Price for GW690III

[jaffa_777]

I have the chance to buy a Fuji GW690III in excellent cond for aorund $650US. It has 040 on the counter and it looks in really beatifull cond. I don't really need this camera at the moment, but have always wanted (lusted) after one to see what it's like to have the huge negative. I think this is a good price but just wanted to confirm with some people here.

Cheers

[aizan]

jump on it. that's a great deal.

[cmedin]

Seconded, it's a very nice price.

[eon]

Good price.

You know that if the counter shows 040 the shutter has done 400 exposures.

[haagen_dazs]

that is a very good price.
normally it goes for 1000usd plus

[rich815]

GREAT PRICE. GRAB IT. If you do not want I will take it. And I already have one!

[jaffa_777]

Ok thanks, I will grab it asap.

[cmedin]

Enjoy that great lens and gorgeous negs! :)

[jaffa_777]

one more question, what type of light meter do you use with this camea since it doesn't have an in built meter. I have a sekonik L358 which I use for measuring studio flash and ambient light. But how do you go about measing a natural scene for expoure with light and shadow and reflective light. There are always more than a few stops deifference betweent the lightest part and the darkest part of a scene and have I have always wondered how to meter for this. Wouldn't it be innacurate with a light meter measing the ambient light?

[cmedin]

You could write a whole book on the topic, and I am not very good at explaining it... but if you can control your development, expose for the shadows to capture the detail there and develop to get your highlights right. Since you'll only get like 8 shots to a roll developing to a particular scene shouldn't be too much of a restriction.

If you shoot slides though you just have to try your best to capture what you want within the constraints of the dynamic range of the film. You can play with things like graduated neutral density filters to help bring bright skies into the range and so forth.

No doubt others will offer more useful commentary. :)

[toyotadesigner]

I use a Sekonic L-608 for incident light measurements. Excellent for slides. Just compensate side light, beaches and snow with t = 2x, back light, close up and light skin with t = 1/2x.

For my Plaubel 69W I use a Gossen Lunasix 3 with incident light measuring. The Gossen and the Sekonic are 100% calibrated.

I've never shot b&w or negative film with the 6x9 format, so I can't give you any recommendations in this area.

650 US$? Geez, I'd never sell my Fujis for less than twice of that price in Euros :D

[Benjamin Marks]

If you are using a meter with an incident dome (white hemisphere), simply place the dome over the sensor, stand at the position of your subject (or in similar light), take a reading with the meter pointed at your camera position and you're done. This method averages all light hitting your subject from all sources and works best in even lighting. This is not as inconvenient as it sounds in practice, as you really only have to be in similar lighting, rather than actually at the subject position.

Or if you are metering directly (no dome) from the camera position, you can meter off a gray card placed in the scene (or something else of known reflective value, like the palm of your hand and open 2 stops). Or if you are dealing with a spot meter or another kind of meter that reads a narrow angle, you can read the light reflecting from darkest object that you want to hold detail, and stop down two stops (or three stops, depending). All of the above is subject to having known and repeatable developing methods, and will be more critical for transparencies than for negative film. Also, none of the above will work for macro or close-up work, unless you add exposure.

Hope this helps.

Ben Marks

[shadowfox]

one more question, what type of light meter do you use with this camea since it doesn't have an in built meter. I have a sekonik L358 which I use for measuring studio flash and ambient light. But how do you go about measing a natural scene for expoure with light and shadow and reflective light. There are always more than a few stops deifference betweent the lightest part and the darkest part of a scene and have I have always wondered how to meter for this. Wouldn't it be innacurate with a light meter measing the ambient light?

... or you could spend the remaining $170 (which, when added to the $650, is about what these cameras go for in the used market these days) for a VC II meter that can be attached atop the camera. Go for the black one :D.

[jaffa_777]

Well, I finally got the beast and just thought I would share a few pics from the weekend with this camera. It draws beatifully I must say and it has beautifull bokeh. It is a new experience for me walking around with a light meter, and I must say, even though it was slower and frustrating not being able to point and shoot as I am used too, I never got one bad exposure. I usually miss a few exposures per roll of film relying on the in camera meters, but the incidental light meter was sensational. My method was pointing the meter down towards the grey footpaths and using that reading. Is this what you guys/girls do?

