Anyone who had a Fuji GF670 but sold it, why?

[rayonline_nz]

Curious to know if anyone had this camera and sold it. What were your reasons?

I happened to visit my lab recently which had various film cameras on display. As a RB67 and a 500CM owner I have these boxy cameras and I use a handheld light meter. You can add a light meter to those cameras but it is more expensive, can also be bulky etc. I held a Pentax 67 and what I thought was this camera is quite a bit more user friendly and quicker to use. You can quickly focus it while up to your eye and fire the camera but not sure if that one had a meter.

I came home and thought the Fuji GF670 is about the most fun medium format camera right? It is relatively compact, eye level viewfinder, built-in light meter which is absent in many medium format rangefinder cameras althou the Mamiya 6 and 7 are enticing or else the Makina.

Thanks

Edit. Or is it more like those cameras are quite niche. If I am not using a serious heavier larger camera then just shoot 35mm format.

 

[narsuitus]

I own and use the RB67 SLR, Fuji 6x7cm rangefinder, Fuji 6x9cm rangefinder, and a vintage 6x9cm folder

If I were lucky enough to own a Fuji GF670, the only reason I would sell it would be:

1. I needed the money or

2. To replace it with a Mamiya 7 with 50mm, 80mm, and 150mm lenses.

 

[wyofilm]

I owned a pristine-condition GF670 for about a year. Sold it last month. Everything people say about these cameras is true:

• Amazing lens. Some criticize its bokeh but I loved the OOF areas.
• Lightweight. It was more portable than my Canon 5D DSLR. I used a wrist strap for it. Let that sink in: a wrist strap on a 6x7 camera!
• Good meter. It was my only camera where I trusted the aperture-priority mode.

I sold it because:

• GF670 is a fragile camera and its inherent fragility is not compatible with its ergonomics. The bellows are overly exposed. The folding mechanism requires an intentional operation and I never found a way to hold camera comfortably once extended. The build quality and choice of materials were just OK.
• Because of its fragility, it actually ends up being somewhat slow to operate. You have to carry it in a folded state, opening/closing for each shot, and you have to open/close carefully and slowly not to damage the mechanism.
  
• I never learned to focus it accurately at wide apertures. Half of my f/3.5 portraits did not nail the eye. There are several reasons for this. One is that the focus ring is not well-damped and overly sensitive, lacking precision and this is a fairly common complaint. Second, it can be argued that rangefinders generally do not perform well in terms of precision in medium format, especially when the lens is tack-sharp and small focus errors are easily seen when pixel-peeping.
• The combination of low weight, awkward ergonomics and sharp lens made it tricky to exploit this lens hand-held at slower apertures. My Mamiya TLR produced much sharper photos at 1/60s.
• It is not an overly engaging camera to shoot. As I said, the plasticy feel of the focus and aperture rings, a completely silent shutter, etc... The tactile and audible feel wasn't great.
  
• It is expensive! I am OK owning a $3K camera but only if I use it frequently. But due to the reasons stated above, it was my least used camera. If it was cheaper, I would have kept it.
• Hasselblad. You can get a Hasselblad for the same price, and I did. So I didn't just sell it, it was my ticket into the Hasselblad V platform, where I get the same quality of glass, plus precision focusing, robustness and engaging user experience. A Hasselblad with WLF is fairly portable too - fits into my small ONA Bowery bag.

Some of what you write applies to the Mamiya 7II and lenses I own. Sometimes I feel like the camera owns me because I am so careful with it. But damn it is a fine camera to use with the best lenses I've ever owned.

I remember drooling over the GF670 some time ago, but realized it would be like owning the Mamiya 7II. Now if the GF670 were still sold new, with product support ...

 

[otto.f]

What an amazing way to put it. This is precisely why it was left behind. I do not like this feeling at all.

