Re: Fuji G617 focusing screens, ND filter usage, etc., questions

[CraigClint@xxxxxxx]

Roman,

I've used this camera exclusively for about 4 years (I shoot about 300-400 
rolls per year) so I'll try to answer your questions.

<< Apparently, it's tricky framing photos with the G617 (due to the 
rangefinder design, I suppose). I've heard some people use a focusing 
screen/ground glass to frame images more precisely with G model. >>

I shoot with a focusing screen a very small percentage of the time. If in 
need very accurate framing I use one. I use a piece of frosted plexiglass cut 
to size since I don't want to worry about breakage in the field. Of course I 
use a dark cloth because the light transmission of the plexi is poor. It 
takes a while to get used to the apparent inaccuracies of the rangefinder but 
I find I can hit the framing very close to what I want about 95 percent of 
the time. It is those low tree branches or bushes that you can't see because 
of the lense that will get you most often. Keep in mind that the lens is 
lower than your eye, especially when trying to focus close up.

On a related issue, I use the focusing ranges supplied in the user manual (I 
hope you got one) instead of the ground glass for focusing. Their table of 
distances works very well if you are good at estimating distances and know 
meters, or how to convert them to feet and yards.

<<From your experience, should one use the centre ND filter all the time ...>>

I use it all the time, with the rare exception of sunsets or sunrises where 
having some fall off is useful for the effect. In other words, when I want 
the brightest part of the image to be in the center.

<<Does digital image manipulation in Photoshop negate the need for the centre 
ND filter?>>

I don't think so. First of all you would have to create a graduated mask that 
matches the lens's particular fall off rate, and you will find that puting 
density in blown out highlights, or color in dark shadows is very difficult 
if not impossible in many cases. Doing it right, even if it means going to a 
faster film or pushing the film to compensate for the 1 stop loss, is well 
worth the effort.

I shoot with Velvia about half the time and Kodak 100VS the rest of the time, 
except for rare forays into 400 speed films for exceptional situations.

Craig