Fujica GER

Today, Fuji is among the top digital camera makers. It was not always like that. Like Kia Motors, it had climbed uphill from the backwaters to the front line in terms of quality and reputation. In the second half of the last century, Fuji offered a mix of low-end point-and-shoots, under-estimated SLRs, professional cameras, and an endless line of compact, inexpensive cameras to which the GEr subscribes.

There were two models, the GE, a viewfinder, and the GER / GEr, a rangefinder. Other than the focusing feature, they were identical. Little information is available online or in print, and the few cameras that have changed hands in the last decade were sold on the cheap. It is an unimportant camera, has not made any splash before, and draws no attention today.

Intended for home use, the camera is foolproof automatic, meant to rely on a dedicated flash gun. The 38mm Lens leans towards a wide angle for indoor, close-quarters use.

The GER is full format 35mm. Tiny and light, at about the size of a deck of cards, it weighs almost half the German comparable of the era; it does not exude quality. It is fully automatic and does not give the user any consideration other than cheating with the film sensitivity.

• It has an electronic, continuous-speed shutter that doubles as an aperture and opens long enough and wide enough to take the ideal shot. An impressive array of shutter speeds, 4sec – /800.
• The viewer is large and clear, showing parallax marks, a battery charge icon and a red dot that comes on with slow speeds.
• To make up for the lack of settings and to entertain the user, Fuji added lights and windows.
  • On top, by the winder, is a window that contains the auto reset frame counter and a red/green square: red is ready to shoot, and green needs winding.
  • Still on top, by the accessory hot shoe, are two lights, Yashica Electro style: white for ready flash and red for battery check / slow speed warning.
  • On the back, a window shows chevrons advancing with film advance.
• More action is on the lens barrel:
  • A dial marked with GN values and A for automatic. A is for natural light shooting; the rest are guide numbers for the dedicated flash gun.
  • Focusing ring, on the GE model zone focusing, on the GEr a coupled rangefinder.
  • The CdS meter lens and ASA / DIN speed settings are in front, set via dialling a hard-to-grasp ring around that lens. It supports a wide film speed range, ISO 15-800
• Batteries are the now-extinct 640, which can be substituted with LR44 and an adapter, which is widely available on eBay. The battery direction is marked on the battery bay. If markings are wiped out, consult the manual.
• The camera will not operate without batteries.

As mentioned above, this camera is an unimportant model, a typical thrift store crop. There is no harm in picking one up; it still looks nice on the shelf.