Bronica Medium Format Owners Thread

I thought that I'd share some of my experiences using my SQ-A handheld. It's quite common on the internet to hear folks say that you shouldn't use shutter speeds slower than 1/125 with SQ-As or other Bronica SLRs because of the mirror slap, but I've personally found this to be complete rubbish. I've been using 1/60 and even 1/30 over the last few months when the light calls for it and haven't had any trouble getting sharp results (or, at least, acceptably sharp results to my eyes) with the 80mm lens. I've also used the 135mm lens at 1/60 without a problem as well, although I haven't used my 180mm lens slower than 1/125 yet.

I'm not sure I would have been able to manage these slower speeds when I first got my SQ-A 18 months ago, but now that I've had months of practice handling the camera, I haven't found it too difficult to keep the camera steady on these slower shots.

Here's a recent example of a photograph taken handheld at 1/30:




abdoujaparov said:
Went out and tested the new lens. The biggest news is the number of blank frames - a nice, round zero.

HP5+, 110mm Zenzanon PS
Click to expand...

Sorry, I've been so busy recently that I'd missed that you'd acquire one of the Bronica 110mm lenses. Did you pick up the f/4 or f/4.5 variant?
 
skysh4rk said:
Sorry, I've been so busy recently that I'd missed that you'd acquire one of the Bronica 110mm lenses. Did you pick up the f/4 or f/4.5 variant?
Click to expand...

The f4 faux macro one. As I said upthread, it was a total whim. I saw it in Camera Centre in Cardiff and it wasn't massively more expensive than getting the faulty lens serviced, and considerably less effort. I get close-focussing thrown in for free. :D

Of course, then I won an Olympus XA2 on eBay, and I have to admit the attraction of lugging the SQ-A around has palled for a little while - at least until I start missing the WLF and the nice big negs.
 
Can anyone recommend a good strap for an SQ? I found a few 'official' ones on eBay with 'Bronica' plastered all over them, but I'd prefer something a little more tasteful :)

I assume I'll need something with metal rings on the end to fit the small rings on the camera? I've got a couple of OpTech straps, but they have fabric loops on the ends which won't fit the SQ. Priorities are camera security, closely followed by comfort. I'm happy to pay for something that will last.
 
Does anyone use macro extension tubes on their SQ? I fancy doing some close up shots and I'm wondering whether these are any good, compared to having a real macro lens. I found a chart somewhere (sorry, I can't find it) which showed the full frame coverage of the large tube on a 50mm lens was around 6.5cm - i.e. almost 1:1, which sounds great. Having never used extension tubes, or done any real macro photography, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts. Do they cut off any part of the image or introduce any vignetting?
 
Ive got a tube for my etrsi. They work fine, you just need to make sure you compensate for the lack of light they block and theyre fiddly as hell to take the lens off! You have to poke and prod the pins on the tube to get it to disconnect and theyre pointy! Cant say i noticed any vignetting.
 
FujiLove said:
Can anyone recommend a good strap for an SQ? I found a few 'official' ones on eBay with 'Bronica' plastered all over them, but I'd prefer something a little more tasteful :)

I assume I'll need something with metal rings on the end to fit the small rings on the camera? I've got a couple of OpTech straps, but they have fabric loops on the ends which won't fit the SQ. Priorities are camera security, closely followed by comfort. I'm happy to pay for something that will last.
Click to expand...

I put a couple of split rings through the lugs. You can use any strap then. (Hardware shops will sell them - failing that, buy some keyrings and remove the rings from the fob)
 
essexash said:
Ive got a tube for my etrsi. They work fine, you just need to make sure you compensate for the lack of light they block and theyre fiddly as hell to take the lens off! You have to poke and prod the pins on the tube to get it to disconnect and theyre pointy! Cant say i noticed any vignetting.
Click to expand...

Thanks Ash. Looks like the 1:1 lens costs a fortune, so I'll give the tubes a go.

abdoujaparov said:
I put a couple of split rings through the lugs. You can use any strap then. (Hardware shops will sell them - failing that, buy some keyrings and remove the rings from the fob)
Click to expand...

Of course! ...and I've just noticed my (still broken) Yashica has a couple I can pinch :)
 
Sectionate said:
Are the SQ-B's any good?
Click to expand...

