A review of the Konica Hexar AF. Apologies for the mediocre photographs but with current travel restrictions in the uk I wasn't able to travel to London as I normally would. / barneyarthurphoto
Konica Hexar AF is an incredible camera. Lens is sharper than the Contax T2 or Nikon 35Ti, and it is a stop faster. It is a bit bigger than either of those. There were around 6 variations over its manufacture, so look up the differences before shopping. The shutter sped top speed of 1/250 instead of 1/500 is overblown, in that few people selectively shoot at 1/500. (And when they do, their camera rarely comes close to 1/500 anyway.) One problem: I doubt you will find one in good condition for under $500, more like $650-750.
Exactly right ! The lens is great and faster than the 2.8’s, the price is £500 in UK which as you say is closer to $650 in Dollars but that doesn’t make for a catchy title :)
Wonderful camera. I actually have both a Hexar AF and a pre-asph Summicron, and they are very similar indeed. The Hexar is basically like having a Leica lens on your point 'n' shoot. Oh, and those photos are not mediocre!
When I was 19 years old some 20 years ago. I wanted this camera like NO OTHER camera, thought also I'd never be able to afford it... ha, hmmm.. Thanks for the video!
A wonderful aesthetic to your photos as usual. Lots of great photos to look at within this informative video. I've been using the Canon P for a few months now so have no need for another 35 but great to learn a bit about something different than what I have.
I had the original black version, bought new in 1996 for a trip to Ireland. Used it in silent mode for shooting in pubs, had a 2 stop ND for outdoor shots but never needed it. It was $700.00 CAD back then, now it's more like $800.00 for a good used one.
Nar mate. Zeiss is nice. But it is no leica lens. Having said that Zeiss planar 45mm for the G1/G2 series Has a wicked reputation. You know your stuff. keep up the good work..
Lovely video always well put together and presented, good fun to watch. Great style from an amazing photographer, don't knock yourself man some lovely images. Always seems to have afresh lively approach with lots of energy or is it me just feeling my age. Good luck, keep them coming.
Best camera under £500 for me and what I want a 35mm camera for ;) an f5 is possibly one of the worst 35mm cameras for me as i value portability and discreetness over functions / metering / burst etc. If you want a 35mm camera for faster moving subjects and something that will be robust and made like a brick, the f5 is a great option
@@barneyarthur4615 yeah i have tons of Nikon 35mm lenses .. i can be discreet with a d850 with grip , i could sneak up to a red indian i have huge hands so have to use big cameras with grips
Just ‘bumped’ into you via your Analog Artisans piece. I am very, very impressed. I don’t think you yet know how good you are or could be. I will do a run through your own vids quite quickly now I imagine. Great stuff, I look forward to following your progress and development 👍👍👍
@@barneyarthur4615 No problem it is easy to be positive on what I have seen thus far and is apparent that you also have humility so are unlikely to suffer ego inflation from praise. I liked the samples I saw of your seaside town shots and the satisfaction you took by returning with framed prints - a great gesture. The pleasure is all mine
Great channel, I actually loved those foggy shots. Which 35mm film would you recommend for a newbie just starting out with film photography? So new I’ve not even had a film processed yet but want some for my one of my compacts. Basically I was collecting some bits and bobs, nothing expensive but was then given quite a bit of gear from my retired Transplant Surgeon turned Photographer, they were his dads who passed away in 2019 and I’d like to use some of it and do it justice.
From nothing you got a lot of strong images. The tonality is super nice. As for the limitation of shooting at f2 on sunny days with that modest maximum shutter speed, maybe packing a neutral density filter could help.
Hey man, really cool video! Love the photos you took, brings across that winter vibe perfectly. But man IMO this camera is a bit overpriced... It might be great, but for this money you could get yourself an amazing slr with a whole array of lenses! Of course the strengths of these kameras are the size and the autofocus (if you like that), still nothing for me though :) Btw: Konica also made great lenses way before the leica collaboration, their slr glass is some of the best ever but unfortunately the bodies they were designed for are absolute tractors, indestructible but big, loud and "rough" in use
Exactly ! If you want portability and af you can’t beat it for the money imo, but if your not too fussed on those things I’d personally go with an f3 or fm2
I think the point of this camera is for the fact that it performs well, and has a fixed 35mm lens. You would buy this camera for the same reasons you would buy a Fuji X100S/F/V. A compact travel camera that you don't have to worry about interchangeable lenses and a bulky setup. Throw it in your bag and go. That is this cameras purpose.
