Bronica Medium Format Owners Thread

@excalibur2 , I do want to stress that I'm not saying the ETR series cameras aren't any good; they take perfectly fine pictures. In fact, they take the exact same pictures as the SQ as far as I can tell, as the lens lineups and the lens designs are basically identical.

In the film era, I do think that the ETR was a far more compelling option than it is today, primarily because every single piece of equipment was cheaper than its SQ counterpart and it did the exact same thing. For the same features, you would have had to have been certain that the 6x6 was worth the price premium as you would needed to have spent considerably more money to compile the pieces of the SQ system compared to the ETR.

ETRSi vs SQ-Ai prices from USA catalogue from around 2001:

Kit with lens and back:
$2,241 vs $2,899​
40mm lens:
$1,315 vs $1,799​
Standard lens:
$759 vs $1,099​
135mm lens:
$1,135 vs $1,450​
180mm lens:
$1,535 vs $1,995​
120 back with insert:
$359 vs $539​

In the digital era, however, as the prices for both of these cameras have crashed, I feel the SQ is the better option for most folks as you can get both 6x6 and 645 for about the same money.

Personally, I'd actually love to try a Bronica GS-1 with 6x7, 6x6, and 6x4.5 backs (vertical), but the GS-1 isn't quite as versatile as the SQ as the lens options are just a bit slower, the minimum focusing distances longer, and the stock focusing screen lacks any 6x6 frame lines. If I ever came across a GS-1 with the focusing screen with the 6x6 markings though, I'd be tempted to jump at it.
 
Those prices are incredible. It just struck me that the reason I like my film images so much is not just that I prefer film to digital (although I do, for many reasons) but that I'm taking them with a £2000+ camera that just happened to cost me £200.
 
skysh4rk said:
@excalibur2 , I do want to stress that I'm not saying the ETR series cameras aren't any good; they take perfectly fine pictures. In fact, they take the exact same pictures as the SQ as far as I can tell, as the lens lineups and the lens designs are basically identical.

In the film era, I do think that the ETR was a far more compelling option than it is today, primarily because every single piece of equipment was cheaper than its SQ counterpart and it did the exact same thing. For the same features, you would have had to have been certain that the 6x6 was worth the price premium as you would needed to have spent considerably more money to compile the pieces of the SQ system compared to the ETR.

ETRSi vs SQ-Ai prices from USA catalogue from around 2001:

Kit with lens and back:
$2,241 vs $2,899​
40mm lens:
$1,315 vs $1,799​
Standard lens:
$759 vs $1,099​
135mm lens:
$1,135 vs $1,450​
180mm lens:
$1,535 vs $1,995​
120 back with insert:
$359 vs $539​

In the digital era, however, as the prices for both of these cameras have crashed, I feel the SQ is the better option for most folks as you can get both 6x6 and 645 for about the same money.

Personally, I'd actually love to try a Bronica GS-1 with 6x7, 6x6, and 6x4.5 backs (vertical), but the GS-1 isn't quite as versatile as the SQ as the lens options are just a bit slower, the minimum focusing distances longer, and the stock focusing screen lacks any 6x6 frame lines. If I ever came across a GS-1 with the focusing screen with the 6x6 markings though, I'd be tempted to jump at it.
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Well only going by your info I naturally assumed as the sq was more expensive than the Etrs it might be a better quality camera, on the other hand they might have sold more ETRS cameras and lenses so the unit costs per item was cheaper and the quality is the same. Anyway maybe I should keep schtum about Bronicas as I only really know about the ETRs :exit:
 
abdoujaparov said:
Crikey indeed! They're £60+ on eBay.
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I got them on Ebay, for £27 plus a tenner p&p - the lot! Five of them, all SQ-I with slides. I'm testing them out slowly for light leaks - first test has been good. The seller was retiring his studio. It may have been because he misspelled Bronica as Bonica? Still - looks like US price in 2001 was around £350 each?

This is one of the great benefits of film photography right now. We get to use such high quality gear for peanuts.

14295741521_6cb8c2a6b3.jpg
 
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XA2inmypocket said:
Crikey! I recently bought five 120 backs with slides (SQ-I) for £27!
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That is a killer deal for a lot of five backs.

abdoujaparov said:
Crikey indeed! They're £60+ on eBay.
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Most of the folks on eBay are just trying their luck; most of those exorbitantly priced ones never sell. The typical selling price for these is in the region of £20-£40 if you look through the completed auction listing.

