[Leica] [ TRANSLATION ] Hexar LS-2 Text

[Andre Jean Quintal <megamax@abacom.com>]

<bold><color><param>FFFF,0000,0000</param> Exclusif: l'Hexar =E0
ba=EFonnette Leica!</color></bold> =20

<color><param>FFFF,0000,0000</param><bigger><bigger>Exclusive: Leica
mount Hexar

</bigger></bigger></color><bigger>=20

</bigger><bold><color><param>0000,0000,D1D1</param>Sommaire des
info</color></bold>s=09

	<color><param>0000,0000,FFFF</param><bigger>Information summary =20

</bigger></color><smaller><smaller>Dans le style
"pas-la-peine-de-chercher-ailleurs-les-meilleures-infos-sur-la-photo",
Chasseur d'Images a le plaisir de vous annoncer la sortie prochaine
d'un Konica Hexar =E0 objectifs interchangeables!=20

	</smaller></smaller><bigger>In
don't-scramble-to-get-better-information-

elsewhere-on-photography style, Chasseur d'Images is pleased to
announce the soon to be release of a multi

lens Konica Hexar.

</bigger><smaller><smaller>Oui, je sais, certains en parlent depuis des
mois. H=E9las, sans rien en savoir. Oui, je sais, les patrons de Konica
ont eux-m=EAmes d=E9menti la rumeur, lors de la Photokina.=20

	</smaller></smaller><bigger>Yes, I know, some have been talking about
it for months. Unfortunately, without knowing anything about it.

Yes, I know, Konica executives have themselves denied

the rumor during the Photokina.

</bigger><smaller><smaller>Et pourtant, Chasseur d'Images a des infos
et les divulgue, en exclusivit=E9 mondiale (d=E9sol=E9 si =E7a fait
pr=E9tentieux, mais c'est ainsi), sans m=EAme apposer l'=E9tiquette "scoop"
au-dessus de son info, dans le num=E9ro 211 dat=E9 mars et d=E9j=E0 en vente
partout.=20

	</smaller></smaller><bigger>And yet, Chasseur d'Images has
informations

and publishes them, a world-wide exclusive (sorry for the

pretentious impression, but that's the way it is), without even

slapping a "scoop" headline above the info, in the March issue 211
already available for sale everywhere.

</bigger><smaller><smaller>Bref, l'Hexar =E0 objectifs interchangeables
arrive! Malgr=E9 les d=E9n=E9gations des responsables japonais de Konica,
qui, interrog=E9s par nos soins, avaient jur=E9 leurs grands dieux : "Il
n'est absolument pas question d'un successeur =E0 l'Hexar !". Dixit l'un
des p=E8res de l'Hexar, en personne.=20

	</smaller></smaller><bigger>To make it short, here comes the multi
lens Hexar!

In spite of denials from Konica's japanese executives,

who, interrogated by yours truly, had sworn their best:

"A Hexar successor is an absolute no!" So said one of the

Hexar originators  personally.

</bigger><smaller><smaller>Mais les journalistes de Chasseur d'Images
ne se satisfont pas de si peu. Laissant =E0 leurs chers confr=E8res le soin
d'inventer des nouveaut=E9s qu'on ne voit jamais ou d'appeler scoop des
infos diffus=E9es partout ailleurs, ils m=EAnent l'enqu=EAte.=20

	</smaller></smaller><bigger>But Chasseur d'Images reporters won't be=20

satisfied with this little.  Leaving to their fellow newsmakers=20

the cares of inventing upcoming products that never see=20

the light of day or to label a scoop infos already seen

everywhere else, we keep investigating.

</bigger><smaller><smaller>Si je vous disais qu'on s'est fait embaucher
comme agents de s=E9curit=E9 =E0 l'a=E9roport de Narita (reconnaissez qu'on
ment presque aussi bien qu'eux !), afin de radiographier incognito les
bagages des ing=E9nieurs de la Konishiroku. Vous sauriez alors ce qu'on a
vu dans les valises=20

	</smaller></smaller><bigger>Would I tell you we got ourselves hired
as

Narita airport security agents (acknowledge we lie almost

as well as they do !), to the end of X-raying, undercover,

the Konishiroku engineers' luggage, you would then know

what we've seen in their suitcases.

</bigger><smaller><smaller>Entre deux poup=E9es gonflables, un objet en
forme d'appareil photo portait la griffe HEXAR LS-2 (j'ai pas dit LSD
!). Curieusement, il =E9tait rang=E9 dans le m=EAme =E9tui que des objectifs=
 en
monture Leica M !=20

	</smaller></smaller><bigger>Between two inflatable dolls, a
camera-like

object bearing the HEXAR LS-2 ( I didn't say LSD !)

brand. Curiously, it was stored in the same case as

Leica M mount lenses !

</bigger><smaller><smaller>Vous avez bien lu : le prochain Hexar LS-2,
=E0 objectifs interchangeables est dot=E9 d'une ba=EFonnette Leica M !=20

	</smaller></smaller><bigger>You read us right: the next Hexar LS-2,

with interchangeable lenses, is Leica M lens mount

equipped.

</bigger><smaller><smaller>Si on a bien vu (pousse encore un peu les
rayons-X), il semblerait m=EAme qu'il soit compatible avec tous les
objectifs Leica M !=20

Alors que Leica n'en finit pas de poser l'=E9lectricit=E9 dans son M6 (au
stade actuel, peut-on parler d'=E9lectronique ?), Konica lui rafle donc
la mise avec un bo=EEtier novateur et terriblement tentant.=20

	</smaller></smaller><bigger>If we really saw aright (increase the
X-rays

some more ), it would even seem that it would be compatible

with all Leica M lenses !

