Best Fuji Medium Format camera?

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papo

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Hey everyone, i sortakinda almost decided to go with a Mamiya (havent figured out which model yet) but then i saw the Fuji Medium Format cameras. Can they be compared (quality,IQ,etc) with the Mamiya 6 or 7s of this world?
 
I'd say read a bit about them on the Stella Dante website. It all depends on what you want and will use it for. If you really want 6x6 then apart from the GX680 I don't think any of the Fuji MF cameras does 6x6. But that is a monster and far far away from a RF. If you really want changable lenses then again the GX680 or the old GM670 or G690BL. Great cameras but no lightmeter If you can live with a single lens then the newer 670 and 690 ones might be an option. But You'll miss out on the wonderful 48mm Mamiya for the M7.

So you'll have to make up your mind. Don't think you'll be disappointed if you choose a Fuji but finding one that is largely identical to a Mamiya 6 or 7 won't be possible.
 
Given your mention of the Mamiya 6, 7 the comparable Fujis are the 645's and the GW series.

I have a GW690 and it is a nice camera, but different from the Mamiyas and it is unfair to compare it directly -I have not a mamiya so it is a technical comparison, but researched extensively about it-. First of all, it is fully manual and unmetered; then it is a 6x9 camera. Also, Fuji 690's can be gotten as low as $300 - Mamiyas, aside of a 400€ one that was sold in the RFF classifields in 2014, are priced +$1000. The Mamiya optics are regarded as the best.

But then, you could get a GW and GSW for the price of a Mamiya single lens kit. Depending on the iterations you choose, you could as well get 3 fujis of diverse formats (645, 6x9) for a single mamiya.

The Fujinon 65mm is deemed as excellent (See Dante's test) and it is a quasi symmetrical design.
The 90mm is excellent, but possibly not as critically sharp as the Mamiyas or the 65mm and reputed to be contrasty. I have yet to do larger than 12x18" prints scanned with my V550 flatbed.

If you get a GW, there were 6x7, 6x8 and 6x9 models; the latter being the main format. Everything is just the same except the film gate, transport, adapted VF and counter.
Ie, you just lug a 6x9 camera stripped to shoot 6x7. I'd recommend going for the 6x9 or the rather special 6x8 models for that reason.
 
The image quality differences won't matter in real world terms. I wouldn't worry about it. All of these lenses are incredible and will suit your needs. When you're downscaling a 500mb tiff to a 500kb jpeg to be shared on the web, what does it matter anyway?

I would say that there is* a difference in the look you get from a Fuji 90mm lens and the Mamiya 80mm lens that will translate when sharing images. The 6x9 lenses have a more LF look to them than the Mamiya's do.

Really I would focus on whether you like 6x6, 6x7 or 6x9.
 
thanks you guys. since someone asked, i would like to shoot architecture, landscape and every once in a while crank out a portrait

Let me add one more thing: currently i dont like the color rendering and overall "slickness" (lack of a better word) of digital. I am really tired of it. The thing i really love about medium is the colors and depth it can offer. Heres the catch: while inlike all of this about medium, i am not sure (yet) if this is the way i wanna go long-term because of its inconveniency of having to develop the films and the cost of it. Its not a dealbreaker right now but long term? it is something i do want to consider because i would invest some money into buying equipment and whatnot.

I know that no one can make the call for me but what you could do is share your opinions on this, especially if you had similar doubts.
 
Peter S is sellng his Voigtlander 667 (=Fuji GF 670) in the classifieds right now.


http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost-classifieds/showproduct.php/product/50449/title/voigtlaender-bessa-iii/cat/4

Great VF/RF, meter, aperture priority if you want it, folds into a compact and strong clamshell. I have the GF670 for 6x6/6x7 and a GA645 for full auto/6x4.5

As someone else has noted, you could get some combo of Fuji GA or GS + GW in different formats for ~$ as a Mamiya. Good luck, enjoy the hunt.
 
Spanik said:
I'd say read a bit about them on the Stella Dante website.
Click to expand...

Dante Stella's site is confusing and somewhat non-committal about which one is best. But I hear he likes the GL690 with the 50mm Fujinon for its crushingly high resolution and lack of distortion.

But seriously, my picks are:

- GA645: if you are a Libra, want to enjoy photography, and can handle a camera that can frame-space perfectly and make exposures accurate to the tenth of a stop. The 37mm equivalent lens is fantastic. Lens is just as good as anything on the Mamiya 6.

- GA645zi: if you overlook the fragile LCD panel on the back, it is quiet, solid, and high-performing with a 4-step zoom. Try doing that with your Mamiya.

- GL690: not for the faint-hearted, people who are pregnant, or people with bad backs, but all the lenses (50/65/100/100AE/150/180) are good, and if you like wide, the 2:3 format is better than the 6x7 of the newer cameras. The G690BL, its predecessor, is mostly the same camera. I had one chromed.

