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First Pix - Fuji GA645zi - Velvia
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 7:16 pm    Post subject: First Pix - Fuji GA645zi - Velvia Reply with quote
These are a couple of quick snapshots from the new Fuji rangefinder.

The first signs of Spring are here, with the Oregon Oxalis starting to
spread once more!

I don't see any problems with the imaging, although it's hard to tell
with busy images like these. I will test for edge sharpness, CA,
distortion, etc. with some more linear image elements.

These were at closest focus, and I think they were wide open. I forgot
to set the "edge of transparency information" to show the shooting
data.






PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 7:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have three observations:
1) Extremely promising, I think we'll get a lot of great photos from you and the Fuji
2) Wow that was fast
3) Wow that was fast with getting the Velvia developed and scanned Shocked


PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 7:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
nice color rendition! and yeah to fast; i still havent developed my first set of color slides i took several wks ago!

congrats laurence! hope youre pleased!
tony


PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 7:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Excellent as always from you ! You did make right decision, perhaps I will follow you again Smile


PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 7:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Very good and very promising Larry!!


PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 8:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
These look great!

More important since we know the fuji is very capable in your capable hands.... What do you think about the camera?
Do you like the form factor and build?
Will the lightweight design lead to more images from a handier kit?


PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 8:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks guys! Yeah, I still have access to a local lab that will do the
E-6 processing within a couple of hours when I talk nice to them! Very Happy

It DOES look promising. Manual focusing is a pain that's almost not
worth it. And I have to get used to the minimum focusing distance, which
is about 3 feet (1 metre or so).

There are a lot of idiosyncrancies with the "all auto" camera, with
technically only one "button" to control it all.

The framelines are NICE! They move in and out for the zooming.

The zoom factor is shallow, and I still intend to use it almost exclusively
for "framing" rather than "zooming", although there will probably be
situations where even the short zoom factor will help.

The maximum apertures are kind of tough, with f:4.5 and f:6.9 from
"wide" to "normal". That won't hurt my usual kind of photography,
though, and I usually take my time anyway.

The shutter release is fantastic. A very nice indent at halfway down, for
locking exposure and focus, and then a very soft and ergonomic
final push for the exposure. It actually should make up for the slower
lenses in some cases, as I'm betting I could shoot at 1/30th or so
without blur.

The camera fits in the hand better than any camera I've had. REALLY a
nice feel in the hand. There is a lot more metal in the camera than it
looks, and it's a surprisingly hefty camera.

It fits in the inside pocket of my down jacket very nicely.

I could see this thing loaded with ISO400 or ISO800 film for an "urban
photographer". I think it would be quite nice for that kind of shooting!


PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 8:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
kds315* wrote:
Very good and very promising Larry!!


+1


PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 8:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Wow!!!! Those look fantastic Larry. I can see you will do great things with this camera as you have the others.

They look even better once you click on them.


PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
From several type of Fuji645 why did you pick up this one ?


PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
+1 excellent!


PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
From several type of Fuji645 why did you pick up this one ?


Thanks schnauzer and poilu!

Attila: I only chose this one because I wanted to see what an "auto
everything" camera like this might feel, and if it's something that I
would keep. The price was very very good, and I am certain that I
could sell for at least what I paid for it.

I looked at the 6x7 and 6x9 models as well, but only had limited funds
available.

Another reason, is that I really like 4.5x6 images, and this type of
camera might be nice enough for me to take on long hikes and cut
down tremendously on bulk and weight.

My "jury is out" on determining the overall worthiness of this camera
to my shooting style and needs.

All that said, I am listening to F16SUNSHINE's statements as well. If I
keep this, then I'm almost certain I would take more images, especially
when hiking in off-trail mountainous areas, simply because it is so
obviously handy to carry and "set up" for a shot.

Form factor and overall build quality is SURPRISINGLY good! I sort of
snickered at the "titanium" color because it sort of made the camera
look like a "toy" to me. But, I understand now why it's heavier than
it looks - the frame is all metal, and I think a mixture of magnesium and
titanium parts. The exploded view showed me that there are "gears" that
are electronically controlled (of course)...BUT they are actually metal
rather than plastic. My impression is that this is one tough camera. I
have read that the LCD information screen is subject to losing its
display properties, although that would not be too much of a problem
for me. The viewfinder shows most of the information I need.

There is some fumbling around for me in pushing various buttons while
turning other wheels, but that's a matter of practice. Also, I would
probably add an L-Bracket for long term use, so that the horizontal
aspect could be quickly achieved.

A bit short at 90mm (equivalent to 55mm or so in the 35mm camera
format). So, any portraiture would be head and shoulders at the closest
focus.

I still need to look at the bokeh wide open at f:4.5, I don't expect anything
too bad, or too good on the bokeh - probably just a sort of neutral bokeh.

Autofocus is surprisingly fast. I framed a practice shot, and remember
saying "Wow!" when I was surprised at the speed of focus.

