Hope this forum does not limit the number of question asked per day. Has anyone used the Hexar RF with regret? I only have one M6ttl .85 and had wanted to buy a Hexar RF as a second camera (not necessarily a back up)for long time but heard that the M7 will be up soon, so I wait. With the M7 now available, would you still buy a Hexar RF today? The things on the Hexar that excels the M7 are higher flash syn., 1/4000 shutter, auto-wind, are they so important to you that you will opt for the Hexar instead of the M7? I can see the future of the Hexar is very dim with the introduction of M7 unless Konica come up with a new model of the Hexar with all our wish list that do not happen to the M7.

-- tom tong (tom.tong@ckh.com.hk), March 03, 2002

Answers

Hexar RF can't focus a 90 for beans - but CAN be used (barely) with a 21 and no accessory finder. 1/4000 is useful for shooting wide-open in bright light, as is faster flash sync for fill. Has self-timer for those occasional self-portraits. The RF has occasional hesitation (even in manual mode) if you wake it up suddenly to take a grab shot - and even in prepared shooting *I* can feel a longer shutter lag time. It has a louder (or an least more penetrating) sound - although the difference is meaningless in many settings.

I wouldn't substitute a Hexar RF for a Leica M (if I had only one body it would be a Leica) - but it's a very useful accessory for certain purposes. It's a good yang to the ying of my meterless M4-x bodies. I bought one four weeks ago once the M7 was already pretty much revealed - because autoexposure per se is the least of its features.

The main upgrade I'd want from Konica is a .9x - 1.0x finder for use with 90s. But I don't think they're going to invest a lot more in the system. I'm not sure the RFs future isn't dim with or without the M7's appearance.

Just for the heck of it - what were the 'wish list' items that the Hexar DOESN'T have?

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), March 04, 2002.

I use my 135/3.4 APO-Telyt on my Hexar RF, up close and wide open, and it focuses it just fine. The 90/2.8 is also perfectly focusable. I don't know about a 90/2 as I would never again own such a clunky lens for the M. The Hexar lacks the solid feel of the M but mine (bought used almost 2 years ago) has been 100% reliable and my M6 has been relegated to backup duty. Two of the features that prompted this are the built-in motor and quick rear-door loading which the M7 will not offer. If I get an M7 it will replace the M6 not the Hexar.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), March 04, 2002.

I know many others like the Hexar. I had one and did not like it. First, it is simply not a Leica in build quality... Second, there is a noteable shutter delay, which was one of the reasons I made the move to the M in the first place. The AE is nice, but I don't really use it much and the 1/4000th was handy for open apertures, but again I didn't find I needed it that often. The motorized advance is a nice convenience, but not really necessary. IMO, do yourself a favor and spend the extra $$$ to get another M body.

:-),

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), March 04, 2002.

Dear Tom,

I've had the Hexar RF for about two years now. Impressions at random: The build quality is good but spotty. This fell off. The hot shoe dealie--which I glued back on with bond. The frame preview level's screw fell out. That's lost, the level's safe. The paint scratches easily. The finder is best suited for wide angle. I've used it with a 135/2.8 goggles with pleasure. The shutter button is slow. The top 1/4000 is great. I like the built in motor. I like the feel of the camera. It is not a Leica nor was it meant to be. It accepts all Leica M lenes.

The Hexar RF came when the M7 was, as far as we knew, only a fantasy in the minds of Leica M users. With the advent of the M7 it must be said that the Hexar is a different sort of auto M camera because of its top speed and its built-in motor. It is still very much of a contender.

One this day, 4 March 2002, if someone asked me which should I buy, a Hexar RF or Leica M7 I would have to say Leica M7. I say this because I am sure it is better made and because it's finders are better and its shutter is quieter. As a second backup camera would I recommend the Hexar? In spite of the minuses I would.

-- Alex Shishin (shishin@pp.iij4-u.or.jp), March 04, 2002.

