Konica Hexanon Lenses for m4/3

boatman · Joined: 23 Apr 2011 Posts: 15 Location: Windham, NH USA

I picked up two Hexanon lenses and a m4/3 adaper in the last couple of days for my Panasonic GH2.

The first lens was a f4/200mm, which has received mediocre reviews here and elsewhere. But the price was under $40 and it is immacualte - still has a shinny 'CJII Passed' sticker on it. My initial reaction was that it lived down to its reputation but this afternoon I took some shots of the St. Francis Xavier cathederal in Nashua and perhaps I need to rethink its abilities. The church is about a half a mile away.

Tripod mounted, f11, 1/320, ISO400

100% of cross

Then, waiting in the mail was a f1.8/40 Hexanon. I got a few shots off just before sunset. This looks promishing; sharp and fast.

40mm f4, 1/200, ISO800

100% of focused area

And it has a nice bokeh.

f1.8 1/100 ISO800

All shots were taken in RAW with only a minimum of changes in the settings from as they opened in Photoshop.

I noted that the adapter (Rainbow Imaging) does focus way past infinity with the 40mm. I hadn't checked with the 200mm. My M42 adapter focuses a little past infinity. Am I to take it that this is normal for these devices?

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Nice to see another Konica fan here, at least I hope you are too. Sometimes lens make past infinity, sometime adapter no universal receipt , pretty normal.

Here is mine pictures with Hexanons.

http://www.mflenses.com/gallery/v/japenese/konica/?

Rimasson · Joined: 28 Jan 2011 Posts: 15 Location: Paris

I've got a 40mm f1.8 pancake. I didn't used it much, but here are two photos. This lens has a nice vintage render, is very small, and fits perfectly on a m4/3 body. worth the 40euros i spent on it

Rolf · Expire: 2015-12-26

Yes, nice to see other Konica users here. These lenses are on the same level - sometimes maybe better - like all other well known brands.

Perhaps you know this web site for more information regarding Konica.

http://www.buhla.de/Foto/Konica/eKonicaUebersicht.html

Welcome to the club !

Wink

boatman · Joined: 23 Apr 2011 Posts: 15 Location: Windham, NH USA

Nice shots, Rimmason!

I never thought of myself as a "Konica" guy. I remember well the decision to buy a Pentax and not a K1000 (do I have that right? - 1971!) I never quite regretted that decision, but the Konica did have better metering and a bayonnet mount. Also, I have been shooting a Konica-Minolta Dimage A2 for the past five years. So I guess there is some Konica in my past.

The prices I paid for these two lenes are almost embarrasing. Under $40 for the 200mm, which is absolutely like new, and $25 for the 1.8 pancake. That lens was advertised as having a couple of small flaws on the front lens so it did not fetch a good price. It does have the flaws, but they are tiny and would never impact image quality. Now if I could find a 3.5/300 for $40. That would be something!

I'm going to try and set up a comparison of my Takumar 50mm, the Konica 40mm and the Panasonic 14-140 at 45mm to see how they compare. That could be useful.

pat donnelly · Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 4:41 am Post subject: Konica

My first slr!

The Hexar SLR lenses are poorer quality, but the Hexanon ones are capable of rivalling the best. Hexar rangefinder are top quality also! Very cheap except when you are bidding against someone else who knows about them.....

Enjoy!

Excalibur · Expire: 2014-04-21

etorix · Joined: 05 Oct 2014 Posts: 209 Location: London, England

hmm .. i was just looking at a Hexanon 40mm 1.8, cheap but with signs of fungus

looks like a good and interesting lens, just not this copy

fast, light weight and very sharp, hmm

theres also a 28 and a 100mm 2.8 ..

i like the 40, build quality appears good

EdH · Joined: 24 Nov 2014 Posts: 47 Location: Devon, UK

I've got three Konica Hexanons. The 28mm f3.5 and 40mm f1.8 I had with my old Konica Autoreflex T3. They came out of retirement when I got my M4/3 Olympus Pen E-PM1 earlier this year. The first adaptor I got was Konica Ar to M4/3. I've also recently got a 50mm f1.7.

I've not used the 28mm much but the 40mm is great and very easy to handle. It is soft at f1.8 but gets much better after that:

Caught in the light by Ed Herridge, on Flickr

I bought the 50mm f1.7 after reading several reviews. It's a later one without the click-stops for half aperture values and it seems to be the sharpest of the three.

