The Fuji GX680 is a single lens reflex system camera for medium format film produced by Fujifilm with interchangeable camera lenses and interchangeable film holders for the unusual film format 6x8cm on 60mm roll film type 120 and 220. One highlight is the mounting of the lens on a lens board running on a rail connecting lens and camera body by a bellows like a view camera. In contrast to related medium-format-cameras of other makers, e.g. Mamiya RB67 and RZ67 and Rolleiflex SL66, the lens board can be shifted right, left, up and down for perspective control, the lens board can also be tilted on horizontal and vertical axis for control of depth of field using the Scheimpflug principle. Therefore the Fuji GX680 has the optical skills of a large format camera, only limited by restricted movability of the lens board, enabling the camera also for architectural photography. The Fuji GX680 has quite large physical dimensions for a medium-format-camera, but compared to studio-large-format-cameras the Fuji GX860 is a somehow more compact model. Although the Fuji GX680 has been designed for studio-work due to its size and weight, there also has been a neck-strap for mobile work.
The Fuji GX 680 has been built in 3 modell-variants (numbers in parentheses are the production periods):
The 3 models differ externally only by slight modifications on displays, controls and rechargeable battery versus battery.
There has been a second variant of the model III called GX 680 III S, missing the tilt- and shift-movements of the lens board (but movement of the lens board for focusing has been possible).
About 18 interchangeable camera lenses, some viewfinders and focusing screens, film holders (also for instant film), different bellows and extension rail sets for close ups have been available.
Contents |
| GX 680 | GX 680 II | GX 680 III | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Source | rechargeable battery (7.2V) | 3x CR123A batteries (9V), optional battery holder | |
| Display | LEDs | LCD | |
| Acoustic and optical warning on errors | Yes | ||
| Lenses | EBC Fujinon GX or EBC Fujinon GXM1 | ||
| Display Filmcounter | Counter for camera & filmholder | Counter for camera, filmholder & lens2 | |
| Automatic filmadvance to 1. picture and after last picture | Yes | ||
| Data recording on film possible | No | Yes, with film holder III | |
| Film | 120/220 type 6 cm roll film3 | ||
| Formats | Portrait/Landscape by revolving the film holder, viewfinder mask coupled to the revolving film holder shows the actual orientation4 | ||
| 6x8cm (56x76mm) | 6x8cm (56x76mm), 6x7cm5 (56x69mm),
6x6cm5 (56x56mm), 6x4.5 cm5 (56x41.5mm) |
||
| Lens-Shift, max.6 | 15mm right, left, up; 13mm down | ||
| Lens-Tilt, max.6 | ±12° on horizontal and vertical axis | ||
| Communications connector7 | No | Yes | |
| Shutter Speed | 1/400s-8s, Bulb | ||
| Exposure Frequency (via motor-film-advance in film-holder) | ca. 1 frame/s | ||
| ISO (manual setting on film-holder or automatic setting via film bar code system) | 25-1600 | 25-3200 | |
| Mounting for neck-strap (sidewise eyelets on body) | No, extra neck-strap-set available | Yes | |
| Flash-synchro-socket, -test-button, hot accessory shoe on lens board | Yes | ||
| Exposure-Programs | Manual (set Exposure-Time and Aperture manually),
Auto Exposure AE (Aperture priority, set Aperture manually, automatic setting of Shutter Speed depending on ISO-setting on film-holder in combination with Exposuremeter in AE-Finder) |
||
| OTF8-Exposure-Warning, -Display | Yes, displayed via LEDs | Yes, displayed via LCD | |
| OTF-Sensitivity | LW 4-18 at ISO 100 | LW 5-19 at ISO 100 | |
| TTL-Light- & -Flashlight-Measure8 | No, only via AE-Finder | ||
| Weight | 4146g9 | 4256g9 | III: 4070g10, 2690g11
IIIS: 3720g10, 2350g11 |
| Dimensions10 | 187mm (B), 278mm (L), 207mm (H) | III: 188mm (B), 274mm (L), 213mm (H); IIIS: 188mm (B), 274mm (L), 187mm (H) | |
1The GXM-Lenses have been introduced with GX680 III. They had an electronic Picture-Counter included in the lenses, allowing the Fuji GX680 III together with film-holder III to show the counter for the film-holder, the camera and the lens for maintenance-purposes. GXM-Lenses can be used on models GX680 and GX680 II, but show no counter there.
2Counter for lens only with GXM-Lenses and film-holder III
3120 and 220 type roll-film used different film-holders on models GX680 and GX680 II, model GX680 III just did use different replaceable film-cassettes in the same film-holder
4only viewable with 6x8 and 6x7 focusing screens on model GX680 III
5needs adequate format-mask for film-holder III, adapt viewer by matching focusing screen with imprinted format border, changing of film-mask during a film not possible
6effective movement can be reduced by 50mm Lens or 100-200mm Zoom-Lens, also by combining different movements with any lens; model GX 680 III S has no Lens-Shift or -Tilt
7enables mounting of Fujifilm DBP Digital Back
8OTF=Of The Film, during the exposure a Silicium-Diode inside the camera-body measures the light reflected by the film in a central 25mm diameter circle, displays over-/under- or correct-exposure after taking the picture, no Flashlight-Control via OTF possible
9Camera-Body with Lens 135mm/1:5.6, filmh-holder and rechargeable battery
10Camera-Body with Lens 135mm/1:5.6 and film-hoöder, without (rechargeable) batteries
11only Camera-Body, without batteries
The listed Controls and Parts are available on the camera:
All EBC Fujinon GX(M) Lenses have been equipped with a Central shutter (Flash synchronization is possible at all shutter-speeds), the lenses have good reputations. Electric contacts on the lens board and the lenses have been used to control the central shutter.
A Lens Board Adaptor Accessory permits the use of large-format camera lenses fitting Linhof Technika type lens boards, but the shutter of these lenses is not controlled by the Fuji GX680, so only Bulb-Speed can be used.
As the Fuji GX680 series are system cameras there is a wide range of accessories: