New Fujifilm GF670 vs old Hasselblad V?

[snikulin]

I think where to go from my current Yashica 12 TLR.

Initially I was thinking about an old Hassie from KEH but now have doubts about it: B&H sells brand new Fujitsu GF670 for $1750.

Price-vise both sets are about equal.
I don't make any money with photography, it's a hobby (no need in a variety of H. add-on screens, finders, winders and other pro features).
Both are 6x6 (GF670 is switchable to 6x6) and that's my favorite format.
I don't care about wide-, macro- and tele- lenses, a single normal lens is fine (when I really need them I use my modern digital stuff).
I don't shoot different films, B/W 400 only, hence I don't need changeable backs.
Since I don't do macro or close-ups on film I don't care about parallax problems and through-the-lens viewing.

What other unique feature Hasselblad does have and Fujitsu does not?

Thanks!

 

[RobC]

they are very different cameras. The fuji is a basically a medium format travel camera with leaf shutter. The hassy is an a medium format SLR system camera with a huge array of options.

If you really only need the 80mm lens the fuji is probably a better choice. But if you want some flexibility in the future then the hassy is the far better option. The fuji will be a better hand held camera than the hassy IMO since it doesn't have a big clunky mirror to get out of the way. i.e. shutter lag when using hand held.

 

[Alan9940]

IMO it's really a simple fundamental decision...if you want or ever think you'll want/need flexibility than go for the Hassy, if you don't mind the restrictive nature of the Fuji than go for that. I have a Fuji 645Zi and a Pentax 67 outfit, but I wouldn't give up my Hassy system for either.

 

[rowghani]

As others have said it's totally a personal decision but to me the gf670 blows the hassy out of the water for what I shoot which is landscape/people street shooting. Yesterday I shot 4 rolls of slide and loved the fact I could switch from 6x6 to 6x7 depending on my mood. Also I love rangefinders and the gf is by far the quietest I have ever used. You can barely hear it go off and the viewfinder is big and bright. It's by far my favourite camera. Hope that helps man.

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

The Fuji is not for everyone. It's bigger than a traditional folder, so it does not pocket easily unless they are oversized pockets. It does not open and close quickly, since all lens accessories (filters, hoods, etc.) must first be removed and stored. And it's a bellows camera, which does require a fair amount of extra care when being handled open. Especially if one is not fluent in using such.

But the viewfinder size and clarity are to die for. The meter is uncannily accurate under all conditions, including adverse. And the leaf shutter is nothing less than stupidly quiet. So much so that you may think the camera is broken when you first press the release, even when your ear is mere inches away.

The GF670 also has an uncanny ability to attract attention. Not from angry potential subjects. Rather from potential subjects begging to be photographed because they are fascinated by it. People are stunned to learn it's a modern camera still offered for sale as new.

Recently I spent four days exploring the mouth of the Columbia River in Washington state using this camera. It was definitely a minor problem needing to stop every time someone new walked into view and wanted to ask all about it. Being a good ambassador for film I always do try to stop and chat amiably. But carrying and using such a conversation starter may or may not be your own cup of tea.

And again, as others have noted, it's not a system camera. It's a travel camera. So YMMV...

Ken

 

[taomeister]

Have you considered an older folder? Like any of the German or Japanese 6x6 folders? The Super Fujica 6, Mamiya 6, and Soviet Iskra-2 come to mind, especially if you're not planning on metering with the built-in meter and set exposure manually.

I have the GF670 and it's great at what it does best - be a near-perfect travel camera. It's a little larger than the above options, but that viewfinder is gigantic, and it focuses down to 0.7m which is great for portraits / closeups. Some limitations though - you can't do macro work, you can't easily change / fit filters since it blocks the cover from closing (and potentially damages the lens, if you don't set it to infinity). So if you shoot B+W only, consider a camera where you can leave a threaded filter in front the whole time. A Mamiya 6 or Plaubel Makina 67/670 may be a good alternative in this regard, at similar prices. The Mamiya 6's 75/3.5 doesn't focus as close, and the Makina doesn't have auto-exposure (it spot meters with a digital LED meter), so it's a little slower in use, but both take normal filters easily.

The Hasselblad is a better choice for portraits since it's an SLR and you can focus away from the center a little easier, and have a 80/2.8 lens and longer options. It has a ton of more options than the Fuji (changeable backs, AE and non-AE 45deg finders, winders), but you'll quickly get bogged down in accessories and weight if you add those. There's a whole debate on SLRs vs. RF's then.

 

[snikulin]

Have you considered an older folder?

After seven Yashicas, doing one CLA by Mark Hama and two CLAs by myself (the first one was an expected disaster) I got tired with old cameras' small but persistent and hard-to-fix issues (imprecise focus, imprecise shutter speeds, squeaky windings, etc).
It was fun for a while but now I got bored with all it and want plain reliability and dependability from a camera.

That's the part of the looking into Fujitsu: I'm afraid even the best H. is just too old to be up-to-the-spec and working 24/7 (I mean at least 20-years old H.).

By the way, anybody knows what Siemens has in common with Fujifilm (if any at all)?
Professionally I worked with computer and government services divisions of Siemens-Fujitsu and I was impressed with both of them.

 

[gone]

The Fuji is big. Seriously big. As in I took mine out of the box, was stunned by it's size, and put it back in the box to ship back. The viewfinder certainly looked nice though. When I held it up to my eye to see how it felt my wife burst out laughing, and said all I needed was a red nose and big floppy shoes, but I'm only 5'8". The Fuji is a MAN'S camera.

