The
Fujifilm GA645Wi Professional Series (generally referred to as Fuji
GA645Wi) is a 120 film rangefinder camera, 4.5 x 6 format,
released in 1997 by Fujifilm Co, Minami-Ashigara, Kanagawa.
The Fuji GA645Wi
is a very late model for a 120 film camera. It is fully automatic:
film advance, focusing, metering, just everything. It has an extremely
good rangefinder with parallax correction, and, of course, a wonderful
super wide angle lens, 28mm equivalent.
Size (mm): 166 x 119 x 70 Weight: 820 g Lens: Super EBC Fujinon 4/45, closest focus 0.7 m Shutter: B, 2 - 1/700, F 4 - 22 Finder: autofocus rangefinder, parallax compensated Film advance: automatic spooling
Here
are some photos of the camera. As it's a 4.5 x 6, you have to turn the
camera by 90° for ordinary landscape format. There is a short introduction to the use of it and how it
feels at the bottom of the page.
Camera
front, lens retracted. Top: shutter release button, flash, range/viewfinder window. In the middle: second shutter release button. Bottom: manual focus button.
Camera with shade and its lid.
Lid retracted. The shade is an imoportant accessory. Wide angle lenses are prone to flare if hit by strong light from either side.
Seen
from the back. Top: Viewer, mode selector and unlock botton, data button, self-timer button, flash-up button.
Seen from the bottom. Battery compartment (2x CR123), tripod socket.
Seen
from above. Hot shoe, LCD display, from front: shutter button, manual
focus button and exposure compensation button, up/down wheel .
Camera on, lens extended.
Camera back open.
Film chamber. Note the little red buttons that liberate the pegs, similar to a plaubel makina.
Camera
with GA flash attached. The flash has a guide number of 24 (100 ISO),
the double of the built-in flash (GN 12). The flash is electronically
controlled with 2 auto settings, but doesn't communicate with the
camera (nor does the built-in one). So you can use any other brand as
well. But keep in mind that the flash should cover the portrait
orientation of the camera. The GA flash does, even if it doesn't look
like a portrait orientated one. In P setting with some light available,
the camera might choose slow speed and not fire the flash at all. So if
you want perfect flash results, choose A or M mode. The flash has a
manual mode and a slave mode.
Seen from the side.
Seen from the front.
The flash can be oriented to indirect flashing, 45° shown, 90° possible as well.
Flash detached.
It's quite small.
Handling
a Fuji GA645Wi
is very, very easy, it's like an electronic camera. Loading film
is very easy as well because of the little red buttons that liberate
the pegs. Open the
camera back and put the
film roll into place. Same
procedure for the take-up spool. Insert the film
paper
backing
into the spool and advance it using up/down wheel (it turns the
spool with a motor) and let it make 3-5 turns. No need to look fot the
start arrow. Close the camera back. When you switch on the camera, it
will spool automatically.
Switch
the camera on. P-mode is the full automatic mode. Look
through the finder and aim the subject to focus. Press the shutter release button
half-way down. Compose your picture, if everything is o.k., press the
shutter release down. That's it. The film advances itself to the next
picture. There is an AE (aperture priority) and a manual mode.
The
camera has any help a photographer would want. The frame in the finder
has parallax compensation. In manual mode the exposure sytem acts as a
light meter. There is easy exposure compensation. Via the wheel you can
shift speed/aperture combinations easily. It has manual focus if
necessary. And it can even print data on the border of the film, not in
the image area.
A scan of a negative with a part of the border.
The
border area (lower paart missing due to my scanner). It indicates that
the photo was taken the 22nd of march 2019, P-mode, F 6.7, 1/180s, AF
(autofocus) mode. Very handy.
The Fujica GA645Wi
is a very nice, a bit bulky camera, very easy to use. It still fits
into a
large coat pocket. Handling is fluid and logic. The
lens gives phantastic results, the metering systems are excellent.
There isn't much choice for a pocketable wide angle 120 film camera.
This one is just phantastic. Don't mind the plastic toy look, the
plastic saves a lot of weight and the camera is sturdy
nevertheless. It's a
nice advance to old folders. I like it a lot.
Fuji GA 645Wi
820
166 x 110 x 70
AF
Motor
Super EBC Fujinon 4/45
| 0,7
B 2 - 1/700 | 22
AE, flash,auto
1st frame
An imoportant accessory: the shade. Wide angle lenses are prone to flare if hit by strong light from either side.
