Fujifilm GF670

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The Fujifilm GF670 or Voigtländer Bessa III is a folding camera taking 6×6cm or 6×7cm exposures on 120 or 220 film, jointly developed by Fujifilm and Cosina.[1]

Public display

Two prototypes were showed by Fujifilm at the PMA 2008 salon (Las Vegas, Jan. 31 – Feb. 2), one in silver finish and the other in black.[2] It is not known if these were functional prototypes or mere mock-ups. The name "GF670" began to circulate at the time but was not officially confirmed, and the top housing was merely inscribed FUJIFILM 6×7. From about the same time, pictures of a silver example in open position were displayed in various websites, showing either a mock-up or a competent computer rendering: this are easily recognized by the absence of the front door latch, and by the unrealistic aspect of the bellows.

At about the time of the Photo and Imaging Expo (Tokyo, March 2008), Fujifilm said that the camera would be put on the market by the end of the year.[3]

At Photokina 2008 (Cologne, Sep. 23–28), at least three black cameras were exhibited. It was announced that the camera would be released as the Fujifilm GF670 Professional on the Japanese market,[4] and as the Voigtländer Bessa III for export.[5] One of the cameras was inscribed FUJIFILM 6×6/6×7 on the top cover, and the other two had the Voigtländer logo and the BESSA III brand name on the top, and 667 at the front. The Fujifilm and Voigtländer models only differ by the markings and lens name: Fujinon or Heliar. The new "6×6" marking on the Fujifilm version might indicate that the dual-format feature was added as an afterthought, between the PMA and the Photokina.

As of Oct 30, 2008, the camera is not yet mentioned in the Fujifilm website, nor in Cosina's Japanese website, but it is already announced in Voigtländer's international website (published by the German distributor).[6]

Description

The camera has a Fujinon or Heliar 80/3.5 lens, a coupled rangefinder, aperture-priority automatic and manual exposure modes and an exposure compensator. The film is advanced by a knob at the top right, as seen by the photographer, and there is a round exposure counter window next to it. The knob at the top left controls the shutter speeds in manual mode and has an A position for aperture-priority automation. It also contains the ISO setting dial, and provides -2/+2 exposure compensation. There is a hot shoe above the top housing and a PC synch socket at the left end. The shape of the front standard is very close to that of the Voigtländer Bessa II or Vito III of the 1950s, probably deliberately. The tabbed focusing ring is placed just behind the aperture ring. It seems that the meter cell is placed next to the rangefinder window, to the front of the top housing.

The cameras exhibited at the Photokina show some slight differences from those displayed at the PMA: the markings on the speed dial and exposure compensation scale differ, as well as the position of the strap attachments, switching from a top-mounted strap to a side-mounted one.


GF670W

A prototype GF670W was on display at Photokina 2010. [7] It was released in 2011 and features a 55mm f4.5 (10 elements, 8 groups) wide format lens. The filter rings is 58mm. Even though it is based on the same body the GF670W does not have a bellows. The focus is done on the barrel of the lens. The main critique of this is that the focusing ring does not completely surround the barrel of the lens. It has breaks in it that some find hard to use. The dimensions are 178mm wide by 109mm high by 89mm deep. It weight in at 1100 grams without a battery.

A Voigtländer version is also available as the Voigtländer Bessa III 667W.


Notes

  1. Jointly developed by Fujifilm and Cosina: Photokina 2008 overview release in the Fujifilm official website.
  2. See the pictures and videos of the event in the links at the bottom.
  3. "2008 PIE ripōto!", Asahi Camera May 2008, pp.168–71.
  4. Photokina 2008 overview release in the Fujifilm official website.
  5. Bessa III presentation in the Voigtländer official website.
  6. Bessa III presentation in the Voigtländer official website.
  7. Fujifilm GF670W Photokina 2010 news release at the Fujifilm official website


Links

In English:

In Spanish:

  • Sama, Valentin. "Fujifilm: analógica" in dslrmagazine.com. Fujifilm GF670 at the PMA 2008. Four photographs.

In Japanese: