The first time I saw an Autoreflex T, I thought it was one of the best looking cameras I had ever seen.. I having been using Nikons professionally for over 50 years, but I currently own 6 of the Autoreflex cameras and 14 Hexar and Hexanon lenses.. Execelent review!

Great video, great camera system. The Konica T’s are absolutely faboulus, the Hexanon glass is just stellar. I don’t understand why they are so underrated. I also agree about the Copal Square FPS - a John Deere tractor among camera shutters. Keep it up! 👍🏻

I'm buying my third next week. The two I bought last year are phenomenal and are wonderful companions to my Nikomat and Canon F1 cameras.

You were super helpful/detailed summary about the camera itself and it’s history! Thank you! I got my hands on one today💙🦋

@BriansPhotoShow

Жыл бұрын

Glad I could help. Enjoy your Autoreflex!

You're entirely correct about the quality of Hexanon lenses. I owned a T2 back in 1972, and foolishly sold it when I moved to an RB67 medium format camera. Something that doesn't get much press is that the Konica Autoreflex T was the first auto-exposure SLR available, and remained so until Canon brought out the F-1n in the mid '70's. (Actually, I think Pentax had an auto exposure camera as well, but it was an electronically controlled shutter, not aperture control, and it got very little market penetration.) The Autoreflex T is a solid piece of craftsmanship, and works wonderfully as a manual camera today. Thanks for a great video!

Awesome video, Brian! I found my Canon FTb QL and my Minolta SRT-303 in a thrift store. Both in near excellent condition (particularly, the FTb) for cheap! Although, on the SRT, I had my camera repair tech guy overhaul the shutter (lower speeds didn’t work) and new light seals and a CLA for a reasonable price. He will also recalibrate the internal light meter to accommodate the 1.5v battery. Worth every penny to do so! If I run across one of these, I will pick it up.

Thank you. This was very informitive. I Just bought one of these with a Konica FS-1 for $30 through some AA and all works

Some Great links, I had long been aware of the Konica 40mm f1.8 for it's incredibly sharp rendering of images. It's kind of sleeper in the vintage lens game and might be one of the best 40mm street photography lenses if you own a decent Konica body or mirrorless camera to shoot with it adapted. I think the only thing that really hurts it's popularity amongst enthusiasts historically for adapting it was the Flange distance that makes it unusable for most SLR shooters shooting Canon, Pentax, ALLWAYS Nikon, There are quite a few other Konica lenses that are also fairly price and usable but the links you posted were a definite education, I knew about a few I had come across but that list and charts was fantastic, an Eye opener for sure. Great video!

Very good presentation!!! Many thanks. I just bought a T2 and a 50mm 1.7. Many thanks.

@BriansPhotoShow

4 жыл бұрын

I was out shooting my T2 today; you won't regret it!

Hello Brian. Great informative review . I use hearing aids 675 battery 1.45 volt with 2/3 stop iso adjustment for my minolta srt and it perfectly work in bright and dim light . Regards

As a former camera technician I’ll give everyone a bit of advice, NEVER use alkaline batteries (LR44) in your camera. They don’t last long and the output voltage drops as soon as you start to use them. SR44 batteries are silver oxide, have a much higher capacity, the output voltage is constant until they are exhausted and they are less likely to bulge and leak. You can use a 1N6263 Schottky diode in series with a silver oxide cell to give you a steady 1.35V. Just cut the wire to the battery chamber and solder the diode in series with the battery.

@BriansPhotoShow

4 жыл бұрын

That's good to know. I appreciate the advice. What's your opinion on Wein cells, for those of us who wouldn't know which end of a soldering iron to pick up?

@ianhand5006

4 жыл бұрын

Brian's Photo Show Wein cells are simply zinc air hearing aid batteries, which can be bought for a few pence (cents) online. They are 1.4V and just need packing out with an o ring to make them fit correctly.

