Silver lens barrel L39 HEXANON 35mm
A review and Photo example of the KONICA L39 HEXANON 35mm / F2 with Film and Digital camera.
Table of contents
Gallery
- Sample photo taken with the
- HEXAR RF +FUJI Fortia 50
- LEICA M8
Review
1．Overview
The Hexanon 35mm L39 Silver is a Leica L39 screw mount lens that was planned by Fujisawa Shokai and produced in a limited run of 1000 by converting the lens attached to the Konica Hexar to the L39 mount.
The lens is made up of 7 elements in 6 groups, with a minimum shooting distance of 0.9m and an aperture of F2.
The lens is described as a modified Xenotar type in the reference link “Leica Lenses of the World Part 2 P60/Shashin Kogyo Publishing”. This is also true when you look at the description of the W-Nikkor 3.5cm F1.8, which is said to be a very similar lens, in “Symmetrical Large Aperture Wide-Angle Lens W-Nikkor 3.5cm F1.8 – Tales of Nikkor One Thousand and One Nights”.
The lens hood is a 46mm screw-in trumpet-type hood, and a protective cap is included with the lens hood.
The filter diameter is 46mm, and general filters with a pitch of 0.5mm can be used.
2．Usability
The Hexanon 35mm L39 Silver has the characteristics of both old and modern lenses, with a slightly soft image when the aperture is wide open and a crisp image when it is narrowed down, making it suitable for a variety of expressions, and can be used with both film and digital bodies.
The aperture ring at the tip is easy to use, with half-stop click stops that fit snugly into place, and the helicoid has a smooth feel that is typical of manual focus lenses.
The only weak point is the minimum shooting distance of 0.9m, which is improved by the successor lens, the black UC-HEXANON 35mm. However, if you are using it with a modern mirrorless camera, you can shorten the minimum shooting distance by using a mount adapter with an auxiliary helicoid, so you can choose purely based on your preference for lens design.
The silver exterior lens matches well with both the M black body and the silver chrome body, and I used it for a long time on M-type Leica bodies such as the EPSON R-D1, LEICA M8, and HEXAR-RF Limited.
All Konica L39 screw mount lenses, including this lens, were sold in limited quantities.
The silver HEXANON 35mm was released in a limited run of 1000 units. However, at the time this lens was released, selling 1000 units of a Leica L/M compatible lens was considered a significant success, and even if it was labeled as a limited edition, it would remain new or new second-hand for a long time in camera stores. The one I purchased was almost new, with the box and all accessories still attached. According to my own records, I purchased it in 2005 for around the list price.
3．Summary
In conclusion, the Hexanon 35mm L39 Silver is a lens that has been renewed using modern manufacturing and coating technology, and is a good choice if you want to enjoy the atmosphere of old lenses with modern technology. There is also a UC version that is more compact than the silver lens barrel, but the lens composition is the same, so the lens depiction is almost the same.
In the 2020s, when they occasionally appear on the used market, ones in good condition can cost around 200,000 yen, so unless you like KONICA or the style, there is no reason to choose it at that price.
Specification and Competitor
The Hexanon 35mm L39 Silver and UC Hexanon 35mm L39 Black have the same lens configuration, just different lens lengths, so we will compare them with the later model Summicron six-element lens.
The difference between the Summicron’s orthodox double Gauss type and the Hexanon’s Xenotar type is clearly visible. The lens barrel size of the Hexanon is slightly larger, but is almost the same.
| Item | L HEXANON Silver | UC-HEXANON Black | SUMMICRON 35-6 late |
| focal length(mm) | 35 | 35 | 35(mm) |
| Maximum aperture | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Minimum aperture | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| Leaf blade | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Lens configuration | 6群7枚 | 6群7枚 | 4群6枚 |
| Minimum distance(m) | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.7 |
| Lens length(mm) | 28.5 | 27.3 | 30 |
| Lens max diameter(mm) | 54 | 51 | 51 |
| Filter type | 46 | 43 | E39 |
| Weight(g) | 145 | 120 | 179 |
| Hood | Trumpet type, screw-in | Slitted cylinder, screw-in | IROOA |
| Lens mount | KL | KL | M |
| Production numbers | 1996 | 2001 | 1972〜1977 |
| Release date | 1,000 | 1,000 | 15,620 |
| Price | ¥78,000 | ¥114,000 | – |
Reference links
- KONICA @ wiki About Konica LTM lenses (Japanese)
- Leica Lenses of the World Part 2 P60/Photographic Industry Publishing・Ads by Amazon
- Everything about the Leica M – A thorough look at the appeal of the Leica M body and lenses
- P88に本レンズの紹介あり・Ads by Amazon
- There is a short description of the UC version in Leica Tsuushin No.5, p.105.・Ads by Amazon
- Symmetrical large aperture wide-angle lens W-Nikkor 3.5cm F1.8・Nikkor Thousand and One Nights
- LEICA SUMMICRON 35mm 6-element lens・Shige’s hobby
Update
- 2025.4.27
- 2024.03.01:Update the article
- 2022.05.17:First draft
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- Leica lens・Ads by Amazon
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