Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/09/12

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: m6 AND hexar rf
From: John Collier <jbcollier@home.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2000 23:37:56 -0600

Just a couple of minor points. First, I like the Hexar RF and from what I
understand Konica is good at standing behind their products as they age. I,
however, like the M camera more. I think the addition of AE is a good thing
but I have never cared for a meter with just speed LEDs in the finder. I do
not find it as accurate as the M (especially the TTL) when metering
manually. I would have preferred a two or three stop over/under indication
in 1/3 stop increments. I also happen to like the M loading. I find it
quick, easy and positive. It would be nice to have a higher flash sync but
not at the cost of a noisier or less reliable shutter. I think the high
speed focal plane shutters of today's cameras are wonderful but I am not so
sure they will be working as well as my old M2 in forty years. If I need a
higher flash sync I just use a different camera. 1/125 is just not that much
faster than 1/50, not when you can use a leaf shuttered camera at 1/500.
Finally the last test of the M shutter I saw, reported all speeds within
1/10 of a stop accuracy. Please do enjoy your Hexar(s), do continue telling
us about your delight in them and do not stop defending it against
unbelievers; but, please do not slag the M camera at the same time. Every
camera is a compromise, I have chosen one solution and you have chosen
another. Good! You are happy and so am I!

Cheers

John Collier

> From: Thomas Kachadurian <tom@kachadurian.com>
> 
> Jim:
> 
> How can a completely manually over-rideable AE feature be a burden?
> 
> I am strongly in the Hexar camp, and continue to be burdened with
> this question.
> 
> Other than a warm feeling of superiority, in what ways is an M6
> better than a Hexar RF -- objective measurable ways? Not, "it sounds
> quieter to me"
> 
> Is fumbly loading better?
> 
> Is a flare prone rangefinder better?
> 
> Would you rather have a shutter that is considered correctly adjusted
> when it's speeds are within 1/3 of a stop?
> 
> Would you rather have a 1/50 flash sync?
> 
> Are you so tempted by DX coding that you'd rather not have the option.
> 
> Is it bad to have the choice of using AE?
> 
> Would you rather have a shutter that tops out at 1/1000th of a
> second, and then with poor accuracy?
> 
> Tom
> 
>> So my humble opinion is, there really isn't anything that a Hexar can do
>> that is "better" than an M camera. It does "different" things, not
>> necessarily better things. Some of these "different" things can actually be
>> a burden.
>> 
>> Jim
>> 
>> Jim
> 
> Thomas Kachadurian
> -------------------
> www.kachadurian.com