@eyewandersfoto

4 жыл бұрын

I've used hearing aid 675s with o-ring for a good while. Sometimes I don't bother with the o-ring in my T4 - once they're in and centered I very very rarely have them shift and lose contact. Ian, if you were able to produce a decent quality video showing the procedure step-by-step for modifying the battery connection with diode in-line as you mention, I imagine you'd get quite a number of views increasing over time.

@matteovrizzi

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Ian / Brian as a further alternative to mercury, what do you guys think of the KANTO SR43 battery adapter/converter that are easily found online from Japan? Any experience/thoughts? They are not cheap so i'd welcome your input before i buy.

@HermannHering

4 жыл бұрын

I got me some 675s with 1,40V The needle always stays in the top right corner and does not even move I think someone put the wrong batteries in before hand and it just broke

Since these Konicas Autoreflex cameras originally used 1.35 volt 675 size mercury cells, the easiest solution nowadays is to use 675 sized Ray-o-Vac zinc-air deaf-aid cells instead. These have a voltage of 1.40 volts. Importantly, zinc-air batteries maintain a very constant voltage all the way from new to nearly fully discharged, just as the old mercury batteries did. This characteristic of Mercury cells was partly why they were used originally since it negated the need for having a voltage regulator circuit in the light-meter. In theory, these Ray-o-Vac Zinc-Air cells should give fairly accurate and consistent light-meter performance. They certainly do so in my old Yashica J5 and Yashica 124G cameras which have CdS meters which were designed for the Mercury batteries. (These Yashicas used the larger 625-size cells, incidentally. I have obtained neat little adapter rings to enable the 675's to be used in the 625-size chambers by searching www.paulbg.com/Nikon_F_meter_batteries.htm in Google.] With Zinc-Air batteries, a small paper label has to be removed from one side to expose the air holes when they are installed. There is slow consumption of the battery from that point on, even if they are not being used. However, I find that they last about 12 months and cost less than a dollar each.

@solowandslow1

2 жыл бұрын

Wow what a great fix! Were the "neat little adapter rings" also inexpensive??

Excellent and very informative video !!!!! Thanks for sharing .

Great video!! I am in two minds, part of me wants this dreadfully overlooked and under rated range to receive the accolades it deserves. However I must admit I also like the lower prices that come with such criminal neglect. The Hexanon lenses were some of the finest lenses ever made and stand comparison against any lenses, including much more expensive alternatives like Zeiss and Leica. The bodies up to the T3 were pretty much bomb proof and superbly designed and built. Although the later ones were more of a niche choice they still had some innovative thinking. It amazes me so few connect the dots from the extremely highly regarded Hexar compact to the older SLRs given that the big selling features of the Hexar were superb lens and premium build.

@BriansPhotoShow

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, I agree completely.

Thanks for the video, I love mechanical cameras, I've not handled any Konica before, and I am going to get a T3n. Regarding the battery adapter, I've not used that on my cameras, but as far as I understand, those adapters contain a tiny electronic component to correct the voltage, which a normal resistor can not do. Resistor causes voltage drop depends on the current drawn by the circuit, the same adapter will work on a certain model of camera but not on the others, to make an universal adapter we have to put a Diode on it instead of a resistor. Modern Silicon Diode has a forward voltage drop of 0.7V, and 0.3 V for Germanium Diode and 0.2 V for Schottky Diode, so that if there's a Diode on the adapter it must not be a Silicon type.

