Last updated on 2026-04-20
A review and sample photos of the KONICA Hexanon 50mm F1.9 lens used with the LEICA M9 digital rangefinder camera.
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Table of contents
Gallery
The example photos were taken using a Leica M9 camera.
Review
1．Overview
The Hexanon 50mm F1.9 is a standard lens with a Konica L39 screw mount.
The main specifications are as follows, and are listed in the table below.
- Aperture: 1.9
- Lens construction: 6 elements in 5 groups
- Aperture blades: 10
- Minimum focusing distance: 1.0m
- Leica M rangefinder camera rangefinder coupling: 1.0m
2．Usability
I acquired the “Hexanon 50mm F1.9” lens after trying out most of the major rangefinder camera lenses and beginning my search for lesser-known, limited-quantity lenses on the market.
When used with a 35mm full-frame Leica M9, it presented challenges typical of digital cameras, such as ghosting in backlit situations and reduced image contrast. This is likely due in part to the lens’s double Gauss construction, which causes balsam separation and clouding at the cemented surfaces.
There appear to be two variations of the lens barrel. From what I’ve seen, the focus and aperture ring designs differ between the early and late models. The one described here is believed to be the early model.
Since there were no suitable filters available for the early model’s unique 39.5 mm filter size, I protected the lens by using a 50 mm diameter split-type lens hood (designed for a Canon 50 mm F1.8) with a series filter.
3．Summary
The “Hexanon 50mm F1.9” is an old standard 50mm lens. I wasn’t impressed by it, nor was I drawn to its image quality, so I sold it pretty quickly.
These days, you can buy a new 50mm lens quite cheaply, so unless you specifically want to use vintage lenses, there’s no reason to choose an old one. However, I still buy lenses that catch my eye because I’m a lens connoisseur.
Specifications, considerations, etc.
The “Hexanon 50mm F1.9” is a modified Gauss type, while the “Hexar 50mm” is a Tessar type. These two lenses evoke the era when Leica copies were at their peak in Japan.
Until Konica released its own Hexar RF, they did not release any rangefinder camera bodies and focused on supplying lenses, and I learned from a reference link that this lens was sold bundled with other companies’ cameras.
| Item | Hexanon | Hexar |
| focal length(mm) | 50 | 50 |
| Maximum aperture | 1.9 | 3.5 |
| Minimum aperture | 22 | 22 |
| Lens configuration | 6elements in 5groups | 4elements in 3groups |
| Leaf blade | 10 | 10 |
| Minimum distance(m) | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Lens length(mm) | ? | ? |
| Lens max diameter(mm) | 49 | 49 |
| Filter diameter(mm) | 39.5 | 19 |
| Weight(g) | 270 | 145 |
| Release date | Year 1955 | Year 1953 |
| List price(Yen) | 23,500 | ? |
Reference links
- KONICA @ wiki About Konica LTM Interchangeable Lenses(Japanese)
- Camera wiki.org Konica-lenes(English)
- A soliloquy from the seller…Konishiroku (Konishi Roku Photo Industry) Hexar 50mm/f3.5《Retractable type》(L39)(Japanese)
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Update History
- 2024.04.24:Update the article
- 2022.05.31:First draft
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