These images were shot with the Konica Hexar AF and ilford FP4. This is my second “5 Frames” post for this camera – the first here.
I developed the film using the semi-stand process with Rodinal. After a trying work day, it is medicinal to drop film into this brew, spin it a few times at inception then a few more spins at 30 minutes, wash with water with customary fix and finish with photoflo. My bottle of Rodinal is quite long in the tooth (going on a year) and it still performs despite not being stored in a protected way. The process imparts nice grain and good sharpness.
The Hexanon lens has a beautiful rendering that is especially pleasing for monochrome images.
I am often drawn to subjects in shop windows. During the day, it’s fun to play with reflections and in the evening accentuating the blacks and highlights.
I have pined to shoot this lonely tree for quite a while. Sparse images of trees are another favorite subject of mine. The tree was captured during a bike ride in very harsh light and shot directly into the late afternoon sun, metering off of the sea grass at F16.
The Konica sits beautifully in the hand and is very light. The shooting experience is a bit detached, but sometimes that is a good thing. It is a great camera for street photography from having an extremely quiet shutter and good metering and focus. I love the retractable lens hood. I have a beautiful Ona handstrap on the camera and it is a perfect complement.
I have been in a black and white mood lately. Full resolution versions of these and more of my imagery can be seen on my blog here: https://victoriaslight.blog.
I hope you enjoyed the article and the imagery.
A beautiful article and wonderful images. I’m often tempted by the Hexar, but I’ve never made the leap.
Thank you.
The camera is very light but well built, and the lens’ quality speaks for itself. It still commands quite a hefty price however and this is a risk one has to evaluate given the camera’s age. The first sample I purchased from a Japan Ebay seller was not working even though it was said to be in mint condition. The second try has worked out well so far.
I think the same ! Wonderful !
I looked at buying a Hexar AF many years ago, am I right in thinking after every focus it winds the lens back in to the start?
Agreed wholeheartedly. Thanks for enjoying my article!
The Hexar AF has internal focusing on its fixed lens. Focus is very snappy. Thanks for the comment!
This is one of the most underrated cameras i’ve ever shot with. Well, except they all eventually have some kind of electronic malfunction (i’m on my 4th or 5th one now). Best AF of any camera (especially film cameras) that i own, super sharp 35 f2 and still reasonably compact, It’s been to many places with me 🙂 The stealth mode is great in quiet settings and the smart program mode is super handy. If it wasn’t for the 1/250th top shutter speed, i think they’d be a lot more $
I agree, the autofocus speed and accuracy are first rate. By mounting a good quality ND or black and white filter on the camera to make up for the shutter speed issue, I have had good results from the camera.