Hexar RF vs G2

[ChrisN]

Anyone used both? How do they compare? (Ignoring the obvious fact that one is autofocus. )

[kdemas]

Chris,

I have both and they are just two very different shooting experiences. I enjoy the traditional rangefinder operation of the RF, and yet the G2 offers a very modern approach to a rangefinder with the convenience of autofocus for those who want/need it.

One kind of funny thing is that the RF uses the film advance mechanism and some of the switchgear of the G2. Kind of like cousins

I might look for other G2 threads as the same arguments can be made for this as with any traditional rangefinder vs the G2.

Kent

[kdemas]

PS- If interested here is Ken Rockwell's take on the two. I personally think he's a bit harsh on the Hexar as it is really a fine camera. I also can't believe I'm posting a link to one of his articles! LOL.

Hexar vs G2

[j j]

Originally Posted by kdemas

PS- If interested here is Ken Rockwell's take on the two. I personally think he's a bit harsh on the Hexar as it is really a fine camera. I also can't believe I'm posting a link to one of his articles! LOL.

And I can't believe I read it! I use a G2 (the camera he hyperbolically champions over the Hexar) and that article reads like a load of tosh to me (on both cameras).

[kzphoto]

Loved the G2 for the few weeks I had it. I've yet to wrap my hands around a Hexar, but there's one on it's way from Japan.

I had some trouble with the AF when shooting up close indoors. I think the G2 I was using may have had issues, because the camera is supposed to be able to focus in the dark.

[Bobfrance]

I started out in rangefinder photography with a G1, but after a year or so, sold it and bought the Hexar RF. As Kdemas says they do feel closely related.
I sold my G1 as I wanted to get into M-mount glass. Whilst the G lenses are some of the finest available, you are rather limited in choice.

My main beef with the G1 was the focusing noise and the pokey viewfinder (I wear glasses) which were both overcome by changing to the Hex.
I had no complaints about the Hexar, but eventually sold it as I bought an M8 and it fell into disuse.
Strangely now I'm considering buying another Contax G, so I now have a film/autofocus option again.

And so the circle turns...

Edited to add: To me, with their titanium bodies and terrific optics, Contax G cameras felt like some of the finest engineered cameras ever made - definitely the pinnacle of Japanese rangefinder building. It's a shame that it stopped at that pont and nothing like them will be made again.

[sonofdanang]

Owned both. Gave the RF body to a PJ friend, and the G2 (body and two lenses) to a girlfriend. Kept the Leica kit.

Rockwell's assessments are pretty much right on. I preferred the the RF because I could see, at least in the patch, whether I was focused at the right distance. I liked the G2 because it very rarely missed focus and I could shoot it, including focusing, one-handed.
Depending on what kind of work you do, one may do better than the other. Obviously the available optics for the Hexar are what ever you choose up to the very best. The lenses that I used with the G2 (28mm and 90mm) were the equal of anything in small-format. A G2 with three lenses is about the best bang for your buck in uncompromising quality in a pseudo-rangefinder system. (More important than whether or not it is a rangefinder is the fact that it can utilize the small-register advantage in lens design. If that's important to you.) The Leitz stuff that I used on the Hexar included the 28/2.8 and a Tele-Elmarit-M 90/2.8 and there was no perceptible difference, no "signature" as it seems to be called here to identify the Zeiss lenses on the G2 vs the Leitz glass on the Hexar.

The Hexar worked fine except for twice something went funny with the shutter release. The G2 kit worked fine.

Except for certain sports events or macro work where you would be better off with an SLR, I would go for the G2. The finder is better in terms of framing accuracy. For the cost of one Leitz 28mm, you can get a two-to-three lens + G2 body set up that for most is all the camera that will ever be needed. And when I say most I don't mean qualitatively. People do shoot indoor basketball games with rangefinders and 90mm lenses but I prefer using SLRs with both eyes open and, occasionally, brightline finders in hot shoes . But if you have an investment in M-mount glass, the Hexar is the way to go.