Effin' awesome. Fantastic that you're putting more Konica information out there! *Truly* undervalued and my bet is that this *will* change in time. Few to none are talking about these unfortunately because Konica is a dead mount and a nearly forgotten brand in the photography world, particularly to younger shooters. So, it's awesome you've made this video. More from others will keep coming I think. But a couple of points... *T4* : I think the T4 is *well* worth mentioning more than you have, particularly so if you're going to mention the TC. Neither, very obviously, are built like the earlier T series, so it's a trade off. (This is biased because the T4 has become my *personal* favorite, but) the T4 too is *nearly* as undervalued as the TC (they look nearly identical so that's understandable if you don't know what's under the hood) and they can be found for often the same or just slightly more in price than a TC, but you gain back *everything* you lost in functionality of the earlier ARs to TC: lower shutter speed selection, multiple exposure, DoF preview and a battery check light (and of course a winder if you like)... just a few functions, but they make all the difference for me. (Though I still take a TC out as a "kicker" pretty regularly). You can also use button-cell adapters, mentioned below. More, I have to say the plastics-related criticisms of these two models so many folks mention (understandably) is a tad overblown if only because I can count the number of *truly* damaged top and/or bottom caps I've seen on these with one hand. Whatever that polycarbonate it is that Konica used is some pretty burly and durable stuff! And of course it allows them to be what they are: much smaller and lighter. I am not terribly kind to two of my T4 and TC, but they don't seem to mind. Every TC and T4 I've taken screwdrivers, q-tips and contact cleaner to has purred back to life except for one. They're more robust than they look and seem. *Batteries* : in regard to the mercury battery problem, *both* the T4 and TC *do* use the larger PX625 button-cells, and the adapters you mention work just fine in their larger compartments (though I just use 675 sized hearing aid zinc-air cells, secured in the chamber with a small o-ring sometimes). I've measured voltage periodically in those and I've not found them to come down to 1.35v as some have mentioned really all that fast, so you do still need to take the (much smaller) voltage difference into account even when using them. But I usually rate my film lower anyhow, so with that extra bit of latitude I can't say I've ever noticed anything, and I use the AE/EE quite often. *The Copal Square* : I have to agree about the Copal Square. Amazing shutter. Amazing sound. Amazing durability. They just never (knock on wood) give up. I started out my real photo life with a Nikkormat FTN in the late 80s (it was father's, bought new by him when it came out) and only tried out an nT3 about two years ago for the first time - the moment I fired the shutter for the first time I knew what was in there and I was hooked. I'd just never shot Konica previously other than rangefinders and had no idea about the T series internals (why would I?). It was like coming home, back to the shutter sound I started with (FTN) but bringing along all the other refinements with. The Nikkormat was great back then but I've since tried shooting them again and, well my preferences have moved away from Nikon's old ways (I've mainly shot Pentax for many years). I think the T series is superior to Nikkormat in every way personally. But all of this said, the T4 remains my favorite of the bunch - everyone has different preferences but there is just something about the capability and handling of that camera that has kept me reaching for it over and over for a couple years straight now, damn near abandoning my old standbys. :) I'm only a relatively recent Konica convert of just 2 or 3 years, for ALL the reasons you went over (bravo), and like I said I've been more and more taken away from all my other gear - and it's starting to seem *permanent*. I take out the nT3 with some regularity and know it isn't going anywhere, but it's the T4 that's become "my camera". I've quickly turned into a little bit of a Konica evangelist to those around me, but for the most part people largely just don't it. "Konica? aren't they like a really old camera?". I think more people are going to figure it out though. These cameras and their available glass are nothing short fantastic. And for the money they go for right now, it's almost stealing. Cheers. (Sorry for the novel.)

@BriansPhotoShow

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the extended comments, they are most welcome. I'm rebuilding my collection after ten years or so. One never knows when the next celebrity will make some formerly obscure brand hipster-cool and the prices will skyrocket. Now you've convinced me to look for a nice T4 when I raid the after-Xmas sales at my favorite retailers. :)

@kaiwenyeo9397

4 жыл бұрын

I had accidentally came across a T3n, which I didn’t know bout when I found one in Tokyo vintage camera shop, and surprisingly brought it home without knowing much. I’m just 4 days old into film camera and I’m in love with the shutter. My meter is broken tho, so I’m trying to get an external light meter. So far I’m shooting with my understanding of lights which I’ve learnt from digital camera’s setting. Let’s see how the first roll turn out to be!

@danc2014

4 жыл бұрын

@@kaiwenyeo9397 smart phone app is a quick way for a light meter

Just found a Konica t2 with a 57mm f/1.4 at the thrift store for $17cad, its in perfect condition. The thing is built quite literally like a tank and I'm excited to test it out.