Yeah think so, they were the least expensive of the Bronica SQ machines think the main deiffernce is that the B's lack electronic contacts for the Metering Prisms that you can get.


FujiLove said:
Does anyone use macro extension tubes on their SQ? I fancy doing some close up shots and I'm wondering whether these are any good, compared to having a real macro lens. I found a chart somewhere (sorry, I can't find it) which showed the full frame coverage of the large tube on a 50mm lens was around 6.5cm - i.e. almost 1:1, which sounds great. Having never used extension tubes, or done any real macro photography, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts. Do they cut off any part of the image or introduce any vignetting?
Click to expand...


I have some for my Bronica the S-18, two I think I have. They can work fine and I think if your using a hand held meter you then you will need to add 1.5 -2.0 stops to the reading. Only used mine with the 80mm lens.

Like essexash said getting the things back off the lens can be a PITA.
 
Sectionate said:
Are the SQ-B's any good?
Click to expand...

To be honest, the biggest differences you'll notice between the SQ cameras will result from the people operating those cameras.

The SQ cameras are basically just big, light-tight boxes. All of the cameras (SQ, SQ-A, SQ-Am, SQ-Ai, and SQ-B) are compatible with all of the lenses (S, PS, and PS/B) and most of the accessories are interchangeable.

Each of the cameras in the series has its minor quirks, but 95% of the features are the same.
 
If anyone's looking for a good portrait lens for their ETR series camera, this might be the ticket:

http://www.cameraworld.co.uk/used-bronica-180mm-f4-5-pe.html

If the PE 180mm for the ETR is as good as the PS 180mm for the SQ cameras, this should be a great lens. The one metre minimum focus distance is particularly handy.

The 180mm lenses for any of the Bronica cameras don't seem to pop up often.
 
H'mm thanks but the 150mm f3.5 is 1/3rd of the price...not PE though.
 
excalibur2 said:
H'mm thanks but the 150mm f3.5 is 1/3rd of the price...not PE though.
Click to expand...

The minimum focus distance for the 180 is ⅔ the distance of the 150 lens (1m vs 1.5m). That's a huge difference if you're shooting portraits.

Sure, you might save a bit of money with the 150mm, but you won't be shooting any tight head shots with it.
 
Well RJ if anyone is interested in only doing very close up shots of a face then they have the wrong camera and should get the RB67, so if using the ETRS 150mm lens temporarily for close up work will have to crop and use a slower film to get the quality.
 
excalibur2 said:
Well RJ if anyone is interested in only doing very close up shots of a face then they have the wrong camera and should get the RB67, so if using the ETRS 150mm lens temporarily for close up work will have to crop and use a slower film to get the quality.
Click to expand...

Brian, I think that you're oversimplifying the choices between these cameras and lenses; it's all about using the equipment that best suits your purposes. The Mamiya might be better for closer work overall, but certainly it's at the expense of size, portability, ergonomics, and cost.

The 180mm allows for tight portraits and easy handling without compromising quality (e.g., close up filters, cropping, etc.). It might not be the lens for you, and that's fair enough, but that doesn't mean it's not more useful to others.
 
Well of course you are right in your points it's just what an ordinary amateur is going to get for an 180mm lens at £167 and is it worth it for gain of 0.5m, when you can get the 150mm for £50-£60....anyway as you have said "it wouldn't be the lens for me" well at that price.;)
 
excalibur2 said:
Well of course you are right in your points it's just what an ordinary amateur is going to get for an 180mm lens at £167 and is it worth it for gain of 0.5m, when you can get the 150mm for £50-£60....anyway as you have said "it wouldn't be the lens for me" well at that price.;)
Click to expand...

In the grand scheme of portrait lenses, £167 for a good condition lens including six months warranty and the original box is a pretty solid deal. And .5m is nearly two feet, so that's pretty significant for some of us, although admittedly not for everyone.

I don't think that those £50 lenses you mention are the updated PE lens designs either. That said, I think it's probably quite difficult to spot the differences in the images that the older and newer designs produce.
 
excalibur2 said:
This 200mm for £62.50 with free postage might do a close up for just head shots with min focus of 2m.....I would offer £60 but can't think what I'd use it for...erm well other than just head shots ;)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRONICA-E...=UK_Lenses_Filters_Lenses&hash=item23455fde52

Well it's Xmas and bought it for £62.50 LBA kicked in :eek:
Click to expand...

