Would you buy the new Fuji Range Finder?
 

Simple. Yes or No.

I voted Yes, even if I don't have the money, but I would - if I only could ;)

Yes, almost without hesitation ... except preferably in all black

Yes. Of course, my GAS will become much more acute if the lens performs anything like that on my Fuji GA645, or the Mamiya 80mm. But, hope the price is not too out of reach !

Ditto. Nothing else to say, but I had to make this line longer.

Don't know yet.... no specs posted yet
So far I'd rather buy a couple of good SuperIkontas from Jurgen Krechel

Can't decide yet. I need to know if there is a red hole in the back.

Yes, as long as the price is "within reason".

...Mike

Yes, even though I will need to sell off three of my medium format cameras and maybe one of the Leicas to get within the half of what this puppy will cost. I am certain that it will not be inexpensive.

Yes. But I will probably wait 20 to 25 years until the used prices on ebay bring it into my price range. :D

Excellent Ruben!

I'm absolutely interested even though it isn't a 6x6. A red hole in back with some careful masking might make it a 6x6!!

Love to buy it, if I can afford it. Best of all, I love the fact that Fuji coming out with a MF rangefinder folder, of all things, totally makes all the "film is dead" types so wrong it's just pathetic. If this doesn't blow a little sunshine up your %ss, then nothing will.

As much as I like my 120 folders and I see a nice resemblance in the Fuji to the Bessa II, to the Mamiya Six, I rather like to see Fuji using their excellent sensor technology and make a complete new digital rangefinder design that isn't based on any existing analogue or digital rangefinder design. It must be possible to build a hybrid optical - live view rangefinder that doesn't need the mechanical coupling between lens and rangefinder but could mirror the sensor's image or an optical indication based on the focusing data from that sensor in the optical view-rangefinder. Control of both focus and parallax + the quality of an optical viewfinder. More complex it could even support a zoom lens. The sensor could be 4/3 or APS and have the combined quality of Fuji's compact and APS sensors. A camera size closer to the first Leica or a Pen FT but with a modern optical rangefinder quality. It would surprise me if the image quality couldn't compete with the 6x7 rangefinder folder they suggest now. The labs here in town do not develop 120 slide film anymore, color neg is next and the variety of b&W films one can get diminishes. I doubt Fuji will keep a film plant open just to keep a promise for everyone who buys this folder. This station is passed in a way, the rangefinder concept not.


Ernst Dinkla

If it's in the sub 1500 dollar range, I'd consider buying it new, which is a very odd thing for me to say. As time goes on, I'm interested in very simple, classy looking cameras and this one looks like it fits the bill.

The main reason I know I'd have to buy it new is that I'm sure it'll be a specialty item hoarded by collectors and I'd have a hard time finding one later at a fair price.

I think people will mock this camera and it's 'slow' lens, but photography is different things to everyone, and it's pretty rare that any manufacturers turn out anything that interests me. This camera actually interests me for several reasons.

Oui
 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yes_(band)

Depends on the price and the performance.

I was so done. And then the Voigt 35/1.4 and now this...

As in black like this one
 

I suspect mine is going to be black as well

Ruben,
In photos there is a solid back & a frame counter on the top deck next to the wind knob... :D

& I'll get one somehow... ;)

William

HaH!!! I wondered about that.....
 

I've been seeing a bit of "inner light" since finding out about this new Fuji. There was a camera called the Fuji Pet. One just sold on eBay for an insane price. I was thinking they should call this one a Fuji Delight. However, after your comment, I think it should be called a Fuji SSUYA (SunShine Up Your A$$).

Pathetic is a pretty weak description of the "Film is Dead" crowd, and more fitting for the "film will die" group.

Perfect
 

First picture I've seen of the black one - thanks.

Now, I presume they still make NPH/Pro400 in 220 ?

There goes my mod.:bang:

IS there a new Fuji rangefinder coming?

Is there a link around somewhere that I'm missing?

I saw the text announcement from PMA that they're showing a prototype MF RF camera, but that's all. Somebody on this thread had a picture... where'd that come from?

BTW, I don't think Fuji is doing this as a noble gesture. Makes sense... if you want to sell film, there have to be cameras, so if you're also a camera company, why not use one product to create demand for the other? Corporate-buzzword types call this "synergy"...

