Bronica ETRSi anyone own one?

angelpaaul

angelpaaul

Messages
1,300
Name
Paul
Edit My Images
No
Thinking of buying a Bronica ETRSi. Is it worth getting over the Mamiya 645 1000s?
 
I have one and love it. But I have never compared it to anything else...
 
I have two, I like the interchangeable backs where it means that I can have fast film slow film and colour film all on the same outing.
 
I _think_ the earlier Mamiya 645s including the 1000 did not have interchangeable backs that would allow you to easily change film stock in the field. ISTR they have film inserts, but you'd need a dark bag to swap them... A random page I found suggests this was rectified in later "Pro" and other models...
 
I chose the ETRSi over the Mamiya 645 when I was shooting medium format, the ability to change film backs / polaroid backs was the main thing, I also liked the way the lenses rendered. A cracking camera!
 
I think it's better than the Mamiya, but it's all down to personal choice really.

I have a complete ETRSi kit (everything you'll need) that I may be persuaded to part with if you're serious and don't want a 'bargain basement' price. As much as I love it, I've only used it twice since I started using my Hasselblad a few years ago. It's a shame to have it sat in the cupboard doing nothing.

I'm about to go out for the day, so can't answer any questions now, but if you're serious I can post some pics later for you.
 
Got one, and I love it.

https://flic.kr/p/a4aQSz
View: https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_big_yin/5943080813/in/album-72157626681059529/


picture's got notes on with the details of the 2 lenses etc over in flickr... particulary fond of the 40mm Zenzanon for landscape-ey stuff.

this one's my second one - had one back in the day when I was shooting weddings - used to use a eye-level finder occasionally, which made it basically just a big SLR - sold that one, as I needed funds for a house-flip project (just to "get over the line") but when I got back into photography around the time I joined this forum, I started pining for a medium format, then i found the Zenzanon in a old kit bag, and honestly, I bought the rest of the kit around that lens...
 
Last edited:
I did have an ETRSi back in the film only days but didn't really gel with the 4x4.5 format and it needed the eye level finder if you wanted to do upright shots with any ease. I traded it for SQ-Ai which I loved, then came digital and I traded it to move into digital. Full circle I am now back with film (as well as digital) and I have the SQ-Ai & SQ-B plus rather ironically a 6x4.5 back because for my Dartmoor Projects I find I waste neg area with 6x6 cropping to 6x4.5 anyway so having the 6x4.5 back and a masked focussing screen I have the best of both worlds 6x6 for when it works and 15 shots in the 6x4.5 for my project stuff. Also I very rarely use the WLF far preferring my 45 degree finder for pretty much everything (it has dioptre correction for my ageing eyes too).
 
IIRC a key difference between systems was the ETR system had a leaf shutter in the lenses giving flash sync at any speed, but the 645 used a focal plane shutter. It's been nearly 40 years since I did my research so might be wrong.
 
Thanks you all for your replies. So far the Bronica seems to be the one for me. I have my eye on an ETRSi, complete with AE prism finder and speed winder.

The reason for the question in the first place is both cameras are on offer at a similar price.
 
angelpaaul said:
Thanks you all for your replies. So far the Bronica seems to be the one for me. I have my eye on an ETRSi, complete with AE prism finder and speed winder.

The reason for the question in the first place is both cameras are on offer at a similar price.
Click to expand...
I have a Speed Winder (note not motor winder) on one of my SQ-Ai bodies i's remarkably comfortable to use hand held, like a massive SLR.
 
I've been using Mamiya 645 cameras since the early 1980s, a plain 645 and a 1000S, and really like them, they have had quite heavy use. More recently I was given a 645 Pro and 3 backs. I had to buy my 645 cameras urgently after my Mamiya C33, C3 and lenses were stolen. The second hand dealer actually brought various cameras to my house, he recommended the Mamiya 645 cameras for their reliability, compared to the early ETR cameras.

As I always used two cameras one for colour (E6) the other BW I wasn't bothered about interchangeable backs.

A friend bought an ETRS, he wasn't totally happy with it. In hindsight, thinking it was because there was no mirror lock. Initially I mostly shot my Mamiya 1000S hand-held, then began always using a tripod for landscape work. Some negatives weren't quite critically sharp, I realised it might be mirror slap and then always used the mirror lock, no issues after that.

When shooting hand held you act as a shock absorber, but on a tripod you get a vibration. The ETRSi was the first ETR to have a mirror lock, by lock I mean you close the mirror by lever, before making the exposure. That's something worth remembering.

You will enjoy 6x4.5 it is a nice format capable of high quality results.

Ian
 
Sky said:
I think it's better than the Mamiya, but it's all down to personal choice really.

I have a complete ETRSi kit (everything you'll need) that I may be persuaded to part with if you're serious and don't want a 'bargain basement' price. As much as I love it, I've only used it twice since I started using my Hasselblad a few years ago. It's a shame to have it sat in the cupboard doing nothing.

I'm about to go out for the day, so can't answer any questions now, but if you're serious I can post some pics later for you.
Click to expand...

I'm just curious but what have you got?
 
Another (y) for Etrsi with AEII prism and speed grip, also the lenses are VG, also you get 15 shots. I've used Rolleis but wasted paper doing my own printing (in the darkroom) by not cropping :(, erm maybe you can buy sq paper now o_O......the speed grip allows you to take vertical shots so that solved that problem. The negatives?.....can only think that a 35mm is smaller, lighter and easier to use.
 
Last edited:
Ian Grant said:
I mostly shot my Mamiya 1000S hand-held, then began always using a tripod for landscape work. Some negatives weren't quite critically sharp, I realised it might be mirror slap and then always used the mirror lock, no issues after that.
Click to expand...

Having made a similar discovery when I tried using a tripod with my M645j, besides a max shutter speed of 1/500 vs 1/1000 on the 1000S, the M645J doesn't have a a mirror lock-up.


Both are pretty compact, light and enjoyable 645 SLRs, The prism AE finder helps enormously with handling landscape and portrait shots.


ancient_mariner said:
IIRC a key difference between systems was the ETR system had a leaf shutter in the lenses giving flash sync at any speed, but the 645 used a focal plane shutter. It's been nearly 40 years since I did my research so might be wrong.
Click to expand...

There are a few leaf shutter lenses available for the M645 system, but they are relatively rare.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top