Portra 800 | Fuji GW690ii Professional | 6x9 Medium Format

I tested out the Fuji GW690, an all-manual 6x9 medium format camera, in October. The Fuji GW690 is otherwise known as the "Texas Leica" because even though it's big, it's still quite compact when you consider the size of the negative that it gives you. Yes, the camera is bigger than my face, feels like a brick, and quite possibly the heaviest camera I own, but it's quite easy to use. You load the film like you would with Mamiya 7 or Pentax 67 (I've haven't used either, although based on the specs it seems that the Fuji is lighter and more compact than the Pentax), so it's a lot like an SLR if you're coming from 35mm to 120. I found it easier to adapt to than my 645 Bronica ETRC.

The Fuji also has a fixed 90mm lens (equivalent to a 39mm lens in 35mm), which suits me fine, but it might be limiting for someone else looking for more flexibility with their focal lengths. There's a sliding lens hood that's attached to the camera. When you slide the lens hood forward, it reveals the shutter speeds and apertures. Besides the weight, the other downside is the cost of each shot. As your negative size increases, the number of shots you get per roll decreases. For 6x9, you only get 8 shots per roll. 

But because of this, the quality of image is incredible (given that you get focus right, which is something I'm still learning to do). Of course, if you're only posting images to social media, this level of pixel peeping isn't necessary, but if you're making prints, then larger negatives are going to make for sharper image quality. 

Overall, do I enjoy shooting with the Fuji GW690? Yes. But I think I'm only going to use it when I'm planning for a local photography project. It's not very convenient to lug around in addition to other gear and things that I would carry around in my backpack. And I don't think I'm at a point where I'm ready to make prints yet. As an everyday carry, I think I would take either my TLR or Bronica, even though they both only have waist-level viewfinders. 

(I also realize the video makes it look like the Rolleiflex TLR is larger than the Fuji, but the Rolleiflex is only a little taller but a lot more compact)

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