After saying all that, I still have my eyes open for the other models, as
the increased "real estate" of 6x6 to 6x9 is tempting. I also still have
some desire to look at the Mamiya 6, simply because I do love 6x6 that
I have on my Yashica Mat.

All of the models of this series of cameras each has their own unique
idiosyncratic elements, so there is a lot to consider.

But, as for my REASON for trying this out is to be able to take quick,
accurate scenery images to infinity, this camera does it impeccably.

Last edited by Laurence on Mon Mar 14, 2011 10:08 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I see, I not looking larger format just 6x4,5 that is perfect to me , easier to scan and resolution is more than enough for me. Camera also cheaper than larger models. I look forward your images taken with this cam.


PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 10:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Stunning and verdant... lol

The greens are so rich and seem so damp that it almost refreshing just looking.. lol

I like 645 too but the poor Mamiyas have stayed in their medium format roll-along too long now. I am falling victim to the convenience of not having hassles with roll film, not having to pause after a handful of shots to rewind / reload and.. those babies are HEAVY! lol

This might be a better bet as it is far more 35mm like than the Mamiya 645 series?

Doug


PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 10:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
I see, I not looking larger format just 6x4,5 that is perfect to me , easier to scan and resolution is more than enough for me. Camera also cheaper than larger models. I look forward your images taken with this cam.


Attila, I agree with your reasoning. Scanning 6x4.5 is really nice, as the
file isn't so large that it slows down the computer. As far as resolution,
I've gone to 30x40 with a couple of shots from the Pentax 645. Now, that
is probably a "no-no" in many people's opinions, but even at that size,
for ME...the huge enlargements look fantastic.

Once again, there was a HUGE surprise when picking the camera up. It's
deliciously ergonomic. Very Happy It seems that my hand just simply wraps
around the body as though it was part of me. Shocked The shutter is
perfectly located for my size of hands (medium).


PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 10:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
nemesis101 wrote:
Stunning and verdant... lol

The greens are so rich and seem so damp that it almost refreshing just looking.. lol

I like 645 too but the poor Mamiyas have stayed in their medium format roll-along too long now. I am falling victim to the convenience of not having hassles with roll film, not having to pause after a handful of shots to rewind / reload and.. those babies are HEAVY! lol

This might be a better bet as it is far more 35mm like than the Mamiya 645 series?

Doug


Doug, as you know - it's pretty damn green in both Oregon and
Washington! Very Happy

I agree with the heavy weight factor of the Mamiyas...VERY heavy indeed.

A handy little feature is, if you forget to manually change the pressure
plate from 120 to 220, there are a couple of buttons to push to change
the format AFTER the film is loaded.

It takes 32 shots on 220, 16 shots on 120. Loading is super-simple. As
always, I put a little pressure on the feeder spool so that the take-up
spool winds nice and tight. I do that with the Pentax 645 as well.
You only have to give a quick touch to the "advancing wheel" to control
how much leader you want to wind onto the take-up reel before
closing the camera - again, a very ergonomic feel to the procedure.

Once loaded, it advances very similar to the Pentax 645.

Polarizing filters - the usual "look through the polarizer first to get the
proper amount of polarization" then mount onto the lens. Again, no
problem for my style of shooting.

Stacking filters - I put the polarizer and a yellow filter onto the lens, and
the auto-focus was good. I added one more filter (red), and the auto-
focus was fooled. So, looks like 2 filters maximum, which is no big
deal for me.

The transparencies are simply amazing for SHARPNESS and CONTRAST.
If I get a good scan, I can see the output as being tremendously nice.
The lens looks to have the usual Fuji red and green coatings, and I'm
finding that the sharpness is equal to the C-V Apo-Lanthar
90/3.5 SL! Shocked Yes...REALLY. This is a huge PLUS for me.
Laughing


PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 10:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Looking at these photographies, Laurence, it is part of you Wink
Beautiful job !


PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 10:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Olivier wrote:
Looking at these photographies, Laurence, it is part of you Wink
Beautiful job !


Thanks Olivier! However, these are fairly simple snapshots, and I just
happen to have a nice little creek to use as a "model".

I already have another roll (Provia) in the camera. I'll take a look at
the remainder of the first roll (Velvia), and see if there is anything
that might be worth scanning to show the merits (or demerits) of
the Fuji.

Back to ergonomics: This camera is WAY easier to use than any of my
35mm systems. I was already using the Pentax 645 much more than
my 35mm Pentax ZX-5N or the Revueflex 3003, mostly because my
scanner is not very good on 35mm transparencies, but is VERY good
on medium format transparencies. I would say that this camera
exceeds any camera that I've owned, for pure photography without
having to adjust my hands and fingers to unusual positions.


PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
yes, its incredibly easy to hold and operate. in quebec recently, temp was so cold i often worked mine with one hand!


PostPosted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 5:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
It seems like a camera well-suited for your style of photography (but isn't every cam in your hands? Smile Wink ).
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