Buying a Fuji GW690 II / III

[john_dowle1]

<p>I'm wanting to buy a Fuji GW690 II / III and was hoping that I could get some advice on were to actually buy one and what to look out for when buying ? Any advice or help would be much appreciated, I currently shoot with Nikon D3's & D700's as well as a pair of Fuji S5's. I've never shot medium format before but have always wanted to have a go and I've seen some stunning images taken with the Fuji Rangefinders.<br>

Thanks in advance for any help.<br>

John.</p>

[furcafe]

<p>Not too much to talk about. They're pretty simple & robust machines. Do you have any experience using rangefinders? That might be a bigger hurdle than anything else.</p>

[john_dowle1]

<p>Hi Christopher, thanks for replying, in answer to your question, no I haven't shot with a rangefinder or any medium format before but I'm dead keen to have a go.</p>

[furcafe]

<p>Got it. The best shorthand description for using a GW690, etc. is that it's like using a super-sized, fixed-lens, Leica M or similar 35mm rangefinder camera, but if you've never used a rangefinder then that's not very useful . . .</p>

<p>Since it appears that you're starting @ a much more basic point, I'd suggest skipping thinking about any particular model of camera, though the Fuji's are excellent cameras, & do more research on shooting medium format (&/or film if you're new to film, too) generally &, in parallel, rangefinders v. SLRs. On the 2nd topic, the best thing would be if you could borrow or handle a rangefinder (any format) to see if you like them.</p>

[tom_harvey3]

<p>If you're in the USA, KEH in Atlanta probably has some. Link: www.keh.com</p>

 

[DWScott]

<p>I bought my GW690 (first model) from KEH. The price was great. I bought it in "bargain" condition, and it looks nearly new. It works perfectly.<br>

I chose to buy a GW690 instead of a II or III. I prefer the styling on the I and II, and don't like the III. The I and II have a classic "Texas-leica" look to them. I also prefer having both strap lugs on one side of the camera. This seems like a minor point, but the camera is large and it hangs nicely in vertical orientation with the strap lugs both on the same side.<br>

The lens is very sharp, and the detail you can capture on a piece of 6x9 film is enormous. The bokeh is not fantastic, but when I want limited DOF it is not objectionable.<br>

I think the Fuji GS/GSW cameras would make a perfect introduction to medium format. My first medium format camera was a Yashica TLR, and I found it disorienting to have both the camera and the film format be radically different from a small-format SLR. The Fuji is easy and fast to use, and very intuitive for a 35mm shooter. You quickly forget how big the camera is, because it feels "right" in your hands. The viewfinder is also gloriously large, which helps with both candid street-style shooting and with more considered framing. I like how the shutter speeds and the aperture are both set with rings on the front of the lens -- they are easy to read and easy to adjust on-the-fly, even by touch alone.<br>

I'm not sure what kind of shooting you are doing. If you want to use the camera for people shots, I highly recommend matching the Fuji with a Metz 45 flash. This is a perfect pair to add a bit of daylight fill flash and some sparkle in the eyes. The big Metz matches the handling of the big Fuji, and makes an even more stable handheld shooter. The PC sync cable from the Metz plugs right into the sync jack on the lens, and stays out of the way. The leaf shutter on the camera lets it flash sync at ALL speeds without resorting to any power-sapping HSS trickery.</p>

[DWScott]

<p>One more recommended accessory (if you don't have one already) -- a Sekonic light meter. A reliable incident meter will never let you down, and you will enjoy consistent exposures of your meidum format film. It also simplifies fill flash, as you can quickly establish the base exposure for the ambient scene, and then dial down your automatic aperture setting on the Metz.</p>

[alec_paterson]

<p> I used to own the GS670 which is very similar to the 690. What has been said here about them is entirely true in my experience, but I should point out one additional fact. They are very large cameras and the lens is not removable. I bought mine mainly for travel but although it is not heavy I got fed up with the sheer bulk.<br>

I now use a GS645S which is a great travel camera. Its half the size but the trade off is a much smaller negative of course.</p>

