A Bronica GS-1 6x7 fell in my lap

[rkm]

I went to an old friend's 40th birthday party the other day. His father who I knew, passed away a couple of years ago. His father had been a professional photographer his whole working life and was a bit of a hoarder. Long story short, I was talking about wanting to try medium format, and my friend kindly went out to his back shed and sent me home with a Bronica kit.

GS-1 6x7 camera with speed winder grip and AE prism
Zenzanon 110/4, 150/4, 250/5.6

Any love for these?

It hasn't been used in years. Needs a cleanup. One of the lens cases had perished foam all over the lens. I've ordered a battery, and haven't been able to do anything with it yet as it has an electronic shutter. Hope the camera still works ok.

I'm looking forward to getting stuck into this. I've been shooting 35mm on my Nikon FE for a year, and need a new project.

 

[dazedgonebye]

I hope you were wearing a cup. Those buggers are heavy!

 

[noisycheese]

Any love for these?

Of course - it's a film camera and a 6x7 format to boot! What's not to love?? 😀

That's quite a haul - a Bronica 6x7, AE prism, winder and three lenses for it.

Lucky man!

 

[rkm]

It is a heavy bugger!

Excited about 6x7. Looking around on flickr, I quite like the dimension.

Maybe I should buy a tripod and do some black and white landscapes... Which is something I haven't bothered trying on 35mm. Or perhaps some portraiture that is something other than candid...

 

[Moto-Uno]

Well , I'm thinking you're pretty darn lucky ! And should you wish to change it for a similar kit in 645 by Bronica , PM me. They made a good product. Peter

 

[rkm]

I think a 645 back is available for the GS-1. I like that dimension too. I think if this kit goes anywhere it would be back to my friend.

Would love people to share their Bronica Medium Format images here.

Have just been checking out freestyle for film, as a medium format noob. Any comments about the Arista Edu 100 and 200?

 

[rhl-oregon]

I like the 200 a lot. Here's one from my GF670. More in a recent set in my gallery.

 

[rkm]

I like the 200 a lot. Here's one from my GF670. More in a recent set in my gallery.

very nice ...

 

[Vincent.G]

Babychair Scene* by Days of My Ordinary Life (Vincent), on Flickr

I had a GS-1 with 100/3.5 three years ago. It was my first medium format camera which I used to photography my children. I eventually moved to a Pentax 67II. The GS-1 + 100/3.5 was a monster kit and its large and bright WLF is hard to beat.

Enjoy!

 

[__jc]

Congratulations - it is a brilliant camera and system. I had one quite a few years ago with the 65, 100 and 150mm lenses, the AE prism (which is really accurate but the electronics went askew on mine so be a bit wary) and a few backs including the 6x6 back, which was great.

Here are a couple of photos I took with it - one in Vanuatu, and the other in New Zealand:

By the way, both were taken on Fuji Reala, which I see with great sadness has just been discontinued.

 

[_lou_]

In my opinion one of the best medium format cameras available. I have had Hasselblad, Rolleiflex and a few other brands, this is by far my preferred.
The Zenzanon glass is superb in terms of sharpness, distortion and overall look, although they sometimes lack a bit of a "signature".

A 6x7 SLR is obviously large and heavy, but this one isn't that bad. In fact each lens weights less than their Hasselblad counterpart, so if you pack 3 lenses and your body, it won't be heavier than a 500C/M system. Having said that I often only carry a waist level finder, 65mm and 150mm only.

I have had 2 GS-1s and they have been generally very reliable. They also are very good on battery usage. The second hand market makes it very affordable, and I find that the extra 25% negative size (over 6x6) is very often appreciated.