FUJIFILM GX617 Professional + SWD 90mm f/5.6 Sample Photo Review | Landscapes Captured with a 6×17 Panoramic Film Camera

A wide sky, mountains stretching into the distance, flowers blooming as far as the eye can see. You want to preserve the landscape spreading before you in a single frame, as close to how it is as possible.

The camera born for exactly that kind of shooting is Fujifilm's panoramic film camera, the "GX617 Professional."

In this article, we introduce a sample photo taken with the FUJIFILM GX617 Professional paired with the "EBC FUJINON SWD 90mm f/5.6."

There is only one sample photo, but we introduce the camera's appeal by digging into how it works, the features unique to the 6×17 format, and the specifications of its dedicated lens.

What Is the FUJIFILM GX617 Professional?

The GX617 Professional is an interchangeable-lens panoramic film camera released in December 1993.

It uses 120/220 roll film rather than 35mm film, recording landscapes on a wide frame of approximately 6×17cm.

The actual frame size is 56×168mm, with an aspect ratio of exactly 1:3.

Compared with a single frame of standard 35mm format (24×36mm), the image area on the film is about 11 times larger. A major feature is that you shoot using a vast frame from the start, rather than simply cropping into a wide format.

One roll of 120 film yields just 4 frames.

Precisely because the number of shots is limited, you think carefully about what to include in the frame, where to place the horizon and when to release the shutter. Taking the time to consider your composition before shooting is part of the pleasure unique to this camera.

The Distinctive Panoramic Expression Created by the 6×17 Format

The appeal of the GX617 is not just its wide angle of view.

By making use of the frame that extends far horizontally, you can build not only the main subject but also its surrounding scenery and depth into a single composition.

For example, you can capture a wide field of flowers together with the mountains behind it, or fit a coastline or streetscape stretching left and right into one frame.

Because the eye naturally travels from one edge of the frame to the other, you can present photos in a way that differs from an ordinary rectangular frame.

The large 56×168mm negative is also attractive for recording the fine details of a landscape. However, actual results vary depending on conditions such as the film used, exposure, development and scanning.

Lens Used: EBC FUJINON SWD 90mm f/5.6

We paired it with the "EBC FUJINON SWD 90mm f/5.6," an ultra-wide lens dedicated to the GX617.

According to the manufacturer's literature, its diagonal angle of view is 89°, and it is designed to cover the wide 6×17 frame.

On a 35mm camera, 90mm is classed as a medium telephoto, but on the GX617's large frame it functions as an ultra-wide.

The fact that you cannot judge the angle of view from the focal length number alone is one of the interesting things about medium format and panoramic cameras.

The lens construction is 8 elements in 6 groups, the aperture can be set from f/5.6 wide open to a minimum of f/45, and the minimum focusing distance is 2.0m.

The lens has a Copal No.0 leaf shutter, with shutter speeds from 1 second to 1/500 second plus B (bulb).

In addition, a dedicated center filter for the 90mm was available to deal with the darkening of the frame edges that occurs with wide-angle lenses.

This is an accessory for evening out the difference in brightness between the center and the edges of the frame, and you can consider using it depending on your purpose.

Sample Photo | Fitting a Flower Field and Mountains into One Frame

In this sample photo, the yellow flowers spreading across the left side of the frame, the orange flowers coloring the right, and the path extending into the distance through the center are striking.

Beyond them you can see gondolas and mountains, with elements from the foreground to the far distance contained in the wide frame.

While the flower fields spreading left and right convey the breadth of the landscape, the path in the center leads the eye deep into the frame.

The composition, which takes in a large expanse of sky, also lets you feel the character of this unique panoramic format.

Looking at the sample photo, you can clearly see the GX617 way of enjoying photography: rather than making one particular flower the main subject, you preserve "the whole landscape of that place" as a work.

Operation Is Also a Little Different from Ordinary Cameras

The GX617 is a camera that uses a dedicated external viewfinder matched to the angle of view.

Focus is set on the lens by estimating the distance, and the photographer also judges the exposure. A handheld light meter or similar is used as needed.

For those who want to check focus and composition more precisely, an optional focusing screen was also available.

Film advance is manual, and you operate the lever four times to advance one frame.

The electromagnetic shutter release on the body uses two CR123A lithium batteries.

It is the type of camera where you shoot while checking each operation one by one, without relying on autofocus or auto exposure.

For landscape photography, using a tripod makes shooting easier, both for leveling the wide frame and for checking the composition right to the four corners.

Summary | A Camera for Facing a Single Landscape at Your Own Pace

The FUJIFILM GX617 Professional is not a camera for shooting large quantities efficiently.

With the constraint of only 4 frames per roll of 120 film, it is a tool for thinking about how to frame a wide landscape and concentrating on a single shot.

Paired with the EBC FUJINON SWD 90mm f/5.6, it lets you record scenery that stretches left and right, such as flower fields and mountain ranges, at a scale only the 6×17 format can offer.

If you are interested in a shooting experience only panoramic film can provide, be sure to take a look.

Five Star Camera carries film cameras and interchangeable lenses. For details on the equipment introduced here, please see the product page below.

FUJIFILM GX617 Professional + SWD 90mm f/5.6 product page