jaffa_777
Established
I have the chance to buy a Fuji GW690III in excellent cond for aorund $650US. It has 040 on the counter and it looks in really beatifull cond. I don't really need this camera at the moment, but have always wanted (lusted) after one to see what it's like to have the huge negative. I think this is a good price but just wanted to confirm with some people here.
Cheers
Cheers
aizan
Veteran
jump on it. that's a great deal.
cmedin
Well-known
Seconded, it's a very nice price.
eon
Established
Good price.
You know that if the counter shows 040 the shutter has done 400 exposures.
You know that if the counter shows 040 the shutter has done 400 exposures.
haagen_dazs
Well-known
that is a very good price.
normally it goes for 1000usd plus
normally it goes for 1000usd plus
R
rich815
Guest
GREAT PRICE. GRAB IT. If you do not want I will take it. And I already have one!
jaffa_777
Established
Ok thanks, I will grab it asap.
cmedin
Well-known
Enjoy that great lens and gorgeous negs! 
jaffa_777
Established
one more question, what type of light meter do you use with this camea since it doesn't have an in built meter. I have a sekonik L358 which I use for measuring studio flash and ambient light. But how do you go about measing a natural scene for expoure with light and shadow and reflective light. There are always more than a few stops deifference betweent the lightest part and the darkest part of a scene and have I have always wondered how to meter for this. Wouldn't it be innacurate with a light meter measing the ambient light?
cmedin
Well-known
You could write a whole book on the topic, and I am not very good at explaining it... but if you can control your development, expose for the shadows to capture the detail there and develop to get your highlights right. Since you'll only get like 8 shots to a roll developing to a particular scene shouldn't be too much of a restriction.
If you shoot slides though you just have to try your best to capture what you want within the constraints of the dynamic range of the film. You can play with things like graduated neutral density filters to help bring bright skies into the range and so forth.
No doubt others will offer more useful commentary.
If you shoot slides though you just have to try your best to capture what you want within the constraints of the dynamic range of the film. You can play with things like graduated neutral density filters to help bring bright skies into the range and so forth.
No doubt others will offer more useful commentary.
Benjamin Marks
Veteran
If you are using a meter with an incident dome (white hemisphere), simply place the dome over the sensor, stand at the position of your subject (or in similar light), take a reading with the meter pointed at your camera position and you're done. This method averages all light hitting your subject from all sources and works best in even lighting. This is not as inconvenient as it sounds in practice, as you really only have to be in similar lighting, rather than actually at the subject position.
Or if you are metering directly (no dome) from the camera position, you can meter off a gray card placed in the scene (or something else of known reflective value, like the palm of your hand and open 2 stops). Or if you are dealing with a spot meter or another kind of meter that reads a narrow angle, you can read the light reflecting from darkest object that you want to hold detail, and stop down two stops (or three stops, depending). All of the above is subject to having known and repeatable developing methods, and will be more critical for transparencies than for negative film. Also, none of the above will work for macro or close-up work, unless you add exposure.
Hope this helps.
Ben Marks
Or if you are metering directly (no dome) from the camera position, you can meter off a gray card placed in the scene (or something else of known reflective value, like the palm of your hand and open 2 stops). Or if you are dealing with a spot meter or another kind of meter that reads a narrow angle, you can read the light reflecting from darkest object that you want to hold detail, and stop down two stops (or three stops, depending). All of the above is subject to having known and repeatable developing methods, and will be more critical for transparencies than for negative film. Also, none of the above will work for macro or close-up work, unless you add exposure.
Hope this helps.
Ben Marks
Last edited:
shadowfox
Darkroom printing lives
jaffa_777 said:
... or you could spend the remaining $170 (which, when added to the $650, is about what these cameras go for in the used market these days) for a VC II meter that can be attached atop the camera. Go for the black one
.
jaffa_777
Established
Update!
Update!
Well, I finally got the beast and just thought I would share a few pics from the weekend with this camera. It draws beatifully I must say and it has beautifull bokeh. It is a new experience for me walking around with a light meter, and I must say, even though it was slower and frustrating not being able to point and shoot as I am used too, I never got one bad exposure. I usually miss a few exposures per roll of film relying on the in camera meters, but the incidental light meter was sensational. My method was pointing the meter down towards the grey footpaths and using that reading. Is this what you guys/girls do?
Comparing the camera to my Mamiya 6, I would say it is not as sharp (not a bad thing), draws more beautifully and holds more details in the shadows while holding nice contrast. It's nice to have the truck loads of resolution to work with and it provides me with many cropping options. It's a lot slower to use though than the Mamiya and I will probably use it more sparingly until I see a scene that demands some holy crap factor!
I think this camera is going to be a keeper!
These were taken on Portra 160vc.
Update!
Well, I finally got the beast and just thought I would share a few pics from the weekend with this camera. It draws beatifully I must say and it has beautifull bokeh. It is a new experience for me walking around with a light meter, and I must say, even though it was slower and frustrating not being able to point and shoot as I am used too, I never got one bad exposure. I usually miss a few exposures per roll of film relying on the in camera meters, but the incidental light meter was sensational. My method was pointing the meter down towards the grey footpaths and using that reading. Is this what you guys/girls do?
Comparing the camera to my Mamiya 6, I would say it is not as sharp (not a bad thing), draws more beautifully and holds more details in the shadows while holding nice contrast. It's nice to have the truck loads of resolution to work with and it provides me with many cropping options. It's a lot slower to use though than the Mamiya and I will probably use it more sparingly until I see a scene that demands some holy crap factor!
I think this camera is going to be a keeper!
These were taken on Portra 160vc.
jaffa_777
Established
I find it interesting about the filters affecting sharpness on the fuji. I never knew or heard this. I will try without the filters but really I am happy with it either way.
R
rich815
Guest
jaffa_777 said:
First I ever heard this too. I've used my GW690III with and without UV and other filters for over 7 years now and have never noticed any difference...
cmogi10
Bodhisattva
I like UV filters because I dislike lens caps, I guess one just can't win.
Northern_Bliss
Member
Contratulations jaffa_777 on your purchase of the Fuji. It sounds like a great deal to me with only 040 on the odometer.
I own both the Fuji GSW & GW690III's and wouldn't part with either one.
You may find the Fuji takes some getting used to at first, having it's own idiosyncrasies for sure.
It took me more than a couple of rolls to get a feel for the camera, but now it's all second nature to me and I wield it effortlessly.
Cheers!
I own both the Fuji GSW & GW690III's and wouldn't part with either one.
You may find the Fuji takes some getting used to at first, having it's own idiosyncrasies for sure.
It took me more than a couple of rolls to get a feel for the camera, but now it's all second nature to me and I wield it effortlessly.
Cheers!
jaffa_777
Established
Thanks everyone. I am really enjoying this camera, its slow and makes me see things I sometimes would walk straight past. Here is one taken on one of my favourite black and white films, fp4+. Sorry developed at the lab so I don't know what they use. I think I am going to have to shoot more black and white on this beast.
sam_m
Well-known
oh dear, i think i have gas...