Fuji GF670 - anyone see one?

[bikykle]

Has anyone held a Fuji GF670?

Gerhardt

 

[lewis-richards]

I have, but what do you want to know about it?

 

[munz6869]

I currently have the Voigtlaender Bessa III version of the same thing and have run half a dozen rolls through it - so yes, what would you like to know?

Marc!

 

[bikykle]

I was wondering if the camera is "big and bulky" of if it sits well in your hands. (It is not a small article.)

What is your opinion of the lens quality?

The thing is retailing for almost $2000. Is ti money well spent?

Thank you,
Gerhardt

 

[lewis-richards]

I have held and used the Fuji 670 which seemed a bit bulky for only being 6X7 however the image quality is absolutly amazing in my opinion. The Bessa III is actually a 667 in fuji terms from what I can gather? or am i wrong on this?

 

[munz6869]

The Voigtlaender Bessa III & the Fuji GF670 are exactly the same camera - only the names have been changed (and the Fuji has a chrome top). I am used to my Rolleiflex, and found the Voigtlaender really light in comparison. However there are some things to consider: the bellows obstructs the viewfinder image a tiny bit, and the shutter button is so quiet, there is no satisfaction in that For a large camera, no-one really notices it though - not like they do with the Rollei.... The lens is sharp as a tack, as you would expect, and the meter agrees with my other meters. $2k doesn't seem unreasonable at all for a new MF camera (esp. compared to a decent digi SLR). I am not "in love" with the camera, but I can't really fault it in any significant way.

Marc!

 

[olwick]

You can read a review of it, which also has a good video showing the size here
http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2010/06/17/the-fuji-gf670-film-camera-review-medium-format-lives/

 

[kraker]

And of course there's (there was a url link here which no longer exists) over here on APUG, on the subject of the Bessa III/Fuji670 (or 667, whatever one wants to call it). Check that one as well.

(Or, moderators, maybe it's time for another merge of threads?)

 

[thegman]

Seen a Bessa III, which is the same thing, it's smaller than I expected, looks much better in real life than in the pictures, and it's good job I'd already got my Mamiya 7, or I'd likely have purchased it.

 

[Chazzy]

For some strange reason he calls the film advance knob a rewind knob.

 

[lns]

There's a nice picture of a guy holding one here: http://tokyocamerastyle.com/post/917655524/kamakura-fujifilm-670

By the way, the entire site, Tokyo Camera Style, is a pleasure to read if you are a film camera fan.

-Laura

 

[MarkG]

Bought one about a week ago, have run over 10 rolls through it, and wrote about my impressions here: http://wp.me/ph0f6-1K Hope you find it helpful

 

[JasonMcW]

MarkG, thanks for the link to your site, really useful review of the GF670 in real world conditions, some stunning images that make me want to go out and buy the 670 NOW! and also the first I'd heard of the GF670W. I'm seriously thinking of picking up a GF670, particularly now that it can be imported from the US to the UK for significantly less than the original list price (UK retailers are still trading at the old price). I'm relatively new to the world of Medium Format and I'm looking to replace my Bronica SQ-AI with a more portable street shooter (the SQ-AI shutter sounds like an 18 wheeler truck driving by and is about the size of one too- not good for unobtrusive shooting!). Could you answer a few questions from a complete newbie to the rangefinder camera?

1) I'm imagining from what I've read that the viewfinder shows an outline of the frame, and I understand it's about an 88% view- how does that display in the viewfinder? Does the frame outline disappear above the top edge of the viewfinder? i.e. is it easy to 'guesstimate' the actual frame coverage so that you can frame your shot correctly?
2) How does the viewfinder meter display work? Is it a simple green light for correct exposure, red light for incorrect exposure? Or is there a display of the suggested shutter speed? I'm trying to visualise what I'll be looking at since there's little chance of me getting to play with one in the flesh before buying...
3) Has there been any suggestion of when the 670W will be released and whether there's likely to be any further price revisions on the 670 as a result? I've already been slightly burned buying an Olympus EP-1 about 3 weeks before the EP-2 was released, would hate to invest substantial cash in the 670 only to have the price slashed a few months later...

Thanks for any advice you can provide, and thanks for the great review on the GF670- the only other substantial review is Steve Huff's one, nice to get another user's impressions.

Jason

 

[MarkG]

Jason, glad you found the articles helpful . . . regarding your questions:

1) the frame lines within the viewfinder reach almost to the edge but I haven't had any difficulty composing with it. Since I use rangefinders almost exclusively, I no longer expect an exact correlation between what I see in the viewfinder and what is captured. A little approximation is always a part of my compositional process

2) The metering display in the viewfinder is pretty clever. A row of shutter speeds is displayed on the right side, highest at the top (1/500) down to the lowest. If you're shooting in Aperture Priority mode, then the shutter speed selected by the metering system is displayed (based, of course, on the aperture you have selected). But, if you are shooting "old style" (what I call "match needle"), then as you move the shutter speed dial on top of the camera, your selection is illuminated BUT the metering system also displays in a dimmer red illumination what it believes is the correct shutter speed. Pretty clever, actually. I like it. What I don't like is that there is no display of the selected aperture in the viewfinder.

3) I have no information beyond what I've shared about a release date for the 670W. Regarding the price of the GF670: I did a spot check this morning and the price is holding at $1799 and I won't speculate about further decreases. Since the announced GF670W is meant to be a complement to the GF670 and not a replacement, I don't think it will cause any downward price pressure on the GF670. My view on pricing is simple: I don't buy unless I am happy with what I am paying at that moment . . . if the price drops the next day, so be it. At the moment I purchased, it was to my mind a fair bargain.

Hope this helps,

Mark