View attachment 14140
 
Hello,

Thanks for opening this owner thread, I'm joining in as I own a bronica sq-A. I only had one roll going through because i also shot with a 35mm and a DSLR. I whish to take the bronica out more but the lightmeter I bough doesn't work so I had to guess all exposure on my first roll...

More important I seem to have some vertical banding in my shot.
A couple of exemple
here

bronica016 by Lemaildetom on Talk Photography

and here

bronica017 by Lemaildetom on Talk Photography

Are these due to light leak or is it a mechanical problem?
If it is due to light leak is it cheaper to replace a back or to buy a new one?
Thanks
 
abdoujaparov said:
Finally got around to developing my first roll on my SQ-A. A few disappointments, a few blown focuses, two with light-leaks (but I'm beginning to suspect that these are happening due to my improper handling of the exposed rolls - I'm getting random ones on my Yashica, too, and I should probably start storing the rolls properly rather than throwing them in the bottom of my bag).
Click to expand...

Nope, I really do have a light-leak - the foam seal on the back has disintegrated. It also explains a dragging mark I'd seen on a couple of the shots - the residue had wrapped around onto the pressure plate.

Any recommendations for a replacement?
 
Lemaildetom said:
Hello,

Thanks for opening this owner thread, I'm joining in as I own a bronica sq-A. I only had one roll going through because i also shot with a 35mm and a DSLR. I whish to take the bronica out more but the lightmeter I bough doesn't work so I had to guess all exposure on my first roll...

More important I seem to have some vertical banding in my shot.
A couple of exemple
here

bronica016 by Lemaildetom on Talk Photography

and here

bronica017 by Lemaildetom on Talk Photography

Are these due to light leak or is it a mechanical problem?
If it is due to light leak is it cheaper to replace a back or to buy a new one?
Thanks
Click to expand...

Hmmm... I'm not really certain what would be causing this, personally. Are these vertical bands visible on the negatives?

Did you scan these yourself or were these lab scanned? Either way, the scans are a bit flat and could use some contrast and levels adjustment to bring a bit more out of the images..

If I were you, I'd send a roll or two to a reputable professional lab for development and scanning to see what comes out. As it stands, you have too many variables in play and it would be impossible to tell at what stage any problems you encounter are popping up (e.g., at exposure, during development, during scanning, etc.).


abdoujaparov said:
Nope, I really do have a light-leak - the foam seal on the back has disintegrated. It also explains a dragging mark I'd seen on a couple of the shots - the residue had wrapped around onto the pressure plate.

Any recommendations for a replacement?
Click to expand...

I've been lucky that I haven't yet encountered this problem with my Bronicas, so I can't make any specific recommendations in this regard. I have purchased foam from Jon Goodman in the past for a Nikon FM though and I believe that he previously used to cut foam kits for Bronica ETR backs, so he might have something available for SQ backs, but I'm not sure if he's still doing anything for medium format cameras.
 
As I posted in the Show Us Your Film Shots thread, I've developed three rolls of B&W - my first ever home dev, so I'm very happy about that.

It's not all good news, though. I've had several blank (black, not white) frames. One of them had evidence of the light-leak on it, which rules out a double-advance of film, I think. That one coincided with me putting the camera away - I was hoping it was an accidental shutter release with the lens cap on. However, a few of the other blank frames were in the middle of a shoot, and I'm certain I hadn't put the camera away/put the cap on.

I'll keep a shot-log so I can find out when it's happening, and I'll start turning the shutter-lock thingy before putting the camera in the bag, but in the mean-time, any guesses? Sticky shutter?
 
abdoujaparov said:
As I posted in the Show Us Your Film Shots thread, I've developed three rolls of B&W - my first ever home dev, so I'm very happy about that.

It's not all good news, though. I've had several blank (black, not white) frames. One of them had evidence of the light-leak on it, which rules out a double-advance of film, I think. That one coincided with me putting the camera away - I was hoping it was an accidental shutter release with the lens cap on. However, a few of the other blank frames were in the middle of a shoot, and I'm certain I hadn't put the camera away/put the cap on.

I'll keep a shot-log so I can find out when it's happening, and I'll start turning the shutter-lock thingy before putting the camera in the bag, but in the mean-time, any guesses? Sticky shutter?
Click to expand...