FredBW by Ed Herridge, on Flickr

Paul A · Joined: 20 Jun 2012 Posts: 39 Location: Canada

i've been spending many hours visiting Wally.
Wally is somewhere between 85-90 years old and still runs (almost single handedly) his (now) vintage camera exchange. He regularly does out of town excursions to shoot landscapes. He does his own printing too. Wally was a professional printer by trade before starting his camera exchange.
So, Hexanon...
Wally told me a story about a good friend of his whom used Hexanons for years and years.
This friend always had a curiosity for the Zeiss' IQ but his wife forbade him going down that road.
Well...these folks were no spring chickens and the wife had passed (natural causes).
After some time Wally's friend made the decision to do a complete switch to Contax/Zeiss and Wally loaded him up with a bunch of top of the line Zeiss/Contax equipment (now i do think this happened some time in the-80s-)
Wally said that his friend was not at all impressed with the new gear's results as an improvement to his old system.
Grass is not always greener I guess.
Speak volumes for Hexanon.
I never did ask if the friend ever did figure out/become satisfied with the new gear's results.

etorix · Joined: 05 Oct 2014 Posts: 209 Location: London, England

right, just pulled trigger on a 40mm f1.8 pancake that i like the look of

also eyeing-with-intent a 100mm 2.8

but its competing for my attention with a Nikkor-H 85mmF1.8 Lens

kenetik · Joined: 02 Mar 2014 Posts: 524

etorix · Joined: 05 Oct 2014 Posts: 209 Location: London, England

etorix · Joined: 05 Oct 2014 Posts: 209 Location: London, England

and heh .. hexanon has a few 135s too .. 3.5,4, 2.5 and yes , 3.2

i can see a good-looking KONICA HEXANON AR 135mm F2.5

etorix · Joined: 05 Oct 2014 Posts: 209 Location: London, England

hm, actually i think the

Konica Hexanon AR 55mm f3,5 Macro http://www.buhla.de/Foto/Konica/Objektive/e55_35.html
and its extension tube, and the

Konica Hexanon AR 100mm f/2.8 http://www.buhla.de/Foto/Konica/Objektive/e100_28.html

are currently the ones most interesting and useful, for me, if i get along with the 40mm http://www.buhla.de/Foto/Konica/Objektive/e40_18.html

newst · Joined: 21 Oct 2014 Posts: 617 Location: Troy, MI USA

It started out so innocently. I had a fresh, new Sony NEX-3N. I had picked up a pair of legacy lenses and an adapter and was having a lot of fun with them so I decided to buy a pancake lens, something small and light to compliment the camera. I ended up with a Konica 40mm and was quickly hooked. Now my Konica collection consists of:

Konica Hexanon AR 28mm f3.5
Konica Hexanon 35mm f2.8
Konica Hexanon AR 40mm f1.8
Konica Hexanon AR 50mm F1.7
Konica Hexanon AR 52mm F1.8
Konica Macro Hexanon 55mm f3.5
Konica Hexanon AR 57mm f1.4
Konica Hexanon AR 85mm F1.8
Konica Hexanon AR 100mm 1:2.8
Konica Tele-Hexanon AR 135mm f3.2
Konica Tele-Hexanon AR 135mm f3.5

Most are at least very good, some are awesome and a couple are so-so. Still the whole collection has cost me less than a single Sony Zeiss or FE lens. They work well with the A6000 and the A7.

etorix · Joined: 05 Oct 2014 Posts: 209 Location: London, England

HAH .. wow

so, how is the 55mm Macro?

newst · Joined: 21 Oct 2014 Posts: 617 Location: Troy, MI USA

I got the macro 55mm in a deal I just couldn't turn down. It came with the lens, extension tube (for 1:1) a 135mm f3.2, about a half dozen Konica filters and an extra pair of metal screw on front lens caps, all of it in mint condition, for $169.00 US.

I'm not very experienced in macro photography so I think this review will answer the question better than I can.

http://www.buhla.de/Foto/Konica/Objektive/e55_35.html

guardian · Joined: 18 Mar 2009 Posts: 1749

etorix · Joined: 05 Oct 2014 Posts: 209 Location: London, England

guardian · Joined: 18 Mar 2009 Posts: 1749

etorix · Joined: 05 Oct 2014 Posts: 209 Location: London, England

thats definitely an impressive list of glass..

newst · Joined: 21 Oct 2014 Posts: 617 Location: Troy, MI USA

Belcanto · Joined: 17 Oct 2013 Posts: 72 Location: Karlstad, Sweden

I have
hexanon 35/2.0, 40/1.8, 50/1.7, 50/1.4, 85/1.8, 135/(2.5, 3.2, 3.5), 200/(4.0, 3.5), 300/4.5.
My absolut favourite on M43 i the 135/3.2. It's my most used lens ever. I bought a sonnar 135/2.8 because it was supposed to be king of the 135's but it didn't work. On m43 hexanon is still king. Small, light, sharp, short mfd, colours as good as the sonnar, great contrast....
My other lenses that gets the most use is the 85/1.8 and the 35/2.0. Here is one with the 35 and lumix G1
Kjell

WolverineX · Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 9:09 pm Post subject: