I just bought this camera from eBay (more like your nicer one, and for $513 with ship/tax and $80 off the original price!) and I'm glad I found your video. I feel much more confident in using my new toy!
Dave! Thanks for this amazing video, I always knew it was a super simple camera but this explains literally everything. I just got my one for a steal and I can't wait to get it in and start blasting some rolls. Awesome video Dave!
I have both the GSW690 III and the GSW670 III and the images are spectacular! I bought the 690 to photograph lighthouses for a client.. Be prepared for a lot of questions if you carry one!😅
That little counter on the camera bottom does not count film rolls shot. It counts shutter cycles. Specifically, each singe digit counts ten shutter cycles. Why? Fuji recommends that the shutter in these cameras be serviced periodically. I think that is every 5,000 shutter cycles. The manual would clarify. Many Fuji film cameras have this type of usage counter, set up in various ways, the most recent being the various GA645 models which keep the count digitally.
You need bulb/B to use a shutter release cable for long exposure. With T you need to stop the long exposure by turning the shutter speed. It’s a terrible way to do it. Bulb is so much more practical.
I just picked one of these cameras up and am wondering how to remove the front element. Is there glue or something because I cannot rotate the front element screw down.
My observations differ. The GW690 is not big for an adult's hands and certainly not oppressively heavy. Might be wider but that promotes stability. A DSLR with a battery grip weighs more. Being 6:9 the aspect ratio is the same as found in a FF DSLR - useless without cropping in portraiture orientation which eliminates the the size advantage over a 67. f3.5 max aperture combined with 1/500 minimum shutter speed demands that film be chosen to exactly match the light or on a sunny afternoon you end up shooting at f16 at 1/500th with no control over the background separation. I rarely see images from this camera with exacting focus although the lens itself is sharp and contrasty. The 90mm f3.5 Fujinon which comes out to 40mm +/- equivalent focal length in 35mm format can negatively impact how closer content is rendered. Folks used to selfies with an iPhone might not notice. A great landscape P&S on a sunny afternoon with ASA 100 Provia. Don't forget an external meter. Film originals will comfortably scan to 60MP sized files. Lots of options in post.
Thanks for sharing. Not using it as much as I should, because the pictures are great! But come at a price. -- One thing to mention is the very tiny(!) size of the rangefinder point, which helps you to get sharp pictures -- a bit annoying.
thanks for the video..i bought one of thease but have a problem with the fact the rangefinder shows not even close to real frame accuracy and so i found out that when i frame the picture i get more than i asked.....do you have and diy idea of how to solve it ? i tried it bu framing some black tape around the frame edges but its not very clear. tnx
There are some rangefinder that you can mount to the hot/cold-shoue (flash space). This would make it closer to the center maybe making it easier to frame. :)
@@justmoe7742 hi. sorry, i didnt understand your answer. maybe my question was now clear. "There are some rangefinder that you can mount to the hot/cold-shoue (flash space)" mount what ?
@@theviewer5104 I actually also misread your question a bit, but my idea still might work for you. There are "aftermarket" viewfinders (sorry, I wrote rangefinders before) that you can mount onto the hot-shoe (the place that you mount the flash on) like for example the "Voigtlander 90mm Brightline". This has built in frame-lines to frame your shot and mounts onto the hot-shoe making it more centered on the camera, aiding in making the composition as well. Maybe this could be a product for you. PS. I do not own neither the Fujica (sadly) nor the viewfinder so I can only tell you the "what I've heard" and not from personal experience. Have fun shooting and if you find a way maybe come back here and tell me about it! :)
I noticed that the "nicer" version has a B shutter speed setting while the "more loved" version has T setting. I cannot find any info on this little difference online. Woudl you happen to be able to shed some light on it? Is one really a T (press once shutter opens, press again it closes) while the the B (you need to hold for shutter to remain open)? Thanks!
There is no info online for the B version. All I can gather is that it’s rare. I prefer bulb over T and was very happy to find this rare version in beautiful condition. The bulb version works just like any other bulb version. The T version didn’t work. I could only get it to stay open 3/10 times I tried.
@@DaveMontejano Thanks, that includes delivery as well. I still have to pay import duty & VAT which puts it at just over $400 in total but worth every penny. It's going to be my main camera for my upcoming photography masters degree (starts at the end of September this year). I used one before when I was doing my photography BA a few years back & loved it.
Very informative. Just bought mine and your video was all I needed to get shooting.
I just bought this camera from eBay (more like your nicer one, and for $513 with ship/tax and $80 off the original price!) and I'm glad I found your video. I feel much more confident in using my new toy!
Dave! Thanks for this amazing video, I always knew it was a super simple camera but this explains literally everything. I just got my one for a steal and I can't wait to get it in and start blasting some rolls. Awesome video Dave!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for this, I was trying to find detail about the parallax from the viewfinder for this particular model
An explanation of using a flash would be nice as well as a demo on the T setting. Good video, my camera should arrive Wednesday.👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
I have both the GSW690 III and the GSW670 III and the images are spectacular! I bought the 690 to photograph lighthouses for a client.. Be prepared for a lot of questions if you carry one!😅
Make that GSW670... fat fingers...
Thanks for this video! I just bought one. The front shutter button doesn't work. Wondering if that is a known problem.
Thank you for so much detail! So helpful.
Thanks for the great video. Does this model require two strokes of the film advance lever like the ii and iii models?
Alex Socci it does. Need to move a lot of film for that 6X9 negative.
