Konica Minolta Hexar Reviews

azemkoleci

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
2 votes

Price Paid:  $500.00 from ebay

Summary:One of the best comact rangefinder cameras ever made.
This the best for street photography, equiped with fixed 35mm but high speed lens of F2.0 makes the best choice for photographers of street photography etc.
Truly pro camera, well made and good design with plenty controls.

Strengths:One of the best compact RF with hexar fast hexar lens, pefect choice for street photography.

Weaknesses:Not built in flash, but has a hotshoe for external one whuch is fine.

Similar Products Used:Leca minilux, Bessa R2/T, Contax TVS, Nikon 35ti, Rollei AFM etc.

Customer Service:Not yet.

Vincent DiPietro

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.00 of 5,
5 votes

Price Paid:  $370.00 from EBay

Summary:I absolutely love this camera. I have the Black version with silent mode. It is great for indoors when you don't want to attract attention. But where this camera really shines is in the street as it is so fast and quiet and the lens is superb. Peoplpe and things are rendered beautifully.

Strengths:The great lens and fast response.
The size is small enough to carry anywhere.
It is quiet.

Weaknesses:I think it has a harder time with cold weather as I've noticed that the shutter sometimes sticks.

ugi

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.67 of 5,
6 votes

Price Paid:  $340.00 from used

Summary:Absolute gorgeous lens - it makes subjects look better than they ought to. If I were forced to get rid of all my cameras except for one, it would be the Hexar. It is perfect for street photography, with the quiet shutter and fast autofocus. I also love the program mode that allows you to choose a preferred aperture and minimum shutter speed, giving you some control even in point-and-shoot mode. Lasts forever on one lithium battery. I've been a point-and-shoot enthusiast, owning all the notable ones like the Stylus Epic, Fuji DL Super Mini, et al, but the Hexar cannot be classified with them. It's in a class by itself.

Strengths:fantastic lens build quality quick handling bright viewfinder energy efficient

Weaknesses:limited shutter speed range doesn't fit all neck straps

Similar Products Used:Olympus Stylus Epic, Olympus XA, Fuji DL Super Mini, Ricoh R1, Pentax UC-1, Konica Big Mini, Minolta Hi-Matic

Customer Service:Excellent. I called Konica to ask them for filter spacers and they sent them free.

azipuff

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
4.33 of 5,
6 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:This camera is a true sleeper. It has a low profile but its picture-taking capabilities are astounding. The lens is sharp, the exposure modes & metering is intelligently designed, and it is fast & quiet. It is well priced for what it is. TTL auto flash metering is missing, but you can use any auto-thyristor flash if set to AP or Manual exposure modes.

Strengths:Minimal shutter lag Small Quiet Excellent lens Takes regular 46mm filters

Weaknesses:Can't use regular neck straps Uses expensive 2CR5 batteries Button interface is clumsy No TTL flash metering

Similar Products Used:Leica M2 and M6 Olympus MjU-II

slinke

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.75 of 5,
4 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Online auction site

Summary:(Actually this is a follow-up review, over one year later.) The Hexar AF (silver version) is indeed a fine and easy-to-use camera. But it's the lens. What a lens! It's superb: Sharp but not razor-y; naturally saturated colors; and great, smooth bokeh. Quiet mechanism enough even without the "silent" add-on. All the automation that comes with it is just icing on the cake. Superb price/value combination.

Strengths:Lens. Lens. Lens. Automation. Speed. Ergonomics. Size. Viewfinder.

Weaknesses:Some smallish buttons, but rarely use them. Fact that it's discontinued.

Similar Products Used:Rollei 35S, Leitz-Minolta CL.

Customer Service:Not needed yet.