Here is my 5 buck's worth: a. If you are using Leica lenses only, it is possible to adjust the Hexar RF to focus OK with these, both at infinity and close up, from wide angle to 90mm f2.8 inclusive. I don't think it is possible to use Leica and Konica lenses on the same camera for critical results. b. I don't think the exposure meter is centre-weighted as claimed, not in a Nikon sense anyway. It is more of a selective wide-spot meter (bit like M6), and the sensitivity is elipse shaped instead of being round as in the M6. I am not sure that a wide-spot meter is a good basis for AE operations. I imagine this will be the problem with M7 AE too. I am also not sure whether I like the elipse shaped (as opposed to round) sensitivity of the meter. c. There is a shutter lag, and I feel that I can take three shots in quick succession faster with manual wind Leica Ms or Nikon F2/3, than with the RF on S or C setting. Shutter lag can be minimized by using the C setting in manual exposure control, and for the first shot by pressing the shutter button halfway, ready to go, but this does not help with the following shots. d. If you are shooting in the street or a public place then the RF feels just as quiet if not quiter than the Ms. If you are at home "playing with cameras" than Leica sounds better. With the RF even when people know I am taking photographs, it is difficult for them to know how many, if any shots I have taken, because there is no hand/arm movement advancing the film. e. I am not sure about film loading. I never had any problems loading screw or M Leicas, or Nikon 90s or F100s but have had the occasional "non-load" with Nikon F4s and the Hexar RF. f. Although RF is similar in weight to the Leica Ms, it has a more fragile feel. Specially some of the dials and rf mechanisms feel and look light-weight. The paint finish scratches easily.

At the moment I trust the RF more than my M4-P. If Leica's "legendary build quality" was real than we would not be forced to consider all these alternatives, for I don't think anything matches the tactile pleasures one experiences with a Leica.

-- sait (akkirman@clear.net.nz), March 04, 2002.

I may be a dilettante but IMHO the best thing about the Hexar is the film loading. I'm just too much of a clutz to deal with upside down by hand film loading. As long as the film isn't bent, the Hexar never misses.

Also, I second the trip above to always use the motor in C mode. I'm not sure why they bothered with the S mode. It's slow and noisy. The C mode is fast and quiet.

-- Pete Su (psu_13@yahoo.com), March 04, 2002.

About the shutter time lag.
Mr. Puts said: The RF has a very significant time lag too.
For pratical use (general people shots) the shutter time lags of a Leica M6 or Konica Hexar RF, or Nikon F4/F3,the cameras I have used, are about the same. The difference may be detected by machine but not me and certainly not "very significant time lag" as Mr. Puts put.
About the View finder choice:
The real advantage of Leica M7 is that it have various view finder choices which is the reason why I am still using my Leica M6 0.85.
About the build qauilty:
The Hexar RF feels solid like a Nikon F3 in my hand. They have the same film back design (nothing like the cheap feel Nikon FM2/FE2 film back). The RF have similar on/off/c/s switch like the one from Nikon F4 which is very handy and easy to use in the dark.
About the reliability:
No complaint of my Hexar RF. My Leica M6 .72 28/90 frame lines disappear after only some light usage. My two Leica M6 (recent model) have film load/jam problems if I follow the instructions from their user manual. Leica should do a recall for me.
About the price:
Head and shoulder. Why Mr. Puts did not mention it in his M7 article.
About the shutter loadness:
There is no real difference in pratical usage. The backgroud noise is more than that from any of these two shutters in most cases. Both cannot be used in a record studio.
About the fire speed:
The Konica RF can do 3 fps. How can any M6/M7 without motor drive beat it (as from Sait last posting if I read correctly).

-- kenny chiu (gokudo31@hotmail.com), March 04, 2002.

dear kenny, 3 fps is actually quite slow. If you practice a bit you will see that you can shoot as fast or faster manually either by Ms or Nikon F2 /3. Try it sometime.

-- sait (akkirman@clear.net.nz), March 04, 2002.

Hi Sait,
Quite amazing if you can do it but not for me. We should have M7/M6 fastest shooter and fastest loader contest someday. By the way assuming that you hand held the M6 to do 3 fps, did your right hand cause any camera shake such that you have to reframe/refocus? Did you still look thru the view finder to do that?

-- kenny chiu (gokudo31@hotmai.com), March 04, 2002.

Yes, and the subject was travelling towards me at 100 kph and I was standing on a hammock. No need to be silly about it !

-- sait (akkirman@clear.net.nz), March 05, 2002.