditional body (with optional vertical grip) in the F6 a design choice I personally prefer over the F5 for its versatility, smaller footprint, and 225-gram weight difference. I wouldnt want one as my only camera, but paired with a manual camera (I had it and a screwmount Leica with me, color in the Hexar, B&W in the Leica) it offered a nice balance. Combined with 35mm f/2 Im interested to see how close I can get to this, but with a user experience I can get on board with. As such, I scan a little flatter to make sure I am retaining information in the scan. Ive recently found myself less and less inclined to force myself to use cameras that dont feel right for me, and using the Konica Hexar quite strongly gives me that feeling. Finally, the XA4 pivoted to a new five-element 28mm f/3.5 Zuiko macro lens, programmed auto exposure, maximum 1/750th shutter speed, and a new scale focus mechanism. Capable of an astonishing 10 frames per second, it was the fastest moving-mirror film camera ever made at the time only fixed pellicle mirror cameras like the Nikon F3H, capable of 13 frames per second when used with the MN-2 battery, were faster. For example lets take my fax Pentax MZ-3, put on it Pentax 43mm limited and you get super compact solution with almost perfect controls. By frank_scheitrowsky1 May 10, 2004 in Accessories. No matter your chosen focal length, the entire viewfinder will be used. Apart from my Nikon FM3a, i still havent found a film camera that does everything I want it to in a straightforward easy and intuitive way. If you want to make adjustments for every shot, this is not the camera youre looking for. The M3 may be my personal favorite because of my love for 50mm lenses and that gorgeous, bright 0.91x viewfinder. An Easter egg, as has otherwise been commented The lens and viewfinder are both clean with no hazing or fungus, there is no visible dusting. Similar alternatives include the Yashica FX-3 and Yashica FX-3 Super 2000. But too many button combos make Jack throw the camera across the room, or at least put it in a drawer. Film Speed Override: The DX override is a fantastic feature. There are legitimate reasons to choose just about any Leica rangefinder here the M3, M2, M4, M5, M6, M7, M-A, and MP are all worthy for their own reasons. It uses all LEICA lenses, as well as Leica-mount lenses from Konica and others. The two lenses perform remarkably similarly. In fact, some of the lenses were so good that their designs exist to this day in the Zeiss Classic and subsequently the Zeiss Milvus series. Ha, yeah, the Minolta talker comes to mind! Recommended Posts. So where should you start? As with all Rollei 35 models, the Rollei 35S featured a large, bright viewfinder without focusing aids, which meant the camera was, like the Minox 35, zone focus only with a match needle metering system. But none of the information is nearly as useful as having a shutter speed and or set aperture readout display. , Yes, Leicas are more hard to perforate, but they neither resist an objective criticism. Despite the AFs impressive optics and features, there are a few aspects that could have been better. The Canon P, despite being the less advanced of the two, commands higher prices, but can often be found for under $225, though prices have been on the rise. Im glad you linked to my review at the start of yours. The Minolta CLE is not only superior to the Leica CL by every metric, but usually, not much more expensive, and the M-Rokkor lenses are decidedly cheaper than their (single-coated) Leica counterparts. Peter Lindbergh in the 90's Now I get it. According to the manual, to December 31, 2019. Again, there are so many variables, I could never do that. Before I bought the camera I was convinced I could make it work for me, but after trying it I found that to be far from the truth. That feels like a lot of complaining its certainly more complaining than I anticipated writing. With the camera knowing that the flash would always fire at that full power setting, it would automatically compensate for both the ambient lighting and the focusing distance to arrive at the correct exposure for both indoor and daylight conditions. The Hexar also excels in several other ways due to its larger construction: there is actually a slight grip rather than the flat-fronted, boxy designs of the others, and the viewfinder is of significantly higher magnification closer to an actual rangefinder than a point and shoot. Multiple Exposures: The AF has a feature that easily permits multiple exposures, as many of you want, within reason. Konica Hexar AF Correction Lens -0.5 -1.0 -1.5 -2.0 -2.5 -3.0 -3.5 -4.0 1Piece. Since then I've taken photos for a hobby, sold cameras for a living, and for a little more than decade I've been a professional photographer and, of course, weekly contributor to 35mmc. Move along. Another frustration I have is with the information the camera feeds back to you at the momentyou half press the button. Marketed as an alternative to the Contax G, the Nikon of the time, it appealed with its superb lens and the general high quality of its construction.It also has some unique features, such as a "stealth mode" that makes it one of the quietest of 35mm cameras . My second choice, and one that does have a hidden feature as it is not mentioned in the user manual, is the Olympus XA. Like most Contax lenses, G-mount glass was made by Carl Zeiss, and they are some of the companys finest work. Free shipping. Its a really nice fully automatic point & shoot, but, its also a slightly clunky fully manual camera with a bunch of features that are a little confusing to navigate and this doesnt sit well with my needs or desires for a camera. These camera always comes in my way when thinking to change my setup, the problem is that looks beautiful and is really tempting. The <a href=" http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/315105-REG/">Voigtlander Viewfinder for 35mm Lens</a> might do.<p> <a href="mailto:henryp@bhphotovideo.com">Henry Posner</a><br> I just think it again comes down to the lack of clarity of function. Clearly youre not a proper photographer, Hamish Proper photographers set the camera to auto and P mode, and get out and about shooting great shots! In 1993 the first original black Hexar AF was presented where around 2000 pieces were produced. Brilliant and complicated algorithm of data. I absolutely love the Nikon Ti series (in either 28mm or 35mm flavors): theyre fitted with utterly fantastic lenses and the at first odd and potentially off-putting dials on top are one of my favorite points of design in any camera. As I said, it set me thinking. When it comes to rangefinders, the Minolta CLE is one of the best deals on the market. Closing Update (3): Sending the silver one back. The following model, the XA1, is a fixed-focus point and shoot with a 35mm f/4 lens, programmed auto exposure, limited film speed settings of ASA 100 and 400, and maximum 1/250th of a second shutter. Im presenting what my set of variables achieve. While this function does slow down the autofocus, it is still doable. I alsodont buy the idea the hidden modes unlock the cameras potential the cameras potential would be much better unlocked if it was simply less confusing to use. No camera ever made is more deserving of the adjective discreet than these cameras. Thereafter, lens changing, setting aperture, shutter speed and winding on is about as difficult as it gets! I have a Contax g2 system and had the hexar for three years before losing it. It is by no means perfect the exposure control is limited, the film advance can be finicky (likely due to how tiny and cramped everything is), its zone focus only, and the leaf shutter is prone to failure at a higher rate than others. Subscribehere. What I can only assume has happened is that over the years since the Konica Hexar was released people have bought them second hand without the manuals. Interestingly, Konica serviced the Hexar for a long time, they stopped servicing it a few years ago, simply because there were no more parts available to keep fixing them. (Free 3-day trial). The reality is of course, they arent really hidden, theyre simply unusually placed within the interface. Get the best deals on Camera Viewfinders & Eyecups for Konica Minolta when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. The F3 is, unsurprisingly, the successor to the legendary Nikon F2, but now with a built-in light meter (no clunky finder necessary) and aperture-priority automation.
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