Do I need a Fuji GW690III?

B

BOD

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Hi everyone,

I thought I'd draw on the vast experience here to tell me whether I need to expand my arsenal, or if I'm just continuing my quest to own every camera known to man.
I own several vintage 35mm rangefinders, and a Mamiya 7 with 80mm only.
I also use a Rolleiflex 3.5F quite a lot (but I'm not allowed to speak of that here!) :)
I shoot film only for pleasure, keeping the jobs I do for the digital gear which I am heavily invested in.
I LOVE my Rollei, and I'm really only getting to grips with my Mamiya, but I'm not sure if it sings to me the same way.
I am craving a Fuji GW690III, mainly for the larger negative, and because I really like rangefinders now.
Do you think it fills a gap not already serviced by the Mamiya purely on the larger negative?
I can be easily swayed here away from getting it unless some of you speak out with some love for this camera! :)
Would love to hear some thoughts from those who own/have owned one and even used one along side the other cameras I mentioned.
Thanks
Bren
 
filmtwit said:
Why a III? Something wrong with the II or I?
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I dont know, you tell me!! :)

I know they are optically identical. I've just heard some things about less replacement parts for the II, and the viewfinder being better in the III.
I dont know about the 'I' to be honest.. enlighten me.

Bren
 
BOD said:
I dont know about the 'I' to be honest.. enlighten me.

Bren
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Actually, a quick search shows the 'I' doesn't have Bulb, that would be a problem. So I suppose the II is still an option.


Regardless of these minor differences, I'm just curious how people have found these cameras perform, what are your likes/dislikes?
The size doesn't bother me at all, I have hands big enough to hold it comfortably :)
 
I had one, thought it was too loud. Size is fine, after all, it is 6x9cm.

So I sold it, but recently bought both a GSW690II and GW690III. Love the huge negative. Much easier to sling around than 4x5 LF. And guess what, the shutter on the II is quieter than my SWC/M. The GW690III is not here yet, but I wonder how loud its shutter will be.

Oh, another nit to pick, but the RF on the GSW690II isn't as clear or contrasty as a Leica, but, so what - it is infinitely better than the finder on my Bessa II and 531/2, my other 6x9 cameras.

So I suggest, buy wisely (i.e. not overinflated collector price), shoot it, and if it doesn't sing to you, sell it.

Seems to me that most of the ebay sellers for the camera are in Japan. Doesn't appear to be an issue though.
 
I own a GW690III: I love the lens, the large negative, the easy film loading and the viewfinder. I don't like the feel of the shutter release and I SERIOUSLY dislike the fact that the shutter does not have a 'B' setting (only a 'T' setting that closes the shutter after operating the shutter speed selection ring).

The size of the thing is also something to consider as it is quite bulky, though not as heavy as the 'I'. Definitely not for casual snapshots; also because 120 film gets you only 8 shots.
 
I've had one for years, actually bought mine used when they were still listed new at B&H. They actually went up in value for a time after they were discontinued but lately seem to be dropping some. I also own a load of Rolleiflexes, a Hassy system, Leicas, Contax SLRs and a G2, Nikon F2/F3, and the Fuji GA645. To be honest I use the GW690III the least. It's a beast. I'll never sell it though since the chromes and negs I get are bar-none the best ever short of LF. I'm determined to use it more and get better results. Just need to think of it more as nothing but a BIGGER rangefinder giving pretty much a 35mm lens point of view (in 35mm camera terms). Thing is the focusing is not that fast and the DOF more narrow. But if you can find one for a good price I'd snag it as I think when the economy returns these will likely hold pretty good value. Worse case you'd likely sell for only a small loss if at all.
 
BOD said:
Actually, a quick search shows the 'I' doesn't have Bulb, that would be a problem. So I suppose the II is still an option.


Regardless of these minor differences, I'm just curious how people have found these cameras perform, what are your likes/dislikes?
The size doesn't bother me at all, I have hands big enough to hold it comfortably :)
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I think they are all "T" settings. It's no biggie. Use a hat and cover up the lens before advancing to close the shutter.
 
If you want the big negative and a "modern" rendering lens the GW690iii is really the best "go to".
I have had one for years and find it fantastic.
The thing is big and a bit loud. Short of using an old folder there really is not going to be a stealthy alternative in 6x9. Big negative >> Big Camera!
The T setting issues is a non issue. It works just fine as Fuji has designed it.
I use mine handheld 75% of the time.

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BOD said:
So, what I'm taking out of this is that I need to get one? :)

I'll let my wife know the good news..
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It seems to me, you finally have read all the threads around the GAS acronym... :p Welcome!
 
I own one, but have to admit that I use it less than the TLRs and the GA645w. Just too bulky for carrying it all the time.

But when I use it though, I'm always extremely impressed with the quality.
 
I have the GSW690 which is used quite a bit as the lens is razor sharp with a nice contrasty look. I actually returned a GSW690III because I found that changing the f-stops and shutter speeds kind of fiddly as the lens hood got in the way. That said, changing film on the 690 is fiddly because the bottom posts don't retract quite enough and block the reels from easily coming out of the body. (I sometimes have to resort to a paper clip to maneuver them out.) Try them both out to see which one is least bothersome to you.
 
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