When first released there was some controversy and discussion about whether the "Bayonet Konica KM-mount" of the Hexar RF was, in fact, fully compatible with the Leica M-mount.
[2] Some earlier testers reported problems using Leica lenses on Hexar RF cameras.
[3] The Konica Hexar RF camera uses a viewfinder combined with a lens-coupled "split-image and double image rangefinder" with illuminated, parallax-corrected, brightline framelines.
This also allows for generous amounts of "outside the frame" space in the viewfinder for other focal lengths, which can aid photographic composition.
However, the reduced apparent size of the viewfinder image can make composing and accurate focus more difficult when using longer focal length lenses.
Body construction is a cast-aluminium chassis with titanium top and bottom plates, finished in flat black, with a rubberised cover and slightly raised hand-grip.
Major controls, including shutter release button, surrounding off/mode switch, film-speed/exposure-compensation dial and shutter speed dial are located on the right-hand side of the top plate, as seen from the rear, as is the LCD displaying the current frame count.
The lens mount release and frameline preview lever are located on the front of the camera.
(Unlike SLR lenses, where the diaphragm controlling lens aperture is generally closed only at the time of shutter release, rangefinder camera lenses close or open the diaphragm directly as the aperture control is applied).
The Konica Hexar RF was sold either "body only" or as a set in a presentation box containing the Konica Hexar RF camera, an M-Hexanon 50 mm f2 lens and an HX-18 electronic flash unit (along with a manual and accessories including a camera strap, body cap and front and rear lens caps).
The range of Leica thread mount lenses produced by Konica includes: 1950s 1990s - 2001 Konica produced a chrome-finish Hexar RF Limited camera, targeted for the year 2001 (the new millennium) in a limited release of 2001 units, supplied in a boxed set including a new M-Hexanon 50 mm f1.2 lens and HX-18 flash.
Production of the Konica Hexar RF camera was discontinued, without official announcement, some time before the end of 2003.
[8] In 2006 Sony acquired photographic assets from Konica Minolta, with the latter company withdrawing from all photography-related activity.
It is not known whether Sony acquired other photographic assets such as rangefinder camera designs or whether those are retained by Konica Minolta.
Whatever the case, none of the involved companies has expressed any interest in renewed production of rangefinder cameras or lenses.