Texas Leica - GW690III or GF670 - love, hate, use, ?

[Calzone]

Cal, thank you. I have right now Mamiya 6 and Minolta Autocord (which has seen only few films yet) and I am also considering of pairing the GW690III with a TLR and carrying one of them or both depending on the occasion. But I am hesitant to let the Mamiya go (I use all 3 lenses). How do you find using the Fuji compared to Mamiya?

Roger - I agree with your statement on having different cameras for different tasks (if money allows). But if one does not shoot often enough it may be harder to master several different cameras than just 1 or 2.

I apologize in advance because this might not be helpful. I do at times miss the Mamiya and the 50/4.0. I have a lot of exceptional shots taken with the Mamiya, and recently even considered getting another one because its a great camera.

I had a perticularly clean one that was fresh, but this art dealer friend wanted it for his wife, and along with a lot of other camera gear I traded for a vintage Bruce Davidson print with the Magnum stamp on the back that dated this print from the Welsh Miner series to 1966. My image is of the little girl in front of an ancient tombstone.

In the end the Fuji's are a better camera for me because of the retro looks, the two different formats, the six FOV's, and especially the size of the larger negatives. I paid $1.5K for all three lenses and a G690 BL. Later I added a GL690 and then a GM670. The dark slides on the newer Fuji's snap, but on my G690BL it's tired.

If you are considering the old Fuji's with interchangable lenses expect the rangefinders to be hazy, and all three bodies I own have been CLA'ed. For me the 105/3.5 is a magic lens with wonderful OOF and wide open and close focused its a Bokeh mackine. On a GM670 its a 50, but on a GL690 its a 40 equiv.

The later GL690 and GM670's have more magnification in their VF'ers over the G690BL. Also the VF'er is a lot less cluttered and I do like the added (second) shutter release.

Cal

 

[Prest_400]

Absolutely! It was written a few years ago, but you might find it amusing to read "How many cameras do you need", http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/howmany.html

Cheers,

R.

I currently own an OM-1 and a digi P&S. I've got my dad's old Trip 35 in my room but it would need a CLA.
When I shown a friend the trip he looked at me with horror: "How many cameras do you have?!" 😀

I've chosen to take as a next step MF. I shoot in a way that a 36 exp roll is way too much and wouldn't mind to step up. Plus with the kodak "affair", I've become more interested in putting effort for MF Colour.

Anecdotes aside, your page has quite interesting resources and it is interesting to take reads on dead hours.

The GW690 shutter (actually counter) 'ping' isn't a big deal really - perhaps in a very quiet room! As for Mk 1, 2 or 3. I'd have to say the spirit level and easier film loading mechanism for the Mk 3 really are nice. Ergonomic improvements in the Mk 3 also are a plus - so all in all I think the premium price for this version is justified.

I suppose many people loathe the ping, as being very close to the camera, it's easier to hear.
The spirit level might be not so much of a big deal. There are smallish levels for hotshoes and if not using flash, it could be permanently kept there. As of loading, well, one might get used to the tougher load of the older models. Coming down to the ergonomics. The III has the rear thumb grip and is much more round. I think that a more modern looking camera might be lower profile nowadays. But retro is becoming common again, with many of the new digis based on classic designs (Fujis, OM-D, Pens)

The difference between the II and III is enough to fund (partly) one of the other components I need (meter, tripod, scanner, film).

Thankfully, except the film and the scanner (to some extent); the other accesories I need are long lasting. Still, it's a bit of an ouch given my student situation.

 

[Hamel]

I have a Mamiya 6 since about 2 years - but the GW690 III is very tempting - could anybody share how do these two cameras compare in use?

I've had a Mamiya 6 and a GW670II, wich is pretty much the same as the GW690III (same lens and mechanicals, updated body). The M6 is much easier to hold and MUCH quieter. The GW's are very load and plasticy sounding when you click the shutter. The optics on both are extremely sharp. You'll never notice a difference on your computer screen and not in prints under 30 inches, if ever. The 6 feels petite, especially with the collapsable lens, compared to the 67/690's. However they are about the same heft. That being said the 67/690's feel just right when shooting. Changing shutter speed and aperture on the Fujis aren't as fast due to being at the end of the lens. They are also not as good for long exposures due to not having a bulb mode. To take a long exposure you have to click the shutter open, and then wind to close which causes streaks in the highlights unless done rapidly which can cause camera shake. Most people use the hat over the lens trick but it's still not as easy as the Mamiya.

