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Any FUJICA GW690 owners
Mar 23, 2017 20:40:19   #
Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI
 
I'm considering picking one of these up...any current users of one? Or does anyone have one they want to sell?

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Mar 23, 2017 20:49:51   #
Brasspounder001 Loc: Erewhon
 
I have a GW690ll model that I picked up a few years ago. They call it the "Texas Leica" as it is a simple rangefinder camera but built like Arnold Schwartzenegger. I haven't used it much and might be willing to let it go. I have a bunch of Ilford 120 film for it. It takes awesome images. I also have a Gossen light meter. PM me for details if you're interested.

http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Fujica_GW690

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Mar 23, 2017 23:53:47   #
GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City
 
Kusano has a Fuji
He pops into this thread: http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-443812-1.html

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Mar 24, 2017 08:18:13   #
BobU Loc: Sarasota Florida
 
I have a GL690, a GSW690III, and the G617. All are very nice cameras. The older GL690 has interchangeable lenses, which is a plus. They all take very sharp images. The 6x9 format scanned at 3200 ppi gives you nearly 70 megapixel files. 10,000 x 6800. The 6x17 format almost doubles that. The 617 files print over 60 inch wide panoramas at 300ppi. The negatives ( or transparencies) are amazing. Great for landscapes.

IMHO, The GL690 is a good starter camera in this group, and can be purchased for a few hundred dollars if you do not need a pristine example. I am very happy with mine.

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Mar 24, 2017 10:22:53   #
Kuzano
 
I've had all the GL series 690's with the interchangeable lenses and most of the lenses. Got rid of my Hasselblads when I started using the Fujica/Fujifilm "Texas Leica's". Primarily because of the Big Acreage film. 6X9 is 4.7 times the size of the 35mm frame.

Then I purchased a GW690III. There are three format sizes in the GW series. 6X7, 6X8, and 6X9, but the lenses are fixed. They are also the improved EBC anti flare coatings. They are the same size, but a bit lighter than the GL series.

I purchased my first GW series from a fellow named Don Metz in Portland Oregon. He had previously take and trip cross country, staying as close to the Original Route 66 interstate as possible. He showed me the pics he posted on PBase called Neon Highways. Great set and sold me on the camera. I also researched the big fuji's on a couple of dedicated sites for the 690 camera's. There is a fellow on the East Coast whose name I have who has rebuilt close to a dozen of these monsters for me. Good, reliable and very fair price wise. His name is Frank Marshman. He's a wizard on these camera's, among others.

Here is a link to the Neon Highways Pbase album posted by Don Metz.

http://www.pbase.com/neonhighways/inbox

One of these pics is called Kent Diner. It's about 70 miles from where I live, and we used to stop there for GAS and Burgers a couple of times a year traveling to my grandparents in NE Oregon. (Or, as my dad used to say "Lets stop for GAS and GAS"... best burgers ever)

As I said, these pics clinched the buy on the model III, because it was the 65mm lens, and I wanted to shoot wide.

BTW, I get my 120 roll film processed at WalMart. They contract for their film from Fujifilm, so they have a send in envelope program to put the film on their trucks to Fuji and back for NO Shipping charge. Keeps the cost low. Been using this program with Walmart for well over ten years. Fuji labs are Pro labs, so have not had any processing problems or lost rolls. But it's a special program I found and researched, not often familiar to Walmart employees even in the photo departments. I have it all spelled out and pics of how to fill out the envelopes. Anybody interested can PM me for details. Not every Walmart is contracted with Fuji, but those who are seem to have the program available.



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Mar 24, 2017 10:25:44   #
Kuzano
 
BobU wrote:
I have a GL690, a GSW690III, and the G617. All are very nice cameras. The older GL690 has interchangeable lenses, which is a plus. They all take very sharp images. The 6x9 format scanned at 3200 ppi gives you nearly 70 megapixel files. 10,000 x 6800. The 6x17 format almost doubles that. The 617 files print over 60 inch wide panoramas at 300ppi. The negatives ( or transparencies) are amazing. Great for landscapes.

IMHO, The GL690 is a good starter camera in this group, and can be purchased for a few hundred dollars if you do not need a pristine example. I am very happy with mine.
I have a GL690, a GSW690III, and the G617. All are... (show quote)


Do you know Frank Marshman on the East Coast. He is a master technician on all these Fuji's and I have used his services for a number of years on a number of big Fuji's. He's been in the biz 40 years and his biz name is CameraWiz. He has rebuilt some pretty shabby G690 and GL690's for me.

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Mar 24, 2017 11:03:02   #
BobU Loc: Sarasota Florida
 
Kuzano wrote:
Do you know Frank Marshman on the East Coast. He is a master technician on all these Fuji's and I have used his services for a number of years on a number of big Fuji's. He's been in the biz 40 years and his biz name is CameraWiz. He has rebuilt some pretty shabby G690 and GL690's for me.


Yes, I know of him, but have never sent any thing to him. Great reputation, very knowledgeable. From his Facebook page, it seems as though he stopped doing repairs. If he is still working on these cameras, he would be the guy to do a CLA.

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Mar 24, 2017 13:13:14   #
speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho
 
Cdouthitt wrote:
I'm considering picking one of these up...any current users of one? Or does anyone have one they want to sell?

