Hexar RF rangefinder adjustment $$$

[david_w.]

Hi all,

 

I noticed that my Hexar RF was focusing past infinity with both Leica lenses AND

Konica lenses (50, 90 and 21/35) as others have noted here. I sent the body to

Konica and they have quoted me $160 to adjust and clean the viewfinder. Does that

sound right or just a bit high for a problem that has been acknowledged before? Can

anyone point me to the right person at Konica to speak with? And if I do have them

do the work, do I need to specify adjustment for Konica or Leica lenses? Or will the

adjustment work for both?

 

Thanks for your feedback!

 

--David

[stephen_w.]

Yes, that's what I paid for the service, but they paid (incl. shipping both ways) for the following five additional times when the camera came back out of the box needing adjustment. Now sold to a person dead out of the box (error message). I paid half of the bill, even though I had sent it out functioning "perfectly", as is.

 

Hexar RF Nevermore,

 

Steve

[patrick_jelliffe]

Ken Ruth, Photography at Bald Mountain, shimmed the lens mount on my RF and adjusted the rangefinder for $75. I only used LTM or Leica M lenses with that body after the adjustment, but my 50mm Hexanon works perfectly on my Leica M bodies. Cheers

[roger_michel]

i had mine adjusted at APC camera repair in haverhill mass

many moons ago. it took jimmy 10 minutes and i think there

was no charge (i brought him several things to work on, so i

guess he folded it into something else). $160 is an awful lot for

10 minutes' work -- although most places have a min bench

charge and they may check all functions.

[patrick_jelliffe]

BTW, Ken disliked the rangefinder adjustment screw and mechanism on the Konica. The screw is made of soft brass and the slot strips easily. Might be why they fall out of adjustment, since it is difficult to get them tight enough...

[ray .]

As long as we're on the subject... Is it true as someone stated the other day that the Hexar RF has slight shutter lag when used in AE?

[h_kan_th_rngren]

Shutter lag is 90 milliseconds.

[ray .]

So how does that compare to an M7?

[patrick_jelliffe]

For what it's worth, the shutter lag on the RF is there in manual AND AE, IMO. Cheers

[patrick_jelliffe]

Ray, here's the first link that came up with a Google search on Leica M7 [and] shutter lag:

 

http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/v23/msg01956.html

 

Subjective results, but the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle...Cheers

[patricks]

The HRF is very had to do service to. I remember a post from Dante S. at the HRF forum who has acquired a copy of the service manual. Several adjustments required special computer programs etc. It is not a Do-it-yourself type of camera.

[kevin m.]

"It is not a Do-it-yourself type of camera."

 

And the M7 is?

[jay_.]

Adjusting the infinity (horizontal) alignment of the Hexar RF is a simple, piece-of-cake DIY. I posted the instructions several times, maybe somebody has it or a link to it.

[chenwah_lee]

Jay, this is what you sent to me two years ago and it works: "On the top of the camera there is a small rectangular plastic plug. You need to *very carfeully* pry it off with the tip of a knife. Inside you'll see what looks like a gear next to a bracket with a notch at the top. By placing a small screwdriver across the notch and the gear, the notch acts as a leverage point so that when you turn the screwdriver it moves the gear forward and backward. This adjusts the infinity convergence of the rangefinder. A little movement is all that is required, don't turn it much (and I forgot which way to turn it but you'll figure it out quickly). Put a lens on the camera, set the lens on infinity and sight at a sharp, vertical-line target *at least a mile away* (such as a radio or tv tower). Between slight adjustments, turn the lens to the closest distance and back to infinity a couple of times, then re-check. Once you get it adjusted, pick up a *drop* of clear nail polish on the end of a toothpick and deposit it between the gear and bracket. When replacing the plastic plug *be sure it is sitting squarely over the hole (not on an angle!) and push it in place *with even pressure* till it snaps into place (be careful not to seat it unevenly as it is rather soft plastic and you can break off the retaining tabs). Hope this helps.

 

Jay "

[Alex_Es]

My verdict on the Hexar RF is this.

 

Nice idea. Execution : Second rate.

 

There is the shutter lag. That is easily solved with a shutter release cable. A great way to do waist-level street photography.

 

The flash bracket's plastic thingie (the is nearly 3 a.m.) kept falling out. I glued it in. Then the screw in the frame preview level fell out.

 

The focus is off. My solution : I have taped over the focusing window and now use the Hexar like an electronic Leica M1.

 

Not a camera I can recommend.

[jay_.]

The shutter lag on an RF is so close to a Leica you really need to be looking for an excuse to use it as a rationalization for your own brand snobbery.

 

Adjusting the RF's rangefinder is so easy you really need to be looking for an excuse to hate the camera to do something as outrageously ridiculous as tape over the rf window and guess-focus it.

 

The RF remains to this day twice the camera of the M7. It's only real drawbacks are the foolish 0.6x finder which should have been 0.72, and Konicas own brainless bungling of the marketing of the camera.

[kevin m.]

The RF - a highly functional camera at a bargain price - gets no respect on this forum, but there aren't enough hours in the day to discuss the relative merits of Leica's numerous finish options. Martha Stewart would be proud of you all.