Caveat: I don't know who services the Hexar anymore. This, incidentally, is what has consistently driven me to the mainstream manufacturers - routine maintenance or replacement is a reality with heavily-used gear. My gut sense is that the G2 will hold up a little bit better, but that isn't based on anything but intuition and the fact of the Hexar's twice failed shutter release.

[furcafe]

I have both & as kdemas/Kent pointed out, they are clearly mechanical cousins.

Although I wouldn't agree w/Rockwell that the Hexar is the poorer cousin, I do think that there are a couple G2 features that would have made the Hexar nicer. The 1st is mostly aesthetic: I prefer the G2's numerical LCD shutter speed readout over the Hexar's LED scale (a scale makes more sense to me w/a true analog display, like w/an indicator needle). The 2nd is functional: I like that the G2 has an autoexposure lock (AEL) switch; I don't like using the shutter release for locking exposure because when shooting vertical I use my thumb to release the shutter. I have the same "complaint" about the M7 (& any other camera that relies on the shutter release for AEL), so it's not limited to the Hexar. Speaking of the M7, I think both the Hexar & the G2 would have benefited from having a freely revolving shutter speed dial like the M7, which makes switching to manual mode much easier; w/the Hexar & G2 you have to press a button to unlock the shutter speed dial, which I find annoying.

The only mechanical problem I've experienced w/the Hexar, I've also intermittently w/the G2: rolls of film that have been stored in my refrigerator or freezer for long periods of time have occasionally jammed in both cameras, even after being fully defrosted. I think it's because the film sticks together a little (perhaps residue from condensation?) &/or develops a more pronounced bend, not anything you would notice on a manually-loaded camera, but enough that the Hexar/G2 motor can't pull it completely out of the canister. I've taken to loosening the film by pulling the leader out & then withdrawing it back into the canister a few times in rapid succession.

Originally Posted by ChrisN

Anyone used both? How do they compare? (Ignoring the obvious fact that one is autofocus. )

[monochromejrnl]

in my experience the HF provides more of the RF experience, namely a better VF than the G2.... AF is nice but if you want to compare AF rangefinders, then the G2 vs the Hexar AF is the fairer comparison (everything is comparable except the interchangeable lenses) and from my experience with both, the Hexar has faster and more accurate AF and it's cheaper and lighter...

I really wanted to love the G2 but in the end it felt and handled more like a high end AF p&s with interchangeable lenses than a true RF... now my bias is coming from a mechanical manual focus M and so the HRF is closer to that experience but with the added features of auto advance, top shutter speed of 1/4000 and a good meter with AE-Lock.

I use my HRF (with 35) along side my M3 (with 50) and the HRF is better for fast shooting, zone focus, AE-L and 2/3 frames a second which is basically what the M3 was never designed for. Nice combo for my uses.

For AF there are better, cheaper and lighter alternatives to the G2. Having said that, the 45/2 planar is such a good lens, I can totally understand keeping a G2 just for it. Too bad my budget doesn't allow for it.

[digitalintrigue]

They are both very nice cameras. I've owned two RFs and 3 or 4 Contax over the years.

The only thing I don't like about the RF is the reduced mag viewfinder. I prefer a higher mag for more accurate focus. Of course, this sacrifices the wider angle view. But this is not a knock on the camera, it's just a personal preference.

[ChrisN]

Thanks very much for the considered replies. I'm pleased that you didn't find it so odd that I would want to compare these two somewhat different cameras!

I should mention that I have the loan of a Hexar RF and the chance to spend some weeks with it. I would also like to consider an M7 if finances allow (for the metering and viewfinder). For context I'd use this alongside an M4, but I want another camera with metering and auto-exposure for faster operation. I have used an M5 and while the metering was excellent I prefer an auto-exposure system. I wear spectacles and I do like the lower-magnification viewfinder of the Hexar which lets me see the framelines for 35mm (so would also consider an M7 with 0.58 vf). I have a relatively modest investment in M-mount lenses (35, 50, 90) and would use the 35 for 90% of my photos.

