solid
the lens
quiet
autofocus

maybe non replaceable

The lens on this camera is one of the great ones. It may not be supersharp or have ultra high MTF numbers, but upon enlargements, the smooth tones and contrast make for excellent, professional prints. This smoothness and well balanced performance makes my shots look like a pro shot them- many advanced amateurs/pros do use them. I have recently been printing my own negatives and find that the 35 F2 lens is one of the flattest and clean from corner to corner- no vignetting nor loss of sharpness. I routinely use this camera for street photography and it has taken some of the most candid photos due to its stealthness. No doubt AF is a major advantage- I've use some German designed cameras which had manual focussing, but although their lenses were also good, focus accuracy was not good enough for me. This camera was definetely made for take pictures of people- the tones are ultra smooth and you get blacks, too. I like the look of the images from this lens better than the ultrasharp GR1. ALso, one of the reasons why compacts are wide is because when you enlarge the photos past 4x6, the left and right sides will be cut off to make the top and bottom fit a sheet of paper. This makes my prints look more like a 40mm lens, which I believe is almost perfect and natural, without any distortion. This is a superb and reliable camera- when I bought it, it was very inexpensive compared to all other compacts in its class.

Similar Products Used:

compacts

- Lens (re: Leica 35/2)
- Quiet
- 60s retro look
- Advanced flash system
- Automatic/fully manual
- AE/Focus lock
- Lots o features

little heavy
no cable release (nbd)
fixed lens (but don't forget how many of the greats made their entire living with this focal length)

All I am going to say is that for half the price of a Leica 35/2 lens, you can have something twice as useful. Read the review on photo.net.

Customer Service

website

Similar Products Used:

None

clean layout, smooth edges, that lens - colour rendition, contrast, indefinable 3D effect, resolution, fast and quiet, multi purpose (P&S and fine art low light, general purpose and landscapes), great value 2nd hand, inconspicuous, unpopular, perfectly weighted, great finder, intuitive operation, dedicated small flash, fast very accurate AF, good CW meter.

none that intrude, to nitpick: no cable release (use timer), 1/250 top shutter (shut down or use slow film), tricky flash (use M), fiddly buttons (deal with it), no exp. info in finder (you know aperture,right, so check shutter in top panel). Greatest weakness: no 90mm companion...

My favourite camera, one that can be used as comfortably in dodgy 'hoods, setting up landscapes, fine art B&W, at the theatre, or with the rellies. Consistently superb results. Recommended for all levels of user. Lots of info on the web regarding this jewel.

Customer Service

2nd to none - Konica Oz just upgraded my 'stealth' to later s/ware specs and bracketing.

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loads of slrs, MF, 70s r/finders.

Second camera for photojournalists. Low acquisition and high resale price, fast and sharp lens, quietness, manual exposure mode, autofocus, possible to use generic flashes, metal, appearance, etc.

How do you use the lenshood and a filter at the same time?
No Hexar 90 AF?

Last year (2000) I came across a new black standard Hexar. At the shop they told me they were selling it for 150 dollars because it had not been sold during 5 years. God! I had read all about it on photo magazines in English so I bought it immediately, although my monthly salary is 300. As a writer and journalist, I use it a lot when the professional photojournalists are busy. By the way, many photojournalists envy my Hexar and have been unsuccesfully trying to buy one at a low price, although they own F5s and similars. I guess I shall be happy to own some day a Leica M6 with a 50/1.0 Noctilux but, until I write a best seller or I win the lottery, I am satisfied with the pictures from my Hexar. Many of them have been published on the local papers. Wow!

Customer Service

Unfortunately, none in my country.
Fortunately, I have not needed it yet.

Similar Products Used:

Leica M3 with 35/2
Olympus Stylus (35/3.5)

In a word, optics better than a 35mm Summicron. Hard words for any Summicron owner (including me) to swallow, but that's it. Goes easily to the limits of your ability to print or scan. Lens is pretty much flareproof, completely distortionless, and just breathtakingly sharp. Bokeh is designed-in (finally - and this was the camera that started the trend).

Electronics are extrenely well thought out. The P mode (actually a variable-aperture priority mode) keeps the camera as close as possible to your preferred aperture. Off-lens axis metering is extremely accurate and consistent. "Flashmatic" flash is intelligently done and in my opinion, a lot more accurate than TTL.

Camera (especially the black) is extremely tough. Mine has been dropped, rained on and frozen overnight in a snow drift, and it hasn't skipped a beat. If you screw a B+W KR1.5 into the front, the lens assembly becomes a tightly sealed, weatherproof unit. Camera has an o-ring instead of light seals.

