Fuji 50mm f/5.6 on GL690, just a test image.

[max_de_hertelendy]

I have just shot a first roll with this lens, and it's everything said before.

I want to post a couple of crops of an image to show what I got. I butchered one

of the test slides (Velvia 50) to scan the center vertical strip of a horizontal

shot in my 35mm scanner (that might sound like a sin to some), so the film size

should be near 6cm high by 24mm wide.

I scanned it at 3200dpi, and it's clear that detail goes beyond that scan

resolution and also film grain. It was a hand held shot. My guess is if the lens

provided more resolution than that there would be no means to take advantage of

it anyway.<div></div>

[max_de_hertelendy]

Now, a 100% crop of the lower left corner...<div></div>

[max_de_hertelendy]

And center<div></div>

[hclim]

Cool, man, cool!!

[joshx]

Max,

 

This just demonstrates why I love 6x9 chromes (especially Velvia 50)!

 

I've got a few questions about the GL690, if you don't mind. Have you used either a G690, G690BL, or any of the GW690's? How would the GL690 compare?

 

Dante Stella's page on the camera(s) only mentions an improvement on the pressure plate and ability to make/use short rolls with the GL690, but doesn't discuss a difference in user-experience, so I can't conclude anything.

 

As for a comparison with the GW690's, I realize the major difference is fixed lens vs. interchangeable lenses, and their is a substantial savings in weight (nevermind not carrying additional lenses). What about quality of the viewfinder or ability to focus?

 

I'd like to pick up one of these 3 cameras, but I'm not sure which. I suppose it comes down to the desire to be able to change lenses vs weight. Who knows, perhaps I will purchase one of the two and fall in love such that I also buy the other. :)

 

Thanks for posting the piece of the negative, as well as the 100% crop. I love 6x9!

[max_de_hertelendy]

Josh, I have only used my GL690. Never tried one of the fixed lens cameras. The viewfinder on mine is great, but you gotta get one that is properly calibrated, because solid focus is an absolute must at this neg size and with theses very sharp lenses (don't have a 180mm, but I bet it's unusable with the slightest focus deviation). I think the older models have some quirks, while the new ones do have theirs too. If you can live with one lens, I'd get one of the new ones. I would, but I never seen one, used or new, around here. For the wide angle lenses, the fixed lens cameras have a clear advantage to me, they don't use external finders. The finder for my 50mm is gorgeous, but you can loose it, it gives the camera an even more awkward shape to fit in any kind of bag, and you have to measure the distance with the regular finder and compose with the other one (which you have to manually correct for parallax, and it's fairly easy to forget about that).

I think all these are usable cameras. If you want one of the older ones, try to get one that is cosmetically great. It usually reflects it's innards state.

I'm not really sure if my Gl690 with two lenses, detachable shades and extra finder would take less space or weight than one newer fixed 90 and one fixed 65.

[a._t._burke]

Hello...

 

What did you use for a scanner, please?

[max_de_hertelendy]

I used a Minolta Scan Dual IV. I think you could get marginal improvements with some scanning fine adjustments. Oh, and may be using a tripod could have boosted sharpness a little more, but I doubt it in this specific case, since the speed was 1/125 and I was leaning on a wall.

[sebastien_lallement]

Max,

 

Congratulations for the lens and thanks for posting the pictures. The 50mm is a wonderful lens with superb resolution, even wide open. Its only drawback is a little bit of distortion.

 

Regarding the need for accurate focusing with the 180mm lens, I think it is actually less than for the 50mm lens. We are speaking depth of focus here, which is shallower for wide angle lenses.

 

Josh, the G690, G690BL and GL690 are quite similar. The later GL690 feels a bit lighter in the hand than its previous siblings, the viewfinder is a little different and there are a few cosmetic changes but this is obviously the same camera. Unfortunately, the GL690's viewfinder was simplified by removing the lightshield curtain indicator and the frames labelling but the focusing ability remains exactly the same. The pressure plate design is a little different and it's a bit more convenient to switch from 120 to 220 on the GL690, but this is of no consequence regarding film flatness. I never use the GL690's secondary shutter release located near the lens on the front plate but some people might find it convenient. I think the standard strap eyelets on the G690/BL are much more usable than the Mamiya style lugs found on the GL690. The threaded eypiece on the GL690 allows to attach a diopter correction lens or an angled finder.

 

As you see, it's a mixed bag. I tend to prefer the earlier models (G690 and G690BL), which I find better constructed, but it's my own personal taste.

 

Hey, I love 6x9 too, by the way.

 

Cheers,

 

Sebastien

 

Fujica G690 online resource:

http://artbig.com/

[peter_evans4]

<p>Josh, you've got some good answers above, and Sebastien's

artbig.com site is superb. But you may also find that the dry and

unillustrated <a

href="http://camerapedia.org/wiki/Fujica_G690">Camerapedia page</a>

tells you something that's not written up elsewhere.</p>

[joshx]

Thanks to everyone for the responses to my questions. It looks like I have some more reading to do!

 

Max, again, thanks for posting the photos.