Firstly let me introduce the Fuji TW-3 or Tele-Wide 3 - a slightly GS645 styled 35mm half frame camera released in 1985. It looks completely different to any other half frame that came before it, and I like it!

It features a tele lens (69mm) and a wide lens (23mm) which are selected by twisting the front by 90 degrees from the off position in either clockwise or anti-clockwise direction. The wide mode automatically pops the flash up ready for use. The flash is automatic so doesn’t just fire all the time in wide mode.

Focus is adjusted by the scale slider next to each lens.

This camera has some rather odd characteristics going on!

The biggest one of these is the cameras main drawback - the battery. It is not intended to be changed by the user, but is not rechargeable! It uses 2x 3v CR123 batteries that are fixed inside and required a Fuji technician to change them! How utterly ridiculous!! The batteries are housed in the grip section of the rear door and involved peeling the textured covering away to access the screws - another stupid idea. Then they are soldered in place! Yet another stupid idea!

Luckily mine came with still some charge left in them, so I quickly shot a test roll…

Fuji TW-3 - Fuji Superior Xtra 400 (expired)

Unlike most half frame 35mm cameras the TW-3 is setup for landscape orientation shooting, with the film travelling from bottom to top - rather than the conventional left to right as in most cameras. I must say this is a positive, as I don’t tend to shoot in portrait a lot of the time.

As tends to be usual for me, I shot an expired roll instead of fresh when testing - a choice I always regret as I want to see how the camera performs properly without the uncertain factor of the film. One day I will learn my lesson!

There were some frames with light leaks, but not all of them. I guess it is coming from the back as the light travels through a series of mirrors on the front before hitting the film and the front lens panel covers the majority of the front.

Obviously the grain is down to the old film stock - exacerbated by the small 24x18mm frame size. And I think the auto exposure would be spot on with fresh film. The flash turned out not to work, but I don’t like flash photography anyway so that’s ok.

This has to be one of the best half-frame cameras out there to shoot with (if you can overcome the battery conundrum). It is packed with ‘modern’ features like electronic wind and rewind, auto exposure, auto flash, DX coding, TV mode (for those who ever thought it a good idea to photograph their TV!) plus it is ultra pocketable with it’s slim form factor, and the shutter is really nice and quiet.

It feels space age when compared to my Ricoh Auto Half EF-2 that I am currently shooting with, and the Canon Dial 35 that arrived this week.

It would be a very good idea to run a fresh film through it before the batteries die!

Fuji TW-3 - GOAT half frame…

The airport X-ray effect…