[Leica] Konica Hexagon RF

[JIB <jbuf@ix.netcom.com>]

This is a first impression of the new Konica Hexagon RF.

I ran into the local camera store a few minutes before closing and the manager said have  you seen the the new Konica.  Well I really wanted to see it.  A first glance it is a very solid camera.  It felt very
heavy to me.  The size reminded me of the M5, but I did not have anything to really compare it to.  I thought the built in winder was noisy, much nosier than my M4p with attached winder.  The fact that there was
no film advance lever was a little troubling to me, it means that if the batteries die you can not shoot at all.  The viewfinder was very very bright, and it seemed easy and sure enough to focus.  But it seemed
liked there was a different color balance than I find in the M series Range finders.    My first real reaction to the camera was that it was not a Leica.  The price was $1650 US with a Konica 50 F 2.    I think
that the price is a little high, but then again I have no intention of buying one.

        On the up side, it did offer autoexposure  (aperture priority)  and  AE lock.    Overall, I found the camera to be a good match of automation and manual.  The Manual focusing and the fact that you could
see what was going on, and the automation with the metering and film advance.  In fact this may, be the exact camera that some of you have been saying that the M7 should be.

If I get the chance I will put a roll of slides through the camera, and give you my subjective opinion of the Konica lens.

Just my $.02 worth
John