How is exposure compensation implemented on the G2? I like the rotating dial implementation on the Hexar with 1/3 stop increments, and the fact that it has no lock button. On the G2 is this a one finger one push operation?

Thanks again for the detailed comparisons - more to think about!

[le vrai rdu]

on the G2 (I have one in loan) you compensate with a wheel that you can move with your thumb while holding the camera it is 1/3 increment, from minus 2 to plus 2
the indicator in the fnder will only tell you + or -
no look button too

My plan is to trade my bessa R kit for a G2 and 28 + 45 , cause I will need a camera I can use with one hand next time I go in a trawler (in winter)

[akremer]

Yeah G2 has the big 1/3 step dial - no lock, but it doesn't move too easily. Thumb and index to change it.

For shooting on the move the RF can't beat the G2. Focus is always spot on.

[ChrisN]

Ah - thanks.

My only concern in using the Hexar RF so far is that it seems to be very easy to accidentally unlock the lens release, and risk a lens falling off. The lock button is raised and needs very little pressure to unlock, and several times I've accidentally done this when picking up the camera. Anyone else noticed this? This thing is quiet too! When I reached the end of the first roll I didn't hear the film rewind, and thought the flashing "1" in the frame counter indicated a problem!

[furcafe]

The lens release button on my Hexar doesn't protrude any more & isn't any easier to push than that on an M2 or M4. Not sure about your Leica(s), but my M2 & M4 have self-timers, so perhaps it's the lack of that on the Hexar that makes it easier to accidentally push?

The film rewind motor on my Hexar is just as noisy as that on my G2, i.e., about the same as my point & shoots. I've always thought it was pretty loud, but I'm sure environmental noise makes a difference.

Originally Posted by ChrisN

Ah - thanks.

My only concern in using the Hexar RF so far is that it seems to be very easy to accidentally unlock the lens release, and risk a lens falling off. The lock button is raised and needs very little pressure to unlock, and several times I've accidentally done this when picking up the camera. Anyone else noticed this? This thing is quiet too! When I reached the end of the first roll I didn't hear the film rewind, and thought the flashing "1" in the frame counter indicated a problem!

[Doug]

Chris, I have both and like both for their different strengths. The G2 is a closed system, but that provides a consistent look with no compatibility issues. No angst over which 35 is better, etc... Of course the Hexar RF has more lens versatility.

While the RF viewfinder is better, the G2 viewfinder is better as well! The RF viewfinder is larger and brighter, yet the G2 varies magnification with the lens in use AND corrects for field size at different focus distances as well as parallax compensation. Certainly the better choice with the 90mm focal length, with some of the attributes of the SLR.

[nonot]

I have only ever messed around with the K-RF, it feels really good in your hand, there's no doubt about that.

I absolutely love the Contax G2, all the complaints that people have about it left me thinking "huh?" to myself. I never found the vf difficult, I wasted a couple pictures before understanding the 90mm's focus pattern and I never understood the noise issues, but I have bad hearing anyway.

When it comes to focusing, the G2 never let me down, sure I had missed shots, but no more than I had with any other camera, and most of them were in situations that would have been tough to focus manually anyway (difficult moving subjects, etc).

But if you want control over manual focus you are s.o.l. as they say. The mf on a G2 is about as frustrating and arbitrary as you could hope for.

If you're okay with AF and a small selection of incredible lenses for dirt cheap I'd say go for the G2.

[Cron]

if you want to shoot fast, the Konica RF would be the better choice!
if the distance is correct adjusted ;-)
I missed some pics with my G2 because of the AF looking for a focus point and some 1/10 sec may be important;
nevertheless I really like my G2, a well made system with great lenses, only the 35/2 is said to be not so good as the other G-lenses