- GS645 folder: although the camera is cantankerous and easy to break if you don't fold it up correctly, the 75/3.4 lens on this is as close to a "normal" lens as you will see on any Fuji 645.

- GS690/GSW690II: not really plastic but fully modern, light, and good for people who like 28-35mm equivalent lenses. High contrast, high sharpness.

Dante
 
I've been buying Fuji GX80 lenses and chopping them apart and robbing the front and back cells. These fit into Seiko shutters, such as in the RB67 lenses. Then I hack them onto my Plaubel Makiflex boards. So far, I have the 125mm, the 135mm, the 150mm, and the 180mm. These are seriously killer-quality lenses.

Fujis on Makiflexes by Nokton48, on Flickr
 
I don't think anything matches Mamiya 7 lenses.

Careful with assumptions, re: the big Fuji rangefinders. Be certain they have meters if that's what you need. I was about to make a spontaneous purchase of a 6x9 and didn't realize until the last minute that they are meterless.

I've had a 645zi, but didn't like it: the AF module needed calibration, so all the pix were soft. You can't tell with an AF 'rangefinder' until you've processed the film.... plus the lens is slow. I now have a GA645, which doesn't alleviate the AF paranoia, but at least this sample is sharper than the defective zip I had. I haven't found he lens to be as sharp as the Mamiya 6 I had, but I haven't used it much. I still worry about the focusing.....

Why a Fuji? The Mamiya 7 is the class product IMO.

If you consider a 6x4.5, I had better results with a Bronica Rf645 than I have so far with my GA645. Unfortunately, the Bronica needed a repair and then got 'lost' by the repairer.... But I liked it. Sharp results. You can tell when something is in focus (manual), it's a small camera, and the lens renders beautifully.
 
Hi papo. In my opinion IQ should be the last of your worries. I remember making comparison shots of a mamiya press and a modern mamiya 6 and couldn't tell a lick of a difference. Try them out and see what feels better but in the end they are all the same: a box with a lens attached to it.
 
while we at it, where can i get calibration for each of them? Or do i have to calibrate it myself? Just curious. WHat about repairs in general?

THanks you guys, i really appreciate the infos.
 
Dante_Stella said:
Dante Stella's site is confusing and somewhat non-committal about which one is best. But I hear he likes the GL690 with the 50mm Fujinon for its crushingly high resolution and lack of distortion.
(snip)
Dante
Click to expand...

:D TS has to make up his own mind so any site that doesn't tell him what to get but just gives plain info is a good one.

(because I needed more than 10 characters...)
 
Dante_Stella said:
- GL690: not for the faint-hearted, people who are pregnant, or people with bad backs, but all the lenses (50/65/100/100AE/150/180) are good, and if you like wide, the 2:3 format is better than the 6x7 of the newer cameras. The G690BL, its predecessor, is mostly the same camera. I had one chromed.

- GS690/GSW690II: not really plastic but fully modern, light, and good for people who like 28-35mm equivalent lenses. High contrast, high sharpness.
Click to expand...


I went for the GL690 along with the 100 and 150. I would say it's great for black and white but due to the single coating not as appropriate for color (unless that old school look is your thing).

So the GW690 for me for color and the GL690 for BnW. I'd love to find a 50mm that fits the budget but the only 50mm on a 6x9 I can afford is the Mamiya Press :p.

And while the Press is a beast, that lens, along with the 75 and 100 2.8 are nothing to sneeze at.



www.stillthrill.com
 
Nokton48 said:
I've been buying Fuji GX80 lenses and chopping them apart and robbing the front and back cells. These fit into Seiko shutters, such as in the RB67 lenses. Then I hack them onto my Plaubel Makiflex boards. So far, I have the 125mm, the 135mm, the 150mm, and the 180mm. These are seriously killer-quality lenses.

Fujis on Makiflexes by Nokton48, on Flickr
Click to expand...


So cool. Much respect to hacking lenses and getting things working on your own!

I've heard great things about the GX680 lenses. Considering how great the large format lenses from Fuji are, it's no surprise. The EBC coating is mucho underrated.


www.stillthrill.com
 
GF670.... Deserted on an island camera

GF670.... Deserted on an island camera

I vote for all of them.
I've owned GW690iii's and currently own a GF670.
The GW690 versions are bit loud and clunky but the images are great and the cameras seem bomb proof.
The GF670 is the quietest and smoothest camera I've owned. It's only "fault" is battery dependence.
Has a 6x7 gate and a built in 6x6 mask that is very convenient.
The finder is gorgeous. So bright and clear with a nice RF patch.
I don't have a lot of images online so this one has been posted a few times before.

The shutter is so smooth and light the camera can be Easily handheld to very slow speeds.
The Last Frame by Adnan, on Flickr
 
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