Sorry for all of these Hexar related posts. If I was more organized I would have asked these questions in one post! Please forgive me. Does anyone know if the new Leica 1.25x viewfinder magnifier will fit the Hexar RF?

-- Steve Rosenblum (stevierose@yahoo.com), January 08, 2002

Answers

Nope.

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), January 08, 2002.

Steve: That's all right - we've decided to convert this site to a Hexar RF site anyway - 8^)

In response to your previous notes. I bought and sold 2 Hexar RFs. Loved the concept, but the execution lacked in two ways.

1. The auto-exposure reads a very narrow portion of the frame, and can be easily fooled. And the exposure lock only locks for one exposure, so you have to re-lock and recompose for every frame, even in 'motor' mode.

2. The secondary image in the rangefinder wiggles around substantially if your eye moves behind the viewfinder window (which happens a lot wearing glasses) - making exact focus very uncertain with a 50 f/1.4 or anything longer/faster. With a Tri-Elmar @ f/4 this may be (probably IS) a non-issue.

I keep hoping for a Hexar with a .85 viewfinder or a Leica M(whatever) with the shutter/wind of a Hexar.

Sadly, the Hexar viewfinder has the same THREAD as the M, but the VF OPTICS are substantially different. I could fit a Leica standard rubber eyepiece on the RF, but everything went fuzzy if I looked through it.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), January 08, 2002.

Andy,

I also own a HexarRF, and am perfectly happy with it; Just a few thoughts on your complains:

> 1. The auto-exposure reads a very narrow portion of the frame, and can be easily fooled.

I only own a Hexar, but i don't think this is better with a Leica M6. You just have to think a bit before you take a picture.

> And the exposure lock only locks for one exposure, so you have to re-lock and recompose for every frame, even in 'motor' mode.

You can easily turn the wheel of the shutter time with on move of the thumb, and set it on a fixed time, just as you would do with a M6!

2. The secondary image in the rangefinder wiggles around substantially if your eye moves behind the viewfinder window (which happens a lot wearing glasses) - making exact focus very uncertain with a 50 f/1.4 or anything longer/faster. With a Tri-Elmar @ f/4 this may be (probably IS) a non-issue.

I noticed the same, but did not get any unsharp pictures because of this (but I'm only using the 50/2). In my opinion, if you centre your eye behind the viewfinder in such a way that you can read the shuttertime display correclty, you will also focus correct.

> I keep hoping for a Hexar with a .85 viewfinder or a Leica M(whatever) with the shutter/wind of a Hexar.

I expected the limited edition with the fast lens (50/1.2) to come with a 0.85 viewfinder. Apparently Konica doesn't think there's need for that.

Joop

-- Joop Mes (mes@nat.vu.nl), January 08, 2002.

I personally love the Hexar. But you might want to wait a couple months because if Leica comes through on the rumors and intros an electronic/AE body you may see quite a few Hexars hit the market initially with a substantial price drop.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), January 08, 2002.

Joop: Reasonable points.

But if I have to "stop and think a bit" or set the shutter speed manually - well, I can do that with my M4-2/Ps. If I have to do that with the Hexar, too, then it seems to me that the AE is vestigial, at best.

The focus shift was the biggest problem, but a very real one with a 90mm - I had to shoot at f/8 and pray in order to be sure of good focus. Once it became clear I had to carry at least one Leica body to use the 90 anyway - well, I just carried the Leica alone.

I do appreciate a lot of things about the RF. 1/4000 second is great! (Velvia in daylight @ 1/4000th and f/2 = gobs of 'bokeh'!)

And both the bodies I traded sold quickly, so obviously the concept is popular!

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), January 08, 2002.