The unexpected often comes: Fuji GW690

I simply shouldn't surf certain photo dealer websites in Hamburg. Despite knowing better and realizing that I actually had everything I needed, I did it anyway and two hours later had a Fuji GW690 in my hand. A what? Like that again Photo nerd stuff? Yes, yes... I plead guilty. Once again. But such opportunities are simply too rare.

The Fuji GW690 is also known as the Texasleica in analogue parlance. After all, it is a rangefinder camera, just like the Leicas. Since things are obviously bigger in Texas than in the rest of the world, the name "Texasleica" says it all. The GW690 is a medium format camera with the wonderful negative format of 6x9 centimeters. That's almost the size of your smartphone's display. A 120 medium format film can only hold 8 images. To advance the film, you have to press the lever twice.

Since the GW690 doesn't allow for interchangeable lenses, you could also describe it as a Fuji X100 on steroids. The difference becomes clear in the lenses used: the 23mm lens on the popular X100(S/T) has only a slightly larger viewing angle than the 90mm lens on the GW690. The open aperture of 3.5 requires a lot of light and corresponds to a 1.7 lens in 1mm format in the field of focus (others write depth of field or depth of field). The central shutter enables flashing even with the shortest exposure time of 500/XNUMXs.

The GW690 makes a hell of a noise when triggered. However, since it does not have a mirror, longer exposure times can be easily held by hand. Because of the lack of a mirror, it is also relatively small - at least for a medium format camera.

Like my Leica M3 and M4, the GW690 is completely mechanical and works without a battery. This means that it does not have a light meter on board either. For me, that's not a disadvantage, because nothing gets in the way of the viewfinder. You simply look through glass and can concentrate on your subject.

After the first film I noticed that my copy was focusing incorrectly. An email to Fuji Germany was quickly sent with one Repair recommendation in Munich answered. However, I still entrusted it to my favorite address for such cases in Hamburg: Photo technique meadow is no longer an insider tip. My GW690 was adjusted in the usual professional manner. Now it focuses perfectly and the resolution of the camera fascinates me.

However, I have no idea what I'm doing with the camera. But she is horny...

Leica M3 on the left, Texasleica on the right

Size comparison with 6×9 negatives

Musicians on the smugglers' bridge