Being that this is the closest to the actual sports car that I’ll probably ever be, I decided to take the ole’ 6800z out for a spin and see what it could do. As I had just finished watching an episode of Top Gear (British version, thank you very much) and cars were top of mind, I chose to make five images of my 2009 Hyundai Sonata V6 fragmenting the car in a somewhat abstract way.
As the history of photography will reveal, there have been instances where a celebrated icon of 20th century design was “in” on how a camera came to be, aesthetically, functionally, and mechanically. The aficionados reading this article will undoubtedly have their virtual hands raised to help with the list but the ones that come to immediate mind are:
- The 1975 Contax RTS (Porsche Design)
- The 1950(s) Ducati Sogno (Ducati)
- The 1980 Nikon F3 (Giorgetto Giugiaro)
- The 2012 Pentax K-01 (Marc Newson)
- The 1997 Rollei QZ (Porsche Design)
- The Anscomark M/Ricoh 999 (Raymond Loewy)
- The Fujifilm Finepix 4800z/6800z (Porsche)
As I said to name a few. There are countless other cameras designed by celebrated designers from other countries whose influence is well documented.
I am fortunate in that my 6800z is almost mint and functions perfectly. This is not the case with many of the Fujifilm CCD cameras of the era who were victims of early sensor death leaving the camera virtually useless (The notorious F700 comes to mind)
Despite its famous and talented designer, the Fujifilm Finepix 6800z does not share the same unabashed “drive-ability” of the Porsche, itself. The camera is somewhat unwieldy, difficult to grip effectively, and falls short considerably as a shooter. And while that does limit the camera’s usefulness compared to, let’s say, an X-Pro2, one cannot possibly deny that this is a very cool camera. Hitting the power button on the 6800z treats you to a lovely welcome message, and a mechanical lens cover snapping open allowing the 3x optical zoom to come to attention. Concluding your photo session means a final salutation (See You! – in a somewhat “Prisoner”-like fashion) and that same zoom lens returning to its lair. Honestly, one could simply watch the lens door open and close all day which I’m sure contributes to a considerable failure rate on the used camera market.
As mentioned above, the 6800z is not a particularly easy camera to shoot with so I relied heavily on the automated features to make my photographs. And as a result of a dim LCD monitor and a tunnel VF, my images are not S.O.O.C but were subject to mild cropping to reach my desired results.
The 2009 Hyundai Sonata Limited is an attractive car and the clean lines reflect a certain level of sophistication and drama. This first image depicts the rear tail-light of the car and the V6 plaque referencing the 3.3 litre engine under the hood. The “Old-Man Edition” plaque is a bit of humor nodding to the popular American tradition of the 70’s when companies targeted a specific demographic through subtle variations in a model line. (The irony here is that old men are really the only ones who get the joke) The 6800z did an adequate job of rendering some very nice colors with the strong green of the grass contrasting the blue metallic finish of the Hyundai. The slash of red from the taillight compliments the color pallet nicely.
The 6800z’s 1/1.7” Super CCD captures the detail of this custom wheel. Sadly, one can detect a slight shift in focus towards the center of the frame. As wheels go, this is an okay photograph of one.
The State of Ohio has a rear license plate requirement only, which, fortunately, opens up the infinite possibilities of what could be mounted on the front. I let my “nerd flag” fly and chose a reproduction plate from American Grafitti (1973, George Lucas) that hung on the back of Suzanne Somer’s 1956 white T-Bird. And as my fellow nerds will confirm, a truncated nod to Lucas’ first film THX-1138 starring Robert Duvall as the namesake.The full resolution of the 6800z’s (interpolated) 6 MP captured the burst of yellow while still rendering the specular highlights created by the car’s trim.
The Sonata has a great moonroof. The photograph depicts the strong dynamic of the roof’s relationship to the rest of the car. I like the reflection of the trees in the smoky, mirrored glass. The Fuji did manage to capture the Sonata’s finish even in the slightly “blown-out” highlights of the strong reflection. Overall, I appreciate the juxtaposition and the composition of this shot.
I decided to try the Black & White “Scene” that is one of the 6800z’s offerings. Ànd while it pales in comparison to the Monochrom’s dedicated B & W sensor, it still manages to capture the tonal range of the various components of the Sonata’s engine bay. I really like the subtle difference between the oil dipstick (Screen Left) and the automatic transmission fluid dipstick (Screen right)
So there you have it or “Submitted for your approval” as one might say. Five frames per the imaginatively designed Fujifilm FinePix 6800z. A camera of smiles and quirks. As as I would never expect my 2009 “Old Man Edition” Hyundai Sonata 3.3L Limited to overtake a 911 Carrera off the line, I would never grab the 6800z and expect it to outperform a contemporary mirrorless camera. Owning one is a different story. It makes a wonderful addition to any vintage CCD sensor collection.
And then there’s that magical lens door… slamming open and closed… releasing that 3x zoom and then pulling it back in… over and over…
Michael Kaplan is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Theatre, Film, and Media Arts at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. An avid image maker for half a century, Kaplan has finally sworn off Film Photography completely in favor of digital technology. Stay tuned for an account of this fascinating journey!
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