The frame on the negative is really dark? If so, that means that the frame was actually exposed to a bunch of light then. If you exposed the frame with your lens cap on, the film frame would have been clear.

You'll need to start eliminating variables to get to the bottom of the problem, but keeping notes and using the shutter lock will be a start. Perhaps also make sure that the t-exposure thingy on the underside of the lens also isn't pulled out, as that can keep the shutter open, regardless of your set shutter speed, until you move back the switch at the bottom of the lens.
 
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skysh4rk said:
The frame on the negative is really dark? If so, that means that the frame was actually exposed to a bunch of light then. If you exposed the frame with your lens cap on, the film frame would have been clear.
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Sorry, should have been more clear - the shot is black, the neg is clear (except for the bit with the light leak)
 
abdoujaparov said:
Sorry, should have been more clear - the shot is black, the neg is clear (except for the bit with the light leak)
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If that's the case, you're probably just inadvertently tripping the shutter, as it's quite easy to do. For this reason, the first thing I do after taking a photo is to turn the shutter lock.
 
abdoujaparov said:
Cheers, I've been hoping it's my incompetence - a lot cheaper to fix than equipment is.
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Oh, actually, one thing to check is that the camera is firing at all shutter speeds. Last time I had some really dark frames (when scanned) with my SQ-A, it turned out that the camera was malfunctioning and only firing at the default mechanical shutter speed of 1/500, regardless of the shutter speed I'd set on the camera. For me, it turned out to be a problem with the electronics that required repaired, but this would also happen with flat batteries or possibly when using lithium batteries (Bronica chiefly recommends silver oxide and says that alkaline is okay, but discourages using lithium batteries).

Fire the camera a few times at a few different shutter speeds and look at the shutter in the lens to see if it is staying open for the appropriate amount of time.
 
It all seems fine 8s - 1/30, I can't really tell the difference after that. I'll keep a shot log, see if the blank frames are all one speed. (I only used 1/500, 1/250, 1/125, and 1/60 yesterday, and one of them came out blank.)

Need to wait until Jon Goodman gets back to me, no point putting a film through when it's leaking light. Time to break out the folder, I think.

Thanks again!
 
Got my Jon Goodman seal kit today. There are a *lot* more seals in that back than I thought. The kit is 14 separate pieces, the smallest of which is, I'd say, 1mm x 3mm. I've managed to do it (I think - let's see when I've taken a roll!) but it was extremely fiddly for a clumsy oaf who bites his fingernails, such as me. I'd definitely put a £20 premium on a back that had had the seals replaced recently.

Good kit, though. Pre-cut self-adhesive foam, instructions, and a bamboo tool for scraping the gunk off and pushing the foam in.
 
abdoujaparov said:
Got my Jon Goodman seal kit today. There are a *lot* more seals in that back than I thought. The kit is 14 separate pieces, the smallest of which is, I'd say, 1mm x 3mm. I've managed to do it (I think - let's see when I've taken a roll!) but it was extremely fiddly for a clumsy oaf who bites his fingernails, such as me. I'd definitely put a £20 premium on a back that had had the seals replaced recently.

Good kit, though. Pre-cut self-adhesive foam, instructions, and a bamboo tool for scraping the gunk off and pushing the foam in.
Click to expand...
If you ever need advice on fitting or you're not sure where each bit goes just email Jon, he's a very helpful bloke.
 
RaglanSurf said:
If you ever need advice on fitting or you're not sure where each bit goes just email Jon, he's a very helpful bloke.
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Yeah, he really is. We had a nice conversation about his Welsh ancestry.

I was extremely confused by the instructions, until I noticed that the first page was printed double-sided . . . it was pretty simple after that, although not as simple as I am sometimes.
 
Just joined the medium format club by purchasing from ffords a Bronica etrsi. It is due to arrive on Monday together with three rolls of B and W film and of course, a light meter. Can't wait to get going. Is there a highly recommended web site for reading up on techniques, tips etc for this camera?
 
Plumtreelad said:
Just joined the medium format club by purchasing from ffords a Bronica etrsi. It is due to arrive on Monday together with three rolls of B and W film and of course, a light meter. Can't wait to get going. Is there a highly recommended web site for reading up on techniques, tips etc for this camera?
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The best resource for all things filmy is probably here.... :wave: If these guys don't know it it ain't worth knowin'.

