What have I got myself into?

[freeranger]

Just picked up a Fuji GA645i off the 'bay. (sub $400 and supposedly excellent condition)

This is my first medium format RF...what am I letting myself in for??

 

[Todd.Hanz]

after seeing the big negs you'll probabaly throw all your 35mm RF's away.

Todd

 

[rpsawin]

Just picked up a Fuji GA645i off the 'bay. (sub $400 and supposedly excellent condition)

This is my first medium format RF...what am I letting myself in for??

You are going to be amazed. Try shooting some chromes first. When you get them back put them on a light table and be prepared to loose your mind. The slides are large, detailed and they just jump off the table at you.

Best luck with your new purchase.

Bob

 

[JBFreeheel]

I know what you're talking about. I started with a Holga for "fun." Now I have both a Fuji GW690II and two (yes, two) Fuji GA645zi's. I love the big negatives. Not only is my Minolta CLE getting no love anymore, even my digital rf, Epson R-d1, is feeling neglected...boy o boy. I hope my GAS doesn't extend into digital MF or I'm screwed. Poor house here I come.

 

[Uwe_Nds]

I know what you're talking about. I started with a Holga for "fun." Now I have both a Fuji GW690II and two (yes, two) Fuji GA645zi's. I love the big negatives. Not only is my Minolta CLE getting no love anymore, even my digital rf, Epson R-d1, is feeling neglected...boy o boy. I hope my GAS doesn't extend into digital MF or I'm screwed. Poor house here I come.

Well,
I think there's a lot of people here willing to adopt your Minolta and/or R-D1 to give them a good home.

Best regards,
Uwe

 

[sepiareverb]

The 645 negative is wonderful- and I really like that the Fuji's are oriented as verticals in the VF- I shoot 80-90% verticals. Color is really fun with these- either chromes or just a proofsheet of neg film is a real joy to look at.

 

[freeranger]

I hope my GAS doesn't extend into digital MF or I'm screwed. Poor house here I come.

😀 This is one of the reasons that I chose the GA645i - no interchangeable lens system to lose sleep over.

 

[jplomley]

Just wait until you print your first 16x20. The detail and tonality you will be able to hold at this image size will smoke your 35mm's.😀

 

[colyn]

after seeing the big negs you'll probabaly throw all your 35mm RF's away.

Todd

Just be sure to throw any Leica gear my way..

 

[sooner]

Congrats, I just sold my GA645 even though I loved it because I started to want even more negative (well, and an incurable case of GAS). But it is a great camera, and getting 15 pictures on a roll of 120 is not at all as uneconomical as some critics of MF allege. Enjoy your new toy, I mean tool.

 

[simonankor]

after seeing the big negs you'll probabaly throw all your 35mm RF's away.

Todd

That's exactly why my Leica M6 is being sold... I have my eye on a Mamiya M7 to replace it! 🙄

 

[sebastian toombs]

😀 This is one of the reasons that I chose the GA645i - no interchangeable lens system to lose sleep over.

ah, but you could always buy another body, like the ga645Wi...

after you shoot some slides and enjoy them on a light table, be sure to get a couple of your favourites scanned professionally around 300mb so you can work on them in PS and then print at ridiculously large size.

 

[bagdadchild]

Just picked up a Fuji GA645i off the 'bay. (sub $400 and supposedly excellent condition)

This is my first medium format RF...what am I letting myself in for??

I got my first medium format camera two years ago, a Pentax 67. Since then I have also aquired Hasselblad, TLR's, a Pentax 645, a bag of old 6x6 folders. On top of that I started collecting loads of 35mm gear - old Japanese rangefinders, a superb Contax G2 system, a Contax T, old Japanese SLRs, point and shoots and on it goes. It's an illness really, called "GAS".

 

[ianstamatic]

Yes this 'GAS' can be a problem !!

BTW waiting patiently for the GS654 I bought on the weekend to get delivered..

 

[coelacanth]

I started shooting MF about a decade ago, but didn't see true awesomeness of the format until I recently got back to darkroom printing.

After spending some nights printing from 6x7 and 6x6 negs, I went back to 35mm neg one day and tried to print 11x14. Wow. I almost hurt myself trying to stretch the enlarger as high as it goes. The projected image looked THIN. Oh gotta love the rich tone and sharpness of MF.

I still love 35mm and my Leica & OM gears, but I now can see why Leica M3 was sold as "miniature camera" back in the days. 😉

Yeah, be careful with GAS attack. 6x4.5 is a dangerous teaser to 6x7 or even 6x9. 😛

 

[Sonny Boy Havidson]

Or even worse: 4x5...