Konica Hexar AF

[keithwms]

I like the hexar AF very much. Having a fixed lens doens't bother me in the least, I take it with me when I want to work quickly and with minimal noise/intrusion- situations when I don't want to take my mamiya 6. At up to ~$400 I think it is a bargain, I think you really won't get better optical quality at 35mm on 35mm film.

It has some very cute features, like the stealth mode, the ability to switch rolls of film mid roll, the IR mode. Very well made, an A+ camera in my book. Very few drawbacks, the main one being the limitations on shutter speed, but it hasn't bothered me. I like slow film, I do my own printing and I like my contrast and my crisp whites and blacks and I don't usually care for grain.

Some people say you can't do action with it, that is certainly not true. You be the judge, here is a very impromptu shot.

 

[RoBBo]

Everything I read about this camera makes me want one more and more.
Does anyone know how the lens on this camera compares to the 40mm f/1.8 AR Hexanon?

 

[Ryuji]

Both are very crisp and contrasty lenses and I love them both. At wide open I feel that the 35mm on Hexar is more contrasty, tho I don't know which gives better resolution wide open. The bokeh character varies depending on the aperture, from wide open to f/4 range, in both lenses. The bokeh character also depends on the shutter speed in case of Hexar (true of any low efficiency lens shutters, tho).

Speaking of SLR 35-40mm lens, perhaps my best favorite is Canon EF 35mm f/2.0. This one also gives very contrasty image and gives decent bokeh depending on the aperture.

 

[aldevo]

Both are very crisp and contrasty lenses and I love them both. At wide open I feel that the 35mm on Hexar is more contrasty, tho I don't know which gives better resolution wide open. The bokeh character varies depending on the aperture, from wide open to f/4 range, in both lenses. The bokeh character also depends on the shutter speed in case of Hexar (true of any low efficiency lens shutters, tho).

Speaking of SLR 35-40mm lens, perhaps my best favorite is Canon EF 35mm f/2.0. This one also gives very contrasty image and gives decent bokeh depending on the aperture.

I, too, have this lens and my experience matches your own. Curiously, Mike Johnston reviewed several 35mm lenses in an early issue of his "37th Frame" newsletter. Effectively, he felt that is was perhaps the best balanced 35mm lens extant from a technical standpoint (very sharp across the frame and contrasty at all apertures with consistently good Bokeh) but that the results lacked character.

I'd agree with that observation, too. In high-contrast lighting I'd much rather shoot with my Pentax SMC Takumar 35mm f/2.0 despite the fact that the EF lens handily beats it at wider apertures (til f/4, anyway) and when focused close.

I've not seen a diagram of the EF 35mm, I'd be curious to compare it with that of the Takumar. I suspect they are more differences among them than glass types as they are so obviously different in behavior. Sadly, I can no longer find a cross-section of the SMC Takumar 35mm online and Canon USA's EF lens diagrams on the web are so puny as to be illegible.

Mike also observed that the Hexanon 35mm outperformed the Summicron 35mm pre-Asph at wider apertures. I've no experience there, as I'm not really a rangefinder guy.

 

[Bandicoot]

In high-contrast lighting I'd much rather shoot with my Pentax SMC Takumar 35mm f/2.0 despite the fact that the EF lens handily beats it at wider apertures (til f/4, anyway) and when focused close.

I've not seen a diagram of the EF 35mm, I'd be curious to compare it with that of the Takumar. I suspect they are more differences among them than glass types as they are so obviously different in behavior. Sadly, I can no longer find a cross-section of the SMC Takumar 35mm online and Canon USA's EF lens diagrams on the web are so puny as to be illegible.

Boz Dimitrov has this diagram onf the SMC-K 35mm f2 on his excellent site:

http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/lenses/primes/_optics/35f2-i.jpg

Is that some use to you?

As far as I know this eight element in seven groups design is the same as that of the later type of the Takumar (the one with the 49mm filter thread, the earlier version was huge, 67mm from memory).

The design changed radically for the SMC-M:

http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/lenses/primes/_optics/35f2-ii.gif

and this version of the design was kept for the SMC-A.

The current FA-AL version is different again, and though this looks like a simpler design (aspherical element aside) it is said to be an improvement on the SMC-K 35/2 and perhaps even on the K 35/3.5 - I must try one one day...:

http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/lenses/primes/_optics/35f2-iii.gif

I have both versions of the Takumar, and both are indeed really nice lenses, though I don't really use them now.


Peter

 

[jtk]

I have a chrome version with data back (which seems not to work) and would like to trade for a Canon P with good shutter etc. I miss those Canons.