Fuji GW680III arrived today

[Dunk]

Fuji GW680III medium format film camera arrived this morning; probably scarce in Europe as were made mainly for the Japanese market to satisfy the 20th C. demand there for a 6x8 format ie 9 on 120 film - also 18 on 220 film. The camera is surprisingly light for its size ie 1.5 kilos which is less than some DSLRs.

Specification: Fixed 90mm f3.5 - f32 lens with retractable built-in hood, leaf shutter, shutter speed and lens aperture set manually via rings on front of lens, rangefinder manual focusing, built in spirit level, built in cumulative 'frames wound on' analogue meter.

That's about it ... all very Newtonian and no battery or electronics to worry about 😉

The lens is probably equivalent to 45mm focal length on FF format but have to check that. The cumulative 'number of winds-on' meter on the base of the camera reads 674 = 6740; thus s/b quite a lot of life left in the camera assuming the meter is still on its first cycle; need to source a 67mm lens cap.

Initially I'll be using it on a tripod with a handheld exposure meter ... maybe with the aid of an X-Y focusing rail ... maybe also with the aid of an accessory finder ... will be a learning process.

At a lens focus setting of 5 meters at f22, everything should be sharp from 3 meters to infinity ... assuming f22 is a usable aperture.

Looking forward to using the camera.

Best wishes

dunk

 

[Kiwijohn]

Welcome to the big bad Fuji club.
I've only just got my first roll back & a decent tripod wouldn't go astray. I use my Fuji X10 to check the shot before committing to film.
I do like having only 3 adjustments.

 

[Dunk]

Thanks. Can you or anyone else please advise what is the actual FF format focal length equivalent of 90mm on 6x8? I think it might be 35mm but cannot find anything to confirm this.

Best wishes

dunk

 

[DamenS]

Why did you get a 680 rather than a 690 - was it due to the rarity, or was it just what is available ? The 90mm lens on a 690 is equivalent to about a 40mm lens on 135 film, so yours would be closer to a 45mm lens.

PS. Fuji officially recommended a shutter overhaul every 5,000 exposures, so yours would be overdue according to the official guide, however most people leave it till 10,000 exposures so you still have a few to go ...

 

[Marel]

Hah, this is great, I got my GW690III this morning! Congratulations with yours.

I was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer size of the thing. But it handles very nicely.

 

[Dunk]

Why did you get a 680 rather than a 690 - was it due to the rarity, or was it just what is available ? The 90mm lens on a 690 is equivalent to about a 40mm lens on 135 film, so yours would be closer to a 45mm lens.

PS. Fuji officially recommended a shutter overhaul every 5,000 exposures, so yours would be overdue according to the official guide, however most people leave it till 10,000 exposures so you still have a few to go ...

The camera was listed by a UK dealer at what semed to be a reasonable price so decided to buy it; it will supplement my Mamiya 7. Shutter speeds seem to be OK as far as I can tell eg the slow speeds seem accurate; no plans to have the camera serviced unless exposures appear to be consistently inaccurate. i would have preferred a 6x9 ... but now I have the 6x8 I'm happy with it.

Thanks for the advice ref 90mm = 45mm FF equivalent on 135 format.

By virtue of the camera's 8x6 format and thus 4:3 aspect ratio, it's as if I have a 'giant' 4/3 camera. The 4/3 aspect ratio can be set on digital compact cameras to 'test' the image before committing it to film.

Best wishes

dunk

 

[Rodchenko]

680 rangefinder? Oh no! I love the 1x1.33 ratio of the 645, and this gives even bigger transparencies. I knew about the 690, and the GX680 SLR, but had no idea this baby (big baby, huh?) existed. 😱

Good thing I have no money at all, else I would be out on safari, stalking one of these lovely cameras... 😀

 

[Dunk]

I think it's possible to obtain 10 exposures on 120 film by:

1) Set the frame counter to 18 on 220 instead of 9 on 120.

2) Load the 120 film and wind on the paper leader with the camera back door open until the START arrow is just visible in the film gate.

3) Mark the paper leader one frame width's distance from the RHS of the film's START arrow.

4) With the back door still open, wind on slowly and carefully until the newly annotated mark on the paper leader lines up with the arrow on the camera's film gate arrow.

5) Close the back door.

3) Wind on until until the frame 1 indicator is visible on the camera's frame counter.

3) Commence exposures and after exposing frame 10, continue winding and firing the shutter until wind on lever feels slack ie all the film has been wound on. It will not become slack until frame 14 is reached.