Oh and welcome to the fusty and crusty section.:D
 
Plumtreelad said:
Just joined the medium format club by purchasing from ffords a Bronica etrsi. It is due to arrive on Monday together with three rolls of B and W film and of course, a light meter. Can't wait to get going. Is there a highly recommended web site for reading up on techniques, tips etc for this camera?
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Tips or advice? Well, I'd personally recommend using fresh film and a pro lab for developing and scanning to help control variables when you're first starting out.

Once you know your camera works, your exposures are consistent, and you are comfortable using the camera, then start looking to use expired film, develop your own film, or scan yourself.

And oh, practise, practise, and then practise some more!
 
Plumtreelad said:
Just joined the medium format club by purchasing from ffords a Bronica etrsi.
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Congratulations! Your membership card will be in the post soon. Read the back, then swear the loyalty oath as per the instructions given. Vimto can be used instead of goat's blood.

As far as hints go, remember that if you switch on the multiple exposure feature so that you can dry-fire the shutter to test it, then you have to turn it back off before you take a bunch of photos. Don't ask me how I know this.
 
essexash said:
that is rather cool :) im tempted. There is also a tilt shift lens out there somewhere which would be awesome but theyre rarer than hens teeth.
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Yeah, I was reading about the ETR tilt shift lens just yesterday. I suppose you just need to keep your eyes peeled and see what pops up. I've noticed that Ffordes even have a couple of zooms for the SQ series, although they look monstrous and like they've seen a bit of use in their day.


Bronica PS 140-280mm f/5.6
PC248447.jpg

http://ffordes.com/product/13122412293081


Bronica PS 75-150mm f/4.5
PC248444.jpg

http://ffordes.com/product/13122412282281
 
Yes, here in the immediate vicinity, sorry for the confusion.
 
More blank frames on my last roll. I completely forgot to take a shot-log, but I can rule out accidentally tripping the shutter. The camera was hanging around my neck with the cap off the entire time, so it would have been shots of my feet, not blank ones.

There's a roll in the camera right now, so I can't check, but I have a sneaking suspicion it's not firing at 1/125.
 
abdoujaparov said:
More blank frames on my last roll. I completely forgot to take a shot-log, but I can rule out accidentally tripping the shutter. The camera was hanging around my neck with the cap off the entire time, so it would have been shots of my feet, not blank ones.

There's a roll in the camera right now, so I can't check, but I have a sneaking suspicion it's not firing at 1/125.
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Well you couldn't have a RB67 with prism hanging from your neck for long :eek: sorry to read about your problem and hope I don't have any serious problems as I've only used my RB the other day after a year or so. But my first problem though was a newbie one as I put the film in last year but thought it would be safer not to wind it on to the first frame...well I was right as I forgot there was a film in the camera and opened the back recently :eek: Anyway the newbie bit was that I couldn't work out why the button didn't fire the shutter, well after a few minutes thinking the worst, realised I had to wind the film on fully to the first frame :rolleyes:

Edit: Just realised wrong thread... Oh well someone might be interested :D
 
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abdoujaparov said:
More blank frames on my last roll. I completely forgot to take a shot-log, but I can rule out accidentally tripping the shutter. The camera was hanging around my neck with the cap off the entire time, so it would have been shots of my feet, not blank ones.

There's a roll in the camera right now, so I can't check, but I have a sneaking suspicion it's not firing at 1/125.
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Is your back stopping for each frame? For instance, I have a 220 back that always skips frame 14 (the crank goes two revolutions following frame 13 and goes straight to frame 15, winding past where it should have stopped for 14). Only because I log all of my shots—unless it's really impractical (e.g., at a wedding)—I've been able to spot this quirk.

Until you start logging your exposures, you're likely going to have a lot of difficulty getting to the bottom of this particular situation.
 
Plumtreelad said:
Just joined the medium format club by purchasing from ffords a Bronica etrsi. It is due to arrive on Monday together with three rolls of B and W film and of course, a light meter. Can't wait to get going. Is there a highly recommended web site for reading up on techniques, tips etc for this camera?
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Congratulations and respect for choosing the MF path! Don't know if your kit will include a manual, but you can get one here: http://www.butkus.org/chinon/bronica/bronica_etrsi/bronica_etrsi.htm

There also looks to be a Group on Flickr, so I'd think that might be a resource for you in future: https://www.flickr.com/groups/etrs/

Main thing is to enjoy!
 
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