I'm sure that this is a nice lens, Brian, but it still won't focus close enough for head shots. Surely a 200mm lens at 2 metres is exactly the same as a 150mm lens at 1.5 metres?

The 180mm lens would have the same framing as both of these at 1.8 metres, which would be the equivalent of the minimum focus distances for the other lenses, but would then be able to focus an additional .8 metres closer. That's nearly a three foot advantage.
 
Last edited:
Well I've have a complete set of lenses I want for the Etrs now, and thanks for mentioning the 180mm and head shots etc as I wouldn't have spotted the 200mm going at a very reasonable price ;) But I do have a RB67 with prism so any head shots out or indoors that I planned to do won't be so bad as it's just like handling a ginormous SLR. :eek:

Looking at the Etrs instruction book the 105mm will focus to 0.9m ..so that might be a cheaper option.

Also I was testing the 150mm lens on a lamp shade (equivalent of a head shot at min focus) and it seems to give a decent coverage and would give a bit more DOF compared to a 180mm lens.
Also using the 180mm at 3' @f 8 would give a DOF 2' 11.7" to 3' 0.3" :eek: well all MF lenses from say 105mm up seem to be poor for DOF at close up, so there is an argument for sticking to 35mm for these type of shots. :(
 
Last edited:
excalibur2 said:
This 200mm for £62.50 with free postage might do a close up for just head shots with min focus of 2m.....I would offer £60 but can't think what I'd use it for...erm well other than just head shots ;)
Click to expand...


lol........hell Brian, I'd be too embarrassed try knock £2.50 off a £60 lens, why would you do that

Our lasses mam is as nuts as you, she had me walking out of a charity shop in GT Yarmouth the other week cos she wanted a 25p ashtray for 20p.

I just don't get it, sometimes I think its to do with the war, we ad nowt, we ad to mek do and mend, every penny counts an all that a generation thing, and sometimes I think its a game with her, it ain't a bargain unless she gets something.....anything knocked off it, she'll walk around the place moanin and about 2 flippin pence and then do £200 on lunch at the Savoy.
I dunno, shes got more money than you can shake a stick at..wtf ??
 
joxby said:
lol........hell Brian, I'd be too embarrassed try knock £2.50 off a £60 lens, why would you do that

Our lasses mam is as nuts as you, she had me walking out of a charity shop in GT Yarmouth the other week cos she wanted a 25p ashtray for 20p.

I just don't get it, sometimes I think its to do with the war, we ad nowt, we ad to mek do and mend, every penny counts an all that a generation thing, and sometimes I think its a game with her, it ain't a bargain unless she gets something.....anything knocked off it, she'll walk around the place moanin and about 2 flippin pence and then do £200 on lunch at the Savoy.
I dunno, shes got more money than you can shake a stick at..wtf ??
Click to expand...

Well the seller did invite buyers with a best offer by adding the button.;)
 
skysh4rk said:
I'm sure that this is a nice lens, Brian, but it still won't focus close enough for head shots. Surely a 200mm lens at 2 metres is exactly the same as a 150mm lens at 1.5 metres?

The 180mm lens would have the same framing as both of these at 1.8 metres, which would be the equivalent of the minimum focus distances for the other lenses, but would then be able to focus an additional .8 metres closer. That's nearly a three foot advantage.
Click to expand...

Just to let you know re- "Surely a 200mm lens at 2 metres is exactly the same as a 150mm lens at 1.5 metres?" that it is roughly the same.....the lens is mint and am pleased with it and couldn't resist it for the price. Only time will tell whether buying the 150mm in the past was a mistake....comparison between 35mm would be 90mm and 120mm resp
 
excalibur2 said:
Just to let you know re- "Surely a 200mm lens at 2 metres is exactly the same as a 150mm lens at 1.5 metres?" that it is roughly the same.....the lens is mint and am pleased with it and couldn't resist it for the price. Only time will tell whether buying the 150mm in the past was a mistake....comparison between 35mm would be 90mm and 120mm resp
Click to expand...

