Uploaded March 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
I’ve been yearning for this camera for years… huge negatives and a great lens, a winning combination, surely??
I’m not going to use the hard worn cliché nickname that this camera has. We’ve all heard it, and I’m going to dig my heels in and ignore it. Suffice to say, this camera has a nickname that is based on the fact that it’s really good, but ten times the size of other cameras.
And that much is indeed true. It is both those things – it’s VERY good. And it’s VERY big.
Right, now that’s out the way… I’m in Alaska! Out here for work, as usual. My poor family struggling by without me for a month, 5,000 miles away in the UK.
I did my usual deliberation on which camera to bring with me, and settled on the Fuji GW690. Yes, it’s big, but it’s still lighter than my Bronica S2A, and it offers that wonderful 6x9 frame size which is a little better suited to the sort of landscapes that the mountains around Anchorage are likely to offer.
This is the first time I’ve tried any of the Fuji GW series. The GW690iii was the last of the series, they stopped making the GWs after this one. There was, obviously, a GW690 and a GW690ii before the GW690iii, and I believe progressive improvements were made.
I believe that the GW690ii is usually the most popular of the series because it was a bit more solid and mostly made of metal, whereas the GW690iii is primarily plastic.
But even though it is more plastic, it doesn’t feel flimsy, doesn’t feel to my hands like it’s anything but sturdy and reliable. Plus if it was full metal then I’m not sure the decision to bring it with me on an international flight would have been quite so easy. Weight is always a problem, especially when you’re away for a month and you have to consider the weight of 20 pairs of underwear.
Thoughts on it – it’s growing on me. It’s not the sort of camera I usually go for. It’s modern, lightweight (ish), super reliable and creates immaculate crisp images. As I say in the video, it’s the sort of thing I would usually say lacks character. But I think I need to stop all this silly talk. The S2A is pissing me off right now. So I’m feeling a little more open to cameras that work.
I'm calling this video part one, because I'm out in Alaska for another three weeks and I only have one camera with me, this one! So there will be more videos from this camera in Alaska!
Anyway, it’s a great camera. It really is. I’m looking forward to taking it out again. And that’s the real tell tale for me. That’s all I want really… to get excited about shooting with whatever camera I’m testing!
Anyway, let me know your thoughts. But on one condition… NO CLICHES. Don’t say it. Don’t…
I’ve been yearning for this camera for years… huge negatives and a great lens, a winning combination, surely??
I’m not going to use the hard worn cliché nickname that this camera has. We’ve all heard it, and I’m going to dig my heels in and ignore it. Suffice to say, this camera has a nickname that is based on the fact that it’s really good, but ten times the size of other cameras.
And that much is indeed true. It is both those things – it’s VERY good. And it’s VERY big.
Right, now that’s out the way… I’m in Alaska! Out here for work, as usual. My poor family struggling by without me for a month, 5,000 miles away in the UK.
I did my usual deliberation on which camera to bring with me, and settled on the Fuji GW690. Yes, it’s big, but it’s still lighter than my Bronica S2A, and it offers that wonderful 6x9 frame size which is a little better suited to the sort of landscapes that the mountains around Anchorage are likely to offer.
This is the first time I’ve tried any of the Fuji GW series. The GW690iii was the last of the series, they stopped making the GWs after this one. There was, obviously, a GW690 and a GW690ii before the GW690iii, and I believe progressive improvements were made.
I believe that the GW690ii is usually the most popular of the series because it was a bit more solid and mostly made of metal, whereas the GW690iii is primarily plastic.
But even though it is more plastic, it doesn’t feel flimsy, doesn’t feel to my hands like it’s anything but sturdy and reliable. Plus if it was full metal then I’m not sure the decision to bring it with me on an international flight would have been quite so easy. Weight is always a problem, especially when you’re away for a month and you have to consider the weight of 20 pairs of underwear.
Thoughts on it – it’s growing on me. It’s not the sort of camera I usually go for. It’s modern, lightweight (ish), super reliable and creates immaculate crisp images. As I say in the video, it’s the sort of thing I would usually say lacks character. But I think I need to stop all this silly talk. The S2A is pissing me off right now. So I’m feeling a little more open to cameras that work.
I'm calling this video part one, because I'm out in Alaska for another three weeks and I only have one camera with me, this one! So there will be more videos from this camera in Alaska!
Anyway, it’s a great camera. It really is. I’m looking forward to taking it out again. And that’s the real tell tale for me. That’s all I want really… to get excited about shooting with whatever camera I’m testing!
Anyway, let me know your thoughts. But on one condition… NO CLICHES. Don’t say it. Don’t…
