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

[Dante_Stella]

Disagree with some. The III series, particularly the GSW, are the best 6x9 cameras Fuji made. Well integrated, compact, anatomically friendly, and lighter due to the omission of metal covers and the lens lock mechanism. Users freak out about noise, but let's face it - you're already carrying a camera that is huge compared to you.

The G690/BL/GL690/GM670 are big, heavy cameras that are built on a precision diecast chassis. The finish wears poorly, the bodies dent easily, the RFs are fairly primitive, and manufacturing and engineering is not as robotic. That said, you can access a much broader range of optics (including a 50, 150 and 180). And if you have a modicum of mechanical ability, you can adjust the RF yourself and perform other minor maintenance. Any of these cameras you see today has already lasted 40+ years, and they are real tanks.

Dante

 

[redisburning]

if you want to shoot 6x9, it does seem like the best option.

why did you sell the camera to begin with, though?

 

[x-ray]

I had the GSW690II and later a III which I used for many years. Fantastic in every way. Optics are A+++ as are the mechanics.

 

[kuzano]

As I mentioned before....

As I mentioned before....

Have a G690BL and it is the only rangefinder I'll keep. Love the sight of a 6x9 slide. Don't know why anyone would call it loud, the shutter isn't louder than a C330 or a Bronica RF. Advancing the film is louder than that. And compared to a Kiev60... Only thing that I don't like much is changing the film. A bit fiddly compared to other camer's.



You're sure you don't mean a Fuji GA645Zi?

Your old Tank Texas Lik-uh! is quiet because there is no shot count mechanism and the shutter in the lens is oh so quiet. Wait until you pull the trigger on one of the GW fixed lens models.... Ouch.. my ears!!!😱

You did hit on a sore point however, until you learn to load the film the way these BIG horizontal transport camera's like it.

You must make sure the film is tight across the film opening as you shut the door. if you simply put the film across the opening, leave off it with your fingers and shut the door, these things will happen:

1) mid roll jams... count lose a roll or a couple until you start doing it right.

2) improper frame spacing.

3) Particularly on 220 film... but most of the 220 emulsions are no longer available. You'd have to be buying dated film on eBay or other to get any 220 these days.

This (holding the film tight as you close the camera), I do not consider an issue or problem of the camera, because Fuji speaks to it in the user manual*. It is a normal function of all horizontal transport, long format roll film cameras.
(*one more argument for RTFM, for Know It All's)

Hold the roll tight as you close the back door, and then "wind on" to the 1st frame. No Problem.

 

[Matus]

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?

 

[kuzano]

The Rise of The Birds...

The Rise of The Birds...

I have the GSW690 and love the camera and the results that I get with it - view camera quality. Shutter noise? Not a problem for me - this is not a stealth camera, everyone can see it from 50 yards away, so if used on the street, everyone is going to know that you are taking their picture well before they hear the shutter firing. More limiting is the weight of the camera and the need to change rolls every eight shots (always at the wrong time).

I too, loved the vision of huge flocks of birds, particularly Pink Flamingos, rising into the sky by the hundreds, turning the sky pink, at the crescendo of sound from the shutter count mechanism on my GSW690III, but I got over it when I took the GSW to the Opera one night and tried some low light shooting with fast film, slow shutter and a monopod I snuck into the Opera House. :bang:

That's why I went back to the "quiet" shutter of the G series Interchangeable lens models. That sound, plus the ability to carry more than one focal length lens and execute a mid roll lens change, without carrying two or more camera's as with the GW/GSW models. I have the 100mm f3.5, and the 65mm f5.6 lenses for my Fuji's. Also the metered AE100 lens. Aren't I just the coolest feller.😎

 

[Spanik]

This (holding the film tight as you close the camera), I do not consider an issue or problem of the camera, because Fuji speaks to it in the user manual*. It is a normal function of all horizontal transport, long format roll film cameras.
(*one more argument for RTFM, for Know It All's)

The problem isn't that. I always have trouble getting the full spool out while keeping the film well wound, getting the full roll and empty spool in. Compared to a M645 or C330 it is -for me- quite a bit harder. If you don't drop the spools in vertically they block themselves in the openings. And you do look pretty foolish if that happens. Once I get the spools where they have to be I'm on safe ground. (same with the GA645Zi btw)

 

[Vickko]

Sound of the shutter.

I revertec back to the Bessa II classical folder. Beautiful camera but not the greatest viewfinder. Takes a bit to get used to, because the shutter and focus are on the left side.

And yes, beautifully quiet.

...why did you sell the camera to begin with, though?

 

[Prest_400]

I am a potential future user of this camera too. It has called my attention and have done some research on it.

6x9 is a pro and a con. Big format to play on, eliminates GAS for jumping to bigger Medium formats 😉 but less exposures. As of 3:2, I don't really care much about the ratio matching 35mm, 4:5 is fine.
The "ping" seems something one can get used to. Never handled one but seen and heard it on videos. My OM-1 makes a resonance when the mirror returns, altbeit a much fainter sound.
There are 6x7 and 6x8 incarnations of this camera, if you wish for a squarer format. But, it's an identical camera with masked down gate. Given the size, better choose the biggest format, right?

The mk III is the most valued, but it seems that the mk II is just about the same. I'd get the former if I had $$, if I end hunting for one, it will be after this fall; if that happens...

About keeping tension, the mk I and II have the older loading mechanism with the thingies that get lifted off the bottom. I guess someone has tried and those are fixed, but if they turned it could be useful for holding tension on the spool.

Medium format is an irresistible siren call, isn't it? 😀 Sorry Olympus & Panny m4/3, but my student budget wants to support MF & Kodak....

 

[hausen]

GF670 is a superb camera, great lens, accurate meter and loding is simple and being a folder takes up less room in my bag that M6 + 50mm.

