Fuji GA645Zi - Viewfinder Issue/Question

[yessammassey]

Hi APUG. I just unwrapped a beautiful like-new (even smells new) GA645Zi from Japan. It seems to work great. Haven't checked it with film yet, but everything seems in order.

Except..

Let's see if I can properly describe this. The VF view 'zooms' along with the lens, right? There are four zoom 'stops' - 55, 65, 75, 90.

At 55 - VF is clear and sharp. The scene image is sharp, the frame lines and AF spot are sharp.
At 65 - Scene is a little less sharp. Minor.
At 75 - Scene getting very blurry
At 90 - Scene looks completely out of focus.
For all these settings, the frame lines remain sharp.

Alternatively, I can refocus my eyes at each zoom, and keep the scene looking sharp, but that defocuses the frame lines.

I can't seem to find a diopter setting that will fix this for all zoom stops. The 90mm setting especially - either the scene or the frame lines are always blurry.

I have perfect vision, as far as I know. My usual diopter setting is neutral and I don't wear glasses or contacts.

It doesn't look like there is any corrective lens installed in the eyepiece.

Am I going to have to return this? At 90mm especially, it would be pretty tough to refocus for composition, then checking farming & focus, over and over. Sounds like a recipe for a headache. Hard to imagine that such a nice condition camera would have this weird issue, but also that the viewfinder would be like this by design..

 

[shutterfinger]

How was it packed for shipping? Any bends or dings on the outermost box?

 

[Huss]

If you don't have it, the manual is here:

http://www.butkus.org/chinon/fujica/fujifilm_ga645zi/fujifilm_ga645zi.htm

If you use the link, a donation to Mr. Butkus would be nice.

 

[yessammassey]

How was it packed for shipping? Any bends or dings on the outermost box?

Hmm, a couple of the corners seem to be pushed in, and there's a ding in the cardboard. ..It seemed well-packed, though. Lots of peanuts and big bubble wrap applying positive pressure outwards from within the box. And a big label reading 'FRAGILE' - camera has no marks on it.

If you don't have it, the manual is here:

http://www.butkus.org/chinon/fujica/fujifilm_ga645zi/fujifilm_ga645zi.htm

If you use the link, a donation to Mr. Butkus would be nice.

The included manual was in Japanese

But there's no indication that there should be anything to do to correct the viewfinder beyond diopter adjustment.

The eye-side of the VF and the lens-side are offset (the lens-side is higher then the eye-side) and there is another light path for frame line illumination, so I guess there's a system of internal mirrors and lenses in the top of the camera... something in there must be misaligned.

After looking at the packaging, I suppose I don't know if I should blame the seller or Japan Post/USPS. But either way I guess I'm going to ship back and get a refund. What a shame, especially if it wasn't the seller's oversight. (There is a weak spot on the rear LCD, though, which I've read is a sign of impending screen failure. So I don't feel too bad.) I paid a premium for a 'near new' condition camera, and now it's ruined.

 

[shutterfinger]

Probably received a hard shock from an atmospheric pot hole or a tsunami swell rocking the boat during transit or something similar.

 

[yessammassey]

The shipping time was amazing (3 days from Japan to Texas) - although the tsunami wave was maybe high enough to whack the plane as it was taking off.

The seller seems to be something like the Japanese KEH (huge stock and some kind of big corporate shipping advantage) so I'm not weeping for them if this wasn't their fault.

But what nags in the back of my mind is the idea that I could fix it myself...

but from my searching it doesn't look like anyone has ever posted about this viewfinder problem before - in English, at least.

 

[piu58]

As memory serves, there is a small focus wheel for the finder near the finder window. Try whether that helps.

 

[destroya]

I just checked mine. The finder is in perfect focus at every zoom setting. I would send it back as that had to be a known issue to the last user of the camera.