This Old Camera: Fujifilm GA645. May Answer My “One Camera” Question.

This is the formal post on this camera mentioned previously.

Before I start with an updated cut and paste from prior posts I want to share a thought. I call these film camera reviews, “This Old Camera”, as a nod to the Home Improvement OG Bob Vila. But here is the thing.

This camera does not feel old.

It is exactly what I would want to be made if a company decided to start producing a film camera today.

• FIlm aesthetic without looking like a modern camera wearing a vintage disguise.
• Solid in hand, while still being small and light.
• Medium format which seems far too much to ask of a modern camera maker, but exactly what I want to be made.
• Full automation. Aside from Leica this is the modern norm.
• Easily repeatable high level IQ.
• Leaf shutter making higher than normal flash sync speeds available.
• Has a built in flash and a hot shoe.
• Has a dedicated shutter release cable port.
• While far from silent, it is not noisy enough to be an issue for my purposes.

I did not expect this. I was simply looking for a small 120 point and shoot. But I have gotten more than I was looking for.

Now onto the updated cut and paste portion of these proceedings followed by a wrap up.

I have had quite a few Fujifilm cameras, film and digital. Ranging in size and format from a digital APS-C point and shoot to two versions of their film 120 film 6×9 Texas Leica (OG and III) and everything in between. But none stuck and I moved on. Fine cameras all. I just pivoted elsewhere. Have come close to purchasing their digital medium form offerings more than once. In fact, if they had offered phase detect AF on their more pedestrian 50MP offerings I would likely already have a GFX camera.

So why a Fujfilm GA645?

Simple:

• It is the only fully automatic, compact, medium format film point and shoot I am aware of.
• Stellar lens performance. Naturally. It is a Fuji lens.
• While it could not be described as inexpensive by any rational means, within the realm of the insane vintage medium format price escalations it is relatively “affordable”.
• I could go on but will stop here and elaborate further in a review post.

Has less to do with it specifically being a Fujifilm camera and more to do with the fact that only Fujifilm saw fit to make such a camera… So it has to do with being Fujifilm then?…

Moving on. The original target was a GA645Zi I had been eyeing for quite some time at my local camera shop. But when I went in to rescue it I found out that it had already been rescued by an employee of the store. For a moment I was left reeling in the grasp of a GAS fit and started looking for something else to get from there. But I stopped myself. None of the other things I looked at were what I was looking for. As I stated above, a:

“fully automatic, compact, medium format film point and shoot”

Another Fujifilm medium format offering they had was as small (GS645S), but lacked AF and AE. I have that game covered already. Already had a larger medium format camera with the option of full automation. Another medium format offering they had (Two of them in stock actually) was so eye wateringly expensive that it was far out of my reach. So after digging through their display case and straining to make a case for things that are not what I am looking for I drug myself out of the camera shop empty handed. Went home and searched for like options and found none. But there was good news. While I like the GA645Zi and would have picked it up if it were available there was another variant I wanted a bit more. The original GA645.

Why?

• Prime lens.
• f/4.

More on this later also, but having a prime medium format camera allowed me to even swap a prime for a zoom on another camera at said same camera shop. Anyhoo… I am getting into the weeds and ahead of myself. Back to the task at hand.

It arrived and looked good.

It was lighter than I expected. When I picked up the box I thought that there is no way that there is a medium format camera in here. But there was and it was also smaller than I expected. After a few test rolls I confirmed that all was good. The camera worked perfectly.

Here are some of my favorite samples from the test rolls followed by a wrap up.

Wrap up.

• Did not disappoint. Everything I expected.
• This may get lost in the description but when loading the film the top knob advances the take up roll with a little robotic whirring noise and I find it quite handy.
• As stated smaller and lighter than I expected which made for a perfect carry around camera.
• AF and AE were spot on. Use Aperture priority most but Program mode worked perfectly as well.
• So much to do was made about it being noisy that it was actually less noisy than I expected.
  • The benefit of low expectations I suppose.
  • Start up makes a bit of a racket but focusing was not that noisy and the shutter and film advance were not loud at all to my ears.
• Flash worked as billed. I can see myself occasionally using it indoors and for fill flash outside.

• The build is just fine.
  • While not magnesium, which would have likely driven the price up, the grade of plastic used is not offensive and feels built to last.
  • More expensive external materials would likely have added to cost and possibly weight so it is a fair trade in my opinion.
• While I do like the gold color scheme of the Zi will admit that I rather like the plain black color scheme here.
  • While the camera was called out for a compliment by a few, it has a non-flashy appearance.

So, my “one camera” question above in the title. Had a thought while looking this camera over. Have heard it asked before, “If you had to choose one camera, what would it be?” Before this camera my answer was always, “Pfft. That is impossible.” But I think the GA 645 is it. It combines elements of all of my favorite film cameras.

• Medium format is my preferred film choice if at all possible.
• Small in size and fully automated like my favorite point and shoot 35mm cameras.
• Has a built in flash which I prefer if possible.
• Fairly easy on the eyes as well, in my opinion, without being flashy.
• I am really liking the 60mm, 35mm full frame equivalent focal length, f/4 lens.
  • I had been using a 75mm on 645 film as my point and shoot solution, 45mm full frame equivalent, but found that it can be a bit tight for walkabout use.
  • Already knew that f/4 would provide adequate blur and light gathering and so far this has been proven out in use.
  • As I have had to finally admit to myself on the digital side a wider than 50mm full frame equivalent lens that can pull off a decent portrait when the need arises suits my needs better than a focal length that backs me into a corner in tight spaces.

I am glad that the new Leica M6 was brought back and that other companies like Pentax are looking at creating new film cameras. But if someone saw fit to create a modern day GA645 that would be right up my alley. Why is that necessary when I can just buy a GA645 used? That brings me to the one and only downside.

• If this camera packs it in, it is game over.

Other vintage cameras have a strong repair market, but fully automated cameras like this not so much. So a new camera with a warranty would be nice. But I imagine if a new version was made it would cost many thousands so I could likely replace this camera several times and spend less overall. Anyhoo.

Hopefully, that day will not come for me. Helps that this example has a relatively low shutter actuation count.

Sidebar: Have read mention of a fat roll issue. I did run into this once. This is when you go to unload the film and it is… well… fat. On the nose really. Was the result of being distracted while loading a roll of film and not ensuring that the film was tightly wound. No real ill result other than some flaring on one frame. And easily avoidable by taking care when loading the film. And it has not happened since. So, I can not really ding the camera for that.

For now I plan to enjoy myself as I run as many rolls through this thing as I can.

So. My dream Fujfilm camera hails from the year 1995. Seems appropriate for a company that markets itself as a modern vintage option.

Happy capturing.

-ELW