 

[Texsport]

The endless debate about which camera to choose is best settled by buying more than one camera, and using them for specific tasks.

My base cameras are the interchangeable lens 6x9 models, but I use other sizes and formats:

6x9----------landscapes, environmental portraits, close-up portraits with 50,65,and 100AE.
6x7----------isolated subjects with 150 and 180mm short teles.
6x6----------portraits with Pentacon Six.
6x7 folder---travel/walking around camera, GF670

Texsport

 

[Calzone]

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 owned a Mamiya 6 with the 50/4.0 and loved it for its portability, but I was scared of using it heavily as I liked. I use a Rollei 3.5F for my small light weight MF that shoots the square and traded away my Mamiya 6.

I decided the Fuji's offered bombproof durability. Although these cameras are heavy and a bit crude, they are not fragile and are rather severely overbuilt. With 6x9 you have 50% more negative, and 5x7 vertical is interesting for composition (I own both a GM670 and a GL690).

Comparing the glass the Mamiya was a very sharp modern lens that has very high performance and very high contrast (punchy). The interchangable Fuji lenses were more old school (single coated) and were better suited for the B&W I do. The glass has more character and has classic signatures (Super Augulon, Tessar, Sonnar).

Cal

 

[angusparker]

Manual Metering

Manual Metering

I am very interested in this thread as well since I have already succumbed to the lure of Mamiya 6x6 and 6x7's and Fuji GA645i.

Question: Do you have to meter manually for the GW690 and GF670?

Yes, with the GW690 its all manual, the GF670 has a meter, aperture priority etc.

I've found using a hand held meter with the GW690 - is pretty easy, even with tricky film like Velvia 50. You may want to get a meter with a 1 degree spot function to deal with high contrast scenes.

 

[Roger Hicks]

The endless debate about which camera to choose is best settled by buying more than one camera, and using them for specific tasks.

My base cameras are the interchangeable lens 6x9 models, but I use other sizes and formats:

6x9----------landscapes, invironmental portraits, close-up portraits with 50,65,and 100AE.
6x7----------isolated subjects with 150 and 180mm short teles.
6x6----------portraits with Pentacon Six.
6x7 folder---travel/walking around camera, GF670

Texsport

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.

 

[angusparker]

GW690 mk 1, 2 or 3

GW690 mk 1, 2 or 3

I am a potential future user of this camera too. It has called my attention and have done some research on it.

6x9 is a pro and a con. Big format to play on, eliminates GAS for jumping to bigger Medium formats 😉 but less exposures. As of 3:2, I don't really care much about the ratio matching 35mm, 4:5 is fine.
The "ping" seems something one can get used to. Never handled one but seen and heard it on videos. My OM-1 makes a resonance when the mirror returns, altbeit a much fainter sound.
There are 6x7 and 6x8 incarnations of this camera, if you wish for a squarer format. But, it's an identical camera with masked down gate. Given the size, better choose the biggest format, right?

The mk III is the most valued, but it seems that the mk II is just about the same. I'd get the former if I had $$, if I end hunting for one, it will be after this fall; if that happens...

About keeping tension, the mk I and II have the older loading mechanism with the thingies that get lifted off the bottom. I guess someone has tried and those are fixed, but if they turned it could be useful for holding tension on the spool.

Medium format is an irresistible siren call, isn't it? 😀 Sorry Olympus & Panny m4/3, but my student budget wants to support MF & Kodak....

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.

 

[angusparker]

The endless debate about which camera to choose is best settled by buying more than one camera, and using them for specific tasks.

My base cameras are the interchangeable lens 6x9 models, but I use other sizes and formats:

6x9----------landscapes, invironmental portraits, close-up portraits with 50,65,and 100AE.
6x7----------isolated subjects with 150 and 180mm short teles.
6x6----------portraits with Pentacon Six.
6x7 folder---travel/walking around camera, GF670

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.

 

[angusparker]

Back to the original question: Love or Hate them? In the case of the GW690iii and GSW690iii - love! I call them my 'clown cameras' because they are almost comically large - but actually they are light and easy to use. But the 6x9 format just has to be experienced to believe. The GF670W would be high on my list if it didn't cost so much - although I like the 6x9 versus 6x6/6x7 format.

The real question is not the camera but the scanner - how to squeeze the resolution out of the slides / negatives. Cheap scans by your lab at 5-15mb really don't do this format justice when they are capable of 50-75mb (in 8 bit TIFF). So you either get a very high quality scan done at $50 for your super keepers or you buy a dedicated MF film scanner - e.g. old Minolta Dimage Pro or Nikon 9000 Coolscan - which adds $1800-3000 to your cost of ownership......although some people swear by cheaper flatbed scanners at about $500-700.

Sound of the shutter / counter doesn't bother me - but then I'm usually shooting landscapes and no one is listening!

 

[mike rosenlof]

I used a GW690III for a few years. Great lens, good view/rangefinder. I had bad luck with it, or more bad luck with a particular tripod head. The camera fell off a couple of times and didn't survive the falls. In both cases it was the shutter that failed. The center of gravity is definitely in front of the tripod socket!

I think the shutter sound is pretty typical for that size leaf shutter. It sounds a lot like a No. 1 shutter for a large format lens, and a lot like the shutters on my Mamiya TLR lenses.

 

[Matus]

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.

 

[dfatty]

I call them my 'clown cameras' because they are almost comically large - but actually they are light and easy to use.

LOL, totally agree with this.

I use a GW690II and GF670. I love the handling and format of the 690 but it is quite huge (though not heavy) to haul around. I have to admit the GF670 gets more use simply because its easier to pack, and having metering helps though that is less of a factor for me. Can't go wrong with either, frankly.