I think that you've misunderstood me. I wasn't suggesting that the lenses are the same across the board. I can see where that extra bit of reach would be beneficial and I'm sure that it's a good lens. The price was right as well!

We were previously discussing tight head shots, however, and the framing of a human subject for each lens at its minimum focus distance would definitely be the same. As long as you didn't buy the lens specifically for getting tighter portraits though, this would matter little.
 
Well I was agreeing with you, but as I mentioned I have the RB67 with 180mm lens and min focus is 4ft so would use that for tight head shots. But I suppose a shot of just eyes would have to use the 50mm or 75mm Bronica lenses or my 65mm RB, that's all I have.

And the next questions is:- what's the difference between a ETRS 180mm lens at 3ft and a RB67 180mm lens at 4ft for close head shots ;) Anybody want to work it out in theory if they don't have both lenses :eek:
 
Last edited:
I thought that I'd give this page a bump, as it's been very quiet. To be honest, I myself haven't really used my Bronica equipment much since the start of autumn, mostly preferring my TLRs recently, although I did finally get to use my kit over the festive season.

Has anybody around these here parts been using their Bronica recently?
 
skysh4rk said:
I thought that I'd give this page a bump, as it's been very quiet. To be honest, I myself haven't really used my Bronica equipment much since the start of autumn, mostly preferring my TLRs recently, although I did finally get to use my kit over the festive season.

Has anybody around these here parts been using their Bronica recently?
Click to expand...
Yes, managed a roll of film just before Xmas. Mainly street photography in London but a few landscape bits back here in Nottinghamshire. Decided to have a few prints made and awaiting their return from printers at the moment. Just purchased an Olympus OM2n and am worried that it might cause me to put the Bronica into the cupboard for a while. Have to wait and see how the Oly grabs me!
 
Plumtreelad said:
Yes, managed a roll of film just before Xmas. Mainly street photography in London but a few landscape bits back here in Nottinghamshire. Decided to have a few prints made and awaiting their return from printers at the moment. Just purchased an Olympus OM2n and am worried that it might cause me to put the Bronica into the cupboard for a while. Have to wait and see how the Oly grabs me!
Click to expand...

Good to hear that you got a roll in. :)

I think I managed 10 rolls in the SQ-A from mid-december to the first week of January, so I made up for lost time. I dabble with other cameras occasionally, which can mean the SQ-A sits for stretches, but I always return to the Bronica in the end.

Enjoy the OM2n!
 
Took three rolls of Portra in November that I haven't had developed yet. To be honest, as much as I love the big negs, the weight and unwieldiness of the Bronica is still a problem for me. Taking out the ME Super is a delight, the SQ-A not so much, and I haven't learned enough about photography that the 120 vs 135 differences are one of the defining issues in what makes my photos good (or otherwise). If I don't take it out more this summer, I'm going to sell up.
 
abdoujaparov said:
Took three rolls of Portra in November that I haven't had developed yet. To be honest, as much as I love the big negs, the weight and unwieldiness of the Bronica is still a problem for me. Taking out the ME Super is a delight, the SQ-A not so much, and I haven't learned enough about photography that the 120 vs 135 differences are one of the defining issues in what makes my photos good (or otherwise). If I don't take it out more this summer, I'm going to sell up.
Click to expand...

The SQ-A fits me like a glove and I definitely don't find it unwieldy, but I can see how others might and I acknowledge it's not the smallest camera. I have practised with it a lot, however, so my level of comfort with the camera is probably strongly correlated with that.

Oddly enough, I've briefly dabbled with a Bronica EC, which has made the SQ-A feel amazingly light and compact in comparison.
 
Well my wife keeps nagging me about a compartment in the freezer full of 35mm film and with the convenience of Asda it's difficult to use my ETRS (or RB67)......added to that I've ran out of things to shoot in a 8 mile radius of my home (cycling distance)...and added to that, when I would definitely use MF, my grandchildren are not staying with us long enough to take portraiture (they would rather play computer games anyway) and my wife says she is too old to pose. :(:(:(:(
This year might be different using a motorcycle (instead of a pushbike) and hope to use just MF on new scenery and buildings as I found taking a 35mm camera plus MF with me, I would take a shot with the MF and take the same shot with 35mm for backup.:rolleyes:

Etrs shot I like taken about 10 years ago:-

 
Last edited:
I do need to take mine out too! I have bought a new DSLR in September and also shot a couple of rolls with my OM-1. The Bronica has been stored since august :-/.