Yeah, but a majority of your arguments does not count to that extent for the Mamiya 7 ii. I didn’t know that a Fuji 670 was that expensive, but I found the Mamiya 7 ii worth all the pennies (with a 65mm). Ànd the possibility of several other astoundingly good lenses. I had it for a trip through Patagonia and still enjoy the results from it. I sold it because I don’t need a lightweight camera so much anymore and prefer 4x5”, bit that’s another story.
It depends on what your subjects are mostly. Mine were landscape at that time. The Pentax 67 is a good overall system, but if I have to carry that amount of weight around I prefer 4x5”. In the end the Pentax comes down to a studio camera.

 

[wyofilm]

Yeah, but a majority of your arguments do not count to that extent for the Mamiya 7 ii. I didn’t know that a Fuji 670 was that expensive, but I found the Mamiya 7 ii worth all the pennies (with a 65mm). Ànd the possibility of several other astoundingly good lenses. I had it for a trip through Patagonia and still enjoy the results from it. I sold it because I don’t need a lightweight camera so much anymore and prefer 4x5”, bit that’s another story.

You are right the systems are different, but for me the crucial points are that they both cost an arm and a leg, both are electronic cameras that could become paperweights overnight, and neither is easily serviceable. Also, I believe that both are wonderful cameras with exquisite lenses. (I know the Mamiya 7 is.) I have been preparing for the future by making sure that I also have fully manual cameras that are in perfect working order today. Most recently, I spent a fair amount to overhaul a Technika IV and three lenses.

 

[Scott Micciche]

I own a GF 670, Hasselblad and Pentax 67 (105 and 90mm lenses). I would say, aside from the fragility (I've had to re-calibrate the rangefinder more than once in 5 years), the lens rendering is a bit too accurate for my taste at times. I use it only for architecture for the most part. It might be that I prefer the look from the 80's vintage lenses over the more modern lens uses in the Fuji.

 

[rayonline_nz]

• Hasselblad. You can get a Hasselblad for the same price, and I did. So I didn't just sell it, it was my ticket into the Hasselblad V platform, where I get the same quality of glass, plus precision focusing, robustness and engaging user experience. A Hasselblad with WLF is fairly portable too - fits into my small ONA Bowery bag.

Another contributing factor was that nobody works on these cameras anymore. Fuji USA will send it back to you without even looking at the ticket. I only found two competent places that service them (Frank Marshman and a place in Florida which I need to look up). I just was not comfortable with such limited options for support/repairs for such expensive camera.

Hasselblad at least with many are less than a GF670. Considering that that the GF670 is a fixed prime lens you cannot swap out. So that's equiv to a Hasselblad V with the single 80mm but it is a 2.8.

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

Oh how I wish they made it in 6x9 format. What a pity that it was limited to 6x7. I would have literally jumped on it, had it been 6x9.

 

[warden]

Oh how I wish they made it in 6x9 format. What a pity that it was limited to 6x7. I would have literally jumped on it, had it been 6x9.

Ditto. I’d buy that.

 

[warden]

Curious to know if anyone had this camera and sold it. What were your reasons?

I happened to visit my lab recently which had various film cameras on display. As a RB67 and a 500CM owner I have these boxy cameras and I use a handheld light meter. You can add a light meter to those cameras but it is more expensive, can also be bulky etc. I held a Pentax 67 and what I thought was this camera is quite a bit more user friendly and quicker to use. You can quickly focus it while up to your eye and fire the camera but not sure if that one had a meter.

I came home and thought the Fuji GF670 is about the most fun medium format camera right? It is relatively compact, eye level viewfinder, built-in light meter which is absent in many medium format rangefinder cameras althou the Mamiya 6 and 7 are enticing or else the Makina.

Thanks

Edit. Or is it more like those cameras are quite niche. If I am not using a serious heavier larger camera then just shoot 35mm format.

I also use the 500CM maybe 80% of the time. It’s a great camera and of course has drawbacks too. I love/hate the Hasselblad. I ended up adding both versions of Plaubel Makinas and they’re wonderful cameras especially if you’re walking and don’t want to take a Hasselblad with you. The lenses are just right, the cameras don’t rely on batteries for basic functionality and they have a quality feel to them. If they were 6x9 (or 6x6) they’d be perfect. Too expensive but worth it.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Curious to know if anyone had this camera and sold it. What were your reasons?

