Ping: Littleboy - Fuji 645 rangefinder

Any mechanical issues with the Fujifilm 645? A friend picked one up for
$25. (!).


--
gmail originated posts filtered due to spam.

Any mechanical issues with the Fujifilm 645? A friend picked one up for $25. (!).


Mine works a treat and never had an issue. Had to replace the top due to a
problem with the rangefinder window, cost me $20 on epay for a brand new top
assembly. Best 645 lens I've ever seen, incredibly sharp. If the rangefinder
spot is a bit hazy, one can improve things by blacking out the centre of the
viewfinder front window with a black marker: that highlights the spot and makes
for much easier focusing.
Ah yes, that's right: you got mee blocked. Ah well: payback's a bitch, eh?

Alan Browne writes:

Any mechanical issues with the Fujifilm 645? A friend picked one up
for $25. (!).

Is that the exact model, or is it a GS645, or a GS645s?

The GS645 (75mm lens) that I had had persistent problems with bellows
pinholes. I think it crunches it up too tight in the closed position,
maybe; or else the factory materials just aren't very good. The idea
had great potential and I was so pleased to get mine, but it took VERY
few good photos, and ruined quite a few good opportunities for me
(discvoring new pinholes in the negatives of something good).

I believe I paid over $700 for mine used off the internet, so I hate
your friend :-). Hope his doesn't have the bellows problems mine did.

On 2011-10-31 18:53 , David Dyer-Bennet wrote:
Alan writes:

Any mechanical issues with the Fujifilm 645? A friend picked one up
for $25. (!).

Is that the exact model, or is it a GS645, or a GS645s?

The GS645 (75mm lens) that I had had persistent problems with bellows
pinholes. I think it crunches it up too tight in the closed position,
maybe; or else the factory materials just aren't very good. The idea
had great potential and I was so pleased to get mine, but it took VERY
few good photos, and ruined quite a few good opportunities for me
(discvoring new pinholes in the negatives of something good).

I believe I paid over $700 for mine used off the internet, so I hate
your friend :-). Hope his doesn't have the bellows problems mine did.

I now recall he mentioned something about having to set the focus to
infinity before folding. Whether that was for fit or to avoid excessive
compression ... ?

[rpd.slr-systems added as I don't see a history of Littleboy posting in
35mm of late. (and _nobody_ posts at M-F anymore). He replied to this
question on slr-systems.]


--
gmail originated posts filtered due to spam.

"Alan Browne" wrote:

I now recall he mentioned something about having to set the focus to
infinity before folding. Whether that was for fit or to avoid excessive
compression ... ?

Many folders have to be focused back to infinity (focusing closer than
infinity corresponds to extending the lens making it harder to pack up
small, doh! (truth in advertising: I just noticed this just nowg.)) to
close. Even the newest one: the Fuji 6x7 thingy sold outside Japan under the
Voigtlander name. I really ought to buy one of those, but it's pricey and I
wouldn't use it all that much.

So that's part of being a folder. I wonder if the original Mamiya 6 is a
counterexample?

[rpd.slr-systems added as I don't see a history of Littleboy posting in
35mm of late. (and _nobody_ posts at M-F anymore). He replied to this
question on slr-systems.]

Yep. digital.slr-systems is the only usenet photo list I read nowadays.

--
David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan

Alan Browne writes:

On 2011-10-31 18:53 , David Dyer-Bennet wrote:
Alan writes:

Any mechanical issues with the Fujifilm 645? A friend picked one up
for $25. (!).

Is that the exact model, or is it a GS645, or a GS645s?

The GS645 (75mm lens) that I had had persistent problems with bellows
pinholes. I think it crunches it up too tight in the closed position,
maybe; or else the factory materials just aren't very good. The idea
had great potential and I was so pleased to get mine, but it took VERY
few good photos, and ruined quite a few good opportunities for me
(discvoring new pinholes in the negatives of something good).

I believe I paid over $700 for mine used off the internet, so I hate
your friend :-). Hope his doesn't have the bellows problems mine did.

I now recall he mentioned something about having to set the focus to
infinity before folding. Whether that was for fit or to avoid
excessive compression ... ?

I believe I did that consistently, and it didn't avoid problems. I
could be deluded...but I think it was quite obvious if you did it wrong,
so I got well-trained.

(Sold the camera some years back now. I sold it with both repaired and
new unrepaired pinholes, but I described the condition accurately and
the buyer didn't complain. And I got a non-trivial amount, even.
Sometimes I sell things just because they shouldn't be trashed, not
because the money is actually worth it.)

On 2011-11-01 11:26 , David Dyer-Bennet wrote:
Alan writes:

I now recall he mentioned something about having to set the focus to
infinity before folding. Whether that was for fit or to avoid
excessive compression ... ?