Similarly to Keith, I still find it awkward to use because I don't use it enough it's like learning again every time. I find the focusing to be fairly difficult not sure if this is due to my eyesight (i should wear glasses but don't usually bother) but I'm constanctly reaching the flip up magnifier to focus. I'm wondering if I should try using it on a tripod to stabilize the picture and decompose framing and focusing action with more ease. I had a few amazing picture with it so I want to persevere. I also much prefer scanning the 120 to the 135 for the size factor and also because with 12 frames instead of 36 in is less of a pain.
 
Lemaildetom said:
I find the focusing to be fairly difficult not sure if this is due to my eyesight (i should wear glasses but don't usually bother) but I'm constanctly reaching the flip up magnifier to focus.
Click to expand...

In most circumstances, I'd be using the magnifier too. It's there to help you achieve critical focus. If I'm not using the magnifier, I've usually either pre-focused or stopped down a bit (e.g., f/5.6 or f/8).

If you usually wear glasses, you could consider replacing the standard dioptre on the WLF with one with more correction? Ffordes have a few for the waist level finder, but there appear to be a bunch on eBay if you search Bronica eye correction:

http://ffordes.com/category/Medium_Format/Bronica/Bronica_SQ/SQ_Accessories

Lemaildetom said:
I'm wondering if I should try using it on a tripod to stabilize the picture and decompose framing and focusing action with more ease. I had a few amazing picture with it so I want to persevere. I also much prefer scanning the 120 to the 135 for the size factor and also because with 12 frames instead of 36 in is less of a pain.
Click to expand...

For some types of photographs, the tripod will help immensely. For others, it might not. Certainly, the clinically sharpest photos will be obtained from a tripod using mirror lock up, but that isn't always wanted, desirable, or even possible.

I used to shoot 95% of my Bronica photographs handheld, but the tripod has received much more use over the last year. I've had a lot of practice though, so I'm quite comfortable either way.

Maybe consider purchasing the speed grip? I've been using mine a lot lately.
 
skysh4rk said:
In most circumstances, I'd be using the magnifier too. It's there to help you achieve critical focus. If I'm not using the magnifier, I've usually either pre-focused or stopped down a bit (e.g., f/5.6 or f/8).

If you usually wear glasses, you could consider replacing the standard dioptre on the WLF with one with more correction? Ffordes have a few for the waist level finder, but there appear to be a bunch on eBay if you search Bronica eye correction:

http://ffordes.com/category/Medium_Format/Bronica/Bronica_SQ/SQ_Accessories



For some types of photographs, the tripod will help immensely. For others, it might not. Certainly, the clinically sharpest photos will be obtained from a tripod using mirror lock up, but that isn't always wanted, desirable, or even possible.

I used to shoot 95% of my Bronica photographs handheld, but the tripod has received much more use over the last year. I've had a lot of practice though, so I'm quite comfortable either way.

Maybe consider purchasing the speed grip? I've been using mine a lot lately.
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the advice.
I guess another one would be: "ditch the dslr for a months and take the bronica out!"
Going for a long weekend next weekend but planning on taking either the OM or my polaroid to be able to share the camera...
 
abdoujaparov said:
Took three rolls of Portra in November that I haven't had developed yet. To be honest, as much as I love the big negs, the weight and unwieldiness of the Bronica is still a problem for me. Taking out the ME Super is a delight, the SQ-A not so much, and I haven't learned enough about photography that the 120 vs 135 differences are one of the defining issues in what makes my photos good (or otherwise). If I don't take it out more this summer, I'm going to sell up.
Click to expand...

And yet, and yet . . .

I'm scanning those rolls of Portra, and while I still don't know enough about photography that 6x6 negs are a defining quality, they don't half *flatter* my mediocrity.
 
never got kiddy at colour neg, but slide always killed me, it never really mattered what or how badly I shot, it was always beautifully badly shot.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top