Hi,

last week i bought a HexarRF, now i found in the library here in amsterdam (NL) the german "leica fotografie international" magazine. If I remember correct it was the april-2001 issue which featured a test of the hexarRF vs. M6. It was nice to read, accompanied with some nice pictures. Also the compatibility issue was shortly discussed. The 35/1.4 summilux was tested on the hexar body, and the picture was compaired to the picture taken with the same lens on the M6.(the subject was a wine cellar). The picture of the M6 was visibly sharper than the HexarRF(they say both were taken at 1,4). However, close examination learned that on the M6 picture EVERYTHING was in focus from foreground to background (I do not know how they can do that at 1,4?), and on the hexarRF picture only a certain wine-barrel was in focus (that's more what I would expect at 1,4) To me, it seems the M6 picture was taken at a different aperture setting! Moreover, I do not believe these differences would not be visible on a 8x5 cm print in a magazine! Another thing is the compairison of the flash systems. The flash of the hexar should be used at 2 aperture settings (when using 100 ISO film) using ap. 2.8 or 5.6. They take a picture at f=8 using 100-ISO film and state the hexar flash is gives a slight under exposure! That seems only logic to me, if the flash thinks the setting is 5.6! I don't remember the tester/writers name it was Mark..???

The guy was rather positive about the Hexar, however to me it seems he did his tests without taking care. I am a bit dissapointed that in this nice looking magazine tests are done which give people a wrong impression because the tester was not doing his job properly. Maybe I didn't understand the test correct -it was in german after all-, than please correct me!

Joop

-- Joop Mes (mes@nat.vu.nl), November 22, 2001

Answers

Joop,

Look what one of your compatriot wrote about the Konica Hexar and register.

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-- Lucien (lucien_vd@yahoo.fr), November 22, 2001.

Hi Lucien,

Yes, I know these articles, in fact there -and in other discussion groups- people state that differences in focal plane distance are so small that they are impossible to see anything on prints smaller than 30x40cm.The point is that the published test is not done correct in my view. But I can be wrong!

Joop

-- joop (mes@nat.vu.nl), November 22, 2001.