A review and photo examples of the KONICA M HEXANON 90mm F2.8.
Table of contents
Photo example
- The sample photo were taken with the LEICA M8
Review
1．Overview
The Hexanon 90mm F2.8 is the longest focal length lens among the six Konica M-mount lenses released by Konica along with the Hexar RF in 1999.
The main specifications are as follows, and the detailed specifications are listed in the table.
- Aperture: 2.8
- Lens construction: 5 elements in 4 groups
- Aperture blades: 10
- Minimum focusing distance: 1.0m
- Leica M rangefinder camera rangefinder linkage: 1.0m
- Hood: Built-in pull-out hood
- Lens color variations: Black
A detailed explanation of the lens is given in the technical report of Konica (now Konica Minolta), and the designer states that the lens construction is of the Ernostar type.
Lens construction is an improvement on the 4-group, 4-element Ernostar, with the two rear groups made of laminated lenses, resulting in a 4-group, 5-element lens construction.
The lens hood is built into the lens and can be pulled out from the tip of the lens barrel, and there is no hood locking mechanism like some Leica lenses. A snap-on lens cap is included.
2．Usage
It shares with other M-mount HEXANON lenses the fact that it produces solid images even at full aperture.
When I used it with a Leica M8, the double image match captured the intended focus position when I shot at full aperture F2.8.
I bought this lens when I was collecting the Konica Hexanon series. It was cheap and I bought it just to try it out, so I didn’t use it much.
I also have a Contax G Sonnar with a focal length of 90mm modified by Ms-Optics, and I was satisfied with the images it produced, which is another reason why I don’t have much attachment to this lens.
3．Add info.
The lens configuration of this lens is almost the same as that of the Contax G Sonnar 90mm, and it is thought that this specification will be the one you will settle on if you are looking for low-cost and practical performance at a focal length of 90mm.
Telephoto lenses with focal lengths of 90mm and other lengths are unpopular lenses for rangefinder cameras, and they have maintained low prices even in the 2020s when rangefinder lenses have become increasingly expensive. Perhaps because they are becoming scarce, they are occasionally priced at high prices, but they do not seem to be selling at that price.
When using a 90mm lens with an M-type Leica viewfinder with a magnification of 0.7x or less, you have to keep cutting out a very small part of the center of the viewfinder’s field of view, which I don’t like.
After all, I feel that it is more practical to use a focal length of around 90mm with a single-lens reflex camera.
Mirrorless cameras, which have been gaining in popularity to replace single-lens reflex cameras, are equipped with easy-to-view EVFs, so you can enjoy using a 90mm lens, which was previously treated as a burden on rangefinders. Technological progress is great.
Specification
| Item | HEXANON | G SONNAR |
| focal length(mm) | 90 | 90 |
| Maximum aperture | 2.8 | 2.8 |
| Minimum aperture | 22 | 22 |
| Lens configuration | 4groups in 5elements | 4groups in 5elements |
| Minimum distance(m) | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Lens length(mm) | 69 | 63 |
| Lens max diameter(mm) | 55 | 56 |
| Filter diameter(mm) | 46 | 46 |
| Weight(g) | 330 | 240 |
| Release date | 1999 | 1994 |
| Focal length | Lens name | Release date | Technical Report |
| 28mm | M-HEXANON f28 / F2.8 | 1999年 | 28/50/90mm-PDF |
| 50mm | M-HEXANON f50 / F2 | 1999年 | 28/50/90mm-PDF |
| 90mm | M-HEXANON f90 / F2.8 | 1999年 | 28/50/90mm-PDF |
| 35mm | M-HEXANON f35 / F2 | 2000年 | 35mm-PDF |
| 50mm | M-HEXANON f50 / F1.2 | 2001年 | 50mm/F1.2-PDF |
| 21-35mm | M-HEXANON f21-35 / F3.4-4 | 2002年 | 21-35mm-PDF |
Reference links
Update
- 2024.03.15:Update the article
- 2022.05.22:First draft
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