If you hang around film photographers long enough, the conversation always eventually shifts to negative size. Sure, 35mm is great for everyday carry, and half-frame is seeing a huge revival. But eventually, the medium format bug bites. You might start sensible with a little 645 camera or a lightweight twin lens reflex, but sooner or later, you start looking at the heavyweights. You want the big negatives. The massive, detail-rich, slide-it-on-a-lightbox-and-weep negatives.

When you get to that point, two legendary cameras usually end up on your radar: the Fuji GW690 and the Pentax 67. They are both absolute titans of the medium format world, but they approach the task of taking photos in completely opposite ways. One is an oversized rangefinder with a fixed lens. The other is a colossal single-lens reflex camera that feels like it was milled from a solid block of brass.

I absolutely love both of these cameras, but choosing between them usually comes down to your shooting style, your physical tolerance for weight, and how much you hate (or love) mirror slap. Let's break down what it actually feels like to shoot the Texas Leica versus the Monster.

The Fuji GW690: The Texas Leica

The Fuji GW690 earned its nickname "The Texas Leica" for a very simple reason: it looks exactly like a classic 35mm rangefinder (like a Leica M3), but scaled up to completely absurd, everything-is-bigger-in-Texas proportions. When you first pull it out of a bag, people tend to do a double-take. It is comically large.

But despite its sheer volume, the GW690 is surprisingly manageable. Because there's no massive mirror mechanism or heavy interchangeable lens mount inside, it isn't completely backbreaking to carry. It feels a bit hollow for its size, mostly in a good way.

This camera shoots a 6x9 centimeter negative. That is simply massive. It is the exact same 2:3 aspect ratio as 35mm film, just blown up to gigantic proportions. Because the frames are so long, you only get eight shots on a standard roll of 120 film. Eight shots. You really have to slow down and mean it when you press the shutter button.

Speaking of the shutter, the GW690 uses a mechanical leaf shutter built directly into the lens. The lens itself—usually a fixed 90mm f/3.5 Fujinon—is permanently attached to the body. It is phenomenally sharp, rendering details in landscapes or architecture that will rival modern digital sensors when properly scanned. Because it uses a leaf shutter, pressing the button results in a quiet, polite little "snick." There is zero vibration. You can handhold this giant camera at surprisingly slow shutter speeds, making it an amazing (if bulky) companion for travel and street photography.

Focusing is done via a rangefinder patch in the optical viewfinder. It's fully mechanical—no batteries required, no light meter inside. It is just you, your external light meter, and a big mechanical box designed to do exactly one thing perfectly.

The Pentax 67: The Monster

If the Fuji is an oversized rangefinder, the Pentax 67 is an oversized K1000. It is a traditional single-lens reflex (SLR) camera, just inflated to the size of a cinder block. And unlike the Fuji, it feels exactly as heavy as it looks. Picking up a Pentax 67 with a lens on it is an actual bicep workout.

The Pentax shoots a 6x7 centimeter negative. This aspect ratio is a bit squarer than the Fuji's 6x9, translating beautifully to standard 8x10 print sizes with almost no cropping. Because the negatives are slightly smaller, you get ten shots per roll of 120 film instead of eight.

The real magic of the Pentax 67 lies in its SLR design and its incredible lineup of interchangeable lenses. When you look through the massive glass prism of the Pentax, you are seeing exactly what the lens sees. You can preview exactly how your depth of field will look, making it an absolute dream for portrait photographers.

And we have to talk about the glass. The Pentax 67 system has frankly ridiculous lenses, headlined by the legendary 105mm f/2.4. Shooting that lens wide open on a 6x7 negative creates a look that is almost impossible to replicate. The subject is tack-sharp, while the background just melts into this creamy, three-dimensional blur. It is breathtaking.

However, the SLR design comes with a literal huge catch: the mirror. Because the mirror inside the camera is so big, flipping it up out of the way when you take a photo causes a massive vibration. "Mirror slap" on the Pentax 67 is famous. Firing the shutter sounds like a car door slamming. Because of this recoil, shooting the Pentax handheld at slower shutter speeds (like 1/30th or 1/60th) can actually result in blurry photos from the camera shaking itself. For critical landscape work, you are going to need a very sturdy tripod and the mirror lock-up function.

Head to Head: Which One Fits Your Style?

Choosing between these two comes down to understanding what frustrates you more: guessing your framing or carrying a very heavy brick all day.

Portability and Travel: The Fuji wins here, hands down. Yes, it's bulky, but the lighter weight and lack of mirror slap make it a fantastic walkaround camera. I've hiked with a GW690, and while it takes up a lot of space in my bag, it doesn't leave my neck screaming in pain. The Pentax, on the other hand, is a studio and short-walk camera for most mere mortals. Sitting it on a tripod is where it is happiest.

Portraits vs. Landscapes: If you shoot portraits, get the half-body shot, get up close to people's faces, and obsess over bokeh, the Pentax 67 is the obvious choice. The through-the-lens viewing and that fast 105mm f/2.4 lens make it a portrait machine. The Fuji's f/3.5 fixed lens is great, but its rangefinder framing means you can't get incredibly close, and you won't see exactly how out-of-focus your backgrounds will be. But for landscapes? The incredible edge-to-edge sharpness of the Fuji's 90mm lens and the vibration-free leaf shutter make it a landscape photographer's best friend.

The Shooting Experience: The Fuji forces simplicity. Fixed lens, fully mechanical, eight shots, no battery. It's a pure photographic exercise. The Pentax offers flexibility. You can swap finders (waist-level or prism), change lenses from wide angles to massive telephotos, and build a whole system around it.

The Final Verdict

You honestly can't go wrong with either. They are both pinnacle achievements of film camera engineering.

If you love the process of rangefinder focusing, prefer your gear simplified, and want the biggest possible negative you can easily carry on a road trip, find a Fuji GW690. But if you are chasing that specific, beautifully isolated portrait aesthetic, don't mind carrying a heavy piece of brass, and love the visceral mechanical clunk of a giant SLR, then you need the Pentax 67 in your life.

Both of these legendary medium format beasts rotate through our shop frequently, and since neither has a built-in meter you can always trust, you'll want to grab a good light meter while you're at it. You can check our current inventory for a Fuji GW690 or see if we have the mighty Pentax 67 in stock. Oh, and if you do go with the Pentax, do your neck a massive favor and pick up a wide, heavy-duty camera strap—trust me, you're going to need it.