GW690 gas

[Abbazz]

Thanks for the info. What do you think about the 180? Is it worth it? Difficult to use or focus? I know it's heavy but not much else.

The 180 lens is not more difficult to focus than the 100 normal lens because of its limited aperture (f/5.6) and minimum focus (2.5m). In fact, when looking at this lens or at the 150mm lens, it appears that a fixed stop was purposedly inserted to limit the aperture to F/5.6 in order to account for the relative lack of precision of rangefinder focusing.

Image quality for these two telephoto lenses is superb. They deliver sharp images with great bokeh. Both are rare but the 150mm appears to be even more difficult to find than the 180mm. This is surprising because the 150mm was a cheaper lens and the user didn't need to buy an external finder as there are built-in framelines in the standard viewfinder, which is not the case for the 180mm lens.

Cheers!

Abbazz

 

[Nordhesse]

still a size comparison:

 

[awbphotog]

Get a Fuji 690. That is all. No looking back.

Andy

 

[JChrome]

Get a Fuji 690. That is all. No looking back. Andy

+1.

The 690's are unstoppable.

 

[Texsport]

The Fujica 690 is often criticized by those unfamiliar with it, as too large and heavy!

Actually, it is significantly lighter weight than a Norita 6x6, or professional 35mm film cameras with big motor drives full of batteries - Nikon F4 and F5, or Canon EOS3.

Texsport

 

[Dante_Stella]

I'll give you some short takes, since I've used all of these cameras.

GS645 - fragile, marginally smaller than a GA645; Fuji's only camera with a 50mm equiv. Filters are a total PITA.

GA645/i/w/wi - pretty much the value leaders. Best viewfinders.

GA645zi - a beast of the camera that takes phenomenal pictures. Worst viewfinder.

G690 - first interchangeable-lens model. No dark slide interlock.

- Lenses: chrome 65/8, chrome 100/3.5, chrome 180/5.6

G690BL - second interchangeable-lens model. Adds a dark slide indicator in the VF.

- Lenses: black 65/8, black 100/3.5, black 150/5.6, black 180/5.6

GL690/GM670 - third interchangeable-lens model. Removes the dark slide indicator, changes the loading slightly (red dot position is different). Takes Nikon eyepieces. Ugly new hump on the lens mount. Front shutter release added.

- Lenses: black 50mm f/5.6 (new) black 65/5.6 (new), black 100/3.5 (now with colored DOF scale), black 100/3.5 AE (new; only lens with MC), 150/5.6 (unchanged), 180/5.6 (unchanged).

GW690/670 - essentially a lighter version of the GM/GL with no lens interchangeability. Some parts are now plastic (which unlike the previous models does not dent and scrape so badly). Five-element 90/3.5 (~37mm) replaces four-element 100/3.5, increasing sharpness and degrading OOF areas slightly. No AE options Shot counter introduced. GSW versions use derivative of 65mm f/5.6 Fujinon (~28mm) released with the GL/GM. All versions now are in permanent "R" mode, which prevents shutter firing without film.

GW690/670 mark II - hot shoe added. Somewhat annoying sliding hood added (it obscures the exposure controls).

GW690/GW670/GW680/GSW680/GSW690 Mark III - obscure 6x8 format resurrected. Much more ergonomic bodies in an easy-to-damage matte dark grey plastic. GSW finders updated to have hard-edged RF spots. Bubble level added to top of camera.

On fixed-lens 6x9 cameras, I find the 90 to be the most useful generally. The 65 is kind of the odd bird: wide enough to be hard to level, and if you add an accessory finder with a level, what was the point of the superb built-in finder?

I am actually a big fan of the GL with the 50mm; the 100mm is the second-best choice. The 180 is pretty much a bench warmer.

Dante

 

[Texsport]

Now that's a good summary!

Favorite camera for me is GL690 but use all the interchangeable 670 and 690 cameras.

Favorite lenses are 50, 65, and 100AE.

Favorite accessory is Auto Up.

Texsport

 

[Canyongazer]

+1.

The 690's are unstoppable.

+2 !

To me, the 65mm FOV and the 2x3 aspect ratio are made for each other.
"Stretching" things a bit, it is easy to print that big neg at a 1:2 or 1:3 ratio making it a sort of panoramic camera, too.

When new mine was $1,200. I thought of it as a $900 lens welded to a $300 body and I was fine with that.

Big, yes, heavy, no.
Loaded with slow film, on a tripod, stopped down to 11-16...Superb I.Q.

 

[Texsport]

Agreed.

I generally team my 6X9 Fujica with a Linhof 6X17.

Probably because of the difficulty in finding and framing worthy subjects for 6X17, I find that I get more "keepers" with the Fuji 690 + 65mm lens than any other setup.

Texsport

 

[Canyongazer]

Yes, Tex, it's not easy hunting for panoramics as opposed to just recognizing one when you stumble upon it.

That Fuji wide 6x9 does allow for the option after the fact---even long after, in the darkroom. I made little 3x9 and 4.5x9 masks to lay over contact sheet images ---they helped a lot seeing how --- or if --- that kind of cropping would work before making a print.

No problem making a 9"x18" or 6"x18" print from a good 6x9 negative.

 

[kuzano]

Shoot 135 film in your G690....

Shoot 135 film in your G690....

