fti
Established
Great performer. Can't tell how it compares to the Summicron, which it is modeled after. Lens feels solid, all metal and feels like a great user. Just had it cla'ed and look forward to using a lot.
css9450
Mentor
Indeed! Fantastic lens; a pity I don't use mine nearly enough. But I really am not a 50mm guy, and I only have one camera it mounts onto...
Rich1950
Member
I have a M-Hex 50/2. I use it if I want more contrast at apertures wider than f/4 or higher sharpness than my 50/2 collapsible.
Because the Hex has less flair I use it if shooting against a light source. I have no Hex focus issues on either M body I own. Its a 6/5 vs 6/4 construction. I have found the OOF blur to be OK and not modern.
Buying old lenses has risk. Most M mount 30 year old optics need to be cleaned. So getting a Hex which has a 50/2 v4 contrast/fingerprint makes sense.
Its the same weight and length as the Summicron V5. In a perfect world I wish it weighed 190g or lighter. The integrated hood is very convenient.
Because the Hex has less flair I use it if shooting against a light source. I have no Hex focus issues on either M body I own. Its a 6/5 vs 6/4 construction. I have found the OOF blur to be OK and not modern.
Buying old lenses has risk. Most M mount 30 year old optics need to be cleaned. So getting a Hex which has a 50/2 v4 contrast/fingerprint makes sense.
Its the same weight and length as the Summicron V5. In a perfect world I wish it weighed 190g or lighter. The integrated hood is very convenient.
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Benjamin Marks
Mentor
There are some differences in mechanical design. The Hex's for instance used epoxy to fix the position of the focusing cam, rather than a set screw of other method. This means that if the lens is "off" compared to how your camera's focussing cam is set up with respect to all your other lenses, there is no way to adjust this. Had that issue with one of mine. In terms of the rendering, when they are on they are great.
pvdhaar
Peter
I use it on an M4, never had any issues with focusing; it's spot on.
mfunnell
Shaken, so blurred
My M-Hexanon 50mm/f2 was the first RF lens I ever owned (bought along with a Hexar RF, which I also really like but now hardly use). I've used it on other film and digital Ms with no problems and have always liked the results. I'll note, though, that my recent run-through of my rather-too-many 50mm lenses made me think it not quite as stellar as my early impressions until stopped down a bit.
That's OK, and not at all unusual. I guess I've just become more critical over time and with more to compare it with. I still think it is, overall, my 'best' 50mm lens. Just not the best I have for all circumstances. I still use it more than my other 50mm lenses, though, as a reliable all-rounder.
...Mike
[Yes, this is the Hexar RF photo on Wikipedia. I wrote the original article and provided the photo.]
That's OK, and not at all unusual. I guess I've just become more critical over time and with more to compare it with. I still think it is, overall, my 'best' 50mm lens. Just not the best I have for all circumstances. I still use it more than my other 50mm lenses, though, as a reliable all-rounder.
...Mike
[Yes, this is the Hexar RF photo on Wikipedia. I wrote the original article and provided the photo.]