I read in a recent report of Photokina that the Hexar-RF will shortly become available in a special titanium variant complete with a new Hexanon-M 50mm f1.2, for the beginning of 2001. It is a limited edition. The trouble is it is not clear whether the camera and lens has the limited availability or whether it is just the camera. Anyway, I thought pretty interesting as the new 50mm will provide some competition for the Noctilux.

Also announced is a 35mm f2 with immediate availability

-- Robin Smith (rsmith@springer-ny.com), October 09, 2000

Answers

On the LUG site, there is a lot of talk about this combo. Some people in the know feel it is a camera / lens set that will be sold in a very limited edition. If it is truly rare, it would be hard to imagine anyone risking the investment by actually using it.

Another funny thing is that after the launch of the Hexar RF, all of the publications reviewing it state that the reduced magnification and RF base make the accuracy such that the usable lenses are only of modest speed. I wonder about the f1.2 lens being usable... wide open at close range. I bet it would be great on an M3 or high mag M6. It is reputed to be quite a bit smaller than the Noctilux, and not too much slower... especially if it doesn't vignet several stops.

For a "dead" camera type, (rangefinder), it sure is getting hard to keep up with all of the offerings.... I love it!

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), October 09, 2000.

Another funny thing is that after the launch of the Hexar RF, all of the publications reviewing it state that the reduced magnification and RF base make the accuracy such that the usable lenses are only of modest speed. I wonder about the f1.2 lens being usable

Puts said when it came out that the magnification meant it was only possible to go to 50/2. When Leica announced the similar .58 M6, Puts somehow magically changed the accuracy to allow for 50/1.4. Your mileage may vary, depending on which Puts you believe.

For a "dead" camera type, (rangefinder), it sure is getting hard to keep up with all of the offerings.... I love it!

As someone who has never particularly enjoyed SLRs, I think it's a wonderful thing.

-- Jeff Spirer (jeff@spirer.com), October 09, 2000.

Whoops, I accidentally forgot to italicize Al's comment on the :"dead camera type." Guess that's better than leaving everything italicized.

Italics added in above post. -T

-- Jeff Spirer (jeff@spirer.com), October 09, 2000.

The newsrelease specifically states that the lens will only be sold with the LE camera in a kit. This does leave the door open for the lens to be available in a black finish for mere mortals. Unfortunately, Konica does seem to have a significant amount of production line variation judging by all the widely diverging lens tests I have read.

-- John Collier (jbcollier@home.com), October 10, 2000.

Konica will never be a collector item.Its simply a fact. They did build slr systems.Do you know anyone using one? Do you know anyone collecting them? Maybe "the Konica-Rf is the camera that Leica should have built" but for me, I`m sure glad they didnt.Konica made a brilliant RF 6x7 system. Abandoned.Great small cameras.Abandoned. Konica like Kodak make film. Thankgoodness.For these "clever" folks had their way,we`d all have throw away cameras and pictures.Kodak hated half-frame `cause we all got twice as much out of a roll.Its a far better format than that stupid APS.Everybody has drop in loading cameras. Anyway I still see people requiring help in loading APS.... As Leitz ads used to say "its not the same unless it is a Leica..."I traded a Konica Slr for a screw mount Pentax f1.4 lens and KNOW I got a great deal.It works.

-- jason gold (jason1155234@webtv.net), October 11, 2000.