![[Review & Sample Photos] Konica HEXAR RF × SUPER-ANGULON-M 21mm f/3.4 | Capturing Rainy Shinjuku on Monochrome Film](http://five-star-camera.com/cdn/shop/articles/IMG_0891_eaedf1c8-9b76-4667-a89c-9f0084c63768.jpg?v=1793581807&width=975)
Shinjuku on a rainy day has a different expression from a sunny day.
People walking with umbrellas, rain-soaked pavement, light spilling from storefronts. Ordinary scenes you would usually overlook become attractive subjects when seen through a camera.
For this article we used the film rangefinder camera "Konica HEXAR RF" and the ultra-wide lens "SUPER-ANGULON-M 21mm f/3.4."
In fact, with this combination, metering with the built-in light meter does not work properly due to the lens's construction.
So this time, we decided to shoot with manual exposure.
That said, we did not adjust the exposure for every single shot. We decided the exposure in advance while watching the surrounding brightness, and then concentrated on composition and the right moment.
In addition, the HEXAR RF has a fast automatic film advance, so you can keep shooting at a brisk tempo.
Along with monochrome sample photos of rainy Shinjuku taken with this combination, we introduce the appeal of a 21mm ultra-wide lens and the enjoyment we felt while actually shooting.
Konica HEXAR RF | Nimble Handling That Shines Even in Manual Shooting
The Konica HEXAR RF is a 35mm film rangefinder camera released by Konica in 1999.
A rangefinder is a system where you adjust focus by aligning the double image in the viewfinder. Unlike an SLR, where you see the image directly through the lens, you shoot using an independent optical viewfinder.
A feature of the HEXAR RF is that it combines the feel of a traditional rangefinder with convenient electronically controlled functions.
In addition to a top shutter speed of 1/4000 sec and aperture-priority AE, it is equipped with automatic film advance and rewind.
Particularly noteworthy is the continuous shooting function using the built-in motor drive.
In continuous shooting mode, it can shoot at up to approximately 2.5 frames per second.
With a typical manually wound film camera, you have to operate the winding lever each time you release the shutter, but with the HEXAR RF that operation is unnecessary.
In street snapshots like these, the movements and expressions of people and the momentary changes that occur in the city are important.
Even in such situations, you can release the shutter again without worrying about advancing the film, which makes it easy to keep your shooting rhythm.
You keep the pleasure of shooting manually while leaving the convenient parts to the camera.
I felt that this good balance is the great appeal of the HEXAR RF.
SUPER-ANGULON-M 21mm f/3.4 | A Classic Ultra-Wide Lens That Captures the Expanse of the City
The SUPER-ANGULON-M 21mm f/3.4 is an ultra-wide lens for Leica M mount introduced in 1963.
It was manufactured by the German optical maker Schneider-Kreuznach and adopts an optical construction of 8 elements in 4 groups.
The appeal of the 21mm focal length is that it lets you capture the scene in front of you broadly.
Because you can fit not only people but also the surrounding buildings, roads and the depth of the city into a single frame, it is also an interesting lens for street snapshots.
The SUPER-ANGULON is also known for an optical design that keeps distortion low, a feature you will want to pay attention to even in cityscapes full of straight building lines.
On the other hand, the gentle falloff of light toward the four corners of the frame is also part of this lens's character.
Especially in monochrome photos, this change in brightness becomes an element that shapes the atmosphere of the whole photo.
It is a lens with a design philosophy different from modern lenses, but you can fully enjoy its appeal even when photographing today's streetscapes.
Sample Photo Review | Walking Rainy Shinjuku at 21mm
Sample ① | A Clear Umbrella and Light Falling on the Street
The first shot is a street snapshot capturing a person holding a clear umbrella.
In the center of the frame is the person with the umbrella. On the left spreads a brightly lit shop entrance, and on the right continues the dark wall of a building.
Within a composition sharply divided into light and dark areas, the clear umbrella and the figure of the person emerge strikingly.
By using the wide 21mm angle of view, we were able to capture not only the person but also the pavement underfoot and the surrounding buildings together.
Being able to leave the space of the city in the photo is the fun of an ultra-wide lens.
In scenes with such large differences between light and dark, the impression of the photo also changes depending on how you set the exposure.
Since this time we used manual exposure, we couldn't leave it to the camera.
Even so, if you decide the exposure in advance, you can release the shutter while watching the position of the person and how they overlap with the background.
Precisely because I decided the exposure myself, the time spent thinking about composition felt all the more enjoyable.
Sample ② | Rainy Shinjuku: Capturing a Moment of People Coming and Going
Next is a shot of people passing in front of "Shokudo Naganoya" in Shinjuku.
While the building's exterior and signboard are captured relatively clearly, the people walking in the foreground are rendered with flowing outlines.
The still building and the people in constant motion.
That contrast lets you feel the passage of time within the photo.
In busy places like this, the composition changes in an instant.
Where in the frame a person enters, and at what timing you release the shutter. Those judgments greatly affect the impression of the photo.
This is where the HEXAR RF's automatic film advance comes into play.
After each shot it quickly advances to the next frame, and with continuous shooting mode you can also keep releasing the shutter.
Because no time is needed to operate a winding lever, a big advantage is that it is easy to keep shooting in step with people's movements.
Set the exposure to some extent in advance, then concentrate on composition and timing.
Being able to shoot nimbly even with manual exposure is an appeal unique to the HEXAR RF.