I've seen 35mm film inserted in the film chamber of the G690 with styrofoam spacers on the canister side. You can't rewind the canister, but you get a panorama that is 24mm x 88mm... a huge bit longer than the 24x58 in a Hasselblad X-Pan.

Me, I use 120 film but put a mask over the film plan that masks the width down to 30mm or 24mm. Again, you get pano's that are the width you make the mask by 88mm, and a much smoother transport and end to the roll.

Or, sometimes I just shoot two images overlapped... two will give you a 6X17 pano or three will give you 6X24... scanned and stitched.

NOTHING resolves gas for a G690 or Gw690 in any variant other than buying one.

 

[Santtu Määttänen]

I love the handling as well as image quality of my GW690II. High contrast lens, and at times sharp enough to cut your eyes 🙂

Here's a quick and dirty scan from last weekend.

 

[wjlapier]

Since I just went back to a 6x9 ( sold my GW690 and miss it ) I'm curious to know how interchangeable are the lenses from G690 to GL/GM series?

Any particular lens and body combo someone want to comment on? I'm thinking a GL690 and 100, but would like to add something wider.

I'll give you some short takes, since I've used all of these cameras.

GS645 - fragile, marginally smaller than a GA645; Fuji's only camera with a 50mm equiv. Filters are a total PITA.

GA645/i/w/wi - pretty much the value leaders. Best viewfinders.

GA645zi - a beast of the camera that takes phenomenal pictures. Worst viewfinder.

G690 - first interchangeable-lens model. No dark slide interlock.

- Lenses: chrome 65/8, chrome 100/3.5, chrome 180/5.6

G690BL - second interchangeable-lens model. Adds a dark slide indicator in the VF.

- Lenses: black 65/8, black 100/3.5, black 150/5.6, black 180/5.6

GL690/GM670 - third interchangeable-lens model. Removes the dark slide indicator, changes the loading slightly (red dot position is different). Takes Nikon eyepieces. Ugly new hump on the lens mount. Front shutter release added.

- Lenses: black 50mm f/5.6 (new) black 65/5.6 (new), black 100/3.5 (now with colored DOF scale), black 100/3.5 AE (new; only lens with MC), 150/5.6 (unchanged), 180/5.6 (unchanged).

GW690/670 - essentially a lighter version of the GM/GL with no lens interchangeability. Some parts are now plastic (which unlike the previous models does not dent and scrape so badly). Five-element 90/3.5 (~37mm) replaces four-element 100/3.5, increasing sharpness and degrading OOF areas slightly. No AE options Shot counter introduced. GSW versions use derivative of 65mm f/5.6 Fujinon (~28mm) released with the GL/GM. All versions now are in permanent "R" mode, which prevents shutter firing without film.

GW690/670 mark II - hot shoe added. Somewhat annoying sliding hood added (it obscures the exposure controls).

GW690/GW670/GW680/GSW680/GSW690 Mark III - obscure 6x8 format resurrected. Much more ergonomic bodies in an easy-to-damage matte dark grey plastic. GSW finders updated to have hard-edged RF spots. Bubble level added to top of camera.

On fixed-lens 6x9 cameras, I find the 90 to be the most useful generally. The 65 is kind of the odd bird: wide enough to be hard to level, and if you add an accessory finder with a level, what was the point of the superb built-in finder?

I am actually a big fan of the GL with the 50mm; the 100mm is the second-best choice. The 180 is pretty much a bench warmer.

Dante

 

[sevo]

I'm curious to know how interchangeable are the lenses from G690 to GL/GM series

It is the same mount, no known compatibility issues.

 

[Abbazz]

Since I just went back to a 6x9 ( sold my GW690 and miss it ) I'm curious to know how interchangeable are the lenses from G690 to GL/GM series?

Any particular lens and body combo someone want to comment on? I'm thinking a GL690 and 100, but would like to add something wider.

As stated by Dante in the post you quoted, you can't go wrong with the 50/5.6 lens (if you can find one). Its field of view is roughly the same as a 20mm lens on 24x36 but the huge 6x9 negative delivers much more details and richer tonal gradations!

The 65mm lenses are easier to find (especially the 65/8) but they are not wide enough for my taste (more like a 28mm on 24x36) --and I'm a sucker for the 20mm eq field of view.

Cheers!

Abbazz

 

[J enea]

the GAS bug bit me, and with the 25% off sale yesterday and today at KEH, I got myself one. can't wait to get out and shoot with it.

 

[KenR]

Time to revive this thread. I have a GSW690 and a GW690iii. Both superb cameras. The iii has the ridiculous “hood” on it which makes it hard to change settings, but it carries like a real camera. The original 690 has nothing to get in the way of changing settings but only hangs rather awkwardly vertically. The glass from both is great. Both have gone hiking with me many times, but never at the same time (too heavy).

 

[narsuitus]

I have the GSW690iii with wide angle lens and the GW670iii with normal lens.

I have no problem carrying both of them because I find it easier to transport the two than a single RB67.


Medium Format by Narsuitus, on Flickr

 

[Nikulin]

My GSW690, ready

 

[Antares]

Are the GW690 lenses overrated? I hear good things about them, but then I read about poor performance on resolution targets.... they seem to be rather mediocre in the rez department. Now I know there's more to a good lens than resolution, but still, I find these very-average rez tests to be surprising, considering the reputation of the lens.