The biggest I shoot is 6x8 (also Fuji). I wouldn't mind to pic one up myself!

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Mar 24, 2017 13:24:33   #
Kuzano
 
speters wrote:
The biggest I shoot is 6x8 (also Fuji). I wouldn't mind to pic one up myself!


eBay is usually the best source, and mostly they are all coming out of Japan now. These camera's were used in the tourist industry in Japan very widely, so the inventory keeps getting replenished. Never seem too beat up, and the film count is probably half, because the film transport has a 4 image setting. The tourist industry used 4 count film rolls to shoot pics for families and give the exposed roll to tourists to have processed when they went home.

The 680 models were never imported to the US. They were home market only, sold only in Japan, so they only show up occasionally on eBay, but they do. The 670's are also slightly less available. I am so accustomed to the 6X9, would likely not buy 670, or 680. But that's personal.

One more thing. As many of these as I have owned, I have never had a shutter failure. Also, according to Frank, the repairman I use, he says the 5000 count shutter checkout is bogus, and all the Fuji repair techs say the same thing. Frank is authorized and can buy repair parts from Fujifilm (what are still available) and he has put Bellows on Fuji 645's for me, and a LCD panel new from Fuji, on my GA645Zi, which is a wonderful 645 fuji. I've owned three of the Zi 645s.

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Mar 24, 2017 13:27:59   #
Kuzano
 
BobU wrote:
Yes, I know of him, but have never sent any thing to him. Great reputation, very knowledgeable. From his Facebook page, it seems as though he stopped doing repairs. If he is still working on these cameras, he would be the guy to do a CLA.


He appeared closed down, when he closed his store, and moved his business home. I've talked with people who have used his services as recently as a year ago. I'm about due to send him another camera.

He was hard to find during the move, but I have had him service two GL models, and he has repaired an AE100 metered lens for me after he made the move. It's been about a year and a half for me. He knows me on Referrals as Lars from Oregon. Feel free to use me as a referral source. I wil do so until I find out for sure he is not in biz. He is getting close.

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Mar 24, 2017 18:34:28   #
speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho
 
Kuzano wrote:
eBay is usually the best source, and mostly they are all coming out of Japan now. These camera's were used in the tourist industry in Japan very widely, so the inventory keeps getting replenished. Never seem too beat up, and the film count is probably half, because the film transport has a 4 image setting. The tourist industry used 4 count film rolls to shoot pics for families and give the exposed roll to tourists to have processed when they went home.

The 680 models were never imported to the US. They were home market only, sold only in Japan, so they only show up occasionally on eBay, but they do. The 670's are also slightly less available. I am so accustomed to the 6X9, would likely not buy 670, or 680. But that's personal.

One more thing. As many of these as I have owned, I have never had a shutter failure. Also, according to Frank, the repairman I use, he says the 5000 count shutter checkout is bogus, and all the Fuji repair techs say the same thing. Frank is authorized and can buy repair parts from Fujifilm (what are still available) and he has put Bellows on Fuji 645's for me, and a LCD panel new from Fuji, on my GA645Zi, which is a wonderful 645 fuji. I've owned three of the Zi 645s.
eBay is usually the best source, and mostly they a... (show quote)

eBay is full of 680 models, that is were I got mine from a few years back. I love that camera, but it is a handful (I also shoot with a Pentax 645nII and that one is like a little toy compared).

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Mar 24, 2017 21:24:02   #
Kuzano
 
speters wrote:
eBay is full of 680 models, that is were I got mine from a few years back. I love that camera, but it is a handful (I also shoot with a Pentax 645nII and that one is like a little toy compared).


Something just occurred to me. speters.... is your camera a GX680 because YES there are a lot of those. But that's a quite different camera than the GW or GSW680. The GX680 is a larger camera with a bellows for focusing AND using movements. It also has a considerable battery pack on the bottom. The GW and GSW680 are built on the plastic clad metal chassis same as the 670 and 690.

The GX680's were imported to the US more for a professional market.

I'd be interested in knowing if you have the interchangeable GX big battery model. The G, GL, GW and GSW models did not have batteries or any electronics. No meters. You raise an interesting question. I have considered getting the GX680 because of the interchangeable lenses, but don't want the electronics or the extra weight.

Hmmmm?

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Mar 25, 2017 02:43:22   #
speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho
 
Kuzano wrote:
Something just occurred to me. speters.... is your camera a GX680 because YES there are a lot of those. But that's a quite different camera than the GW or GSW680. The GX680 is a larger camera with a bellows for focusing AND using movements. It also has a considerable battery pack on the bottom. The GW and GSW680 are built on the plastic clad metal chassis same as the 670 and 690.

The GX680's were imported to the US more for a professional market.

I'd be interested in knowing if you have the interchangeable GX big battery model. The G, GL, GW and GSW models did not have batteries or any electronics. No meters. You raise an interesting question. I have considered getting the GX680 because of the interchangeable lenses, but don't want the electronics or the extra weight.

Hmmmm?
Something just occurred to me. speters.... is your... (show quote)

It does have an interchangeable battery and yes the camera is a tad on the heavy side, a little over 10 pounds, but not so bad that you can not have it around your neck, but I do not take it often in the field (hiking), that is not because of weight, but bulk! It sure is nice to be able to change formats as you please!

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