I happened to visit my lab recently which had various film cameras on display. As a RB67 and a 500CM owner I have these boxy cameras and I use a handheld light meter. You can add a light meter to those cameras but it is more expensive, can also be bulky etc. I held a Pentax 67 and what I thought was this camera is quite a bit more user friendly and quicker to use. You can quickly focus it while up to your eye and fire the camera but not sure if that one had a meter.

I came home and thought the Fuji GF670 is about the most fun medium format camera right? It is relatively compact, eye level viewfinder, built-in light meter which is absent in many medium format rangefinder cameras althou the Mamiya 6 and 7 are enticing or else the Makina.

Thanks

Edit. Or is it more like those cameras are quite niche. If I am not using a serious heavier larger camera then just shoot 35mm format.

I did because, I had no confidence in a plastic camera anymore after holding a Hasselblad for the first time.

 

[warden]

Plaubel Makina was my 2nd choice when I was buying the GF670. @jawarden, how's focus accuracy with them? Did you have to adjust/calibrate the rangefinder?

I’ve not needed to calibrate. I dropped the 670 once and ran a test roll afterwards with the lens wide open and the focus was perfect. Then again the camera was collapsed when I dropped it so it probably wouldn’t of messed up the focusing anyway.

P.S. don’t drop cameras.

 

[CJG]

I did because, I had no confidence in a plastic camera anymore after holding a Hasselblad for the first time.

While I understand this, and have never handled a GF670, there's nothing wrong with plastic. At one point I traded my substantial Hasselblad system for RZ67s. The RZs did not feel like they were made from a block of Unobtanium. They did not wind like a Swiss watch. They did offer some advantages over the Blads and gave years of problem free service, without ever being CLA'd unlike the Blads. I imagine the same could be said about a Nikon F6 vs F2

 

[GG12]

• GF670 is a fragile camera and its inherent fragility is not compatible with its ergonomics. The bellows are overly exposed. The folding mechanism requires an intentional operation and I never found a way to hold camera comfortably once extended. The build quality and choice of materials were just OK.

• Because of its fragility, it actually ends up being somewhat slow to operate. You have to carry it in a folded state, opening/closing for each shot, and you have to open/close carefully and slowly not to damage the mechanism.....

• ....It is not an overly engaging camera to shoot. As I said, the plasticy feel of the focus and aperture rings, a completely silent shutter, etc... The tactile and audible feel wasn't great.

• It is expensive! I am OK owning a $3K camera but only if I use it frequently. But due to the reasons stated above, it was my least used camera. If it was cheaper, I would have kept it.

Extremely well put. I had a Plaubel Makina 670 about 20 years ago, but somehow couldn't get too comfy with it.Always wondered why.. this explains it. Its a very neat package, but there is "if open, then you have to take care... ". This may work well for a deliberative style, but not so easy for walk-around, as if its open, you have to take care. The Mamiya 6 is better - as collapsing the lens is pretty easy. A digital Leica M is a good replacement, tho, and serves as "walk-around camera but good enough for fine-art".

 

[Oren Grad]

I had one for a while that I had purchased new. Reasons I sold it:

1. Fragile folding mechanism. I was always nervous about knocking it out of alignment or breaking it outright.
2. Couldn't keep a filter and hood mounted, as is my standard practice with cameras I use mostly hand-held, because there's no room with the cover closed.
3. I found the handling awkward. Because of the way the cover is positioned when it's open, there isn't enough space for my right hand to grip the body comfortably. There isn't enough room around the lens for comfortable use of the focus tab. Although the virtually silent shutter is a marvel, between the lack of sound and the strange feel of the shutter-button trigger point I found it difficult to control the moment of exposure precisely while still holding the camera steady.
4. Serviceability. The fragility of the folding mechanism as well as the reports from others about battery-drain problems made me nervous, and then Fujifilm USA pulled the plug faster than usual. As noted there are still a couple of places in the US that will handle it, and you can probably use an agent like Japan Camera Hunter to get it serviced in Japan for the time being. But there too I think the relatively short production run does not bode well for long-term parts availability, especially given the likely demand for repairs of the folding mechanism.

