Camera decision - Folder or Fuji?

thecornflake

thecornflake

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Log story short - own a Zeiss Ikonta, love it for its portability (relative to the fact it shoots 6x9) but the lens has quite bad fungus and it's not in great shape.

Looking for a replacement, I was consdiering a Moskva 5 as these can be had for reasonable prices on the auction site, however I also came across a Fuji G690 in decent condition for a reasonable price. It's more than the Moskvas, but looks like a great camera, and the interchangeable lenses are a possibly bonus (EDIT: I think the one I'm looking at is the first fixed-lens edition). Plus it shoots 6x9. Downside is size - it doesn't exactly fold down like the Ikonta.

Note I do already have a Yashica MAT, but sometimes prefer using the viewfinder of the Ikonta when out and about compared to the MAT. Although it's big and bright, it takes longer to compose, plus it's the square format which I don't always want.

Does anyone have any views on what might be a better option out of these two, given my main priorities are 6x9 format, decent image quality and portability (fitting into a small ruckscak and not weighing a ton).
 
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Actually saw one of those as well. Way out of my price range unless I sold pretty much ever camera and lens I own :)
 
I'm adding the Pentacon six TL to the list of possibles because I just came across one at the same price as the Fuji.
It's 6x6 format so I'm ruling it out.
 
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If you have look in the classifieds in about an hour there will be Fuji gw690 mark iii in there for s very reasonable price....:naughty:
 
Andysnap said:
If you have look in the classifieds in about an hour there will be Fuji gw690 mark iii in there for s very reasonable price....:naughty:
Click to expand...

How reasonable? I'm watching one on the auction site but it's only got a couple of days left. And is the iii fixed lens?
 
Moskva is no replacement for the Fuji, I've got one and it needs to be pretty well stopped down losing a lot of the nice MF portrait options. Been meaning to move it on for a while now, I was hoping for a cheaper alternative to the super Ikonta but I don't think it's really doing that.
 
It is the 90mm fixed lens which is fabulously sharp. Plenty wide enough on 6x9.

Andy
 
*avidly watches sale section*
 
(y):banana:
 
Damn, it looks lovely but it's out of my price range :(
 
You might be able to pick up a Mk1 Fuji GW690 for around £200, optically it's exactly the same as the Mk3 (to my knowledge).
 
thecornflake said:
I'm kind of tempted by this -
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321481275183?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

I'd asked the guy who was selling the Moskvas a question and mentioned my Ikonta, he repairs folders and has offered to cla mine and clean the fungus off as best he can for a very reasonable price. So I may do that, and if I can avoid impulsiveness spend a little more time researching other options.
Click to expand...

The choice is always yours but this looks really rough and I'd be suspicious of the the reddish rust colour on the rear of the lens. I've use a Fuji GW690 II and it was a great camera. Personally I'd talk to Andysnap about his GW690 III it could be a far better investment
 
That rust colour does worry me. All the others (except one but I suspect it will go up a lot further) are above my price range really though, I'm ideally looking at £150, maybe £200 if I really want to push it.
 
Update - after watching an auction for a gw690 iii creep up and seriously consider bidding up to around 250 on it, I realised that for 50 more I'm into Leica iiif territory. Which isnt a 6x9 rangefinder but is a camera I have wanted for a long long time and would probably sell a couple of my collection to cover the extra for (plus I could get the Ikonta cla'd)...
 
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