Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/11/11

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Hexar RF...Cosina RF..Good News...Bad News
From: Thomas Kachadurian <tom@kachadurian.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 23:57:52 -0400

Stephen:

I don't think I'm alone in this. I hate the M6. Crappy meter, fumbly 
loading, flash sync at a 50th, no real motor. As they say, give me a 
break. For so long we have made excuses for the M that we've started 
to believe it. Sure it's a jewel, but as a tool, there's better.

I shoot Leica for the lenses, and only the lenses. Give me a more 
updated body and I'll buy It. I'm already trying to line up to buy 
one of the first Hexar RF bodies. If I have to buy it with the 50mm I 
will and just put it aside or sell it. When people are paying $1000 
for a beat up M4, the hexar will be an alternative. But unlike the 
M4, the Hexar will have a meter and give them no urgent need to 
upgrade to a Leica body.

It's bad news for Leica if they thought they could continue to sell 
15 year old technology, but it will open up a whole new lens market.

Anyone want to buy an M6.

Tom



>>From what two friends who have seen  Hexar prototypes have told me, I am
>not sure the Hexar will turn out to be M6 competition after all.
>potential not so hot selling points are
>
>1) a Rangefinder/Viewfinder described as much poorer than the M6
>2) a motor/shutter combination described as much nosier than the M6
>3) no TTL flash  (confirmed by Hexar brochure)
>4) .6 finder magnification, which means less focusing accuracy, which
>becomes very important with a not so great finder
>5) dead battery means dead camera
>
>if  the finder and advance are not improved over the prototypes,  it may
>become another  noteworthy Konica made footnote to camera design
>
>I  think the Cosina made Voigtlander Rangefinder will  clean up  in
>sales, in whatever mount it appears in (M or LTM), if it succeeds in
>selling for 1/4 to 1/3 of a M6.   One of the guys who didn't like the
>Hexar finder said that the Cosina finder was much better.
>
>Stephen Gandy

Thomas Kachadurian
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www.kachadurian.com