[Leica] Re: Hexar RF in use

["Emanuel Lowi" <mano@proxyma.net>]

Ken Wilcox wrote: 

"Thanks for the interesting impressions, Could you elaborate on item #3
positive? How is thios different from using an Aux finder on an M?

Ken Wilcox 

3)  The camera is better than a Leica, IMHO, when using an accessory
viewfinder lens (I used the 21/2.8 ASPH today a lot) - you just do a little pre-focus
and set a nice medium f-stop and then ignore the camera's VF from then on - just keep
shooting, AE takes care of the rest."

Ken, the difference is that the Hexar is an AE body with a great light meter that
takes Leica M lenses ! :-) 

In practice, with those auxiliary viewfinder lenses, on an M6 you have to keep
switching back and forth between the camera viewfinder and the shoe mounted one as
you change framing and as lighting conditions change - a big drag. With the Hexar and
the 21 ASPH, I just set the f stop to 5.6 or whatever and concentrate on framing
through the 21mm finder - the camera sets perfect exposure pretty consistently and
focussing a wide angle set to such an f stop is not so critical. On an older
meterless M you'd still be checking with a separate meter too. 

My point is that the AE feature really is most useful for those times that you use an
auxiliary finder, with very wide lenses. For 28mm lenses and up, I find that feature
less of an advantage on the Hexar RF, as you're viewing, focussing and metering all
through the same eyepiece.

So I find the Konica allows me to use the 21 more easily than a Leica M does (I don't
have a 24mm anymore but I guess the advantage is there too).

Emanuel