Data sheet: Konica Hexanon AR 55 mm f/3.5

Note please: Apologies for using pictures of a rather dirty sample. I will update with new images once I’ve managed to clean that gunk.

Pekka Buttler, 12/2024

Specifications

The table below summarizes the lens’ key specifications:

Brand:	Konica	Lens name	Macro-HEXANON AR 55 mm F3.5
Focal length(s)1	55 mm	Angle-of-view2	43 °
Maximum Aperture	f/3.5	In Production	1970–1987
Lens mount	Konica AR	Subfamily (if applicable)	––
Length3	60,9 mm	Diameter4	65,8 mm
Filter ring diameter	55 mm	Weight	292 grams
Lens element count	4	Lens group count	3
Aperture blades (S/R/C)5	6 S	Focus throw	330 °
Minimum focusing distance (with Macro Lens Adapter AR)	25 cms (22 cms)	Maximum magnification	1:2 (1:1)
Has manual aperture ring	YES	Has Manual focus ring	YES
Aperture mechanism type	Auto	Aperture click stops 6	3.5•5.6•8•11•16•227

Further notes:
• This lens was Konica’s only regular Macro lens (Konica also had a 105 mm macro lens but that did not have a focusing helicoid and needed to either be mounted on a bellows or automatic helicoid).
• Alike most 1970s-80s short macro lenses, this lens reached only 1:2 maximum magnification without external assistance.

• Konica’s preferred form of assistance was the Konica Macro Lens Adapter AR which was very much like the dedicated extension rings offered by almost all Japanese rivals, except with a (literal) twist. If you mounted the Konica 55 mm macro lens on the Macro Lens Adapter AR, you mounted it rotated 180 degrees along its axis. This way (depending on whether you were using the lens with or without the Macro Lens Adapter AR) you would always see the correct aperture range, focusing distance and magnification ‘right-side-up’. (see image below)

• Konica did offer a regular screw-in lens hood, but in most cases the deeply recessed front element did not need a lens hood.
• The lens offers a dedicated switch for enabling/disabling AE mode.

Versions

The optical and mechanical design of the Konica Macro-HEXANON 55 mm f/3.5 remained unchanged throughout its production life. However, there are three versions that have minor cosmetic differences.

Variant 1: 1970–1971
• Silver ring (between aperture and focus ring)
• Rubber focus ring.
• Yellow EE

Variant 2: 1971–1973
• No silver ring
• Rubber focus ring.
• Yellow EE

Variant 3: 1973–1987
• No silver ring
• Rubber focus ring.
• Green AE

History of Konica AR lenses

Konica is one of those names that will not ring any bells to those who’ve only recently started photographing, but for many years Konica was one of the ‘Great Japanese camera companies’.

After a short-lived and only moderately successful line of SLR cameras known as the Konica F-line (1960-1965), Konica hit pay dirt with the introduction of the Konica Auto-Reflex in 1965 and its new, Konica AR mount. The Auto-Reflex was at the time the first affordable system camera with integrated auto-exposure (albeit the exposure metering was not yet TTL). The Auto-Reflex was followed by a two lines of successful cameras – the more ambitious Autoreflex T-line and the more pedestrian Autoreflex A-line – before Konica (along with the rest of Japanese camera companies) stepped up the automation of their SLR cameras with the 1-series (FS-1, FC-1, FP-1, and FT-1).

But while Konica had often been at the forefront of automation (first shutter priority auto-exposure system, first SLR with integrated winder), Konica’s star had been waning, and Konica decided to not compete against the likes of Minolta, Nikon, Canon, and Pentax in autofocus technology. Instead Konica withdrew from SLR and SLR lens manufacture and focused on compacts and other optoelectronics. Two decades later Konica merged with Minolta to form KonicaMinolta, which subsequently sold its camera business to Sony. So, after a fashion, the DNA of Konica’s camera business lives on in Sony’s camera division.

Relevantly, the Konica AR mount had a relatively good and long (1965–1987) run, and stayed remarkably unchanged throughout. Hence, while Konica changed the design of their AR lenses during those years – moving towards lighter constructions, rubber focus rings, and a more modern look⁸, all AR lenses are physically entirely compatible with all AR-mount bodies.

Adapting

n.B! The following applies to all Konica AR mount lenses.

This lens cannot be used natively on any current SLR or dSLRs. To use it in its native environment, you will need a Konica AR-mount film body. Of these, there is a great range to choose from as Konica cameras seem to have stood the test of time remarkably well.

Thanks to being a fully manual lens (manual aperture, manual focus), the lens can be adapted to all mirrorless cameras using a suitable adapter. Moreover, Konica AR lenses are so uncomplicated that a simple ‘dumb adapter’ will do the job perfectly. However, due to Konica AR lenses not being among the most numerously manufactured, special adapters (helicoid adapters, tilt/shift adapters) are not easy to come by and speed boosters are currently unavailable.

Using Konica AR lenses on dSLRs is possible, but difficult. Due to the exceptionally short flange focal distance of the Konica AR mount (at 40,5 mm, a lot shorter than that of any full-frame dSLR mount), any adapter will necessitate some optics to achieve anything near infinity focus.

Footnotes

1. Focal length is (unless stated otherwise) given in absolute terms, and not in Full-frame equivalent. For an understanding of whether the lens is wide/tele, see ‘Angle-of-view’. ↩︎
2. Picture angle is given in degrees (based on manufacturers’ specs) and concerns the diagonal picture angle. Rule of thumb:
   > 90 ° ==> Ultra-wide-angle
   70–90 ° ==> Wide-angle
   50–70 ° ==> Moderate wide-angle
   40–50 ° ==> ‘Standard’ or ‘normal’ lens
   20–40 ° ==> Short tele lens
   10-20 ° ==> Tele lens
   5-10 ° ==> Long tele lens
   < 5 ° ==> Ultra-tele lens ↩︎
3. Length is given from the mount flange to the front of lens at infinity. ↩︎
4. Diameter excludes protrusions such as rabbit ears or stop-down levers. ↩︎
5. S=straight; R=rounded; C=(almost)circular at all apertures. ↩︎
6. Numbers equal aperture values on aperture ring; • intermediate click; – no intermediate click. ↩︎
7. When used with the Macro Lens Adapter AR, the effective aperture range of the lens is 5.2•8•11•16•22•32 ↩︎
8. For more detail on the progress of Konica AR lens materials and ergonomics, look here. ↩︎