@BriansPhotoShow

3 жыл бұрын

You certainly got a good deal. Well done!

@graymc1959

3 жыл бұрын

just got a konica “t” for $25 at goodwill

Had a T2 in the 1990s. Built like a tank and great lens. Somehow I managed to break it. I was a teenager...

For the Autoreflex T3n, the exposure meter can be adjusted by a qualified tech to use 1.5v batteries.

It's a beautiful camera. Either use sunny 16 or a handheld meter. Great video. Thanks.

So great video, and contents. Thanks

Thanks for the video. I just picked up a Konica Autoreflex T at an estate sale along with three lenses and the remote plunger. I haven't used 35mm in quite some time and was wondering how do I tell that the replacement batteries I just purchased are working? Is there anything on this camera that shows power? Thank you for your time.

I’m so exited I just a T-4 with a 50mm F-1.8 and a auto reflex half frame all for $30 and they work I just have to do light seals and a few adjustments to the shutter speed dial on the half frame

@BriansPhotoShow

3 жыл бұрын

that's quite a nice deal. well done!

Exactly, who needs an in camera meter?? My best photos are always taking a reading with my cel (or sunny 16) and checking various shadow readings. That's for street photography, on landscapes I always use a handheld meter.

The vintage camera you couldn’t think of is Pentax.

I found a Konica Auto Reflex P and an Auto Reflex TC-X DX. What are those cameras compared to the ones in this overview?

Anyone know what to do when the self timer is stuck. Camera won’t fire cause it’s stuck…

Thank you for a great video.

Your review was OK, but missing a lot of info on it's later models. My first Konica was the Autoreflex T still going strong 40+ years, plus I own several of the later models including the Autoreflex T3 with viewfinder curtain which was my goto camera for shooting Weddings. The Konica FT-1 motor drive is full featured but has a high failure rate if you do not removed the 4 triple A batteries holder between uses which is sad since it is well made with all the features of the Autoreflex T series plus multi exposers. Towards the end of Konica cameras was a plastic body model TC-X which was more a consumer model with ease of use and fewer features, the camera uses a triple A regular battery for the light meter and the camera will use any of the lenses going back to the first Konica T. The TC-X will also detect coded 35mm rolls of film for setting the ASA/ISO. Wiki has a good history of the Konica brand and models including the 1/2 frame models to learn more along with more photos showing the different cameras it produced. Like you said Konica lenses are some of the best with a wide range to choose from for quality glass. My only comment on your video is that I wished you had shown more of the different models photos so we could see what the different are physically. I was using a Pentax 35mm camera when at high school, but my first purchase choice was the Konica T camera because of the auto features built into the camera for exposer and great lenses.

I have a T2 and just replaced the light seals. Paired with a Vivitar 35mm 2.8 lens. So are there replacement options for batteries? Or is it possible to convert it over to 1.5v? Would not having a battery have an impact on the light meter and the depth of field preview or the EE mode?

@BriansPhotoShow

4 жыл бұрын

I shoot mine meterless without batteries. A good technician can install a resistor which takes the output voltage down to factory specs, but I haven't bothered.

just wondering, is the lens and the viewfinder parallel to each other? that is, when we zoom in with the lens, does it show up with he zoomed image on the viewfinder?

@RHR1991

4 жыл бұрын

This particular lens in a prime, meaning it doesn't have zoom. If you change the lens and put a zoom one, this camera has a pentaprism so yes, you will see exactly what the lens sees.

Strange that your CdS light meter was that far off. On my SRT (also mercury PX625 battery)read pretty close to my digital camera (both using 50 mm lenses). Apparently CdS cells deplete over time and that is offset (I guess just in some cameras depending on the circuitry) by using the 1.5 volt SR44.

Hey Brian thanks for this review, I'm finding the viewfinder of my Konica, which I just bought, to be quite dark... Is it normal or is there something wrong with it???

