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If you have a Fuji rangefinder MF and don’t know what the counter means.
We will explain what the counter means and a whole bunch of other useful information about Fuji Rangefinder in this article.
What Does the Counter on Fuji Rangefinder MF Mean?
Fuji rangefinder is provided with a 3-digit shutter actuation counter at the bottom which will tell you how many times the shutter has been used so that you´ll know when the camera needs maintenance.
History
1960’s Era
The ancestor of the Fujica GW690iii is the Fuji G690, which was introduced in 1968. It was a very popular camera, but it has been replaced by its successor, the Fujica GW690ii, which features a better-designed body.
Differences
The GW690iii is almost identical to its predecessor except for the following changes:
- It uses a new shutter mechanism that allows faster speeds up to 1/2000th second.
- It has a built-in flash unit.
1970’s Era
It was not until 1978 that Fuji released its first professional zoom lens, the Fujica GW690 Pro.
The lens was designed to be used on 35mm cameras, but could also be mounted on medium format cameras like the Hasselblad 500C and the Mamiya 645AFD.
Pros
The GW690 is a very good lens for its time.
- Excellent build quality
- Fast and sharp at all focal lengths
- Relatively inexpensive.Â
Cons
However, the lens does have some flaws that make it less than ideal for many users.
The problem with this lens is the lack of manual focus. The lens can only be focused manually by turning the focusing ring on the barrel. This makes it difficult to use in situations where you need to quickly change lenses or when your hands are full.
1980’s Era
A wide-angle lens was introduced in 1980 for the GSW690 camera. It had a focal length of 65mm and an aperture of 5.6.
The original GSW690 camera body came with this lens as standard equipment. This lens has been discontinued since the introduction of the GSW690 II camera in 1983.
This lens is compatible with all GSW690 cameras except the GSW690 II and is not compatible with any other cameras.
1990’s Era
The two design concepts would remain largely unchanged with some minor changes in subsequent iterations and some variants of 6×6 and 6×7 until the Fuji GW690III was released in 1992.
Fuji GA645 Film Rangefinder MF Camera
What Does the Counter on Fuji Rangefinder MF Mean?
The GA645 is designed around the concept of producing great quality photographs while minimizing the size and weight of the camera body.
Features
- This particular model uses a 35mm full-frame sensor that measures 36 x 24 mm.
- It weighs about 5 pounds without a lens attached.
- The GA645 is smaller than most 35mm SLR cameras, such as the Nikon D4s, Canon EOS 80D, Sony A7 II, Leica M240, and Pentax K5II.
- It also fits into a pocket better than those larger models.
- The GA645 features a fixed f/3.2 aperture, which is pretty standard for a rangefinder camera.
- However, there are some interesting options on the shutter speed dial. There is a choice of 1/4000th second to 30 seconds.
- There is also a choice of bulb setting, which allows you to shoot continuously.
Lenses
There are many different types of lenses for the GA645. Some come directly from Fujifilm, while others are third-party lenses. You can find adapters for older lenses, including Nikon and Canon lenses, as well as Zeiss lenses.
One of the best things about the GA645 is how easy it is to change lenses. Fujifilm provides a plastic adapter that attaches to the front of the lens mount. This makes changing lenses much easier than trying to attach a screwdriver to the rear of the lens mount.
ViewFinder
The GA645 does not include a viewfinder. Instead, it uses a separate electronic viewfinder called EVF. This is something that we really appreciate because it doesn’t take up space in my pocket.
Orientation
One of the many things that makes it such a unique camera is that it shoots in portrait orientation when the camera is held in a normal position. To take a landscape-orientated image, the camera must be turned to what would usually be a portrait position.
Versions
There have been five different versions of the Fuji GA645 camera. The first version was released in 1995, followed by two models in 19
Specifications
Weight
The Fujifilm GA645 is lightweight for a medium-sized digital camera weighing in at just under 800 grams.
Dimensions
It is compact for a medium-sized digital camera measuring 166 x 110 x 66 millimeters (6.3 x 4.4 x 2.7 inches) when turned off. When the lens is fully extended, its focal length becomes 84 millimeters.
Body
It has a tough plastic shell that makes it feel solid when holding it, and its battery compartment houses the batteries so it feels comfortable to hold.
Strap
The strap lug is located on the opposite side of your camera when compared to the previous version. This means that the lens hangs vertically but in portrait mode.
Light Meter
One of the many features of this digital SLR is its reliable and accurate internal light meter. It is centered and uses silicon photodiodes. It is a TFF (Through The Finder) rather than a TTL (Through The Lens) type of metering that can use speeds from ISO 25 to IS0 1600.
The Flash
The Fujifilm GA645 has a pop-up flash with auto-trigger and an unheard-of synch speed of 1/700ths of a sec at f/11 and F/22 and 1/500ths of a sec at all lower aperture thanks to the leaf shutters.
Film Advance
It’s easy to load the camera without having to line up a starting point.
Frame Counter
The frame counter is located at the bottom of the LCD screen on the back of the camera. When the camera has reached the end of the current frame, it will sound an alarm and begin winding the film.
Exposure Data
The film can contain various types of metadata including the following: Exif data, IPTC data, EXIF data, and IPTC data.
Fuji GW690iii Film Rangefinder Camera
Description
The Fuji GW690 iii is a fairly bulky camera at 1510 grams. It’s been nicknamed the Texas Leica because it’s a big and heavy rangefinder.
Features
- The lens is an EF Fujinon 50-135L IS USM, f/2.8 with four elements in three group and a No. 0 diaphragm.
- It has 4 straight shutter blades.
- It can focus at a 1-meter minimum and take a 67-millimeter filter.
- The focal length is approximately equal to 45-50 millimeters in 135 terms.
- It has apertures ranging from f/3.5 (wide open) to f/32 (farthest aperture), and shutter speeds ranging from 1/500s (fastest speed) to 1s (slowest). For longer exposure times, it features an S1T2i setting.
Pros
Aperature
At the widest setting (f/1.4), you’ll be able to capture some nice backgrounds without having to use any special settings. However, if you want to shoot at f/2.8 or f/4, then you’ll need to adjust your lens accordingly.
Focus
It’s super easy to focus on the Fuji GW690iii, and the focus patch is unusually round for an APS-C sensor camera. When using the camera vertically, however, you must be careful not to obstruct the light in the focus point by placing your hands under the lens.
Weight
While the Fuji GW610i is undoubtedly bulky and heavy, it is also well designed so I didn’t really notice it was there when I was using it. It just felt natural to use. And because it has an SLR design, it also felt “normal” both in terms of handling and viewing/shooting.
Cons
There are a number of design decisions on the Fuji GW690iii that baffle the users.
Aperture and Shutter Speed
There is no reason why the aperture and shutter speeds need to be located next to each other on a camera lens.
Most of the lenses have an aperture ring designed so you can adjust the aperture without having to look at the lens. However, with the Fujifilm GW690iii, you cannot change the aperture because you don’t always see which ring you’re changing.
Exposure Counter
One minor annoyance is the exposure counter. It sounds like a gunshot.
Conclusion
Fuji Rangefinder MF is a precision tool for the discerning photographer, but it’s equally suitable for novices because of its well-implemented automatic functions. In conclusion,
Fuji has created an easy-to-use rangefinder that will satisfy even the most demanding photographers.
We hope this article was helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments below.
