Ping Littleboy - Fujifilm 645 rangefinder

[Alan Browne]

Any mechanical issues with the Fujifilm 645? A friend picked one up
for $25. (!).

(reposted from rpe35mm)

[David J. Littleboy]

Post by Alan Browne
Any mechanical issues with the Fujifilm 645? A friend picked one up
for $25. (!).

Fuji has made a zillion 645 models over the years. One is a folder and is
said to have problems with the opening/closing mechanism wearing out. Many
were autofocus/autoloading and I'd be afraid of those (too many things to go
wrong), although the zoom version was like that and is highly respected. I
have the GS645S, which is a generic rangefinder with a fixed, 60/4.0 lens.
Rangefinders can get out of adjustment, of course. (There were three mostly
mechanical bakelite cameras: a wide angle with no rangefinder, the GS645S,
and the folder with a 75mm lens.)

I never shot much with it wide open and have recently heard people
complaining about the lens being soft wide open, which I'd think would be
more likely do to rangefinder adjustment problems than the lens. Every shot
I ever took with it was painfully razor sharp. The rangefinder isn't very
nice; it's really hard to see when the shifted parts are aligned.

[Alan Browne]

Post by David J. Littleboy

Post by Alan Browne
Any mechanical issues with the Fujifilm 645? A friend picked one up
for $25. (!).

Fuji has made a zillion 645 models over the years. One is a folder and is
said to have problems with the opening/closing mechanism wearing out. Many
were autofocus/autoloading and I'd be afraid of those (too many things to go
wrong), although the zoom version was like that and is highly respected. I
have the GS645S, which is a generic rangefinder with a fixed, 60/4.0 lens.
Rangefinders can get out of adjustment, of course. (There were three mostly
mechanical bakelite cameras: a wide angle with no rangefinder, the GS645S,
and the folder with a 75mm lens.)
I never shot much with it wide open and have recently heard people
complaining about the lens being soft wide open, which I'd think would be
more likely do to rangefinder adjustment problems than the lens. Every shot
I ever took with it was painfully razor sharp. The rangefinder isn't very
nice; it's really hard to see when the shifted parts are aligned.

Thanks - I'll pass that on. I guess he has to do some research. He did
say he thought the rangefinder mechanism worked well - whether that
translates to sharp focus where he thinks it should be is another fish.