@johnapperson7495

4 жыл бұрын

You need to clean the prism which can be a major job

Is it possible to use these cameras without the batteries? And if so, how will it affect my photos?

@BriansPhotoShow

4 жыл бұрын

Yes, I use my Autoreflexes without batteries all the time. The batteries only power the light meter. All other functions are purely mechanical. Just use a hand-held light meter or a light meter app on your phone.

Loved your review, and I totally agree with your assessment of just how underrated these beautiful Tanks are! You wouldn’t by any chance know if it’s possible to change the focus screen from microprism to split image on an Autoreflex T1, would you?

@BriansPhotoShow

4 жыл бұрын

To my knowledge, the T1 did not have an interchangeable focusing screen. I believe the first split-image rangefinder focusing screen in the Autoreflex line was an option on the T3, so the question is could a technician cannibalize a T3 so equipped and transplant the split-image screen into a T1. I'm skeptical, but you'd have to ask a tech.

@heysiri4935

4 жыл бұрын

Brian's Photo Show Thank you!

What is the main difference between T2 and T3? I don't see any besides hot shoe. Any other that's worth mentioning?

@BriansPhotoShow

3 жыл бұрын

This page describes the differences: www.buhla.de/Foto/Konica/eT3Haupt.html

NB: You can get what's called a wein cell battery that will give you the correct 1.3volt reading since they've discontinued mercury button cell batteries. There is also a metric tonne of lenses out there for the Konica AR system and there is another option also if you don't want to use the meter (or shutter priority) to just use Nikkor or even M42 (Pracktica) lenses with a shim adapter that fits all Konica cameras. You won't get shutter priority with an adapted lens, but I barely use shutter priority anyway as it makes very little sense unless you're just going to lock your lens to infinity and walk around shooting automatically as you're still going to waste time focusing anyway.... I also preference using an external meter that is more accurate than the one on this era of camera. The Nikon adapter is a little expensive these days (as ebay prices go because of "Nikon" extortion tax) but it allows you to use all the non VR, non auto-focus FX mount Nikkor lenses. DX lenses won't work of course. The M42 adapter allows you to use all those great Pentax screw mount Super Tak lenses among other things... if you're into lomography there is a laundry list of cheap Russian soviet era lenses, or if you get an M42 adapter you can use all the Voigtlander glass also. Then there is the Zeiss glass that is available in either M42 or Nikkor mount (including new Zeiss glass in Nikkor mount) you can use also if you were to want that or already had a modern Carl Zeiss prime that you wanted to use on your Konica system. The adapters are compatible with all AR mount cameras due to the flange distance which they kept the same on the Konica system from the T2 to the FT-1. There are some intricacy issues that lenses designed for the Auto Reflex wont meter correctly on later cameras but the later glass for the T2-T4 and Konica automatic cameras is better anyway. There are a tonne of lenses out there over the years, maybe not just the Sigma and Tamron lenses which are harder to come by, but most third party lenses from the 1960s to 1980s were crap and some of them I've had such a hard time focusing with it's like looking through a dirty piece of glass. Anyway, I avoid third party lenses from the 60s to 80s unless they're gifted to me because the quality is usually pathetic. The lens issue isn't an issue, especially when, in general, except for the Thorium (radioactive) 57mm F/1.2 lens, Konica lenses are so cheap it just doesn't make sense. Finally, there's nothing wrong with the Konica auto bodies, the FS-1 and FT-1 in particular (the FP-1 was a fully automatic beginner camera). I know a lot of people dislike auto bodies when something electronic breaks, but if you can find one that works, all you need to do is to remember to change the batteries regularly when the warning light comes on and they'll continue to work like clock work. The bigger problem with auto bodies is the people over the years who never remembered to change the batteries and unlike the Canon or Nikon cameras there is no fail-safe for using dead batteries, and it will burn out the motors when you try to. The motor wind on the FS-1 in particular is perhaps one of the most satisfying shutter sounds on any camera.

