Fuji GW690 with Ektachrome and Ektar: A 6x9 Format Adventure

The Fuji GW690 is one of those cameras that tends to surprise people. It is a 6x9 format medium format camera, which means it shoots the largest negative size you are likely to encounter outside of large format sheet film. And yet it is compact enough to carry hiking or traveling without the bulk of a fully modular medium format SLR system. That combination makes it genuinely special.

Why the Fuji GW690?

The GW690 has a fixed 90mm f/3.5 lens, which is roughly equivalent to a 40mm lens in 35mm terms. It is a wide, natural perspective that works beautifully for landscapes, environmental portraits, and travel photography. The lens is sharp from corner to corner, the camera is quiet, and the 6x9 negative it produces is large enough that the grain from even ISO 100 films appears almost invisibly fine when printed.

On 120 film, the GW690 gives you 8 frames per roll. You are not burning through film quickly, which encourages more deliberate, thoughtful shooting.

Ektachrome vs Ektar: Understanding the Difference

Both films used in this video are ISO 100, which suits the GW690's fixed maximum aperture of f/3.5 well in outdoor light. But they produce very different results.

Kodak Ektachrome E100

Ektachrome is slide film, also called color reversal or color positive film. You shoot it and it develops into a positive transparency rather than a negative. The colors are vivid and the contrast is high, but there is almost no exposure latitude. You need to meter accurately. One of the distinctive qualities of Ektachrome is its almost three-dimensional color rendering, particularly in blues and greens, which makes landscapes look extraordinary.

Kodak Ektar 100

Ektar 100 is a color negative film with the finest grain structure of any color negative film currently available. At ISO 100, it produces images with astonishing sharpness and a vivid, saturated color palette that is particularly strong for landscapes and nature photography. Unlike Ektachrome, Ektar has good exposure latitude, making it more forgiving to shoot with.

Which Works Better on the GW690?

Both films take full advantage of the GW690's large 6x9 negative. Ektachrome produces the more dramatic, saturated results, particularly for sky and outdoor color. Ektar is the safer choice when light is less predictable and you want the forgiveness of a color negative film.

For outdoor adventures and travel in good light, either film is an excellent choice. Shoot Ektachrome when conditions are consistent and you can meter carefully. Shoot Ektar when you are moving fast and cannot control every exposure precisely.

Browse our 120 film selection for both slide and color negative options, and our medium format camera collection to find the right body for your shooting style.