Sample ③ | A Street-Corner Show Window: Expressions Created by Light and Shadow
The last shot captures a show window and signs on a street corner in Shinjuku.
The left side of the frame is wrapped in deep shadow, while a brightly lit glass surface spreads across the right.
Signs and posters lined up at the storefront, and light reflected in the glass.
It is an ordinary scene often seen in the city, but capturing it in monochrome makes the difference between light and shadow feel all the more striking.
What especially catches the eye is the contrast between the dark space and the bright show window.
The photo of a person floating within the bright glass surface and the signs lined up in front. Their overlap creates depth in the frame.
It is precisely because of the wide 21mm angle of view that you can take in not just a single subject but the space around it as well.
The vignetting of the SUPER-ANGULON is also one of the features worth noticing in monochrome shooting like this.
You can enjoy an expression unique to a classic lens, one that doesn't simply render the whole frame uniformly bright.
Once the Exposure Is Set, Concentrate on Composition: The Enjoyment Found in This Shoot
What left a particular impression on me during this shoot was how surprisingly well manual exposure and the HEXAR RF's automatic film advance went together.
The SUPER-ANGULON-M 21mm f/3.4 has a construction in which the rear of the lens protrudes significantly.
For that reason, metering with the built-in light meter does not work properly on the HEXAR RF, so this time we shot with manual exposure.
However, in street snapshots, there is no need to fine-tune the exposure every time you release the shutter.
First, decide on a rough exposure while watching the surrounding brightness. If the brightness doesn't change much, keep shooting with that setting as your base.
That way, what you can focus on while shooting is the scene in front of you, the movements of people, and the composition.
Especially with a wide angle of view like 21mm, a lot of information enters the frame.
Where to stand, where people will pass, how they will overlap with the background.
The fun lies in searching for the moment to release the shutter while thinking about such things.
And what supports this shooting style is the HEXAR RF's automatic film advance.
With a manually wound camera, you need to advance the film after each shot, but with the HEXAR RF that isn't necessary.
It also supports continuous shooting at up to approximately 2.5 frames per second, so you can keep releasing the shutter in step with people's movements.
In street snapshots, where you don't want to miss a fleeting movement, this function is a big advantage.
Decide the exposure first, then concentrate on composition and the right moment.
Rather than making everything automatic, you decide for yourself the parts you want to control and actively use the convenient functions.
With this combination, I was able to feel that joy of shooting anew.
Being unable to use metering is certainly a constraint, but it doesn't make shooting any less enjoyable.
If anything, it was an interesting combination that let me savor both the pleasure of shooting manually and the nimbleness unique to the HEXAR RF.
Points to Note When Using the SUPER-ANGULON 21mm on the HEXAR RF
When shooting with a combination like this, there are a few points worth knowing.
First, the HEXAR RF does not have viewfinder frame lines for 21mm.
The built-in viewfinder supports frame lines for 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 75mm, 90mm and 135mm, so if you want to accurately check the 21mm shooting area, an external 21mm viewfinder is handy.
Also, the SUPER-ANGULON-M 21mm f/3.4 has a construction in which the rear element extends deep into the camera body.
Because this construction obstructs TTL metering, we shot with manual exposure on the HEXAR RF this time.
Furthermore, when combining an old lens with another camera, it is important to check compatibility in advance, such as whether the rear of the lens will interfere with parts inside the camera.
By understanding these characteristics as you use it, you can enjoy a shooting experience unique to vintage lenses.
Summary | The Pleasure of Manual Shooting and the Comfort of Automatic Film Advance
The Konica HEXAR RF and the SUPER-ANGULON-M 21mm f/3.4.
A combination of a Japanese rangefinder camera from the 1990s and a German ultra-wide lens introduced in the 1960s.
On this shoot, there was the constraint that the built-in light meter could not be used properly with this lens.
However, once you have decided the exposure in advance, you can concentrate on the scene in front of you and the right moment.
And when you release the shutter, the HEXAR RF quickly advances the film, making it easy to respond to the next moment too.
You keep the pleasure of shooting with manual exposure while also making full use of the convenience of automatic film advance.
That was the part I found especially interesting while using the HEXAR RF this time.
Just because it is a film camera doesn't mean you necessarily have to shoot slowly, frame by frame.
Decide the exposure yourself, think about the composition, and release the shutter in step with the moment in front of you.
That nimble shooting style is also one way to enjoy film cameras.
The person with an umbrella, the people coming and going, the light falling on street corners that I encountered in rainy Shinjuku.
Even in your usual city, there are still many moments you will want to preserve in photographs.
Why not take your favorite camera and go for a walk around the city?
The Camera and Lens Used
About the Konica HEXAR RF
- Release year: 1999
- Type: 35mm film rangefinder camera
- Mount: Konica KM mount
- Top shutter speed: 1/4000 sec
- Exposure control: Aperture-priority AE, manual
- Continuous shooting: Up to approx. 2.5 fps
- Film transport: Automatic advance and automatic rewind
About the Leitz SUPER-ANGULON-M 21mm f/3.4
- Introduced: 1963
- Focal length: 21mm
- Maximum aperture: f/3.4
- Lens construction: 8 elements in 4 groups
- Angle of view: Approx. 92°
- Mount: Leica M mount
- Manufacturer: Schneider-Kreuznach
See the Konica HEXAR RF listings here
See the Leitz SUPER-ANGULON-M 21mm f/3.4 listings here
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