This would be a nice camera for anyone moving up from 35mm to medium format(m/f),but if you already have taisted m/f then you will be very disappointed (see weaknesses)
Good portability concept.
Lovely to hold until you discover its downfalls.
Picture quality is 5/10(But then comming from hassy user I am very fussy when its come to quality).
Handy little fill-in Flash unit.

minimum focusing is 1 meter (Tottally sucks!).
A very slow lens.
longer range lens like 90mm to 200mm at f2.8 would be more like it !

This camera needs to be re-engineered with a TTL meter,faster lens (f2.8)with a useful range like 90mm to 200mm! & shorter focusing distance then I would buy this camera even if it is heavier. until such m/f camera I would steer well away.
I found that evertime a took the camera out of my bag I wished I had my hassy

I know that this camera is aimed for the light traveller but Remember even if you are travelling light this does not mean that you want to compensate the quallity & compsition of your Pics!)

Customer Service

Really helpful in the UK (Excellent!& Honest)

Similar Products Used:

Hasselblad 203fe with 110 f2 lens (This in my opinion is the ultimate portable camera and the best lens period!(This camera has never dissappointed me.I knows it heavier then the fuji but its well worth carrying 10 times its wieght)

Sharp lens, easy to use, light and pretty small.

Built in flash is not of much use, would have been a better camera without the flash. Owners manual stinks!

This is an excellent camera within it's limitations. This is not a 35mm PHD (press here dummy) camera! Please, even though its tempting, don't try and use it like one. Many complain about the film loading with too much slack. This isn't ever a problem if you apply a little pressure while you wind the film onto the take-up spool until the index line is just past the first roller. You can't just hook the film onto the take-up spool and close the back! If Fuji had placed an index mark for lining up the arrows with the film no one would ever have any trouble!

Customer Service

None required to date.

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I've owned severas medium format cameras, Pentax, other Fuji models, Mamiya, etc.

Convenient. Auto everything.

Well, not the best lens optics.

- Weight is terrific
- Shape and general control layout is fine, but unremarkable
- The entire camera is "soft" - that is, all the exposure, ASA, modes,
and so forth are set via the electronics and controls, not directly
on the lens. This is hard to get used to when you're used to
exclusively manual cameras, but it's not the end of the world.
- Whisper quiet and vibration free
- Very well screwed together - definitely pro quality construction
that should hold up well unless you're in the habit of dribbling
your cameras off hard concrete floors or the like

Optics

- In a word - "terrific" - I've blown up hand-held negs to 16x20 and the
sharpness and tonal fidelity is outstanding. Not quite up to the
'Blad optics, but close enough that you have to *really* look to see
any difference - that may also be a rationalization to support buying
enough Hassy gear lately at the cost of a small car - it *must* be
better, right ;)
- Zoom range is rather limited. Think of it as a medium wide - normal
zoom - there is effectively no real telephoto operation of any note
Great for small groups, candids, and waist-height portraits.

Meter

- Suprisingly accurate. Backlighting fools it, of course, but you can
meter lock or use EV override to compensate.
- Since the meter is centerweighted, I was succesfully able to use it
like a "wide" spot meter for zone exposure calculation with excellent
accuracy.

Flash

- Suprisingly powerful for as small as it is. It's not going to replace
your Metz, but for grab shots, it seems more than adequate.

Film Transport

- Seems fine, though as a matter of taste I prefer manual film advance -
why waste the battery on loading and moving film. Oh well, the engineers
at Fuji didn't check with me first, sigh ;)

Autofocus

- Fast and accurate for handheld stuff - I set things manually when doing
"serious" work, more out of habit than necessity.

Best & Worst

- I love the built-in diopter correction, but wish they had made it a little
harder to change since it keeps slipping out of the desired position
when I stuff the camera into the bag. A small thing.
- I love the ability to imprint the film edge with exposure and date info.
Unfortunately, this barely shows up with B&W - you have to use loupe
to see it whereas it sticks out more in color since it is imprinted in red.
- The disease of all RF cameras - no depth of field preview. You'd
think that in a totally "soft" camera they could have displayed the
DOF digitally in the viewed display. Not a small thing and an area that
Fuji could really have distinguished this camera if the feature were
present. The camera "knows" where it is focused and what the f-stop is -
why not have the computer lookup DOF out of a built-in table and display
it I ask you?
- I want more zoom
- Lens is a little slow for slower films if you're gonna shoot handheld.
It is fine with the more speedy color emulsions.
- It is so light and small (lighter than say, a Nikon F5, by a bunch) that
you tend to drag it around with you much moreso than you would a Hassy
or Bronica or Pentax 645... This means you take more pictures... this is
a very good thing.

All in all, I love this thing. It will never replace my 'Blad or 4x5 but it
has made my 35mm camera essentialy obsolete (anyone wanna buy a beautiful
vintage Nikon F with a working FtN meter and lenses?) It's not cheap, but
you're buying pro gear here. Its natural niche is probably for street
shooters and wedding photographers, but it makes an awfully nice point-n-shoot
for the serious photographer. I'd also highly recommend it

Customer Service

Good.

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I've used a Hassy, M7, and now, a Fuji 645 Zi so this review is in a pretty
good context of the Ergonomics

This is a great camera for people photography, especially street shooting. It's compact enough to fit in a cargo pocket of your jacket, and is unintimidating to the subject. Optics are pin-sharp, although the autofocus isn't as quick as, say, a Nikon F5. Once you get the camera set up and the controls figured out, it's easy and quick to use.

If you don't load it carefully, the film winds-on to the take-up spool loosely, and the negs fog when you open the back. Also, the metering isn't TTL, so remember to dial-in some compensation when you use filters.

This isn't the only medium-format camera you need, but it's a good addition to the kit. If you want to travel light and street-shoot, it's hard to beat it, although I'd prefer a black body. Takes 52 mm filters, so all that old glass you used to screw onto your Nikkors will fit. Pop-up flash looks silly, but gives that little bit extra light that can make the picture. Ergonomics are almost sinfully perfect.

Customer Service

Haven't needed it.

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Fuji 670III, SW690III: Both good cameras, too, like Leicas on steroids. Very sharp, manual everything, wish I hadn'

Portable, razor sharp optics

"Soft" controls for everything, even focus,
make it clumsy to use for manual shooting-
takes getting used to - minor issue - you
can get used to it.

This is a great additional camera for a serious shooter. I take it places I would not take
my 4x5 or 'Blad just cuz I can. This means more pictures which is a Very Good Thing.
Superb optics. Only complaint is that I wish it had more of a zoom range or interchangeable
lenses.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Mamiya 7

Ease of use, portability

yes, focus has problems sometimes is fooled and you end up with out of focus shots, no customer support.

avoid this camera if youre out to make a living from it. Your most important shots may be out of focus ...

Similar Products Used:

pentax 645n

Light wieght, accurate AF and metering. The quality of the images from this camera is truly impressive.

When using 220 film, it must be loaded carefully. If not, the film winds too loosely and the last shots may suffer from fogging. I have only had this happen one time, but that is too many. I mainly shoot 120 film in this body.

A excellent product. I have recommended this camera over and over again. In many cases, this camera is taking over for my 35mm for personal pictures.

Customer Service

Questions about the problem with 220 file (described above) where answered quickly and accuratly.

Similar Products Used:

None.