FWIW, if you don't mind a wider view, the non-folding GF670W mitigates some of these concerns. But it tends to be even more expensive than the folding model.

 

[warden]

Couldn't keep a filter and hood mounted, as is my standard practice with cameras I use mostly hand-held, because there's no room with the cover closed.

That’s why I didn’t buy one; I almost always use a filter and hood.

 

[AlanY]

I've bought and sold 4 or 5 GF670s (and one GF670W) over the years, mostly during a general de-GAS cycle and sometimes because of the cost of film development. But each time I have re-bought it. This is a bad habit that hopefully I'll curb. As a camera, the GF670 has given me the most pleasure and the best results. In MF realm, I've used Mamiya 6/7, Makina 67, Leica S, Hasselblad X1D, Fuji GFX50R and 50S, as well as old folders like the Bessa ii and DeMaria-Lapierre Telka iii so these are my comparisons. The GF670 is for me the best balance for the kind of low-profile, spontaneous capture that the Leica M tends to be used for. I enjoy "turning on/off" the camera haptically (by unfolding/folding it) and even the slightly more deliberate *between-shot* rhythm enforced by the film advance knob, as opposed to the faster lever.

I also happen to prefer slide film, so the AE means a lot, and the 6x7 format over 6x6 and 6x9/3x2. The VF experience is the best of all the cameras listed above except for the Leica S, which is of course a totally different animal.

A point of fact about filters: you can actually fit an ultra thin filter (like the Cokin Harmonie UV) on the GF670 and still fold it. I keep one on mine for protection.

I hate pampering cameras and agree that, priced at $2000+ as a collector's item as it is now, the GF670 becomes a irritating psychological/emotional burden. The rubber on the GF670 tends to retain marks, and the front rubber cover can expand and detach. I sold a cosmetically ugly but functionally perfect GF670 afflicted with these problems for $1500 just a year or so ago and have regretted it ever since. If I ever came across another beat-up copy I'd buy it.

I agree with the criticisms regarding fragility of the struts and the shallow grip (a compromise to maintain a sleek folded profile), but I don't find the GF670 exceptionally fragile; you only have to use it sensibly like any other camera. I run around and even bike with mine slung around my shoulder or neck all the time; folded-up it is generally safe from damage, with my body serving as its protection basically. If knocked out of calibration, the RF can be calibrated at home easily. You just need two nice screwdrivers (+ and -) and a plier or some such to slide out the hot shoe cover. I've done this many times. For me the GF670 handles better than the Mamiya 7 (bigger grip but hard plastic feels worse) and the Makina (heavier and no grip at all unless you get the expensive add-on).

The lens: I do prefer the Makina's Nikkor 80/2.8 for rendering (more organic, slightly less contrast and less barrel distortion). If the GF670 had that lens it'd be perfect.

Battery drain: I didn't experience this in any of the GF copies I've come across. However it is true that the GF's battery dies after prolonged exposure to very cold weather, rendering both shutter and meter useless. So one should have a spare or keep the camera in a bag. That's one point for Makina's mechanical shutter.

 

[Heathcliff]

I’ve been toying with the idea of buying one , but as a decade and a half Fuji GS645 owner ( and about to send off for repair) I identify totally with what others have said about the issue of shooting with a folder and fragility .
I’m just not sure it’s worth nearly £2k when you can pick up the 645 version for a quarter of the price or a more robust GW670 for almost half .

 

[campy51]

I just bought a Mamiya 6 with a 75mm lens and then bought a 150mm lens that had some fungus for less than $140 and cleaned it up and works fine. I find the meter accurate enough to leave it on A setting and use it as a point and shoot which is what I wanted. I added a hand strap which I find makes it easier to just pickup and shoot. Unfortunately my eyes have trouble focusing quick enough to get some shots of my grand kids make before moving.