Both great cameras but the Mamiya takes the cake for ergonomics and long exposures. Fuji only wins due to larger negative size.

 

[Matus]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I have had recently some of my better Mamiya 6 films scanned and now I am preparing some 20 - 30 shots for larger prints (plan is up to 20x20" for some of them) and I have to say - for now I keep the camera. I took some photographs I really like with it. I only wish the metering had a tighter measuring area ...

In 2 weeks we will visit Portugal for 5 days and both Mamiya 5 and Minolta Autocord will come along. Let's see whether just square will do 🙂

 

[Vickko]

I'm getting closer. I have a GSW690II waiting for me at the local camera store. It is reasonably priced, and seems to work fine. One advantage is that it has the wider lens, and my Bessa II and Super Ikonta 531/2 both do the longer 10.5cm focal length.

I'll go look at it again tomorrow, before committing to the buy.

Oh, I test fired my Hasselblad SWC - holy "ping"

The GSW690II seems quieter.

 

[Texsport]

Don't forget with the old Fuji's you have the "Wide" GSW690 (28mm focal length in 35mm equivalent) and the "Normal" GW690 (40mm focal length in 35mm equivalent). I have both and find the GW690 more versatile and it's usually a bit cheaper on the Bay or KEH.

I should say that I have 50mm, 65mm, 100mm, 150mm, and 180mm lenses for my 6x7 and 6x9 Fujicas, which broadens the possibilities.

Texsport

 

[Kenj8246]

Guess I'm gonna have to start paying more attention to this thread: just bought a Fuji GW690 from KEH. Should arrive tomorrow.

 

[Pirate]

I have a GW690II and love it. It had a nut loose under the top cover that was affecting the proper cranking but it was easy enough to get the cover off and fix the nut. Not a problem since. Would love it if the lens were changeable, but I don't want to get rid of it.

Ilford HP5+

Tri-X

 

[Pioneer]

I do love my GL690, but I find that I use my folders more frequently. They are just way more convenient.

The Fuji lenses are truly stunning and their siren call is very hard to ignore. But the lenses in my folders produce amazing results as well, and they are far easier to pack around. So far this year I have chosen the folders 5 to 1 over the GL690.

The other problem I have, if I want to pack something that big I almost always grab my Crown Graphic and a couple Grafmatic film holders.

 

[ssmc]

I haven't used my GW690III much but like many others was blown away by the image quality in those huge negs (and the size of the camera, though it's not actually all that heavy).

Because I have a real use issue with meterless cameras I use a VC meter II in the shoe and it works great (have yet to try it on Velvia though!). Why Fuji never saw fit to include a meter, even a basic CW one like the one in the GA series, will forever remain a mystery to me. It would have speeded up the operation of the camera considerably.

On the other hand... there is the very real issue of "finding 8 things worth photographing" and then repeatedly changing film in daylight (I know you can shade with your body but I always get nervous imagining an exposed roll slipping out of my hand...), so speed of operation is probably less of a concern than with 35mm.

Optically, my 690III has some red-cyan CA which can easily be removed from scans (the GA645 appears to be completely free of CA which is pretty amazing but then again a 60mm f/4 lens is not really "cutting edge") but it is very sharp. Once you see those negs (or chromes) you'll be hooked 🙂

I would love a GF670W (built-in meter, 10 shots per roll) but I just can't justify the price right now. If it was the same $$$ as the folder (or even 20% more) I'd already have one! The inability to close the folder with a filter in place was a show-stopper for me as I mostly shoot B&W and I know that having to constantly remove and replace filters every time I opened the camera would get to me real fast - the alternative being to leave it open which totally eliminates the size advantage of the folder IMO (and would surely draw even more attention than the GW690III - how often do you see cameras with bellows nowadays?)

Lastly you could buy a GW690III and a GSW690III in EX+ condition for about the same money as a GF670...