Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/06/06
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]The Curmudgeon rises to pass along this message which was transferred to me at a secret drop point in Basel. The Good Doktor Blacktape prefers to keep his location a secret for the moment, however, I can assure you all that he is well. - -----Original Message----- From: Doktor Black Tape Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2001 8:58 AM Dr. Blacktape, who is off wandering in the UG wilderness, asks me to forward this so that it might what he rudely termed, "the five or six open-minded LUGers..." The following from a member of the Hexar Users Group..... " The technician, the affable Mr. Leung, came out and examined the camera... before I asked him and went outside to look at the rooftop antenna of a far building. He installed his own Hexar 50mm F2.0 lens and the range finder (as he must have suspected) focussed slightly beyond infinity. We also tried it with my Voigtlander Nokton 50mm F1.5, which I knew already focussed beyond infinity. Mr. Leung said it would take him just a few minutes to correct the focus... "Then we went outside and tested both the Hexar lens and the voigtlander for infinity. Both reached infinity in coincidence of the rangefinder reaching infinity. This was all done in a very professional half an hour.. "I asked Mr. Leung to look at the Hexar service manual and read with my own eyes that the back focus is 28mm +/- 0.03mm - not the 0.06 which Erwin reported on May 9 2001 to the LUG.. >From: Erwin Puts 9 May 2001 >Subject: [Leica] Konica facts >There has been much discussion about the compatibility of Leica lenses with the Hexar RF body. Most >people, including all of the magazine writers have assumed that the study of the bayonet mount (that is >does >the Leica lens fit onto the Hexar bayonet) is sufficient to declare that lenses and bodies can be safely >intermixed. Problems have been encountered and have been discussed as tolerance issues. As far as I >know, no one has extended the analysis to the most crucial part: the back focus or the distance from >bayonet flange to film plane. After measuring it and checking with the Konica people a most surprising >fact emerges. >The back focus of the Hexar RF is 28.00mm with a tolerance bandwidth of 0.06mm!" DR. BLACKTAPE WONDERS... Is it conceivable that The Great Putts, world expert in all things optical, High Priest of The Church of Solms, could have made such an obvious mistake? Or might one infer from this that the Great Putts for some indiscernable reason might want to make folks THINK that the RF is, in essence, incompatible with Leica lenses, and, therefore, it would be foolish for anyone wanting to use Leica glass to purchase an RF? Hmmmmmmm. Naw. Couldn't be. Next thing you know we'll be ready to believe that Ford and Firestone had a vague idea of what might happen if you put deflated tires on an Explorer... The Good Doktor