Comment on Fuji GA645 camera
Ron Kligman
has anything to say about it. I want to use it for medium format black
and white photography to get to use the larger negative.
How good is this camera? Optics????
Thanks
DKeysser
Great optics, accurate meter and focusing, very reliable, light and portable (I
used it for a two-week walking trip through London and Paris), excellent
results. Uses same filters as Nikon size (52mm). Only drawbacks:
somewhat noisy, because of motor wind; slow motor wind (not usable for action
photography). Lens hood that comes with it isn't very usable; replace it with
52mm collapsible wide-angle hood. Wonderful choice for street photography.
Don
Don Keysser
Synchro60
hello dkeysser,
i have a fuji ga 645 and i love it.i use it
mostly for b+w people pics.it's very sharp +i find the built in flash perfect
for fill-in,but i find the autofocus difficult to use when taking scenic
shots,etc.,since it's tough to determine depth of field.i would suggest one of
fuji's other 645 range-finder cameras,such as the gs 645 with a
60mm lenss,gsw 645 with a 45mmlens,or the fuji "folder"with a 75mmlens,all very
sharp,compact ,and about half to two-thirds the price of the ga 645.i'm selling
my ga 645 though since i think i want to buy the new model with the zoom lens!
i love all the fuji cameras(i have a 6x9 model too) and if you would like to
locate one, let me know.
al (sync...@aol.com)
AndyFFF
No TTL, so unable to use filters for landscapes or anything.
Autofocus a bit unreliable, and also not TTL so you can't be sure if it caught
what you wanted in focus.
The lens is great, I will say that. But a FIXED 60mm lens was too limiting.
NOISY!
The on camera flash isn't powerful enough, and I had inconsistent results
putting my Nikon flash on it. Sometimes it wouldn't fire.
.
gene
> t
> what you wanted in focus.
>
> I have and use a GA645, and find it to be only a fair product, the lens is
> good, but this thing is essentially a point and shoot camera that uses medium
> format film. Manual focusing is so cumbersome as to be useless. When I pop up
> the built in flash to use it for outdoor fill Its necessary to switch to metered
> manual. The flash only fires at full power. There is no TTL. The flash made by
> Fuji cost $239 from B&H, and has all the sophistication of a 283 and less power.
> The vertical grip simply runs a cable release around the camera. Anyway just my
> opinion. Thanks Gene
>
> .
Ron Kligman
>
> I have a very different opinion here. I think the GA645 is a very useful
> professional tool with many nice features/advantages.
>
> I have two of these cameras, a GA645 with 60mm lens and a GA645w
> with 45mm lens. I use them for group photos, weddings and fine art
> landscapes.
>
> I think they're great. I have shot over 300 rolls with the 60mm with no
> problems. The w is newer.
>
> The user interface, which may seem bewildering in a camera store, took
> me about 30 minutes to become completely comfortable with.
>
> The lenses are awesome! Noticeably better than any other medium format
> lenses I've used (except for other Fujis). Incredibly sharp and blazing
> contrast. Familiar subjects take on a new, better look. Gorgeous "large
> format look" black and white 16x20s are common from these lenses.
> Ctein in a recent review in Photo Techniques said this lens got 100 lpm
> on the film, which is very rare in medium format.
>
> On the negative side, I wish the manual focus had more settings and had
> focus confirmation. But, in practice, I use autofocus mostly hand held
> and find it accurate. On the tripod I use manual focus, stop down, and
> use depth of field tables for the distances which are available. I use
> .033mm circle of confusion, which is smaller than most medium format
> charts. It is noisy, but there is virtually no vibration during
> exposure.
>
> Yes, the flash isn't powerful, but it's useful for fill flash up to
> 15-20 feet with ISO 400 film. Virtually, any autoflash can be used with
> the camera, including a Vivitar 283.
>
> Bottom line: these are rangefinder cameras, and unless you are willing
> to adapt to the rangefinder style of shooting, you won't like them. If
> you are willing to adapt, or you already have enjoyed a rangefinder
> (like a Leica) you will probably like them a lot.
>
> Dave Garth
Thanks all you who have offered comments. I appreciate it...
--
"A picture is worth a 1000 words"
Ron Kligman in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
David Garth
Kallitype
The nice thing about this rangefinder, is that is easier to focus than
the Mamiya M7. I echo the praise of Fuji lenses---my only experience is
with GSW690-III and it made the most gorgeous, delicious long-scale
high-contrast images I've ever seen, on any format from Nikon/Leica 35mm
to 8X10 with G-Claron. (But you still can't beat an 8X10 contact print
from a neg souped in PMK pyro, printed on Ziatype--that defines the
medium, INMHO).
DKeysser
>
>No TTL, so unable to use filters for landscapes or anything.
No disagreement with your comments, but it sounds like you bought the camera
expecting it to be what it is not. It is easy to use filters with this
camera; just adjust exposure with the +/- adjustment.
Don Keysser