Camera Review: Fujifilm GX 680 III S Professional
Joe Curzon is back with another camera review. And he always picks the outsiders. This time it could be considered the ultimate outsider. A gigantic camera that hardly anyone has used. But Joe has, and he has written about it. Check it out.
Gear Acquisition Syndrome is a dangerous thing. One minute you’re browsing eBay, the next minute your impulse buying a medium format camera. In my case I stumbled upon the Fujifilm GX 680 III S Professional. Produced by Fujifilm from 1997 to 2010 this is a 6×8 medium format camera designed for studio use.
Not to be confused with the GW or GA Series of Fuji Medium Format Cameras. The GX 680 series is a completely different beast. The camera itself is HUGE. As it’s really intended to be tripod mounted. It has two lugs on the side for a neck strap and you can hand hold it, but to be honest it’s not the sort of camera you’d take out for a street photography session as it weighs over 3.7kg (that’s 8.22 pounds). In millimetres it’s 188 wide, 222 long and 187 high (or in inches that’s 7.4 wide, 8.7 long 7.3 high). It’s not a discreet camera. It’s significantly bigger than a 6×4.5 SLR camera.

On the lens you only set the aperture. To focus you turn a big dial on the side of the body to adjust the bellows. Once you get used to it, it’s surprisingly quick and accurate to focus. With the S version the bellows only go forwards and backwards, but the regular Fuji GX 680 III also allows you do tilt/shift adjustments.

The lenses are built into a lens board which has connectors to the camera to send aperture information. Fuji made a range of lenses for the GX680 series from 50mm to 500m. Optically they’re regarded as excellent.
The film holder back requires 2 CR2 Batteries. It’s got an LCD screen on the top which displays the ISO of the film (but only if you set it), the number of exposures taken, if the film is 120 or 220, along with any diagnostic errors. The back can also be rotated between landscape and portrait. The viewfinder adjusts its orientation once you’ve done this too by flipping panels up over a segment of the view finder. Like a lot of medium format cameras there’s a metal blanking plate on the back so you can switch out the backs which is useful if you want to change between different films mid roll, or have multiple backs with film preloaded (as you’d expect in a busy fashion shoot).

It will auto wind for you after taking photos, according to the manual this will “free you from mechanical distractions and let you concentrate heart and soul on your subject”. It comes with a few extra bells and whistles. For example if you set the date and time it can print it along with the frame number outside the picture frame.
Once the film is spooled it will automatically find the start mark for you. It’ll also buzz at you when you get to the last frame.
The camera body allows you to set the shutter speed. You can only use “A” mode if have the view finder add on. Otherwise it’s really fully manual. The body runs on 3 CR123 batteries. It also has a socket for mains power, or alternatively you can get a AA battery add-on pack.
If you require rapid multiple shots you can flip the mirror up and shoot away, this of course means you can’t use the view finder to compose shots while doing so.
After you’ve taken a photo the camera will warn you if you take a shot 2 stops over or under it will buzz and display a message on the LCD screen.
The waist level view finder is crisp and bright. It can be replaced with a prism viewfinder, which also has extra electronics in for aperture priority shooting.
This kind of medium format camera is very modular. Most of the parts can be taken out, you can change it from a 6×8 to a 6×7, 6×6 or 6×4.5 with different viewfinder masks.

There are few different bellows you can get too, or just replace if they wear down. Fuji also made a instant back for FP-100 film. A digital back for the GX680 series also exists, but I’ve never seen one for sale. It was simply called Fujifilm DBP for GX680. It was sold from 2004 and retailed for 2,380,000 JPY (about $22K in USD) and only available in Japan. I’d love to get my hands on one to play with. You can also get adapter plates to mount other digital backs to this camera.
There are other accessories available for the system including a remote control shutter release cable.
There’s not much written on-line about this camera. There are a few posts and videos from users, but I can’t really find much information about how reliable this camera is.
What makes this camera odd is there aren’t that many available to buy on-line. There’s a slow trickle of them on eBay mainly from Japan. I’m sure Bellamy would be able to source one for you too.