And yes, a portable MF camera makes a lot of sense to me. The fact is that 35mm film is a lost cause: DSLRs (and DRFs) produce better image quality, if your final product is an image that will be distributed digitally. But a scanned medium-format image is still very competitive with digitally-captured images.

If it takes 220 like they say, I would say no.

Didn't you just compare this to a Holga in the other thread?

I would probably NOT buy one, just because used MF gear has gotten so cheap. Unless this is priced really aggressively it has decades' worth of equipment to compete with for sales.

Victor, Victor, Victor ... you know we're never really done ... just ask Frank :)

Gene

Please forward this to:

Antonio Perez, CEO
343 State Street
Rochester, NY 14608

I'm predicting Gene's Hassleblad will be on the block.

You need a third choice: What Fuji rangefinder? O_o

No, I have a Mamiya 7. It's about as perfect a camera as I could ever hope for.

Is there any speculation on the time frame it would be available (providing that they do produce it)?

Hmmm, not so fast there! Not the Hassy. But maybe the TLR's :)

Gene

Yes Yes Yes !

In fact I am already planning to convert it into a 'Foldable Xpan' once I get one, as I did before with an old Zeiss Ikon.

He He ...

Boys cool down, I have now several Iskras to sell for cheap, with and without red holes, exchangeable backs, 120/220, f/3.5, etc.

What really socks to me with all these folders is a very simple issue: the hood.
You cannot really go far with the camera opened and the hood mounted as this situation is prompt for bumps. You may have not heard a lot about this complain for the simple reason it is very difficult to find a hood for the Iskra small thread, but I had.

The other way around, opening and closing the camera each time, and threading the hood and unthreading it - not much practical to my taste, unless you are doing portraits in a studio. Loading and unloading a single film each 10 or 9 frames doesn't add "portability", to a type of camera (folder) already cumbersome to begin with.

The bellows is another weak point. They gather dust and don't stand small rain.

So my best advice for the wellfare of all is to continue chating on behalf of purchasing, as to make Fujifilm interested in our bite, and for those among us really serious I advise you to faint by cheap: buy an Iskra.

Cheers,
Ruben

There are no numbers on 120 roll film backing to correspond to 6x7, so 6x7 cameras and backs never work with the red window.

And, yeah, I want one. I currently use a Voigtlander Perkeo II, and I'd love a similar camera built to modern standards of alignment and film flatness with a coupled rangefinder.

I said yes, if it will be reasonable priced and 6x6 :) As well as there will be reasonable priced Fuji Neopan 120/220 around at that time these beauties come to market. As much as I like my GS645 I regret it is not 6x6. I know what is 15(30) or 12(24) exposures per roll and it is enough for me. Lately I started to load shorter strips in my 35mm cassettes 'cause 36 exposures film live for too long in my cameras.
They must produce 6x6 version for me. Also I'd order tele-Fuji with some glass like Sonnar 180/4 (if they increase rf base to make it real).

Eduard.

Ernst: Who's to say Fuji has to choose between these two pursuits? I'd bet they're cooking something up on the digital front along these lines. We're not talking about Kodak here. ;)

I havn't touched a a MF camera in some years, but the last one I had real fun with was a Fuji. Soooo...I say Yes.


- Barrett


- Barrett

I bought the original folding Fuji645 new in 1982, worst camera I ever owned bar none. Very unreliable, plastic body developed light leak through crack at the hinge of the front lens board and bellows needed replacing within a few years. The wind/shutter cocking interlink was the real weak point, really badly designed.
A well known s/h dealer here told me he won't touch the original folding 645 with a barge pole.
I just hope Fuji has not made the same mistakes with this one, and learned some lessons.
I hate to pour cold water on this but I would wait while to see just how reliable it is!!!

P.S. I also hope the setting system for time exposures is better designed.

yeah.....the xpan is a real piece of crap too. they've made a ton of great cameras since 1982.

That's what I heard from lots of people. It seemed to be a wonderfully designed camera from a usability perspective (size, format, etc.) but quality of materials was, well below the usual Fuji offering. Heck, it was well below a Brownie!

I voted yes, though I am sure the price will be much higher than I could pick up a used 501 or something like that. I wish CV would come out with one, a screeeeeeming wide angle lens on a MF RF body. That would rock some houses!

B2 (;->

sure...ignore everything fuji has done since 1982. it's only been 26 years and they haven't made a quality product since.