Curios Bronica behaviour

[Kev M]

Ok I have two things puzzling me with my Bronica SQA at the minute. One is specific to the camera but the other I suspect is a more general question that anyone who has used a split image finder can answer.

1)The little red light in the viefinder doesn't work any more. I thought it might be a dead battery but if the battery dies it is supposed to default to a shutter speed of 1/500. I did a quick test and it still fires at 4secs correctly so I don't think it is the battery (although I'll buy another just in case). It could be a blown bulb which is more worrying, does anyone know what else it might be?

2)In the split image one of the two semi-circles halves goes black when using my new 250mm lens. It happens to a certain extent on the other lenses depending on the angle at which the camera is being held but to a much lesser degree. Rotating the camera seems to have no effect when using the 250mm so I've no idea what is causing it or how to get rid of it which is a pain because it makes the 250mm so hard to focus.

Any ideas?

Cheers,
Kev

 

[CT]

Noi dea what the first problem is Kev, but half the split image rangefinder blacking out is pretty well standard behaviour with long lenses unless they're very fast ones.You'll see the same thing if you use the DOF preview button.

 

[Kev M]

Cheers CT. The 50 and 80 are 2.8s and the 150 is F4, the new (to me) 250 is a 5.6 so I dread to think how hard the 500 F8 must be to use, I suspect it blacks out both halves of the semi-circle.

I suspect it was down to cost but why Bronica decided to keep the same lens diameter from 50-250mm and just make the lenses slower is beyond me. I'd rather have easier to use lenses and just shell out for a different sized filter than have this.

 

[CT]

You'd probably be better off with a plain screen. I have a plain screen in the RB67 and it snaps in and out of focus very positively - probably due to the bellows focusing. The blad on the other hand can be a pig to focus, which is why a lot of people opt for the split image screen in the blad.

 

[Kev M]

I wouldn't trust my eye sight with a plain screen to get it into focus. interestly I'm just back from freezing my arse off at Twycross zoo and the black focus thing seems less of a problem when you're in "good" light. It's still a pain in the arse to focus on elephants and giraffes which won't stand still though.

 

[dazzajl]

As someone who recognises the affliction of needing to shoot subjects with the least suitable kit thy can muster. I can tell you that whatever lenses, focus screens or other bits you bolt to the SQ, it's always going to be like pushing water uphill with a fork to shoot wildlife. Even if it's caged.

It does feel bloomin' great when you do nail shots though. I have some negs of timberwolves shot on my SQb and they still make me smile.

 

[Kev M]

Come on then dazza get 'em scanned in to give me some hope/inspiration.