Re: [Leica] Re: Touching a Konica Hexar RF

[D Khong <dkhong@pacific.net.sg>]

Cummer Family wrote:
>Dear LUGGERS,
>I have been off list for 10 days, away in cold over taxed Canada (my home
>and native land)with various Chinese customers and I come back on list to
>find the lovely report by Peter Choy (hello Peter, sorry to have missed you
>- did you bring the Rollei 35S as well as your CLE?)on the HK LUG dinner
>which I am really upset about not attending, although Es, my wife, did fill
>in and also hosted the Firkins around HK a bit (as Alastair also reports in
>this LUG - looking forward to his longer report later). From the LUG dinner
>Esther brought back a photo of me using a Rollei 35 SE upside down to
>illustrate how the flash would work (thanks Adrian B). I agree with
>Alastair that one of the wonderful things about the LUG is how it brings
>like minded people together. I am delighted to meet and socialize with
>LUGGERS and sometimes these meetings lead on to interesting experiences. In
>Toronto, while the Chinese were off shopping, I snuck away to 8 Elm Street
>photo where Keith Matson (LUGGER lurker - hello Keith) rep for Hasselblad
>in Canada and former owner of Gallery Camera (where I spent many happy
>hours fondling and buying Leica gear)had arranged for me to play with a
>demo model of the Hexar RF. First, the body is very well finished - Leica
>quality all the way. Second, the Leica lenses that I had with me, 24, 35
>and 90 all fit without any problem and all metered. The LEDs indicating
>shutter speeds are on the left side of the viewfinder and are very easy to
>see - even with glasses. This is the advantage of a 0.60 viewfinder. The 28
>frame is completely viewable but it is disconcerting that there is no line
>on the left side of the finder to indicate the 28 mm frame edge - you have
>to guess it from where the shutter speed LED lights up. I hope they correct
>this in the production model. Using the camera in AP mode is a real
>pleasure. You just set the aperture, touch the shutter release and you get
>a shutter speed LED. Set the camera to exposure lock and the speed doesn't
>change as you reframe. On manual you set the shutter speed which lights up
>and then rotate the aperture ring on the lens until only the shutter speed
>which you set is lit. Very nice, intuitive, and progress over the CLE which
>is the only AP M bayonet competition. In two areas I have some reservations
>about the Hexar over the CLE. First there is the problem of no TTL fill
>flash on the Hexar which the CLE has had for 20 years and now the M6TTL. I
>really just don't understand this omission! Second the frame lines in the
>Hexar are not as bright as in the CLE (and in the M6). I don't know if it
>is lack of light transmission through the frosted window to the frame
>lines, or the reflective quality of the finder prisms, but the lines are
>not as bright. The rangefinder patch is sharply edged and there was
>certainly no problem focussing - very sharp and very smooth. I didn't have
>a chance to check for flare suppression in back lighting situations but I
>will when I get mine as this is one aspect of my M6HM TTL which really
>bothers me. Maybe a lower contrast viewfinder will have less backlight
>flare. The frame lines certainly work fine up to 50mm, maybe even 75, but
>for the 90 and the 135 they are too small to be of much use. This is a wide
>angle camera in my view - no pun intended. Finally, I was very curious
>about the winder and its reputed noise. It is very quiet, like the old
>Hexar, and anybody who is complaining about winding noise either a) hasn't
>tried the camera, or b) is being silly for their own reasons. I also took
>some pictures with the Konica 50mm lens attached to my CLE to see how it
>works - not scientific, I admit, and the lens is nicely finished - but I
>won't be replacing my Leica glass with it any time soon.
>Summary: For those of us enamoured of AP rangefinder shooting who are not
>philosophically opposed to motor winding, I think there will be room in our
>kitbags for an RF which will occupy its own special niche, perhaps only for
>a short time.
>I also got back from Tom A (sorry to have missed you Tom) my old Summarit
>and I am going out shooting early in the week, because whilst away Dr.
>Joseph has received my three Cosina lenses which were just reviewed by
>Erwin in the LUG. Thanks Erwin for that, glad you are better, and great to
>be back. It is good to be alive!
>Cheers
>Howard.

What is the price of this camera?

Dan K.
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