I believe I did that consistently, and it didn't avoid problems. I
could be deluded...but I think it was quite obvious if you did it wrong,
so I got well-trained.

(Sold the camera some years back now. I sold it with both repaired and
new unrepaired pinholes, but I described the condition accurately and
the buyer didn't complain. And I got a non-trivial amount, even.
Sometimes I sell things just because they shouldn't be trashed, not
because the money is actually worth it.)

You just described my Sunday at a Montreal camera trade event. I shared
a table with a very active Montreal camera trader (He paid for the table
as long as I was mostly available to cover for him while he prowled the
other tables. I wasn't in buy mode (though I was tempted on a few
things...). Actually got him a better price on a Sekonic meter than he
was asking. (Got him $210 instead of his settle line of $195).

I sold an old beat up Manfrotto tripod, my Manfrotto monopod, its head
(separately), 3 disk drives, a couple small umbrellas, etc. Stuff I
couldn't sell online but once the hungry see them, they salivate. A few
people ridiculously low balled things (my 190 tripod and head) so I
still have it. ( I think having 5 tripods in the house is a bit much
for some reason).

Got serious interest in my Hassy system as well - one fellow's wife
dragged him off as he agreed on the 500C/M, 80mm and back; waiting for a
few others to call. Also a maybe acceptable offer for my 9000ED
scanner. But I won't sell it until the Hassy is gone.

--
gmail originated posts filtered due to spam.

Alan Browne writes:

On 2011-11-01 11:26 , David Dyer-Bennet wrote:
Alan writes:

I now recall he mentioned something about having to set the focus to
infinity before folding. Whether that was for fit or to avoid
excessive compression ... ?

I believe I did that consistently, and it didn't avoid problems. I
could be deluded...but I think it was quite obvious if you did it wrong,
so I got well-trained.

(Sold the camera some years back now. I sold it with both repaired and
new unrepaired pinholes, but I described the condition accurately and
the buyer didn't complain. And I got a non-trivial amount, even.
Sometimes I sell things just because they shouldn't be trashed, not
because the money is actually worth it.)

You just described my Sunday at a Montreal camera trade event. I
shared a table with a very active Montreal camera trader (He paid for
the table as long as I was mostly available to cover for him while he
prowled the other tables. I wasn't in buy mode (though I was tempted
on a few things...). Actually got him a better price on a Sekonic
meter than he was asking. (Got him $210 instead of his settle line of
$195).

I've still got the last separate light meter I owned, a Gossen Luna Pro
F. No, wait, I have BOTH the last light meters I owned; I have a
1-degree spot meter too; I forget if it's Pentax or Soligor.

But I have absolutely no use for them now, I really should sell them. A
digital camera is a much better light meter, once you understand its
behavior decently. I should sell them.

I sold an old beat up Manfrotto tripod, my Manfrotto monopod, its head
(separately), 3 disk drives, a couple small umbrellas, etc. Stuff I
couldn't sell online but once the hungry see them, they salivate. A
few people ridiculously low balled things (my 190 tripod and head) so
I still have it. ( I think having 5 tripods in the house is a bit
much for some reason).

I keep two in my car, that helps keep the count in the house down :-) .
Also avoids carrying them around so much; I very rarely use them at
home. (Two in the car is excessive, but I don't have a
RRS/Kirk/etc. plate for the Olympus EPL-2, and that's the one I carry
full-time, so I need a tripod for it in the trunk, and found my old Slik
U212 lying around still functional.)

I do actually have one at home still, the big Bogen I use for the 4x5.
A 3050 maybe? Two-section legs, with a release at the top that lets all
three legs slide free to hit whatever ground is under them, making setup
on uneven terrain really quick.

Got serious interest in my Hassy system as well - one fellow's wife
dragged him off as he agreed on the 500C/M, 80mm and back; waiting for
a few others to call. Also a maybe acceptable offer for my 9000ED
scanner. But I won't sell it until the Hassy is gone.

Good luck with it!

I need to send my 5000 in for cleaning and adjustment while they still
have parts. I've got dirt or a bad sensor bit somewhere towards the
edge, too.

On 2011-11-01 13:33 , David Dyer-Bennet wrote:
Alan writes:

On 2011-11-01 11:26 , David Dyer-Bennet wrote:
Alan writes:

I now recall he mentioned something about having to set the focus to
infinity before folding. Whether that was for fit or to avoid
excessive compression ... ?

I believe I did that consistently, and it didn't avoid problems. I
could be deluded...but I think it was quite obvious if you did it wrong,
so I got well-trained.

