lookit what I dug up

[pixmedic]

been digging through boxes lately with plans to toss a bunch of old camera stuff that has not been used in years. (decades for some) ran across this though, and I thought maybe it was worth saving from the garbage bin. the body needs cleaning. the light seals are gone. (hence the majority of the need for a cleaning)
the lens though (which I should have dusted off before taking the pictures) is in EX condition. no scratches, blemishes, oil, or fungus. A tiny amount of dust inside the lens at the front element, but hey...most older lenses do. aperture ring works flawlessly, and focus is nice and tight. (the way i like 'em)
this camera has the larger battery door to accommodate AA batteries instead of the version for AAA's.

I think this was in a box of stuff i got from my uncle years ago.
light seal aside, I believe everything on this camera was in working condition when i got it.
anyone have any experience with this camera? any feelings on this camera/lens combination?
i seriously doubt im going to use it, i don't imagine its worth taking in to have the light seals repaired, and
i have little to no interest in shooting film. I did a bit of google-fu, just to get a bit of 1980's nostalgia history on it, but if someone has a more hands-on visceral assessment of this camera, i would love to hear from you.

 

[Derrel]

I think the 57mm f/1.2 lens is the cherry here. Might be really nice on a Sony NEX body. The FT-1 is from the early era of the integral film winding models--a transition that was met with disdain and apprehension, for the most part, for many,many years on the part of enthusiasts of that era. And there were some rather sketchy products made in this class, based on basically zero prior experience from the camera makers with BUILT-IN advance and interlock systems and power delivery. This camera was pretty much the beginning of the end-game for Konica. Konica always made solid cameras, but never could get much traction. Konica was a "shutter priority automatic" camera system; something that about half, or more, of amateurs mistrusted or disliked back in that era. There were multiple companies making good cameras back in that era, but of course, only three brand names survived, and one, Pentax, is really just a 'name-only' hanger-on.

 

[pixmedic]

I think the 57mm f/1.2 lens is the cherry here. MIght be really nice on a Sony NEX body.

if only I had a sony camera.
just have the Oly m4/3.
wonder if they make a konica AR to nikon F adapter.
doubtful i would use it anyway...would be manual focus...blech

 

[limr]

I don't know about the camera, but if there's a way to use that lens, it could be interesting. I did just a little bit of digging on the lens:

www.buhla.de - Konica Hexanon AR 57 mm / F1.2

And a flickr pool of some shots taken with that lens. There are a bunch of concert shots but then some other stuff.
Flickr: The Konica AR 57mm F1.2 (Dreamy Bokeh) Pool

 

[limr]

Ah, another set of flickr photos taken with the Konica lens on an Olympus EP-2.
Konica Hexanon 57mm f1.2 - an album on Flickr

 

[pixmedic]

apparently someone DOES make an adapter.
Amazon.com : Fotodiox Pro Lens Mount Adapter, for Konica AR lens to Nikon F-Mount DSLR Cameras : Camera & Photo
Amazon.com : Fotodiox Lens Mount Adapter Konica AR (Auto-Reflex) Lens to Canon EOS DSLR Camera : Camera & Photo
Konica AR Mount Lens (Hexanon) to Micro 4/3 (MFT) System Camera Lens Mount Adapter - Fits Olympus PEN E-P1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1, DMC-GH1, DMC-GF1, AG-AF100 - Micro Four Third Cameras - Mirrorless DSLR Body - Adapters

that lens would be monstrous on my EPL-5

 

[pixmedic]

woot!
4 AA batteries and 1 roll of film later and the camera does appear to be in fine working order.
(light seal aside of course) the automatic frame advance is fast. real fast. almost unsettling fast.
ah, the wonders of modern 1983 technology! gave the lens a good cleaning and it is in immaculate condition!
not a blemish on it, and barely a scratch on the barrel.
not a bad closet find. now to toss it back in a box.

 

[enzodm]

Some envy here, it is a well regarded lens among collectors .
Consider that Nikon adapters should have some glass, because registration distance of Nikon is greater than Konica. This means that the real focal length will change, and quality depends on adapter. On the other side, on any mirrorless it should be ok. Or sell it for some hundreds dollars.