mowbray
Hi,
I’ve narrowed my choice of medium format cameras down to the Fuji GW 690, as I want to shoot the largest possible slides with as much flexibility as possible.
So here’s the question: where can I get hold of the parts?
I’ve found an online camera shop in the States: KEH.com – does anyone know them? Can they be trusted?
As I have a friend in both the US and Japan who could bring the camera back for me, I’d be grateful for any tips on these shops. That way I’d save on customs duty, VAT and postage...
If anyone else has experience with the 690, please let me know. Are there any reasons at all (apart from no interchangeable lenses) not to go for this camera? Any bad experiences?
Best regards,
Martin
Wolf_XL
Hi Martin,
I bought my Fuji from the eBay seller unveiledsuperstar in Japan. I’d previously bought a 4x5 Tachihara field camera from the same seller without any problems. The seller comes across as friendly and trustworthy. He isn’t currently offering any GW 690s – but I’d simply get in touch with him by email.
zensusa
Hello Martin,
When it comes to robustness, build quality, reliability, and the quality of the optics and mechanics, there is absolutely no reason not to choose a Fuji GW 690. This applies to both the GW 690 III and the GSW 690 III. I myself work in the medium format sector with a Pentax 6x7 and a Fuji GW 690 III. Both cameras are absolutely reliable companions – in heat and cold. I have been using the Pentax 6x7 for 25 years. Last year, it was sent to Pentax for new seals and a realignment of the shutter and AE prism.
The Fuji has been working for me for more than ten years without a murmur. During that time, it has only been to Fuji once for routine maintenance.
I can recommend both cameras without reservation – and I use them almost daily, not just now and then as a hobby camera.
As for any drawbacks with the Fuji, if there are any, they lie in the viewfinder. In dark, low-contrast scenes, it is simply a bit dark. This makes focusing a bit tricky for those who wear glasses (myself, for example) or for people with poor eyesight. However, almost all viewfinder cameras have this problem.
By the way, I had my Fuji up for sale here on the forum at a realistic, reasonable price. It was probably too expensive for most people, though. But here we come to the crucial point – for you, too, I imagine:
A good, second-hand Fuji GW690 III (with the standard 105mm Fujinon lens) still costs between 850 and 1050 euros today, depending on its condition and age! For a GSW 690 III (wide-angle version), you’ll even have to reckon with an extra 100 to 200 euros.
Older 690 Fujis are considerably cheaper (the III series was the last update to the 690 range), but you should also factor in an additional 300 euros for a full service! This isn’t strictly necessary, but it might be. The seals in particular definitely need replacing after more than 20 years, depending on how the camera has been used. But that applies to all other cameras as well.
Otherwise, if you find a good Fuji GW 690 III or GWS 690 III, go for it, because you can hardly go wrong with that. Oh, and regarding the price, remember that you’ll also need a good light meter. After all, what use is the robust, mechanical Fuji in extreme cold, heat or humidity if your light meter doesn’t work under those conditions?
Until then, good luck with your purchase
Lothar
zensusa
Hi Martin, hi everyone,
Just a quick correction regarding my Fuji details. Of course, the Fuji GW 690 III has a 3.5/90 Fujinon lens and not, as I wrote, a 105mm. On my Pentax, I use a 105mm as my standard lens. However, if I remember correctly, the very old Fuji 6x9s also had 100/105mm standard lenses.
Sorry about that. Perhaps one should read through what one has written thoroughly before it’s set in stone :-)
Best regards,
Lothar
UlfSpuhl
Hello,
You’ve opted for a viewfinder camera – that’s quite different from a box-style SLR with all its attachments. It’s a medium-format compact camera, so to speak. It’s certainly suitable for taking medium-format slides, but I’d miss being able to compose the image on the focusing screen using a light well or prism viewfinder. It always depends on the application; you can certainly take snapshots in medium format, but it works much better in 35mm.
Why do you want to take medium-format slides but not use the heavy, large, slow medium-format SLR equipment that requires careful attention to every single shot?
Regards
mowbray
Hi fluuu,
I want to use the largest possible medium format, and as far as I know, that’s 6x9. If Rollei, Mamiya, Praktika, Kiev, Hasselblad or anyone else offered one, I’d definitely consider buying a camera like that. Because a focusing screen with a light well is a real treat – you’re right about that. I’d prefer that too.
Instead, with Fuji I get a handy camera that you can use without a tripod. For me, that’s not a disadvantage but an advantage, as you can work in a reportage style if you want to. And the flexibility of the Fuji doesn’t mean sloppy image composition.
I can – though I don’t have to – work quickly with it and I have my favourite 6x9 format...
For my purposes, the 690 seems to be the most suitable.
Best regards,
m
orwograph
If I can add my two cents – I bought a Fuji GS645W quite some time ago, for reasons similar to those you’ve described. Overall, I haven’t been disappointed with the camera. BUT: I’m not familiar with the GW690. With a maximum aperture of f/3.5, the lens is at least one stop faster than my GS645W (f/5.6). However, to use the camera for reportage-style photography, my model lacks two things: 1. that very light sensitivity and 2. above all, a way to focus properly. Distances must generally be estimated and then set numerically on the lens ring. Sharpness (or lack thereof) at wide aperture (absolutely essential with such a slow lens) is therefore a matter of luck. For architectural photography, that’s still fine (f=infinity), but focusing on objects in the 1–5m range isn’t exactly brilliant. That’s why I’d tend to go for Hasselblad, Kiev-88 & Co. for reportage photography.
Peter.
Wolf_XL
...h?!?!?!?!? We're talking about a rangefinder camera, aren't we? What on earth does the lens's aperture have to do with the rangefinder??? Or have I got that wrong??
psychoborg
You’ve got that wrong.
^^
SLRs allow you to stop down the aperture ‘live’ and check the depth of field before taking the shot.
With a rangefinder, you should at least have a rough idea of the depth of field chart for standard distances and apertures.
Wolf_XL
…? Hmm – I’m turning sixty this year – so, just to find some common ground, perhaps you could cut down on the ‘response time’ a bit next time you reply… ;-)
