FUJIFILM--discontinued camera models

[RattyMouse]

...discontinued their last 3 film cameras. Film cameras that by all accounts were of VERY high quality. I guess their commitment to film is not what they claimed it would be.

 

[RattyMouse]

...discontinued their last 3 film cameras. Film cameras that by all accounts were of VERY high quality. I guess their commitment to film is not what they claimed it would be.

My mistake, they are keeping the black Klasse W and S. The Natura and silver Klasse models are being cancelled.

 

[CGW]

Don't recall the Klasse being officially exported, same goes for the Natura. Low production models intended for the home market. None of the Japanese makers did especially well with their upscale, premium-priced p&s film cameras on the N. American market.

They're still making the GF 670, right?

 

[erikg]

How about a link?

 

[CGW]

Thought the Natura with the 1.9 lens was axed 5-6 years ago.

 

[RattyMouse]

How about a link?

Whoops. Thought I included that. This link contains a link to the FUJIFILM japan site with the official annoucement.

http://photorumors.com/

http://ffis.fujifilm.co.jp/information/articlein_0015.html

 

[RattyMouse]

Don't recall the Klasse being officially exported, same goes for the Natura. Low production models intended for the home market. None of the Japanese makers did especially well with their upscale, premium-priced p&s film cameras on the N. American market.

They're still making the GF 670, right?

No, the GF670 was a single run of 10,000 cameras. They are still working off stock of that run from several years ago.

Yes the 35mm cameras were not for export, but that did not stop many people from selling them on ebay and other places. They are all over China's taobao.

 

[CGW]

No, the GF670 was a single run of 10,000 cameras. They are still working off stock of that run from several years ago.

Yes the 35mm cameras were not for export, but that did not stop many people from selling them on ebay and other places. They are all over China's taobao.

The Natura Classica wasn't a patch on the original fast lens Natura. The original Klasse in Fuji or Rollei form and the latter S/W were a tough sell, much like Nikon and Minolta's premium p&s models. N. Americans generally didn't get the concept or utility of superb optics on a jewel-like, fixed lens camera with AE/auto options.

 

[zsas]

Sad to hear the Klasse W will not be around, that is on my GAS list.....

 

[bambolero]

Is Klasse W the higher end camera compared to S or Natura?

 

[thegman]

Is Klasse W the higher end camera compared to S or Natura?

It's a Klasse S with a wider lens, otherwise the same.

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

I have the Klasse-S. Gorgeous camera. Very well made.

 

[thegman]

I have the Klasse-S. Gorgeous camera. Very well made.

Used to have one, it was very nice indeed. It's better looking in the flesh than in pictures I think. Mine did stop working suddenly though, although Fujifilm repaired under warranty, so no problem.

It's wishful thinking, but maybe they'll make another compact. It's not that crazy, who would have predicted they'd release a 6x7 MF folder a few years back?

 

[Henning Serger]

...discontinued their last 3 film cameras. Film cameras that by all accounts were of VERY high quality. I guess their commitment to film is not what they claimed it would be.

Well blaming them is quite unfair, because

- the Klasse W and S cameras were introduced in 2006. At a time when lots of other camera manufacturers already had stopped the production of film cameras
- when they introduced these models they clearly said its a limited series of 8000 cameras, offered in the Japanese market. Now this 8000 batch is sold, that's it.

Kudos to Fuji that they had offered these very fine cameras in the time of the digital tsunami. Any other film manufacturer who introduced such cameras in 2006? No.

Best regards,
Henning