I find it to be more like one and a half for the III
Excellent presentation.
That little counter on the camera bottom does not count film rolls shot. It counts shutter cycles. Specifically, each singe digit counts ten shutter cycles. Why? Fuji recommends that the shutter in these cameras be serviced periodically. I think that is every 5,000 shutter cycles. The manual would clarify. Many Fuji film cameras have this type of usage counter, set up in various ways, the most recent being the various GA645 models which keep the count digitally.
thanks to this i learned that my gw690 is not broken. at first I thought it is because it would not fire when the film door is closed.
I’m glad I could help. Thanks for stopping by and happy shooting!
Mine is doing the same thing, won't fire with film loaded. How did you fix yours?
Are you able to do long exposure with a shutter release cable? The way you explained it seems odd to have to turn the front lens in “T” mode
You need bulb/B to use a shutter release cable for long exposure. With T you need to stop the long exposure by turning the shutter speed. It’s a terrible way to do it. Bulb is so much more practical.
I just picked one of these cameras up and am wondering how to remove the front element. Is there glue or something because I cannot rotate the front element screw down.
Looks awesome Imm just watching one in good condition on a local auction site...see how it goes. Liked and subbed cheers
Does the film wind stop automatically at right number in the windo or do you have to watch the window to stop winding at the right placr
It stops automatically, no window.
If you get MK1 justwind it when your ready to shoot.
Its not really that big either.
My observations differ.
The GW690 is not big for an adult's hands and certainly not oppressively heavy. Might be wider but that promotes stability. A DSLR with a battery grip weighs more. Being 6:9 the aspect ratio is the same as found in a FF DSLR - useless without cropping in portraiture orientation which eliminates the the size advantage over a 67. f3.5 max aperture combined with 1/500 minimum shutter speed demands that film be chosen to exactly match the light or on a sunny afternoon you end up shooting at f16 at 1/500th with no control over the background separation.
I rarely see images from this camera with exacting focus although the lens itself is sharp and contrasty. The 90mm f3.5 Fujinon which comes out to 40mm +/- equivalent focal length in 35mm format can negatively impact how closer content is rendered. Folks used to selfies with an iPhone might not notice. A great landscape P&S on a sunny afternoon with ASA 100 Provia. Don't forget an external meter.
Film originals will comfortably scan to 60MP sized files. Lots of options in post.
Thanks for sharing. Not using it as much as I should, because the pictures are great! But come at a price. -- One thing to mention is the very tiny(!) size of the rangefinder point, which helps you to get sharp pictures -- a bit annoying.
thanks for the video..i bought one of thease but have a problem with the fact the rangefinder shows not even close to real frame accuracy and so i found out that when i frame the picture i get more than i asked.....do you have and diy idea of how to solve it ? i tried it bu framing some black tape around the frame edges but its not very clear. tnx
There are some rangefinder that you can mount to the hot/cold-shoue (flash space). This would make it closer to the center maybe making it easier to frame. :)
@@justmoe7742 hi. sorry, i didnt understand your answer. maybe my question was now clear. "There are some rangefinder that you can mount to the hot/cold-shoue (flash space)" mount what ?
@@theviewer5104 I actually also misread your question a bit, but my idea still might work for you.
There are "aftermarket" viewfinders (sorry, I wrote rangefinders before) that you can mount onto the hot-shoe (the place that you mount the flash on) like for example the "Voigtlander 90mm Brightline". This has built in frame-lines to frame your shot and mounts onto the hot-shoe making it more centered on the camera, aiding in making the composition as well. Maybe this could be a product for you.
PS. I do not own neither the Fujica (sadly) nor the viewfinder so I can only tell you the "what I've heard" and not from personal experience.
Have fun shooting and if you find a way maybe come back here and tell me about it! :)
@@justmoe7742 thank you
Nice! THX!
I noticed that the "nicer" version has a B shutter speed setting while the "more loved" version has T setting. I cannot find any info on this little difference online. Woudl you happen to be able to shed some light on it? Is one really a T (press once shutter opens, press again it closes) while the the B (you need to hold for shutter to remain open)? Thanks!
There is no info online for the B version. All I can gather is that it’s rare. I prefer bulb over T and was very happy to find this rare version in beautiful condition. The bulb version works just like any other bulb version. The T version didn’t work. I could only get it to stay open 3/10 times I tried.
@@DaveMontejano Interesting! Thank you for the prompt reply and for the info on the camera!
I've bagged me one of these for $330, had to import it from Japan though cos they are so expensive.
Anthony Da Vall that’s a great price!
@@DaveMontejano Thanks, that includes delivery as well. I still have to pay import duty & VAT which puts it at just over $400 in total but worth every penny. It's going to be my main camera for my upcoming photography masters degree (starts at the end of September this year). I used one before when I was doing my photography BA a few years back & loved it.
The import duty was less that I thought so whoooo!!
Do you have any suggestions on medium format camera online stores in Japan? I don’t know where to look
@@n.potter I bought mine through eBay you just have to check the sellers feedback to be sure they are the right seller.
how do you trouble shoot it...mine fires fine..will not fire with film in it or advance film
Do you have to advance the film twice after every shot?
Yes. Why? Are you in a hurry?
Shops in sac have the mark iii for 1k
That’s way too much. Insane.
@@DaveMontejano Well then, what's your feeling about LEICAS?
The Japanese dealers have a virtual monopoly on ebay and are jacking up the prices for everything.