Fuji ga645 or ga645zi

[begona]

Hy I read lot of thing on net about these two lovley cameras...Film prices are going to high for me so I decided to use film only on MF to shoot landscapes and I think that one of these cameras is great for that. For 35mm I will use my Fuji x100 which is great.

What you think? Is "zi" better than fixed lens ga645? What is possibility of repair if it is broken?etc

Thanks

Also I am offering Leica m2 for 450euro(You can find my ad on classifieds) and find link to it on my signature.

Cheers

 

[sevo]

In my experience, the Zi lens is as good as any prime in every aspect but speed, perhaps the best medium format zoom ever (not that there were that many or glorious ones to compete with). It is a little bit wider at the wide end than the GA, and that alone sold me - 55mm is the exact 35mm equivalent (by the long side), while 60mm is a 38mm equivalent. At the long end it is too slow for handheld indoor portraits, but that won't matter with landscapes.

As far as repairs go, there is not that much difference - the Zi has the lens motor as another complication, but that does not seem to be anywhere as failure prone as the transport and electronics (which they share). A few service shops still seem to have have parts, and many will still have staff and documentation for all repairs that don't need spare parts - but in general, they are computerized, motorized plastics wonders, and you will have to send them abroad or buy a second body as a spares carrier whenever anything goes wrong.

Beware: Both seem to be particularly popular in Italy, and more expensive there than elsewhere in Europe.

 

[begona]

Thanks sevo...If zoom is as good as fixed lens probably is better to buy Zi version. I am from Croatia...Prices are here ok if you can find any of Fuji to buy 🙂

 

[Pioneer]

I have owned the 645zi and the 645. I still own the latter and, though it may seem strange, it is all because of the lens speed. IMHO the zoom was nice, but was not worth the decrease in lens speed.

 

[drew.saunders]

I have the zi and I use the new Tmax 400 with it, which works well for me, since the grain of TMY is not really that noticeable. The lens is very sharp at all four focal lengths. I don't know about repair options, likely the zi would be more complex or harder to repair. The zoom is mechanical, not manual, so if that failed, you could have a problem.

 

[RLG]

I have a GA645Zi for a few months now. Razor sharp images at all focal lengths. Mainly use for color with Portra 400. At the wide end setting it is possible to take pictures with shutter speed 1/15 to even 1/6.
I like this camera very much.

Best

 

[Tom33]

My GA645Zi on Astia, at 55mm fl:

Get the Zi!

Cheers!

Tom