Fuji GA645: I'm loving this camera!

[Todd Adamson]

Since selling my Bronica earlier this year, I've been looking for an easy-to-shoot medium format camera. I think I've found it in the GA645, and I have a feeling this will be my main carry-around camera for a while. The lens is amazing, the auto-focus is accurate, and the camera's fairly light and unobtrusive. I just picked this up from another APUGer, and I'm feeling like I got a great deal! I have a set of NDs on the way to accommodate for the slow shutter. I'm posting a few sample shots from my first rolls below. Would love to see other shots, and especially read others' experiences with this machine, as well as any tips, or things I might not know about this camera.

[craigclu]

Certainly looks sharp! What Bronica did you have?

[Todd Adamson]

I had the SQ-Ai. I only had the Zenzanon 150/3.5, and it was a great lens. I got lots of nice images, but overall it was more work than I wanted to do, so I found myself shooting it only infrequently. I want another serious 6x6 camera one day, but can't really afford it at the moment. For now I just wanted a fairly P&S medium format camera.

[Leighgion]

Of course you're loving it. The Fuji GA645 is a triumph fusing old school capture medium with modern construction. It's the perfect example of using plastic and automation for good instead of evil.

I love my own, but the design does have a couple shortcomings. The biggest one for me is that since metering is done through the viewfinder instead of the lens, you need to manually dial in filter compensations and for the same reasons, the camera will cheerfully shoot all day with the lens cap on if you're not careful. Beyond that.. I can complain about the motor noise, but that's not a real complaint.


Class of '79 (GA645) - 01 by Leighgion, on Flickr


Storm Lineup by Leighgion, on Flickr


Solstice GA645 2010 12 by Leighgion, on Flickr

[Todd Adamson]

Good shots, Leighgion, thanks for posting!

It's funny you mention the lack of TTL metering. I knew that, and compensation will not be a problem through calculation, or even just changing the ISO setting. Yet, I completely forgot it this morning. On the way to visiting another photographer, I saw a cool shot I wanted to grab as I left, so I asked him if I could borrow a 52mm CPL. LOL. I set the shot up, looked into the VF and started turning the filter. Took me a few seconds to figure out why nothing was happening, haha! I was in a rush, and it's hotter than hell here, so I didn't want to take it off, mark it, etc. I just took four shots, with spaced angle settings....hehe....we'll see if I got anything worthwhile....

[rich815]

Yup, love mine too. SO SHARP!! I picked up a GA645zi too just to see how the zooming might be in circumstances. Just as sharp, though the zoom range is so narrow as to not make too much difference, though useful at times. Different feel as the shutter and controls slightly different locations though both cameras feel great in the hand. Oh and lenses a little bit slower on the zi. Amazing MF point and shoot cameras! Enjoy!