Normally my nerdery Random Neural Firings come in single file allowing me to describe my nonsense in one or two blog posts.
This time not so much.
A number of unrelated events ended up crashing into each other unexpectedly. For a number of reasons. Mainly time. Where I usually get out and about fairly frequently a little thing called “the hawk” has delayed my usual shenanigans. This changed what would have been a couple of analog therapy galavants into one. Which actually worked out well and made for a nonsense comparison I had not considered previously.
Still there? Good. Here we go. Post #3.
Rematch!
I have compared these cameras before with wider lenses.
Went with relatively wide and slow glass then. And I had fun. Both managed satisfactory results.
You have your oddball Canon T80. The Beast in this scenario.
The Beast can sound harsh. In isolation, I think this camera looks just fine, but sat next to the Konica Hexar RF it is clear which one gets to be called The Beauty.
But with me wanting to show the T80 some love…
…and a post about a fast lens for the Hexar RF…
…that I intended to use at a respectable f/2 aperture. It seemed a rematch was in order.
Somewhere along the way I had acquired some Fujifilm 400 in a three pack. One of my favorite inexpensive films. This was the choice of the day. Developed at home with Cinestill CS41.
Walked around capturing images back to back, matching the framing as best as I could. Here are the results. Beauty first and then the beast with some thoughts afterward.
Wrap Up
Well… That was fun.
Point? Right. A point. I do not have one.
Winner? Nothing to say there either. This was a companion piece, not a competition. I like both cameras. For very different reasons. I like all of the pictures.
In some, one image may be technically better than the other. I would wager near any difference could be more about user error, the scan, or edit more than the camera, lens, or film. But as I expected after the first post, I consider it a wash.
T80
The Canon T80 is the forgotten camera that can create a fine image. It is not about experience at all. The camera whirs. It is the only camera I use where I have the AF confirmation beep on. It needs all of the help it can get. It is not quick… But I like it just the same. It is an odd duck. Almost comedic in use. Which is fun to me.
Hexar RF
The Hexar is a delight to look at and use. The fact that it actually takes a decent photo is a bonus… What? I am not kidding. There is also the fact that with the exception of AE the outcome is on the photographer. You choose the aperture and focus every time. It is also motorized but the shutter and power winder are near silent in the wild next to the T80. Full manual is available but makes littke sense to me. If I am going to use the meter in tbe viewfinder to choose the shutter speed… why not let the camera do it? A lovely camera.
Two different tools. And I respect them both.
That about does it.
Happy capturing.
-ELW
Eric L. Woods 