Get a Rolleicord or Rolleiflex and forget worrying about CLA's. Big, big difference in the German cameras and the Japanese in terms of build quality. These are simple box type cameras (except for the later Rolleiflex models, which have some stunningly over engineered pieces). If you have a 'cord or early 'flex, unless you drop them they just keep taking pics year after year. If you need the option to change lenses or just like using an SLR, an early 'blad is fine and equally as reliable, unless you do something to it. It's usually the backs that act up more than the camera. These are fragile, complicated cameras that can't be treated like other gear.

Myself, after owning several 'blads and constantly trying to figure out how to hold them w/o a grip and listening to their ka thump shutter doors, went to 'cords and love them. I know some people hand hold Hasselblads and love it, but my experiences told me that they are the perfect studio camera to be shot on a tripod. Then there's that ka thump thing. Still, nothing beats looking at the world through a Hasselblad WLF if you're a photographer. A TLR isn't the same. But I sacrificed that for the smaller, cheaper and lighter 'cord, and think their simple 3 element Triotar is one of the great lenses of all time for B&W work. If you just like sharp, the Xenar or Tessar will be for you.

 

[film_man]

I think where to go from my current Yashica 12 TLR.

Initially I was thinking about an old Hassie from KEH but now have doubts about it: B&H sells brand new Fujitsu GF670 for $1750.

Price-vise both sets are about equal.
I don't make any money with photography, it's a hobby (no need in a variety of H. add-on screens, finders, winders and other pro features).
Both are 6x6 (GF670 is switchable to 6x6) and that's my favorite format.
I don't care about wide-, macro- and tele- lenses, a single normal lens is fine (when I really need them I use my modern digital stuff).
I don't shoot different films, B/W 400 only, hence I don't need changeable backs.
Since I don't do macro or close-ups on film I don't care about parallax problems and through-the-lens viewing.

What other unique feature Hasselblad does have and Fujitsu does not?

Thanks!

If you don't need the lenses and are happy with the 80, if you don't do close-up shooting, if you don't need multiple backs and you don't care about parallax and exact framing then the only unique feature Hasselblad gives you over the Fuji is the option of either a waist level finder, a 45deg prism and a 90deg prism.

So yeah, get the Fuji, however you may want to consider the Mamiya 6 too...? I'm still waiting for mine to arrive so can't offer first hand experience with it but just saying...bit less money (I got a full 50/75/150 kit for a a basic 501CM kit price and way less than what a GF670 goes around here), still small but you have the option of adding a wide/long if you then wanted to.

 

[mnemosyne]

Before spending $$$$ for a GF670 better ask B&H about the warranty and repair situation for these cameras. We had a thread here on APUG not too long ago that went along the lines that Fujifilm USA will not service these cameras anymore (or even never serviced them to begin with, as they are a rebranded Cosina product) and does not have any parts for it. Stephen Gandy of Cameraquest sells and services the Bessa branded version of the camera (he is one of the official US importers), but IIRC he will not service or repair any Cosina product not purchased through him. Then, I am not sure if Fujifilm JP will service these cameras, but I suspect that the only place where they can be serviced or repaired is Cosina Japan.

 

[Slixtiesix]

I don't care about wide-, macro- and tele- lenses, a single normal lens is fine (...) I don't shoot different films, B/W 400 only, hence I don't need changeable backs (...) I don't do macro or close-ups on film I don't care about parallax problems and through-the-lens viewing

I don´t see any sense in getting a Hasselblad or any other 6x6 SLR then. TLR or Folder suits your needs. You mentioned that you already have a Yashica so I do not see much sense in adding another TLR. If you want a Folder or Rangefinder, the Fuji may be a beautiful camera, but there are other options that do cost less. A Mamiya 6 maybe? Or some of the post-war 6x6 folders?

 

[baachitraka]

I may consider folders like Agfa Isolette with solinar lens(fully CLAed with new bellows ofcourse) or any equivalents from Zeiss or Voigtländer. For 400 B+W film Solinar suits really well and it is capable of producing sharp and contrasty negatives.

Prontor shutters are not that bad though they may not go till 1/500th of a second. Mine came with Prontor-S.

I am happy with Rolleicord Va and Agfa Isolette II with Solinar 75mm f/3.5(scale focus only).

 

[RobC]

consider a Mamiya 7II and then you get some options for different lenses. So you get a hand holdable medium format camera with very high quality lenses that'll do most things for you.

 

[Jager]

Great advice, here. I own both cameras (albeit, I have the Bessa III rather than the Fuji - the same camera with a different badge). They are very, very different experiences.

The Bessa/Fuji is better for handheld street photography. It's leaf shutter is astonishingly quiet. Fabulous 80mm fixed lens - in the same league, I imagine, as the Mamiya 6/7. Slightly quirky looks and operation. People are fascinated by it. And folded up, yes, it's large when compared to a 35mm or point-and-shoot. But when you consider that you've got a full-size 6x7 in your pocket, it's amazingly small!

The Hasselblad? Well, it's simply the most joyous-to-shoot camera ever made. There, I've said it! ;-)

Make yourself truly happy. Buy both...

 

[netog]

I own the Fuji GF670. It is really easy to carry. In fact, more portable than my DSRL equipment.
I also made my mind knowing than a new camera is supposed to be more reliable than the rest of medium format used market.
No regrets at all by now.