Most versatile Fuji Medium Format?

[GrahamM]

Several months ago I purchased a Fuji GA645 primarily to use on a trip to Hawaii. I bought it because I wanted a lightweight, fully automatic P&S Medium Format. It served me well and delivered great results.

Now that I am back home I want to slow the pace down a bit, and buy one of the Fuji 6x7 or 6x9 rangefinders. Now I am trying to decide between the 90mm, and 65mm lens. I have been looking at the Antique Cameras website as well as Dante Stella. http://antiquecameras.net/fuji6x76x9.html One

One feature of the the GSW series is the ability to create a large panoramic shop by cropping the image. Between these three formats which is the most versatile? I would be using the camera primarily for landscapes and street photography, and perhaps some portraits.

 

[Araakii]

I think 6x6 is the most versatile because you will never have to worry about orientating your camera.

 

[kuzano]

use the 90 instead...

use the 90 instead...

Planning to crop the 65 for panos defeats the purpose of Medium Format. Take a film that is 5.6 cm wide and crop it down on one or both sides, throwing away sections of film to achieve a pano... I don't think so.

My use of the full width of the MF film is to shoot two overlapping exposures using the normal focal length lens for the format (90 to 100), over lap 10 to 20 per cent on a level tripod, and stitch two frames together, for a full 6x12 or even 6X17 without the perspective issues of using a wide angle lens.

The biggest benefit for MF film is acres of negative/transparency space. What you are considering with the 65 is much like buying a Bronica ETRSi and finding one of the pano backs that shoot 35mm across the back for 35X56... you'r still just shooting 35mm. Same as if you bought a fuji or hasselblad 35mm pano... total waste of money if medium format is your goal

Shoot normal focal length, and stitch for Panoramas. Easy and actually fun to do if you master the control over the tripod panning level, and matching exposures closely.

The blend feature in most pano programs generally blends exposure quite weil.

Use all the film you spend your money on. Don't crop. I had the 100, the 90 and the 65. Hardly ever used the 65 except for full wide angle effect, certainly not for panoramas. Sold it. Shoot only 100 now, scan and stitch, rarely ever crop.

Oh yes, and don't listen to that crap about nodal points and pano hardware...

It's moot on landscapes... no nodal point needed. And no special pano hardware needed

 

[santela]

if pano is ur thing, why not the xpan?

 

[GrahamM]

Thanks for the advice. The reason I mentioned panos is that the AntiqueCameras said that one can crop a GSW image, and still have a bigger image than with an xpan.

The GSW ( "super wide" ) camera has a secondary benefit, it can be used for quality, panoramic photography. Since this camera provides a semi-wide angle view on on a 56 x 82.6mm negative, I basically crop the negative in half along the height, for a 27.5mm by 82.6mm negative, which is a 3:1 ratio. Why is this significant ? The neg is 27.5mm in height which is actually 10% more negative than an XPAN camera ( which has a 22.5mm neg, height ). Blowing up this negative 8X provides a nice 8 inch by 24 inch print of very good quality.... my point ? With this camera you get a great little panoramic option, built-in, for free,

 

[canetsbe]

GF670 unless it's too expensive. 6x6 / 6x7, 120 / 220, 80mm lens, folding capability. Not just the most versatile Fuji but (one of) the most versatile MF camera ever made imo....

 

[ottluuk]

Well, the most _versatile_ Fuji medium format camera must be the GX680(I-III) SLR. Extensive lens system, front standard movements, macro capability, interchangeable backs etc.

I realize that the 680's monstrous weight and size and this being a rangefinder forum makes this answer not so useful but it would be a way to "slow down the pace a bit", wouldn't it?

 

[shadowfox]

Fuji GA645wi.
Wide, sharp as tack, and has good auto-focus system.