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Konica LTM Hexanon 60mm f1.2 pics


flkin

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Picked up a 60mm Hexanon f1.2 around a month ago and had sometime to take a few shots over the Chinese New Year.

 

Pretty difficult lens to focus! I understand that the DOF at 0.8m is less than 1cm. Most of the shots I took were at full aperture and a few stopped down to see the performance. Camera M8 without UV/IR filter but processed in Capture One with Jamie Roberts correction profiles. A few adjusted with expanded dynamic range techniques also. No photoshop.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Lone Pine Suites, Penang

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Chinese New Year, Ipoh

 

Counting Ang Pows, Penang

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Nice lens and nice photos. I purchased a Noctilux earlier this week and focusing is difficult. I've played with it alot and have gotten better. But I have the feeling my eyesight isn't up to the capability of the lens:)

 

Leo

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Hi Leo

 

Thanks for your comments.

 

Yes, I noticed your Japan BW pic taken with your new Noc. Very nice indeed! Actually I find that stopping down the Hex to 1.4 doesn't affect the bokeh that much so perhaps in a tricky low light situation doing the same with your Noc - stopping down a stop or two is fine.

 

Cheers, Kin

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Hi Leo

 

Thanks for your comments.

 

Yes, I noticed your Japan BW pic taken with your new Noc. Very nice indeed! Actually I find that stopping down the Hex to 1.4 doesn't affect the bokeh that much so perhaps in a tricky low light situation doing the same with your Noc - stopping down a stop or two is fine.

 

Cheers, Kin

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll give it try. Leo

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I got a copy of this lens last April, and I like it a lot. I don't have too much trouble focusing it as long as I don't try to focus between 0.8 and 0.9 meters. However, I haven't shot many "live" subjects up close with it. Here's an sample wide-open shot of my friend George. I believe I focused on his nose.

 

3069149518_5f7ba9122c_b.jpg

 

One thing I did find, was it was hard for me to focus between 0.8 meters and 0.9 meters. I eventually figured out why. I use a CV LTM-to-M adapter. The rangefinder coupling on the lens when focused less than 0.9m sinks below that little ledge on the adapter. The LTM to M-mount adapter blocks the little rangefinder wheel on the camera body (on both my M8 and Hexar RF). That's why the focus patch in the viewfinder doesn't move when the lens is focused between 0.8 and 0.9m. Here's a photo of the rear of the lens and the adapter with the lens focused at 0.8m. (see also http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3137/2599590432_709896e1e8_b.jpg and http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3243/2601587618_be912bd0f1_o.jpg)

 

I don't know if there's a different adapter out there that would allow closer focus?

 

2598758495_36f62be5d9_b.jpg

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Yes, I noticed the same problem also - for me I the rangefinder patch doesn't change from 0.8-0.85m with both the Type 1 and 2 VC adaptors.

 

I haven't tried coding the lens yet as I'm using the Type 1 adaptor. At the shop I tried the Type 2 and seem to have better focus. I wonder if there are variations in the adaptor rings that can cause the focus to shift?

 

The shot using a Type 2 ring gave the following. Focus was on the "&" symbol.

 

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  • 1 month later...
Also, does anyone know where can this lens focus be adjusted if needed ? Mine seems to do some front-focus at short distances. (I checked the M8 with other lenses and it is ok).

 

In my unit, I have the opposite problem. The lens back focuses at f1.2 by about 0.5mm on the focus ring. So I have to compensate with a small clockwise twist each time or focus just in front of the nose of each person when I want the eyes to be focused.

 

After a while, it becomes pretty easy and I forget about it.

 

Bangkok Motor Show 2009

 

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Thank you for all those pictures.

This lens becomes quite appealing, but...

In my unit, I have the opposite problem. The lens back focuses at f1.2 by about 0.5mm on the focus ring. So I have to compensate with a small clockwise twist each time...
... I have to do the same with a Summilux 75mm. It is like a lottery to be right on focus on the right point.
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Actually adjusting focus from the rangefinder recommendation should be pretty standard when using fast lenses and I find myself doing it all the time. When shooting wide open, with the subject matter not in the center of the picture, the Cosine rule comes into play and you HAVE to refocus slightly further away whether or not your lens focuses correctly or not. The distance to the subject is further away at the corner of the frame than at the center of the frame. And when you are playing with depth of fields measured in mm, it's critical to adjust the focus if you want to be tack sharp.

 

When the lens is back focusing, it just makes the calculation a touch more confusing, as you have to compensate for 2 deviations!

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Could John Millich make you an adapter without the ridge and of a fractionally different thickness to compensate for the back focus. It was always rumoured that Konica lenses (both L mount and M mount) were set up for a very slightly different flange to film distance than Leicas.

 

Wilson

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.....rumoured that Konica lenses (both L mount and M mount) were set up for a very slightly different flange to film distance than Leicas...

 

Wilson - And that rumour is complicated by another rumour that somewhere in the production run Konica changed their lens calibration to match Leica's. This might explain the focus problems some report [presumably with older lenses] and the consistent good focus of [presumably] more recent lenses.

 

Of course; the above could be total nonsense.

 

.................. Chris

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