I just got another Bronica S2A in nice condition and I upgraded the finder foam - as per my articles on Bob Monagan's Bronica site-
http://medfmt.8k.com/bronica.html
Some of this is a repeat of information I have posted elsewhere:
The Bronica S2A is one of the all-time great medium format SLRs and still can work great today. It was the last and fully debugged version of a classic design and that is why it works well. All of these cameras have old deteriorated foam in the finder screen cover plate which has allowed the viewing screen to drift out of focus alignment being pushed up by underneath springs (crazy design).
Replacing this foam with Moleskin (adhesive backed felt) corrects this problem, but does not always solve everything. I just realigned my new Bronica S2A and the test results with it and the 100MM f2.8 Zenzanon lens are super sharp and crisp.
However, I had to remove two ledges the viewing groundglass rested on in addition to replacing the foam. That means that this camera, and maybe all Bronica S2A cameras were NEVER in true sharp/crisp focus. The finder foam must have compressed right after installation allowing the springs under the screen to push it up and out of focus even slightly, and if not, the screen was sitting up too high by resting on these metal ledges at the north and south positions.
With the great Nikkor optics that were offered with these cameras, only stopping the lenses down to f8 or lower would yield sharp pictures of any kind and the poor test results the Nikkor lenses had in photo magazine tests had nothing to do with the lenses, but the fact that all of these cameras were out of focus alignment. Was this a result of stupidity, sloppy work or somebody's deliberate attempt to sabotage these cameras and Nikon supplying lenses for them? I have no idea what is true, but find it incomprehensible to believe that a camera so well designed and upgraded could be sold to buyers out of focus alignment.
A good condition Bronica S2A which today has the finder foam replaced (and maybe the ledges removed - leaving only two thin shims in place) is capable today of some of the best quality Medium Format photography when using good condition/clean Nikkor and Zenzanon lenses. I have heard that the Komura lenses were less good, but with a properly aligned camera they may be very good too.
Another mystery is that some Bronica S2A focusing helicals, all of which have a front 57MM screw mount, have these screw threads improperly cut so that they do not accept Bronica 57MM accessories. I know all of this sounds like Bronica did sloppy work, but that is not true in the design and precision of the camera mechanics.
I would like to hear more comments from Bronica S2A users who are having good use from this camera.