	While Leica is still busy wiring electricity in its

M6 (at the present stage, can we call it electronics?),

Konica rakes in the bids with an innovative body, terribly

tempting at that.

</bigger><smaller><smaller>A moins, =E9videmment, que Leica et Konica se
soient entendus pour relancer les ventes d'objectifs M sans tirer sur
le M6 : l'emprunt de la ba=EFonnette M n'a =E9videmment pu =EAtre d=E9cid=E9
autrement qu'apr=E8s un accord entre les deux firmes.=20

Pr=E9textant une zone opaque suspecte sur l'=E9cran du Bagagix, nous
demandons =E0 nos passagers d'ouvrir leurs mallettes pour une inspection
manuelle .

	</smaller></smaller><bigger>Unless that, obviously, Leica and Konica
would have

reached an understanding to shore up M lenses' sales

without killing the M6: the borrowed use of the M mount obviously can't
but have been decided after an agreement

between the two companies.

	Pretexting a suspicious opaque zone on the

Bagagix X-Ray scanner's screen, we asked our passengers

to open their luggage for a manual inspection.

</bigger><smaller><smaller>Eh oui, ce sont bien des objectifs en
monture M. Mais ils portent la griffe japonaise Konica ! Il y a l=E0 un
28, un 50 et un 90 mm : la tradition est respect=E9e.=20

	</smaller></smaller><bigger>Oh yes, these are indeed M mount lenses.

But they harbour the  Konica japanese griff! We can see

a 28, a 50 and a 90mm : tradition is safe.

</bigger><smaller><smaller>Devant notre int=E9r=EAt, nos passagers
paniquent et remballent aussit=F4t leurs prototypes. Dommage : on n'aura
pas eu le temps de v=E9rifier s'ils =E9taient dot=E9s ou non d'une bague de
mise au point manuelle. En tout cas, nous sommes pratiquement certains
qu'ils sont autofocus. Reste =E0 savoir =E9galement si le t=E9l=E9m=E8tre
=E9lectronique d=E9di=E9 =E0 l'autofocus de l'Hexar LS-2 pourra pr=EAter son
affichage dans le viseur et assister la mise au point manuelle !=20

	</smaller></smaller><bigger>Seeing our prying eyes, our passengers
panick

and swiftly repack their prototypes. How unfortunate:

we will not have had the time to check wether they were

equipped with a manual focus ring or not. Whatever the case

may be, we are practically certain they are autofocus.

It also remains to be seen wether the Hexar LS-2's=20

dedicated electronic autofocus rangefinder will display

its data in the viewfinder and provide manual focus

assist !

</bigger><smaller><smaller>Le principal reproche fait =E0 l'actuel Hexar
=E0 objectif fixe est sa vitesse d'obturation limit=E9e au 1/250s. Un grief
qu'on ne fera pas au nouvel LS-2, son obturateur =E0 rideaux grimpant au
1/4.000 s ! On peut en d=E9duire que la synchro-flash d=E9passera 1/125 s :
dur pour le M6, limit=E9 au 1/50 s!=20

	</smaller></smaller><bigger>The main objection made against the
current

single lens Hexar is its 1/250th s. shutter speed limit.

A complaint we will not make against the new LS-2, its

focal plane shutter reaching 1/4000th s.!=20

We can infer that the flash synchro will exceed 1/125th s.:=20

tough on the M6, limited to 1/50th s. !

</bigger><smaller><smaller>Enfin, pourquoi ne pas imaginer un
automatisme TTL et une synchro FP =E0 vitesse =E9lev=E9e ? Si le LS-2 ne fai=
t
pas =E7a, on aura des choses =E0 mettre dans la colonne rouge de notre
futur test!=20

En revanche, dans la colonne verte, on sera oblig=E9 de saluer le look
baroudeur de l'engin, avec son gainage caoutchouc et son aptitude =E0
affronter les conditions de prise de vues les plus d=E9licates.=20

	</smaller></smaller><bigger>Lastly, why not imagine TTL automation and
a

high speed FP synchro ? If the LS-2 doesn't do that,

we will have some things to put in the red column of our future

test! Conversely, in the green column, we will have to

welcome the adventurer look of the thing, with its

rubberized finish and inbread capability to take on the most

challenging shooting situations.

</bigger><smaller><smaller>Vous aimeriez en savoir plus ? Nous aussi,
mais on a d'autres passagers =E0 contr=F4ler et le chef de la s=E9curit=E9 n=
ous
surveille On se revoit dans un mois!

	</smaller></smaller><bigger>Would you like to learn more? So do we,
but we have

other passengers to check and the security chief keeps

an eye on us. Let's meet a month from now!

			</bigger><smaller>Copyright Chasseur d'Images 1999

			Translation Andre Jean Quintal


</smaller>1/ Man ! These guys' French sure is a challenge to translate
!

2/ The one expression I'm not sure of in English is "focal plane=20

shutter" for "obturateur a rideaux"=20

as I don't happen to have recent English language product

literature to confirm the expression and my dictionary still is my

childhood '50s  Cassell's ...

I sincerely hope I have not made any significant errors.

3/ My opinion ?

	-- rangefinder photography makes sense to more people

	-- Konica Hexar LS-2 is likely to deliver on the promise

	    and broaden the rangefinder markets

	-- it may help define a next generation Leica M8,

		forget the M7... !

	-- never trust a Japanese businessman who says

	    he wouldn't sell you something !   ;+>)

	-- I really wonder what it actually looks like ... ?


	Best regards,


	Andre Jean Quintal



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