Question for Fuji 690 owners

[DamenS]

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone here has ever tried disabling the shot counter (which is responsible for the loud "pinging" sound when the shutter is pressed) or heard of this being performed successfully ?

I know there are reviews which suggest this should be an easy modification, but I've never seen instructions on how to do so or whether it is possible in actuality rather than theory etc. (and if so, whether it is an easy process or not).

I also find the hood a little frustrating and was wondering how many owners have simply cut theirs off ? My main frustration stems from how difficult it can make the shutter/aperture selection rings to access (maybe I just have fat fingers), and also I would assume the hood makes it impossible to mount filters of larger than 67mm with a step up ring (I would like to buy a 77mm ND filter so that it would also fit on larger lenses, but thought this would be impossible to work with the inbuilt hood).

Any responses or advice would be greatly appreciated ...

 

[DamenS]

Welcome to Pariahsville, population - Me. Tumbleweeds roll across screen.

 

[f16sunshine]

You are no Pariah Damen. It's monday morning in the US and folks are at work. Give it a few. I have a GW690ii and have not performed the modification but am quite curious to hear who has and if it works. S to the hood. There is nothing wrong with it. It's just as clunky as the rest as the camera yet performs perfectly well. I think in your case you may indeed need to remove it if you are to use step up rings. Personally I would never do so. Simply purchase less expensive and smaller 67mm filters as is intended for the lens natively. It's a great camera in all it's forms. Best of luck!
Cheers!

 

[Calzone]

I own a G690 BL, GL690 and a GM670.

All my cameras make the distictive ping you mention, even when the shot counter is disabled (these early/heavy interchangable lens Fuji's have a single shot mode for sheet film).

This is the first I've heard anything about disabling the ping.

Cal

 

[sevo]

I own a G690 BL, GL690 and a GM670.

All my cameras make the distictive ping you mention,

No, they don't. The counter on my GSW is magnitudes louder than the shutter noise from my GM670, and rivals a RB67 with shot damping rubber...

As to silencing - uncoupling the actual counter at the bottom is trivial. But that does not improve matters, the noise comes from somewhere up on the top deck, and so far I have not dared to lay hands on a perfectly working camera - I'll do once something else breaks down...

Sevo

 

[dfatty]

Never heard about disabling the counter. I like the mechanical sounds so it never bothered me.

I just recently got a 690 and I guess I never really noticed that the hood covers the aperture and shutter switches. I'll have to remember that if I ever want to use a Lee type filter on it. I can understand why folks would remove the hood, but I'm one of those people who avoids mods like this. Seems like there's a split of opinion on whether people remove the hood:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96680

 

[Calzone]

No, they don't. The counter on my GSW is magnitudes louder than the shutter noise from my GM670, and rivals a RB67 with shot damping rubber...

As to silencing - uncoupling the actual counter at the bottom is trivial. But that does not improve matters, the noise comes from somewhere up on the top deck, and so far I have not dared to lay hands on a perfectly working camera - I'll do once something else breaks down...

Sevo

WOW. That's sounding awefully loud, almost like a SONAR ping and it must be penitrating.

Cal

 

[DamenS]

Excellent guys - thanks for the advice.

It sounds as though disabling the shot counter may not really help, and that unfortunately it wouldn't make the camera as quiet as I hoped it would be (just the whisper of a leaf shutter).

Calzone, you really should experience the GW/GSW690 "ping" - it's an ear-shattering experience ! I know these cameras are not exactly "stealth" anyway, but ...

Thanks for the link dfatty.

The reason I don't just get the 67mm filters (which is a perfectly reasonable suggestion) is that some of the B&W filters I would like (I would be thinking of the ND110 for instance) cost well over $100 ... anything I can do to safeguard that investment for future use (some of the SLR lenses I like are 72mm or 77mm) would be prudent - but then need to balance that out against the lowered resale value of a hoodless 690 (if ever I sell it and so on and so forth). Thanks for the food for thought !!

🙂