The Fuji GW670III: Why This "Texas Leica" Might Just Be the Odd Camera You Fall in Love With

The Fuji GW670III, released in 1992, is the last model in a series of medium-format rangefinder cameras designed for professional landscape photographers. Like its predecessor, the third version features a fixed 90mm f/3.5 lens, but it has a newer, more rounded plastic body, making the camera noticeably lighter than most medium-format cameras.

Commonly known as the “Texas Leica” because of its size, the camera looks bulky and, with its plastic body, can feel a bit cheaply made. However, once you have the chance to hold one in your hands, you begin to appreciate its ergonomics, which almost makes you forget that you're shooting medium format. One small detail that immediately caught our attention is that the GW670 has two shutter buttons, one on the top on the advancing lever, and a second one on the front, making vertical shooting particularly comfortable.

Despite its size, the GW670 is light enough to carry without becoming an uncomfortable weight on your shoulder. The camera doesn’t need a battery because it is fully mechanical and has no light meter. Sure, this forces you to use an external light meter and slow down the process, but somehow it perfectly suits the kind of photography you want to take with the GW670. As mentioned before, this instrument appeals to photographers who need a lightweight setup that's easy to transport outdoors, want high-quality images on large negatives, and are comfortable trading an internal light meter for this.

The aperture ring and shutter speed controls are located on the lens, under a movable lens hood that hides them when not extended. It can be a bit tricky to access at times, but after shooting for a while, it gets pretty natural.

The fixed 90mm lens is incredibly sharp; it renders the colors beautifully and creates images with a pleasant contrast. The fact that the lens is not interchangeable can limit its use to specific situations. The 90mm corresponds to a 45mm lens on a 35mm camera, which is very close to the natural field of view. This camera is therefore a good option not only for landscape photography but also for taking environmental portraits. For those who prefer a wider field of view, Fuji offers a variant of the 6x9 version, namely the GSW690, equipped with a 65mm lens that translates to 28mm on a full-frame camera.

As a rangefinder, the GW670 has a leaf shutter and can therefore deliver sharp images, even wheneven when shooting handheld at long shutter speeds. The body's ergonomics and weight allow a firm grip that makes it easy to stay steady while firing; we tested it at a concert, shooting at 1/30 of a second, and were surprised by how sharp the images were.

Fuji released 3 models of this camera: the 6x7, which is relatively rare and more expensive;; the 6x8; and the 6x9, which is definitely the easiest to find and the most affordable. The third version of these cameras was produced in the ‘90s and replaced the previous models from the ‘80s, which had a more linear metal body and are still easy to find on the market. One interesting, unique feature is a shutter counter on the bottom of the camera that lets you easily see how many films the camera has shot (Fuji says the lifespan of these models is 500 films).

In the end, the Fuji GW670 is an odd camera, with some limitations and not flexible enough for every context. However, the camera has clear strengths, from its lightweight design to its super-sharp lens and overall very good ergonomics.

This is not a camera for everyone, but there are good reasons to fall in love with it. Our impression is that the GW670 strips photography down to the basics: no distractions and less flexibility — that is, limitations as a way to focus on the essentials.