4) Open back door and remove exposed film - whence frame counter resets to 'S'

I've tried this with a dummy test film and it works. I opened the back door after winding on to '1' and felt behind the paper leader to make sure there was a full frame width of actual film in the gate. Similarly after rewinding the dummy 120 film back, and then winding on again to frame 10, opened the back door to make sure a full frame width of film was in the gate. Will try same with fresh film and then process it to make sure all 10 frames are exposed without frames 1 and 10 showing evidence of any light leaks.

dunk

 

[cmedin]

I think it's possible to obtain 10 exposures on 120 film by:

1) Set the frame counter to 18 on 220 instead of 9 on 120.

How do you accomplish this? By moving the pressure plate so that it's set for 220? If so, will it not mean you end up with issues running 120?

Just curious, have a GW690 myself and I am fairly sure it's the pressure plate position that determines the # of frames.

 

[Dan Daniel]

How do you accomplish this? By moving the pressure plate so that it's set for 220? If so, will it not mean you end up with issues running 120?

Just curious, have a GW690 myself and I am fairly sure it's the pressure plate position that determines the # of frames.

On every GW690 I have seen, there is a knob on the top of the camera for selecting 220/120 (and short 120- not on all?). I haven't seen any internal levers or such in the film chamber that would be affected by the pressure plate orientation/position. Changing the pressure plate changes the gap for the film to ride in, but noting else seems to chance.

 

[cmedin]

On every GW690 I have seen, there is a knob on the top of the camera for selecting 220/120 (and short 120- not on all?). I haven't seen any internal levers or such in the film chamber that would be affected by the pressure plate orientation/position. Changing the pressure plate changes the gap for the film to ride in, but noting else seems to chance.

Well, I'm an idiot. 😀 Didn't have the camera handy when I posted earlier, but now that I have it here I see you are right; there is a 4,8,16 frame counter selector on top. Sorry for the confusion...

 

[clayne]

Why did you get a 680 rather than a 690 - was it due to the rarity, or was it just what is available ? The 90mm lens on a 690 is equivalent to about a 40mm lens on 135 film, so yours would be closer to a 45mm lens.

Not really. The film plane isn't changing between any of the models hence it's more like a cropped 6x9 similar to how the 6x7 version is really just a cropped 6x9. While the image area may be similar to what a 45mm equivalent covers, because of the cropped edges, it doesn't mean the perspective is that of a 45mm equivalent.

 

[kuzano]

Not a widely known format......

Not a widely known format......

680 rangefinder? Oh no! I love the 1x1.33 ratio of the 645, and this gives even bigger transparencies. I knew about the 690, and the GX680 SLR, but had no idea this baby (big baby, huh?) existed. 😱

Good thing I have no money at all, else I would be out on safari, stalking one of these lovely cameras... 😀

The reason one does not see many GW680's is because the camera was not exported to the US, or Europe.

Another factor of the Big Fuji Rangefinders is that many of them did service in the tourism industry and shot what were called "short rolls" with 4 exposures. Since the counter is by the roll, if a Fuji 6X9 or 6X8 shot 4 shots per roll, your shutter count on the Fuji purchased may be half of that indicated, on the shutter count bottom of the camera, if it was used in that industry.

I have been told by both Frank Marshman and Fuji techs (when they still serviced) these camera's that the suggested service interval of 5000 actuations was quite overly conservative, and tech suggested 10,000 when called about service, and many saw 15,000 count on these camera's. Frank is still the man I go to for my Fujica/Fujifilm service.... as recent as 6 months ago and talked with him about two months ago.

 

[Ezzie]

The grandfather, which came through my door last week.


Texas Leica & Leica by Eirik0304, on Flickr

 

[Ezzie]

Tested the Fuji G690BL this past week. A few minor issues such as not very tolerant of glare (single coated lens), and a peculiar lighter toned frame 2mm in from each edge. That and a not too accurate parallax correction. But apart from that, it does work quite nicely. And the standard 100/3.5 is sharp, very sharp.

Neopan 400, EI400, R09 1:50 11mins @20C. All shots from my neighbourhood.


The weir by Eirik0304, on Flickr


Sunshades by Eirik0304, on Flickr


Benches by Eirik0304, on Flickr

 

[emjo]

Tested the Fuji G690BL this past week. ...

Nice going! You get these for the lenses. The large negatives are a positive side effect. I have a GW690II and when I stopped thinking of it as an oversized point and shoot it really does take lovely pictures. Like yours perhaps🙂

Ha kul med din nya kamera!

 

[Ezzie]

Nice going! You get these for the lenses. The large negatives are a positive side effect. I have a GW690II and when I stopped thinking of it as an oversized point and shoot it really does take lovely pictures. Like yours perhaps🙂

Ha kul med din nya kamera!

Tack så mycket!