How does the Konica Hexar 90 lens work with the M6? Does it close focus perfectly, etc.? I'm thinking about this lens or possibly the Cosina Voigtlander 90.

-- Tim (emulsion71@hotmail.com), March 12, 2002

Answers

I have read a reviews in various Photographic mags. Althought the Konica lenses came out as very good,they were not as good as the Leica lenses.Me i would save the extra and get the Leica unless it is a case of must have now then I,m sure the Konica will serve you well. Regards Allen

-- allen herbert (allen1@btinternet.com), March 12, 2002.

When it first came out, I tried some side by side shots with my (also new) 90 mm 2.8 Leica. Very, very difficult to tell an optical difference, even with a high powered loop (and I pride myself as being able to distinguish between f4 and f8, definitely f11, on summicrons). Fingerprint, color almost the same. Indeed, the weight, size, balance, filter size, almost everything- made me really think this might be the Leica lens in disguise, maybe part of a joint development that went awry (put one in your left hand and one in your right....). I can't find any proof of that, but the one sample I tried was nice. The mount does feel different, and I can't attest to the focus testing/ reliability, mount diffs, etc. But it is a nice lens. I stuck with the elmarit, incidentally.

With rebates, or folks trading in for newer lenses, I would think you can get close to the Konica price on a new or nearly new Elmarit(I haven't checked Konica prices lately).The Voig should remain cheaper, and I understand it a good lens, taking 39 mm filters.

-- Lacey Smith (lacsmith@bellsouth.net), March 12, 2002.

Hi all,

I happen to have only this precise Hexanon lens in use with my Hexar RF camera. The others are just plain Leica ones (all of the pre- aspheric generation).

I see no notable difference with the Hexanon as far as the pre- aspheric generation Leica lenses are concerned. It focuses perfectly fully open at close range with the Hexar as do my Leica f/4 135 Tele- Elmarit so I suppose using the Hexanon on a Leica body (provided it is well tuned) will do the same (side note it seems only the first batches of Hexar RF had difficulties in properly focusing the Leica lenses - within the limits imposed by its x 0.6 finder, of course).

This applies only to the 90mm lens but I won't go for their 35 mm for example.

Cosina lenses are of a somewhat inferior quality, it seems to be a consequence of a less precise control in lens alignment (so there may be variations between a specific one and another). But they are excellent when closed two stops from their maximum aperture. Their 75 mm is generally exquisite when you don't need a very wide aperture high performer and its compacity begs for it to remain available at all time in your bag. IMHO Cosina lenses are very tempting in the wide angle range. First because there range includes excellent ultra-wides not available elsewhere with something apporaching their quality (12 and 15 mm) then because their 21 mm performs exactly like the pre-aspheric Leica 21 mm f/3.4 with a better coating and a very affordable price (who needs to operate a 21 mm at f/2.8 after all). Their 50 mm aspheric f/1.9 might be comparable to the pre-aspheric Leica 50 mm f/2 for a price which is lower than a good second hand one but cannot equal the modern 50 mm lens. Their 28 mm is definitely a very useful addition as you get a very usable lens for a very small part of the budget necessary to secure a Leica one but do not expect it to perform at the same level at wide aperture. Considering the necessity to use a conversion ring on all the Cosina lens to mount them on a Leica M (or an Hexar RF) and the generally inferior performances of Cosina lenses at full aperture, I won't recommend them when affordable substitutes exist. Point in case the 90 mm: go for an new Hexanon or a second hand pre- aspheric Leica lens. But do not hesitate about them when the advantages of the Leica lenses versus their cost do not bring you a clear cut advantage in terms of "actually" usable quality. And here it is up to you and the way you operate. Demanding full aperture use of lenses will call for maximum effort in budget and to go Leica, aspheric generation, less spectacular but more frequent classical use will be many times satisfied with second hand Leica lenses of older generation of new sustitutes from other brands.

Friendly

François P. WEILL

-- François P. WEILL (frpawe@wanadoo.fr), March 14, 2002.