(Sold the camera some years back now. I sold it with both repaired and
new unrepaired pinholes, but I described the condition accurately and
the buyer didn't complain. And I got a non-trivial amount, even.
Sometimes I sell things just because they shouldn't be trashed, not
because the money is actually worth it.)

You just described my Sunday at a Montreal camera trade event. I
shared a table with a very active Montreal camera trader (He paid for
the table as long as I was mostly available to cover for him while he
prowled the other tables. I wasn't in buy mode (though I was tempted
on a few things...). Actually got him a better price on a Sekonic
meter than he was asking. (Got him $210 instead of his settle line of
$195).

I've still got the last separate light meter I owned, a Gossen Luna Pro
F. No, wait, I have BOTH the last light meters I owned; I have a
1-degree spot meter too; I forget if it's Pentax or Soligor.

But I have absolutely no use for them now, I really should sell them. A
digital camera is a much better light meter,

Not in the studio. Setting lighting ratios is much easier with a meter
than with a camera even if the shoot will be digital. I hardly ever
bring my meter outside unless shooting the 'blad. And haven't done
that, in studio or out, since last autumn.

once you understand its
behavior decently. I should sell them.

I sold an old beat up Manfrotto tripod, my Manfrotto monopod, its head
(separately), 3 disk drives, a couple small umbrellas, etc. Stuff I
couldn't sell online but once the hungry see them, they salivate. A
few people ridiculously low balled things (my 190 tripod and head) so
I still have it. ( I think having 5 tripods in the house is a bit
much for some reason).

I keep two in my car, that helps keep the count in the house down :-) .
Also avoids carrying them around so much; I very rarely use them at
home. (Two in the car is excessive, but I don't have a
RRS/Kirk/etc. plate for the Olympus EPL-2, and that's the one I carry
full-time, so I need a tripod for it in the trunk, and found my old Slik
U212 lying around still functional.)

I do actually have one at home still, the big Bogen I use for the 4x5.
A 3050 maybe? Two-section legs, with a release at the top that lets all
three legs slide free to hit whatever ground is under them, making setup
on uneven terrain really quick.

Got serious interest in my Hassy system as well - one fellow's wife
dragged him off as he agreed on the 500C/M, 80mm and back; waiting for
a few others to call. Also a maybe acceptable offer for my 9000ED
scanner. But I won't sell it until the Hassy is gone.

Good luck with it!

I need to send my 5000 in for cleaning and adjustment while they still
have parts. I've got dirt or a bad sensor bit somewhere towards the
edge, too.

Probably cost you a good penny - but as you say, now or never.


--
gmail originated posts filtered due to spam.

Alan Browne writes:

On 2011-11-01 13:33 , David Dyer-Bennet wrote:
Alan writes:

On 2011-11-01 11:26 , David Dyer-Bennet wrote:
Alan writes:

I now recall he mentioned something about having to set the focus to
infinity before folding. Whether that was for fit or to avoid
excessive compression ... ?

I believe I did that consistently, and it didn't avoid problems. I
could be deluded...but I think it was quite obvious if you did it wrong,
so I got well-trained.

(Sold the camera some years back now. I sold it with both repaired and
new unrepaired pinholes, but I described the condition accurately and
the buyer didn't complain. And I got a non-trivial amount, even.
Sometimes I sell things just because they shouldn't be trashed, not
because the money is actually worth it.)

You just described my Sunday at a Montreal camera trade event. I
shared a table with a very active Montreal camera trader (He paid for
the table as long as I was mostly available to cover for him while he
prowled the other tables. I wasn't in buy mode (though I was tempted
on a few things...). Actually got him a better price on a Sekonic
meter than he was asking. (Got him $210 instead of his settle line of
$195).

I've still got the last separate light meter I owned, a Gossen Luna Pro
F. No, wait, I have BOTH the last light meters I owned; I have a
1-degree spot meter too; I forget if it's Pentax or Soligor.

But I have absolutely no use for them now, I really should sell them. A
digital camera is a much better light meter,

Not in the studio. Setting lighting ratios is much easier with a
meter than with a camera even if the shoot will be digital. I hardly
ever bring my meter outside unless shooting the 'blad. And haven't
done that, in studio or out, since last autumn.

I suppose if you're used enough to using the meter. I could do it, but
I find the digital data more complete for multi-flash setups.

I need to send my 5000 in for cleaning and adjustment while they still
have parts. I've got dirt or a bad sensor bit somewhere towards the
edge, too.

Probably cost you a good penny - but as you say, now or never.

And I have a LOT of film yet to scan.

It's weird that I know so many people just getting serious about
scanning film when everybody has stopped making scanners. I suspect
they may have to start again.