Fuji GS645 Opinions?

xfshooter · Apr 26, 2021

Has anyone used this fold up medium format rangefinder? And if so, what was your experience good/bad? I chose to purchase one and it is on the way, and I have a closet full of 120 film ready to go. My previous MF camera was a Minolta Autocord that fell apart but I loved it. Any experiences you guys can share with the GS645 are welcome, good or bad. And, the bellows look perfect and the seller has a 30 return policy.

cgw · Apr 26, 2021

Waste no time looking for light leaks in those bellows--a part that's nearly impossible to find as a NOS Fuji part. You'll see "replacement" bellows for the Fuji advertised online but, as I understand, quality(and fit)can be iffy. Then there's getting the bellows swap done...Sweet camera.

xfshooter · Apr 27, 2021

cgw said:
Waste no time looking for light leaks in those bellows--a part that's nearly impossible to find as a NOS Fuji part. You'll see "replacement" bellows for the Fuji advertised online but, as I understand, quality(and fit)can be iffy. Then there's getting the bellows swap done...Sweet camera.

I specifically got it with a 30 day return policy for that reason. I will shoot 16 of my first roll and get it off to a local developer to see what I have. I know the chances I am taking, but I'm willing to risk it for the fold-up feature.

jcdeboever · Apr 27, 2021

Nice lens, solid camera. Shoot an email to certo6 to see if he could service it if needed. I'm almost certain he could replace the bellows and do a CLA. He does good work. I currently own the GA645ZI and have owned the GS645 pro with the 75mm 1:3.4 which I sold a few years ago. I sold it because someone gave me a real good offer and kept pestering me to sell it.

xfshooter · Apr 28, 2021

jcdeboever said:
Nice lens, solid camera. Shoot an email to certo6 to see if he could service it if needed. I'm almost certain he could replace the bellows and do a CLA. He does good work. I currently own the GA645ZI and have owned the GS645 pro with the 75mm 1:3.4 which I sold a few years ago. I sold it because someone gave me a real good offer and kept pestering me to sell it.

So the bellows look brand new. I'm hoping that's a good sign. I blasted one roll of color and one roll of BW with it and I'm getting it off to the Darkroom for the big test.

The camera is really, really sturdy when closed. It's heavier than expected. I had trouble adjusting the ASA which took more than a few minutes to figure out. Getting f stop and shutter AND focus down by feel is going to take some time. I didn't think I would like the reverse landscape orientation but it's already getting me out of my box and experimenting more. Exposure is smooth, just wish the led indicators gave a little more feedback when trying to make quick adjustments. The camera is super small for Medium Format. No neck strap needed, just a wrist strap does the job. I'm getting used to rangefinder focusing slowly but I like that you know 100% when you finally get it in focus.

As long as it works, I think I chose the best camera for my needs that I could afford, bar none. This is a serious camera in a small package.