@eyewandersfoto

4 жыл бұрын

I used to share your view of shutter-priority, but it was actually shooting Konicas in the past 2-3 years that changed it for me. I've come to love the way the AR system operates... I always know my shutter speed, and I can always see the camera-chosen aperture which is quick and easy to override with a flick of the shutter dial, or a quick remeter/hold/recompose. And shooting with AE on these has removed the common aperture-priority issue that would pop up at least once a roll when I wasn't paying close enough attention, namely when the camera chose a far-too-slow shutter speed without my noticing (clearly my fault, but still) and I hear the long snap-pause-snap, and knowing too well I had a lovely frame of total motion blur in store. :D Everything else you wrote.... bang on. (Except for the FS-1 endorsement which I've avoided based on Greg Weber's warnings, problems that were resolved with the FT-1.)

@orestes1984

4 жыл бұрын

@@eyewandersfoto shutter priority is superior in most instances except when it's not bright enough outside and the mechanism can no longer compensate. My annoyance with it is that you have to manually focus anyway so to me it's a bit of "why bother." If I am going to use shutter priority then I'll just lock the lens to infinity and walk around as if I'm shooting a fixed focal length point and shoot. Otherwise, I simply ignore it. I much prefer actually being in control of the aperture anyway most of the time as it allows you more depth of field control.

I have a couple of T3s in the cupboard from way back, not used for years. I always seemed to get great portraits with the lenses. Is there a modern camera I could use those lenses with?

@BriansPhotoShow

Жыл бұрын

You could adapt to mirrorless like everyone else. Other than that I can't think of anything.

@edwardmclaughlin7935

Жыл бұрын

@@BriansPhotoShow Thank you, they look good enough - if a little bit pricey!

I received my T2. Like new! What a heavy tank. Shutter release is a bit stuck with a slow finger on release. Works fine on a quick finger. Any ideas? A good cleaning and careful lube?

@BriansPhotoShow

4 жыл бұрын

The shutter release on the T2 has a longer travel than its competitors since the physical pressure on the button also drives the needle-capture system. Nonetheless, it should be smooth.

@davidpostma9862

4 жыл бұрын

Brian's Photo Show It felt like a longer plunge. I am pleased to have it. This item I just bought is like new. It’s the heaviest slr I have ever held. Keep doing your videos. They are highly informative. The best I’ve seen for knowledge and a well organized presentation.

@davidpostma9862

4 жыл бұрын

I just bought an original T2 with the on off button below the rewind knob on the left. Like it was never used, beautiful. Cost me US $9.95. It seems a bit heavier than my later t2. I’ll weigh both.

I was looking for a Konica Autoreflex T series after picking up a few AR lenses. eBay is crap shoot but I just grabbed a lot of five bodies. Three T2s and Two A1000s for $80. Former high school gear. I figure at least one of them should be a solid copy. We’ll see.

@gregoryluna535

2 жыл бұрын

Well, 2 were DOA and the other 3 have fingerprints all over their mirrors. Not a surprise given they were high school rigs. Unfortunately, I picked up a Chinon SLR w/ a 40-105 3.5 zoom macro. Now the Chinon is a tank in great shape. Side by side, the Konica is not tank worthy. Goodwill trumped eBay this time.

Hello Brian, I have a konica autoreflex tc that I have used a lot, I love the images that come out of it. My indicator of exposition (bar with the needle) doesn’t work, although I’ve always shoot on AE mode, and it works! I went to a repair store and the man told me the battery is only necessary for the indicator of exposure, but not the cell itself, which works without the battery. Do you know anything about that? I read everywhere the opposite, but on the other hand I tend to agree with this repair man since my pictures always came out great in AR mode even without battery. Hope you can enlighten me

@BriansPhotoShow

2 жыл бұрын

The automatic exposure function will not work without a battery. However the shutter will fire on all speeds without a battery if you don't mind using an accessory light meter.

