The Texas Leica, or the Official Name Fujica GW690II)
My brother and I have been serious about shooting film for a long time. We both have big camera collections which get used on different photography projects, and we're each other's worst enabler when it comes to gear acquisition, witness the early black Nikon F with the 640 serial number. Well I borrowed his Texas Leica during my stay in the Beaches on house and dog sitting duty back in early March. You know it's bad when you start researching the camera when you process the first roll you shot in it.
The Fujica 690III was part of a family of medium format rangefinders ranging from 645 to well 6x9 and the camera gained it's nickname The Texas Leica due to a vague resemblance to a Leica M6 rangefinder on steroids. To me that's a bit inappropriate since the The Texas Leica is a fixed lens rangefinder with a leaf shutter. A Canon Canonet QL45 GIII exposed to gamma radiation becoming the black hulk is more accurate.
What's fun about this camera, you have a fixed lens with some super sharp glass, easy to use controls and the end results are beautiful, even if the weather isn't. the set up is pretty intuitive, pretty much similar principles to a Canon Cannonet. There is no on board meter, you have to bring your own or use a smart phone app. The 90 F3.5 EBC Fujion lens will give you roughly an equivelent to a 40mm full frame 35mm field of view, perfect for landscape photography. The end results of course are the negatives, and oh boy are they beautiful. The sad truth is GAS took hold and I'm already got an EBay search set up. I just need roughly $1000 CAD to get one here.
Camera: Fujica GW690III, 90 F3.5 Fujion Lens.
Film: Ilford HP5 400, pushed to 1600, HC110 B.
The Fujica 690III was part of a family of medium format rangefinders ranging from 645 to well 6x9 and the camera gained it's nickname The Texas Leica due to a vague resemblance to a Leica M6 rangefinder on steroids. To me that's a bit inappropriate since the The Texas Leica is a fixed lens rangefinder with a leaf shutter. A Canon Canonet QL45 GIII exposed to gamma radiation becoming the black hulk is more accurate.
What's fun about this camera, you have a fixed lens with some super sharp glass, easy to use controls and the end results are beautiful, even if the weather isn't. the set up is pretty intuitive, pretty much similar principles to a Canon Cannonet. There is no on board meter, you have to bring your own or use a smart phone app. The 90 F3.5 EBC Fujion lens will give you roughly an equivelent to a 40mm full frame 35mm field of view, perfect for landscape photography. The end results of course are the negatives, and oh boy are they beautiful. The sad truth is GAS took hold and I'm already got an EBay search set up. I just need roughly $1000 CAD to get one here.
Camera: Fujica GW690III, 90 F3.5 Fujion Lens.
Film: Ilford HP5 400, pushed to 1600, HC110 B.
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