With popular cameras the price bound is generally in the same range, it might go up and down depending on the demand and of course the condition. However with this Fuji there doesn’t seem much demand for them. As a result the prices for them are all over the place. I’ve seen the same thing listed from $500 to $900 (USD), sometimes even up to $2,000, for pretty much the same camera in the same condition. I got curious and spoke to a local second hand camera dealer to see if they’d part exchange it (if the offer was right, I would as well). Almost all of the dealers wouldn’t do a part exchange for the camera. One told me they’d got one already, and have had it for 3 years with no interest.

This camera is well built. It’s a solid peace of kit, it’s meant for heavy studio use and looks like the big sibling to the other Fuji Medium Format Range finder cameras. All the dials are big and chunky. They feel sturdy, firm and solid. Sure I wouldn’t want to take it out in the rain without some sort of covering.
The bellows could be a weak point. It’ll be fantastic for landscapes where you take your time contemplating the shots or portraits in the right conditions.

Perhaps many people just don’t know this camera exists. I regard it more a bit of history. You’re not likely to get this camera unless you want to do some studio or fashion shots. It’s not intended to be easily portable so most people with GAS would pick up a different camera instead. If you want a studio camera, you’re going to go digital, unless of course you want that film look. In the era it was created it made perfect sense, but with the niche of film photography, this is even more of a niche camera, which explains why the demand is limited.