 

[DREW WILEY]

I could have purchased a totally clean demo one for just $1500. Handled it quite a bit and thought things through. No way I'd take a camera like that into the kind of wilderness and storm conditions typical of my work. Decided on a Fuji 6X9 "Texas Leica" RF instead - not only way more affordable and only a pound heavier, but simpler and more abuse-resistant, and best of all, 6X9 instead of 6X7. Damn good lens too.

 

[Huss]

..Decided on a Fuji 6X9 "Texas Leica" RF instead - not only way more affordable and only a pound heavier, but simpler and more abuse-resistant..

This one time I was ready to exit my elevator at a Hyatt in San Francisco. I had my GW690III with me, hanging at my side. Doors opened and as I try to step out these parents told their kids to run inside. Ignoring the fact that I was trying to get out (and it is just manners to let people out first). Felt a big whack and one kid look dazed. He had run into my GW. I checked my camera, it was fine.

 

[voceumana]

I never got a GF670 but was very tempted. What held me back? I owned a GS645 purchased new, and it had troubles. The winding mechanism wasn't very good at keeping the winding taut, and the bellows developed pinholes. This was in less than 15 years of ownership. While the lens was exceptional, the rest of the camera just wasn't up to the same standards. I feared the GF670 might suffer the same issues.

I now have a GW690III and think that series is a better way to go. No meter, no electronics, no bellows, but a great lens. And it is light enough to be portable and hand held.

 

[DREW WILEY]

I bought a bargain "beater" GW690ii specifically because I didn't want to cry if something happened to it during tortuous wilderness usage. But the main lens was immaculate - not even any dust inside, due to a filter having been atop it for years (which was all scratched up), and with everything pristine inside too. I didn't care about a few scratches and scars on the body. It has held up so well, and I have gotten so many nice shots with it, that I have dedicated it to black and white film, and bought a mint later version, GW690iii, for dedicated color film use. When I need interchangeable lenses, particularly telephoto, I do that task with my Pentax 67 system instead. The most versatile roll film option is 6x9 backs on my 4x5. But when comes to sheer spontaneity and simplicity, including handheld, those 6X9 Texas Leicas are hard to beat.

The GF670 has better rangefinder viewing. But if I need to work with my GW 6X9's in especially dim light, the same screw-in magnifier for my Nikon FM's fits the Fuji GW's too. I won't even get into the nitpicky lens sharpness debate Fuji RF versus M7. Since I shoot the 6x9 version, the bigger film area itself distinctly overcomes any minor hypothetical difference in MTF.

 

[gone]

I've owned many models of Fuji MF cameras, including a GS645 which ended up unrepairable. Fuji makes really good lenses for their MF cameras, and I liked the pics from it (I prefer a more vintage look, but darned sharp), but the shutter started falling apart. It got sent back to KEH, who fixed it twice before giving up. They refunding my money because they couldn't find parts for it.

From looking at the web images from shots w/ the GF670, if I were in the market for a folder I'd buy an old Bessa II 6x9 w/ a Skopar or Heliar lens. No electronics to go south, fantastic image quality. The earlier Bessa RF has the same lens options. My negs from those cameras are beautiful, and the cameras are truly well built and solid.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Curious to know if anyone had this camera and sold it. What were your reasons?

I happened to visit my lab recently which had various film cameras on display. As a RB67 and a 500CM owner I have these boxy cameras and I use a handheld light meter. You can add a light meter to those cameras but it is more expensive, can also be bulky etc. I held a Pentax 67 and what I thought was this camera is quite a bit more user friendly and quicker to use. You can quickly focus it while up to your eye and fire the camera but not sure if that one had a meter.

I came home and thought the Fuji GF670 is about the most fun medium format camera right? It is relatively compact, eye level viewfinder, built-in light meter which is absent in many medium format rangefinder cameras althou the Mamiya 6 and 7 are enticing or else the Makina.

Thanks

Edit. Or is it more like those cameras are quite niche. If I am not using a serious heavier larger camera then just shoot 35mm format.

I had one;sold it; no match to the Mamiya 6 or 7. hated the queeky plastic body;love my Mamiya 6 now.