This is my second dabble with this camera. The first was an auction site purchase advertised as “top mint” from Japan. I received the camera and it was in never touched condition. While it looked like the pretty girl at the dance, it had no such mojo. The film would not load. So after a return, this beauty entered my hands, a “refurbished model” working perfectly.
I won’t bother with the terrible menus, suffice to day everybody is spot on there. My first roll was populated with 18 9 2018, a date stamp reminder of a bad day of photography. After figuring that niggle out, I took the Hexar on the photowalk from the Kelby site that I volunteered to lead.
The patrons of the International Yacht Restoration School in Newport RI were kind enough to permit access to photograph the restoration of The Coronet, a turn of the century sailing yacht. I was on my boat in Newport Harbor many years ago, witnessing her voyage into the City for restoration. The vessel has been stripped back to its origins by the superb shipwrights at the IYRS. IYRS is a unique training facility, teaching mostly youngish men and women the lost art of wooden boatbuilding. The Coronet is a glorious vessel.
The imagery shows the massive endeavor. Hull planking consists of 2 layers of wood, each 2 inches thick, steamed to conform to the ribbing with offset seams in the layers. Since my last visit in the Spring, substantial progress has been made.
On to the Hexar AF. The camera feels great in the hand. The lens lives up to its reputation – these images do all the talking for me. At times (not in these shots), it falls short of the Summicron it imitates, showing a more vertical distortion.
The film used was Ilford FP4. I have not used this emulsion often, but after this roll I will. These images are as shot, developed using Diafine the lazy man’s soup along with several other rolls of varying speeds. Scanned with an Epson V8oo.
{Sorry for the horrible picture of the Hexar!}
Thank you for taking the time for this post. You can view my other smatterings here: https://victoriaslight.blog
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Daniel Castelli on 5 Frames with Konica Hexar AF – by Louis Sousa
Comment posted: 04/12/2018
I just saw a piece on the IYRS broadcast on our local PBS station here in CT. What a cool place. You produced a great set of pics that do justice to that organization. Well done.
The Konica was the style of camera Leica should have produced after their (film) CL went out of production. A semi-pro level compact camera. I like my (film) CL, but there are times...
I was a die hard HP-5 user for decades. My wife & I took a trip to Ireland recently. I packed Delta 400 rather than my usual HP-5. When we got back, I processed the film in ID-11 [1:1] and was blown away by the results. I've since switched to the Delta.
Comment posted: 04/12/2018
Comment posted: 04/12/2018
Faraz on 5 Frames with Konica Hexar AF – by Louis Sousa
Comment posted: 04/12/2018
Nice contrast in the frames, lens living up to the hype
Comment posted: 04/12/2018
Comment posted: 04/12/2018
Comment posted: 04/12/2018
Mark on 5 Frames with Konica Hexar AF – by Louis Sousa
Comment posted: 04/12/2018
I love these images.
Comment posted: 04/12/2018
Brett Soul on 5 Frames with Konica Hexar AF – by Louis Sousa
Comment posted: 04/12/2018
Louis Sousa on 5 Frames with Konica Hexar AF – by Louis Sousa
Comment posted: 04/12/2018
Dominique Pierre-Nina on 5 Frames with Konica Hexar AF – by Louis Sousa
Comment posted: 04/12/2018
Dominique.
JR Smith on 5 Frames with Konica Hexar AF – by Louis Sousa
Comment posted: 06/12/2018
Comment posted: 06/12/2018