Konica Hexanon: The Legacy Lives On
in 1873, Rokuemon Sugiura, was the first Japanese business man to start selling photographic materials in his shop in Tokyo. In 1902, he would make Japan’s first camera…”The Cherry Portable Camera”. In 1931, his son would design and sell the first “Made in Japan” camera lens. Although it had many names over the years, the company behind these incredible accomplishments and countless others would later be known simply as Konica.
Konica’s exacting quality control standards for raw materials gave them a reputation for excellence. In fact, only 30% of the glass made for Konica was accepted after quality control testing. Resulting in an incredibly consistent sets of lenses.
Konica produced some of the greatest optics in history…The Hexanons. The 57mm f1.2 has been highly regarded among photographers for decades. The 40mm by f1.8 is one of our personal favorite lenses, because of its gorgeous bokeh and bold flares. The ultra special 28mm f1.8 is the fastest 28mm of its time and boasts an impressive CF of just under 7 inches. Every focal length in the set is a top performer, making this truly a “no compromise” set of vintage cinema lenses.
Aberrations are well controlled for the time, resulting in the perfect balance between performance and character. Hexanons are known for their sharpness even wide open. A smooth focus fall off in the corners and vibrant colors gives them their “pop” look. The bokeh is smooth and even throughout the set. Flares are subtle with purple and gold coloring.
Exactly 150 years after Konica started the Japanese photographic industry, the Hexanons get their first ride on a cinema camera. Now in a sexy anodized aluminum housing, with 110mm diameter fronts, and a swappable PL, LPL, EF, or E mount. This glass covers full frame sensors like Arri Alexa LF @ open gate. The set consists of 8 well spaced focal lengths from 21mm to 135mm.