GF670/Bessa III Repair Conundrum

I think the GF670 may be one of the finest medium format cameras ever made. The lens is absurdly sharp, the format change is really well done, the meter is very accurate, plus it's so light weight and packable. When it came out people complained that it was expensive relative to other 'used' cameras, as if the used market for old 120 cams should influence the cost of new.

My understanding is that Fuji kind of shiv'd Voigtlander by undercutting the price of the Bessa III, not great. It was on the market for a few years, and then discontinued excepting the weird old-stock event. Kudos to them for making the GF670W. I'm still not entirely clear on who actually produced it. If I had to guess, it would be Cosina Voigtalnder but it could easily have been Fuji.

I didn't buy one when they were out, I should have. I think that I should buy one on a quarterly basis. I have rented and even owned one for a short ish period and loved it. Sold it out of stupidity. Every time I think about buying one though I worry about the 'bricking' aspect of the camera. It has a deserved reputation as not easily repaired. I guess some of the develop a battery drainage issue. The RF (though user calibratable) can go out more easily than comparable cameras (by reputation).

How did that happen? If someone asks about Mamiya 7 repair I know they can go to Nippon Photo Clinic in NYC and get a working camera again, most likely. Most shops don't want to look at GF670s. It just seems strange for the 'newest' 120 camera to be a relatively high risk buy even though it's from major makes. Voigtlander specifically should be able to service these cameras as they are a big player in the field of niche film equipment.

The wife and I are kicking over a bucket list item by doing the Cotswold Way hike in May. I'm either going to bring my Rolleiflex 2.8E + a film P&S, just my Leica M4P with 21/35/50 Voigtlander lenses, or to heck with it a GF670! Just kind of a sad state of affairs regarding my favorite 120 cam (or maybe 2nd favorite after my TLR).

I have owned one and sold it. Your praise for this camera is well-deserved! I had mine for over a year, exposed maybe 20-30 rolls, and I did not have to replace the battery. However, the rangefinder had to be re-adjusted twice, and the procedure itself is quite delicate and not nearly as straightforward as a Leica. I damaged mine by putting too much pressure on the adjustment screw. Frank Marshman was the only person I could find who repairs them. He also happens to be the go-to expert for Plaubel Makinas, the closest alternative to the GF670.

Will I ever consider buying another one? I don't think so. Its fragility and price always made me feel a tiny bit anxious when I was using it. Not a pleasant feeling. But if I could afford 3 of them, i.e. one working and two spares, then sure!

Steven Lee said:

I have owned one and sold it. Your praise for this camera is well-deserved! I had mine for over a year, exposed maybe 20-30 rolls, and I did not have to replace the battery. However, the rangefinder had to be re-adjusted twice, and the procedure itself is quite delicate and not nearly as straightforward as a Leica. I damaged mine by putting too much pressure on the adjustment screw. Frank Marshman was the only person I could find who repairs them. He also happens to be the go-to expert for Plaubel Makinas, the closest alternative to the GF670.

Will I ever consider buying another one? I don't think so. Its fragility and price always made me feel a tiny bit anxious when I was using it. Not a pleasant feeling. But if I could afford 3 of them, i.e. one working and two spares, then sure!

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I too had RF issues, or at least I was neurotic about the possibility of RF issues. I wonder if the GF670W is more robust?

I owned one for a bit over a year. The lens was awesome and I loved the images

I had a problem with the clamshell not closing properly so I sold mine. The damage was a result of my own mishandling so I don't blame the camera itself. I prefer my Rolleiflex and I never have thought of replacing it since I sold it.

NortheastPhotographic said:

If I had to guess, it would be Cosina Voigtalnder but it could easily have been Fuji.

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It was Cosina.

I had a GF670, was spooked by the seeming fragility of the folding mechanism as well as the limited availability of repairs, ended up selling it before anything went wrong.

The GF670W doesn't have the folding mechanism, so it's physically more robust at least in that respect.

I feel the same way about one of my favorite cameras ever, the Bronica RF645. A relatively new camera yet most repairers don’t want to look at it. Has the same issues, vertical RF alignment, battery drain issue. I have two and both keep on ticking thankfully.

Fuji GW cameras are bulletproof. But alas they are far from compact.

I bought the very last one at B&H for a very good price. So far I haven’t had any problems with the camera. I bought it for its compact portability for 67 format. I probably would not have bought one at regular selling price. However, I do find the camera slightly awkward in use, but its ease of carrying is a plus. My favorite MF folder is still my Super Ikonta B.
Just in case, where can I get instructions concerning rangefinder adjustment, etc.

NortheastPhotographic said:

My understanding is that Fuji kind of shiv'd Voigtlander by undercutting the price of the Bessa III, not great. It was on the market for a few years, and then discontinued excepting the weird old-stock event. Kudos to them for making the GF670W. I'm still not entirely clear on who actually produced it. If I had to guess, it would be Cosina Voigtalnder but it could easily have been Fuji.

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I think the deal was that there were only going to be 10,000 made - to the best of my understanding, the whole thing was a Cosina production, but with Fuji's name on a certain quantity of them (probably because Fuji had scrapped/ repurposed the plant/ knowledge that would have been needed) - and that Cosina were allowed to sell a certain amount under the Voigtländer brand, but the majority (initially) were Fuji branded, and sold through Fuji's much more widespread (and efficient - making them cheaper overall at the end of the food chain) distribution channels.

It does amaze me that despite their being a clear market for a 6x7 RF with a fast-ish 80 (2.8 or 3.5) that no one has managed to make one that has the toughness and reliability of the Fuji GW/ GSW, and instead we have a succession of amazing lenses attached to cameras that are questionable in their durability (the Mamiya 7 is no better than the Plaubel or Fuji/Voigtländer).