 

[john_dowle1]

<p>Thanks for the replies fellas, by the way I'm in the UK, does anyone know if used camera stores in Japan, Singapore etc have websites and actually ship cameras to Europe ? I've been told this is were the biggest number of Fuji Rangefinders are to be found ( obvious really ) and that there are good camera stores that stock Fuji Rangefinders in Seoul Korea also ?</p>

[aplumpton]

<p>John, if you asre into landscapes or even people photography (street) the 65mm rather than the 90mm lens may be more valuable, although you sacrifice 1.5 diaphragm f-stop speed in going for a 65mm f5.6 GSW 690-II or III. There is also the question of depth of field advantage of the wider 65mm lens (similar to a 28mmm lens on 35mm cameras).</p>

<p>They are great cameras, with very fine lenses (but not quite as good as the Mamiya 7 or 6 lenses, but almost so) and I don't find so big tio handle when compared to the surprising bulk of many SLR and DSLR cameras of much smaller negative/sensor size. </p>

<p>They are possibly the best Q/P ratio of any camera system of gresater than 35mm negative size and if you can live with a fixed lens. My GSW gets a lot iof use in my B&W photography.</p>

[aplumpton]

<p>On the big auctiion site I have had good dealings with Sakai Camera (astrosmith22) in Japan for Mamiya 6 equipment. KEH is reputed to be very good in the US and you might try Robert White or Mr. Cads or others in England. The Japanese seller ships by insured mail (about $50 to Canada) and I use PayPal to have extra protection. I have a thing about Hong Kong sellers who have inflated prices on many items. </p>

[nee_sung]

<p>There is a shutter-release counter at the bottom of the camera. If the counter reaches 5000 you're supposed to have the shutter serviced. This is the only camera I know that has this feature.<br>

For some models the Fuji undertaking might have expired, please check. Fuji undertook to service the cameras for 10 years after discontinuance of the model. At least that's what was stated on the manuals for my two Fuji's, which I bought brand new, but I sold them some years ago. If the undertaking has expired for you model, Fuji might not service the shutter, but I think you can get third party service.</p>

[nick_evans1]

<p>John you said you were in the UK?<br>

Check out the ffordes site they have 3 MkIII Fuji 690s in at the moment.</p>

[aplumpton]

<p>Nee, you have made an excellent point that I hope John will notice. When a service person in NYC was selling off his Fuji stock a few years ago I bought a shutter assembly from him as an insurance against my GSW needing repair sometime in the future. The Fuji counter clicks once every 10 actuations of the shutter, so 5000 shutter actuations equals a shutter counter reading of 500.</p>

<p>In their camera manual, Fuji suggest a shutter overhaul at 500 on the shutter counter. John should probably give some attention to the shutter counter on each of the used cameras he surveys. Further, Fuji recommends a full shutter and film advance overhaul at 10,000 shutter actuations (1000 on the counter) as they say that this is the normal limit for the ability of the shutter blades of interlens shutter camera to open and close. The shutter advance mechanism is more robust and may not need attention. Hopefully, the shutter reconditioning is related mainly to the replacement of springs, but do not take this as gospel as I have minimal knowledge of what would be needed in that overhaul. I imagine servicing wil be possible ex-Fuji, but parts may be a concern down the line (this is true of many camera systems, of course, whether 1950-60-70s 35mm cameras or Hasselblads).</p>

[jean_michel_crettaz]

<p>The original GWS is best, by far the nicest to handle, forget about the III, the II maybe, but nothing comes even close to the I. The retracting lens shade is trouble, covers up what you want to see at all times, and the III is plan ugly with a hollow and plasticky feel. The lens has not changed so there is little incentive. Find a good well cared for GWS I exemplar and you will be a happy owner, - and grateful you did not fall for anything else. Am I biased, I love the look and feel of the first GWS, the un-obstructed stop dial, clip on lens shade, easy filters use, boxy and sturdy shape. To me its a champ of a cam!</p>