Comparing the camera to my Mamiya 6, I would say it is not as sharp (not a bad thing), draws more beautifully and holds more details in the shadows while holding nice contrast. It's nice to have the truck loads of resolution to work with and it provides me with many cropping options. It's a lot slower to use though than the Mamiya and I will probably use it more sparingly until I see a scene that demands some holy crap factor!

I think this camera is going to be a keeper!

These were taken on Portra 160vc.


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1121/1360083325_aa908a6588_o.jpg


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1278/1360970500_a7b57e22fc_o.jpg


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1327/1360077179_96a354631d_o.jpg

[toyotadesigner]

Jaffa,

congratulations and welcome to the Fuji Rangefinder Club :D

Not as sharp as the Mamiya lenses? Hm, I don't want to start a flame war here, but IMHO the Fuji and Mamiya are on par, while the Fujis are IMHO & experience rendering a tad sharper - **if** you stop the lenses down for at least 2 f stops. Best results are achieved with a tripod and f8 to f22. If you should have a UV or skylight filter remove it - Fuji lenses don't like filters except a polarizers. Try to get a snap-on cap, it's safer than a filter anyway.

Great shots!

Oh, your incident light metering method: as long as it works for you, it's ok. Hope that you'll have a nice gray pavement everywhere :D

Fun aside: incident light meters are placed in front of the subject and point to the camera. If the subject is in identical light conditions as your camera you can take a substitute measure from the point of your camera. Just make sure nothing will cast a shadow on the dome.

[jaffa_777]

I find it interesting about the filters affecting sharpness on the fuji. I never knew or heard this. I will try without the filters but really I am happy with it either way.

[rich815]

I find it interesting about the filters affecting sharpness on the fuji. I never knew or heard this. I will try without the filters but really I am happy with it either way.

First I ever heard this too. I've used my GW690III with and without UV and other filters for over 7 years now and have never noticed any difference...

[toyotadesigner]

OK, time for some clarification: every first class lens doesn't like filters because of additional air/glass/air refraction and possible filter reflections, even if it is multi coated.

I don't use any filters any more on my Fuji, Schneider, Zeiss, Rollei or Nikon lenses because a filter - depending on the lighting and the angle of the sun - can render an image blurry or unsharp or color shifted.

My Fujis and Contax G2 came with filters. The first shots were good. After I've removed the filters the images were razorsharp and glare free.

It doesn't make sense to invest into a first class lens which already is multi coated and add a flat, reflecting piece of very simple glass to it.

The Fuji lenses are first class lenses like Zeiss or Schneider lenses. Just because the Fujis are not as wide spread as a Hasselblad with Zeiss lenses doesn't mean they are 'cheapos' - the opposite is true.

I had the chance to compare the Fuji 90mm with the Zeiss 80mm on a Hasselblad: the Fuji lens delivers sharper images.

[cmogi10]

I like UV filters because I dislike lens caps, I guess one just can't win.

[Northern_Bliss]

Contratulations jaffa_777 on your purchase of the Fuji. It sounds like a great deal to me with only 040 on the odometer.

I own both the Fuji GSW & GW690III's and wouldn't part with either one.
You may find the Fuji takes some getting used to at first, having it's own idiosyncrasies for sure.
It took me more than a couple of rolls to get a feel for the camera, but now it's all second nature to me and I wield it effortlessly.

Cheers!

[jaffa_777]

Thanks everyone. I am really enjoying this camera, its slow and makes me see things I sometimes would walk straight past. Here is one taken on one of my favourite black and white films, fp4+. Sorry developed at the lab so I don't know what they use. I think I am going to have to shoot more black and white on this beast.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1412/1457829564_226a8084f4_o.jpg

[sam_m]

oh dear, i think i have gas...

[toyotadesigner]

I am really enjoying this camera, its slow and...

Slow is excellent after almost everybody shooting 'street'. Better than firing the shutter 600 times in 3 hours with a digi cam.

Seems to me that most people relate 'slow' to something bad, old, historic.

Landscapes, cityscapes I'm doing with a GSW and portraits I'm doing with the GW look considerably better and crisper than those of my biz partner with his Canon 5D.

The largest amount of work in photography is done before you press the shutter, so the Fujis are perfect and very precise tools.