Did I mention the L mode makes a Leica sound like a gunshot?

All metal, built like a brick, easy to grip.

Bravo!

Wide clear aperture of lens (f/2, or 17.5mm) makes it impossible to get shutter speeds higher than 1/250 (of course you could, but the falloff at the corners would be noticeable).

Black anodized finish does not age that well, and if they ever start making black ones again, I would hope it's with the same black-epoxied titanium plates the RF has.

Quirkiness of control sequences might take a few minutes to get used to.

I guess the highest praise I can give to this camera is that if I had to leave for somewhere today, and I could take only one piece of equipment, this would be it.

Customer Service

Who needs that?!

Similar Products Used:

Canon P with 35/2 Canon
Contax T
Rollei 35s
Rollei XF-35
Leica M3
Leica M6
Konica Hexar RF

Beautiful lens -sharpness cannot be overestimated. The guys in the photolab always thought I must have used Leica
- smaller than an SLR
- focusing and metering extremely accurate
- once you learn to use the flash, flash metering next to perfect
- family members can use it on auto and get good results; you use use it on manual and feel in control
- built in lens hood
- aperture priority style program mode is totally fantastic for quick snaps at the market
- silent mode f2 lens means no interruptions (shutter/flash) photographing the solemn moment at the altar during weddings

* the manual is written in some third party language not spoken on earth. Flash documentation is extremely poor. I had to have a Konica agent teach me how to use the flash.
* accessing options is like learning to use an early digital watch - completely unintuitive
* slow max shutter speed 1/250 (thus always load with velvia or other 50-100 speed film)

I bought my hexar black new in 1994. It is the best glass I have ever used. Except the nikkor 105 macro, everything else stays in the bag. The Hexar earns the tripod more often than the SLRs ever do. This is by far my favourite camera. It is unobtrusive (except if you accidently have a finger over the "Kon"-ica part of the name: that was when someone took too much interest!).
I use it for weddings , travel, people everything. It comes to formal occassions and to the beach. Using one focal length (35mm) has made me a better photographer.

Customer Service

Sydney Konica offered free software upgrade of my black Hexar but did not take them up on it.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon 5005 with 105macro nikkor
nikon 2002 with prime lens
canon G1 digital

* outstanding optics
* quiet (ideal for street candids)
* solidly built
* quick focusing
* reliable
* feels great in your hands
* looks great (if that's important to you)

* lack of exposure info in viewfinder
* discontinued
* lens cap

This is the camera I take with me everywhere everyday. Outstanding value, even at twice the price. Why buy a Leica when you can buy three Hexars?

Customer Service

Never had the need.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon 35 Ti
Contax G1

Great sharpness
Huge ability to go without flash due to powerfull f2.0 35mmlens
Size / weight
Discretion /noiseless

Somewhat confusing interface.
Occasional breakdown in operating system (once every 10-15 rolls)(You´ll need to take the batteries out and reinstall them)

Great camera. I just love the sharpness of the lens. Especially with good slide-films.
Add the absence of any significant weight and the discretion of the camerea and you have the near perfect travelmate. You just have to learn to cope with the excentrics.

Customer Service

None tried

Similar Products Used:

n.a.

Fantastic Optics
Build quality
Easy of use
The "Program" mode :)
Good viewfinder

The manual's writer must be tortured :)
Meter Cell not near the lens, forcing you to compensate manually for filters.

Fantastic camera. Stunning lens, better than a 35mm Summicron, Tessar or Sonnar.

Similar Products Used:

Olympus XA
Rollei 35S
Yashica Electro35,Lynx 5000
Minox 35 GL
Leica M3
Leica 3F
Several SLRs

silent
lens quality
indoor shooter
no flash on camera-no worries

dentable
snout is not flush
a little careful with center spot focus

I have so many cameras, but this one is my favorite. It is a steal at the price I got it for and I have the super stealth all black model- it couldn't be more classy (if only the lens had 'Zeiss' written on it...). By far, it takes the most interesting pictures. Thank god it has no flash because the F2 lens is superb. I find myself looking for little bits of light indoors and the results are incredible. For sure, this the a photogs best thinking man's tool. It is also smart- the way it varies exposure to get what YOU want not to accomodate film or strange lighting. The meter is surprisingly good by looking at the results or is it the lens itself? Heck, the results are so good that I am just amazed that more people don't use this thing. Sometimes, it sits in the drawer because I fancy my 24 prime or other Nikon lens or some of my more gimmicky gear, but the results always show that if I only had one camera to use, the results could not be any better. I will put up a gallery sooner or later- all snapshots, all Hexar. Keep posted!

Similar Products Used:

None