You forgot the Spotmatic which fit and finish is second to none. ;)

I have my dad's. He passed away in 2017. A Navy veteran. I have a few lenses. One long one and the flash. The camera has a nice leather case. Any idea of value will be helpful.

Great video, what are some good lenses

@BriansPhotoShow

3 жыл бұрын

I recommend the reviews here: www.buhla.de/Foto/Konica/eHexanonUebersicht.html

I just inherited a konica T. It was my father's. He used to do photography in his younger years. I would like to try and take some pictures with it. How do I use it though? What do all numbers and buttons mean? Thanks for the video! I wish I would talk more w my dad about this time in his life.

@BriansPhotoShow

Жыл бұрын

I did a video review of the Autoreflex T2; perhaps that will help: kzread.info/dash/bejne/jIqTj7mJmZC9dqw.html

@rentcda

Жыл бұрын

@@BriansPhotoShow I already watched it! Lol. You did an excellent job of presenting this camera and it's features. I was impressed! I also really appreciate your enthusiasm, I'm so excited to start taking picture with this camera and learning the craft. Thanks!

nice one!

Great review. I didn't even know about this camera. What are the best hexanons?

@BriansPhotoShow

4 жыл бұрын

The 40/1.8, 50/1.7 and 85/1.8 are particularly highly regarded, though you can't really go wrong with a Hexanon

@eyewandersfoto

4 жыл бұрын

It's true. There really are no dud Hexanons. I'm particularly fond of the 28/3.5. There isn't quite the breadth of selection available from other brands, but a) all that do exists are really good (unlike other manufacturers), and b) there is more than enough selection to fill out a very capable kit with some variation. The 57mm varieties are something rather special as well (though the f/1.2, like all 1.2, it considerably higher in price than the others which are so undervalued. The f/1.4 variety is a fantastic piece of glass - sharp, contrasty and dreamy all at once).

@orestes1984

4 жыл бұрын

There was a Hexanon series which were Konica's premium lenses, similar to Canon's L lenses, and then there were Hexars, which are cheaper lenses. If you choose a Hexanon you can't go far wrong. The 40mm F/1.8 is a truly cheap lens, as, starting from the late 1970s they began putting it on every Konica as a basic kit lens and it's great. The later 50mm F/1.7 is a better lens than the 50mm F/1.4 in terms of sharpness and contrast due to the superior lens coatings of more modern lenses. The 85mm F/1.8 is one of the most revered portrait primes on any system. The 28mm F/3.5 is also nice. Although the 28mm doesn't have much in the way of aperture selections, you don't really need them on a wide angle prime. That should cover your basic kit with a wide, normal, and short telephoto prime..

@eyewandersfoto

4 жыл бұрын

@@orestes1984 Good summation. I actually prefer the rendering of the AR 50/1.4, but I'm in the minority. :) It's a subtle difference though. The 57mm varieties, even though the coatings aren't as advanced, are my new favorites simply because that length pairs so well with the magnification level of many Konica viewfinders, giving you that both-eyes-open shooting with very little distortion or change from one eye to the other. Hexars are generally not as good it's true, but they were not necessarily "cheaper" lenses (that was true later), but simply the older lenses, some having similar or identical optical formulas as later Hexanons. But yeah.... Hexanons are generally the ones that shine.

@orestes1984

4 жыл бұрын

@@eyewandersfoto I tend to prefer the 40mm as a normal lens, it's a more modern alternative than the 35 and 50mm and gives you a happy medium. The 57mm F/1.2 is exquisite though. You pay a lot for it because it has Thorium glass and is radioactive. I probably wouldn't sleep with one under my pillow but they're not as dangerous as you would think. The Thorium lens allows for a flatter front element, added sharpness and less distortion as a result. The 40mm F/1.8 had its glass made by Leica and it was assembled by Tamron so it's one of the most underrated primes. It came with everything during the late 70s and early 80s starting with the FS-1 but also with the FC-1 and FT-1. It's like the equivalent to the nifty 50 with Canon in EF mount. The AR 40mm F/1.8 is a lens that costs nothing and should be in everyone's kit bag.