Thanks for the review, Joe. I am simply amazed that you actually took this camera outside and are still able to use your arms.
JCH
Amazing review! Not for the insight or any technical information, but for showing us what true GAS is like.
I pray at your altar.
I have had terrible GAS lately……on impulse bought a Blad. And with a bad back no less. However, I think I’m safe from a Fuji 680. A wonderful camera… really beautiful machine. Enjoy.
I vote Joe for culture secretary!
Careful now. The version described here, with the capital “s” in the name, is actually the cheap, crippled version of this wonderful camera. When shopping for one, be sure to avoid the “s” version. The full version has full moves of the front standard – tilts and shifts in both axes.
Also, as a long time user, let me tell you, this camera (well, not this one obviously, but the one without “s”) is the best medium format camera that was ever made. All the Hasselblads, Mamiyas, Rolleiflexes, are silly toys in comparison.
I have a GX680 II. It is a terrific camera. If you can ignore the weight and bulk, I think it is the best designed medium format SLR ever. The controls are all very well thought out and easy to use. For example, you move the mirror-up switch “up” to activate, and “down” to de-activate. I know that sounds obvious, but I know of no other camera that implements it so simply. The film backs can even read the ISO of the film from the film backing paper. The only feature I’d like is geared tilt/shift – but just having tilt/shift is fantastic.
I wouldn’t say that the is crippled. The only difference between the S and the non-S version is that the non-S version has the tilt / shift / swing feature. That feature does add an extra 340g to the weight.
The rest of the camera is identical. The body is the same. The build quality is the same. It’s only the tilt / shift / swing adjuster and the bellows that are different between the two cameras.
Ah, but you see, that’s exactly what makes it crippled. This camera sole raison d’etre is the tilt/shift ability. Without it, it’s just another medium format camera, with not alot going for it, and many things against. It’s big, bulky, heavy, damn near impossible to shoot handheld, and fully battery dependent. I remember when this camera was introduced in early ninetes, as a replacement of large format. Targeted at product and architecture shooters. Made quite a splash, too.
But the thing is, without moves, it’s nothing interesting. Might as well go for Mamiya RZ. Or even Rolleiflex SL. Slightly smaller frame, but at least you get the tilt.
As a portrait photographer, I can’t imagine using this camera without movable front standard.
Yepp I agree, the version III WITH movements is a great camera. If you don’t want the movements buy a RZ pro 2, it is great in all ways, fantastic camera. But the GX with movements is superior. I am an experienced view camera operator but the GX ticks so many boxes for the perfect all purpose technical .ca k era compromise. The GXS is redundant, forget it.
I use a GX680III with a Leaf Aptus II 5 as my main studio camera. Other commenters are correct, it is the best “Studio” camera ever made ( I also use Sinar P2, a Hasselblad 553ELX, a H1, and a Sony A99. But you will pry the GX680III from my cold dead hands, as they say. It is just that good.
Great review. I have the GX860III. The quality is sky high (I believe it cost 4x as much as a Hasselblad when new!) Weirdly, it can be used quite successfully outdoors because it props nicely against your stomach! The lenses are phenomenally sharp (there is a reason Fujifilm was chosen by Hasselblad to make modern Hasselblad lenses). The negs are a lovely size (6cm x 8cm). However, the camera is a big bulky beast, and not the greatest looking camera. Clearly not a generalist tool. For me, definitely a keeper.
Thanks for the review. I have just created a facebook group for this camera :)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/FujifilmGX680/
Great review Joe! As a big time fan of almost everything Fujifilm produces, this camera has always intrigued me. The beautiful clunkiness of it is what first appealed to me and still does. Your review reminded me why GAS is as dangerous as it sounds… GAS sometimes lands you with a camera you wished you hadn’t purchased and sometimes takes you down a path you wouldn’t normally take. There’s absolutely no reason why I would buy this camera but yet I still want it!
So let’s see, a roll of Fujifilm 100 Acros Neopan is about $9 with shipping, professionally developed and scanned for another $11. Twenty dollars per 12 exposure roll! Add in prints done at home and with paper and ink usage another 3 bucks.
Well that makes it easy for me to decide… just saw a very nice GX680III at auction… I feel a GAS attack!
If you’re shooting 6×9 and use Portra 160 or Ektar 100, it’s possible, under exactly the right circumstance, to get a 2400dpi scan off an Epson V600 that has NO visible grain. My local lab charges $5 to develop 120 or 35mm C41, and I scan at home w/ the aforesaid Epson. I’m thinking about buying one of these beasts to replace my Mamiya Press (most of my work is at night, rangefinder focusing is a PITA, the lenses are old and flare prone, etc). When it comes to analog “there’s no replacement for discplacement.” In many ways an RB67 would be more sensible, but I love the 6×9 format and this is as close as I can get to it with an SLR. (Yes, there’s a 6×8 back for the RB, but it only works in vertical)
Real men have both versions, the GX680 III and the IIIs :)
And yes, it is possible to travel with this camera, particularly with the IIIs, since it’s slightly smaller, slightly lighter and doesn’t have as many moving parts. I’ve done it, with a backpack, on a motorbike in rural Cambodia. Hope to do it again soon.
I’m collecting the Fuji-GX 680 II now.
Only for the use with digi-back.
I’m not interrested in the film-work at this moment.
With my Phase-One 65+ digi-back (Contax-645 version), adaptor-plate and One-Shot-Capture I can use this digi-back full-frame one my Contax-645 and half-frame on the Fuji GX 680.
On the Fuji GX 680 with 50mm lens it will work as a 100mm on 6×8.
That’s prety good for landscape and some architecture work.
It’s will be very good for my close-up/macro=work with flowers etc.
Using the gx680III every damn day in a high end studio. What a joy to use. My first medium format experience. Actually my first experience as a studio photographer. As I’ve been bogged down as an assistant for a year too many. Converted to digital with I guess a rare workaround. The product is stunning. With a little user style in Capture One, the images are a joy to look at. I can only imagine it’s other uses. Created stacked images well. Temperamental at times but wow I love it.
Hi Niko, I se this is an old post but how did you convert this camera to digital? and on what DB? thanks, Erik
Found 1 on eBay.
Dont have a need, but have a WANT.
Thanks for all info.
I want to connect the fujifilm 680 iiis with the canon eos 5d mark iv. There is a way; thanks
The III S is the cheapest of them all, no movements that matter and gimped build.
I’d love one of these for landscape – but how long lived and reliable are the electronics?
A Mamiya RB67 seems a better idea as no electronics.