Amazing shots, and video production, as usual since your very first vid! I must admit you uploaded that at the perfect time, as I was thinking about getting a compact point and shoot and wasn't sure between this one, a Contax T2/3, Yashica, etc. Anyway, keep it up, I want more! By the way, what was the film used for the pictures? The grain looks fantastic.
Thank you so much, always feel my video production needs work as video is still new to me so appreciate that. Love those cameras especially the Contax, if you want extreme portability you can’t beat the t2 but for me the hexar is the perfect balance between size and performance, the lens on it is incredible
@@barneyarthur4615 Don't worry, the video looks very cool and it seems you're improving every time. You're a perfectionist and that's good, but it looks professional and pleasing enough, it serves your story well and does not distract from it. Don't question it too much or let it stop you from producing videos. Your photographs are beautiful and your take is interesting. So only consistency and persistence will get you up there, but you deserve success. It's only a matter of time. You'll only get better anyway. Thank you for your work.
I want the Hexar RF so badly for the past 10 years because it's cheaper than the Leica M. But then everytime I'm about to jump I just say to myself "The Hexar is gorgeous, but it won't be a Leica, and you will still want the Leica.".
@@barneyarthur4615 Your video popped up in my feed and I instantly went again on ebay and such to buy an Hexar but then... Leica :-D Your channel is beautiful and your photos on instagram are gorgeous, they have what I can call "a soul". Definitely going to come back to binge your videos and hope you can keep posting interesting content. Truly great work of yours.
I have same hexar silver . its fking amazin camera ! Only bad side hot shoe not sync to wifi trigger . in studio should use only cable trigger for strobe
@@barneyarthur4615 it is ok the konica hexar , i had it for 4 years then got it robed out of my luggage coming back from cuba... best you keep shooting medium format especially in the field that you exel in, keep up the beautiful work my friend.
Random un-photography related comment but - Where is your beanie from? I've been looking for one for ages with a similar fit. Cheers, keep it up Barney!
Hi Barney, I owned this camera for a year. It was great, But I did not feel comfortable with the fact That it has so much electronic inside and is 25 years old. I had fear that one day it dies and cannot be repaired. So I sold it. Don‘t you have this concerns?
I did have those concerns and same with any of the electronic contax cameras but st the end of the day they’re tools to be used and ppp repairs can fix most thing with them now
i like your channel a lot but have to disagree here. to me, the ideal camera for a beginner is as manual as possible - the goal is not instant gratification and getting 'good results', it is actually learning to be a real photographer the hard way, by trial and error and experiment. when you work hard at a skill and improve, it's an awesome feeling. you know you can learn more and be better at your art every day. otherwise, might as well just keep using your phone.
Seems to much money for a 'nothing special' camera, for me that's not the best under 500$. Anyway just my opinion, cheers mate nice channel, nice photos!
Of course ! For me the ir AF and rangefinder style and portability make it the best for me, would also argue soemthing like an f3 is possibly a better camera just depends what u want it for
@@barneyarthur4615 So true, I said that cause I get a lot a good shots with a Minolta hi matic 7s. I believe you can find it for 50$ - 100$, not very portable tho. So for portability I'm having a lot of fun with Canon Prima Super 103u date, and the 90 u ll date. I highly recommend those two, super underrated and you can find it for 30 quid.
All subjective right ? The autofocus makes it the best for me but for some people that would be a turn off and soemthing like an fm2 would be a better option
@@barneyarthur4615 Sure. I just thought $500 was quite a lot, after I just got two Nikon SLR's (F601 and F90) for $35 and $60 from ebay. Different cameras of course.
@@KimHojbergJensen great cameras non the less ! Guess it comes down to what ur after, if you want reliability it’s defo not the best option but if u want easy of use and portability and a range finger style it’a pretty perfect