I picked up an FP-1, not realizing how incredibly unpopular it was. any input, advice, warnings, anything? it's so hard to find anything online about them

@BriansPhotoShow

2 жыл бұрын

I've never seen one. The most reliable info you can find online is probably here: www.buhla.de/Foto/Konica/eFP-1Haupt.html

I've been offered Konica FTA for 30$. Is it worth picking up?

@BriansPhotoShow

3 жыл бұрын

If it is in good condition, then yes.

@georgehuman7253

3 жыл бұрын

@@BriansPhotoShow I bought it :) it was in good condition and I noticed it had lever under shutter release button, meaning it is newer version, same as t2, only japanese version.

Good Evening I just bought a Konica Autoreflex T But I dont know exaxtly how the lightmeter works. When I change the apeture there is no movement from the needle but when I change the lighting or the shutterspeed the needle moves. Can you help me with this? Thanks.

@BriansPhotoShow

4 жыл бұрын

To shoot in shutter-preferred automatic mode, set the aperture ring to AE or EE and the camera will set the appropriate aperture for the lighting conditions and shutter speed. Manual mode in the Autoreflex is like the Canon AE-1: the needle will indicate the suggested aperture, but you must take your eye from the viewfinder to adjust the aperture ring, as there is no provision to display suggested aperture versus working aperture in the viewfinder. There is no "match-needle" system in the Autoreflex.

Good one. I guess.

Yashica were built like tanks

If you want to annoy your lab and lock up their auto film scanner then buy an Auto Reflex and change your frame from full frame to half frame mid roll.... lol... The scanner wont know what to do with it and it'll stop scanning frames (automatically) correctly. A lot of development labs hate people who use Auto Reflex cameras for this very reason.

@eyewandersfoto

4 жыл бұрын

you posted this twice. ;)

@orestes1984

4 жыл бұрын

@@eyewandersfoto I think KZread did that for me by mistake.

@orestes1984

4 жыл бұрын

@@eyewandersfoto Anyway, it's a fun trick if you ever find a lab technician you really want to annoy.

Mercury battery goes out? Light meter goes out? If you have a smartphone in your pocket guess what? You have a light meter on you.

@solowandslow1

2 жыл бұрын

Wow! Which app do you use??

@mvonwalter6927

2 жыл бұрын

@@solowandslow1 I mostly use a simple one called Light Meter for iPhone. But there is another based on the zone system called Lightme.

Stop STOP, You are going to make the Cameras sky rocket in Price. I would like to point out that most of the time the camera needs to be dis assembled and battery box repair or the meter wont work. Having said that the T2 BATTERY BOX come out through the bottom so it is an easy fix,where as theT1 REQUIRES A MAJOR rebuild. After that you will have an awesome Camera

@BriansPhotoShow

4 жыл бұрын

Hunting for an accurate light meter on these old tanks can be an exercise in futility. A meterless Autoreflex is just as good in every way as a meterless Nikkormat. That's my point.

@johnapperson7495

4 жыл бұрын

Now what is the point in that when I can rebuild it and make it work perfectly. I have done it to three of them already.

@johnapperson7495

4 жыл бұрын

@@BriansPhotoShow By the way please keep the videos coming

@billbadger9479

4 жыл бұрын

Well, I think it goes without saying that if you're dealing with aging electronics you're going to have to do some repair here and there if you want them to work perfectly as when they were fresh out of factory. This is something that people always overlook when they talk about film cameras in today's era where everything is supposed to work flawlessly.

@johnapperson7495

4 жыл бұрын

@@billbadger9479 YES BUT THESE CAMERA ARE SO WORTH IT,I HAVE BECOME QUITE PROFICIENT AT FIXING THEM.

There's an adapter you can buy for €16 that uses a transistor to lower the voltage. www.buhla.de/Foto/batt-adapt-US.pdf It's on page 11. Would that work for a Konica?