Thoughts on Bronica SQ MF camera

Been using a Bronica ETRSI for a couple years.Love it. Bronica glass is top notch.Bronica are a very underrated camera for sure.Id go for it!
 
hamradio said:
I have been introduced to so many awesome cameras within the last few weeks, around this place.
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and I found this place about 2 1/2 years ago after I picked up a Canonet gIII & did a google search. Now I have all 3 cameras that you list & more.:)
 
gb hill said:
Checked out a Bronica SQ today. What about blurred photos using hand held & mirror slap? Should I go for it? Any opinions are appreciated.
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I have had a Bronica SQ-B, which is very similar to the SQ. It is an amazing camera simply because it does what it is designed to do. It's simple and sturdy enough for me. The lenses are very good, too. Unfortunately, I never had luck hand holding the camera. I had the grip, which mounts on the right side, but even with the grip it's rather awkward. The camera really shines on the tripod.
 
SQAi user here. Great system and reasonable priced now. If you can't be happy with one of these set-ups, what could please you? Quirks, no more than Hassy has. Hand holdable? Yes. On tripod, super sharp. I have had Mamiya M645s and Bronica wins, easy.
 
hamradio said:
Sorry to threadjack, but how does it compare to the kiev 88? The kiev is a little cheaper, it seems.
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zenazanons are sharper and the bodies are way more reliable.
do not buy a kiev unless you dont have a choice(or the 180/2.8 sonnar is attached to it)
 
i ran into a bronica sq-a on ebay. that's a nice looking camera! it has crisper lines than the sq-ai.
 
Older SQ backs can get light leaks. As in many cameras, the spongy stuff used as a light seal turns to goo after many years. The light seals are VERY easy to replace and there is some guy on Ebay who sells a light seal kit that works great.

I just buy the cheapest backs on KEH and assume I will have to replace the seals. Usually I don't as they have already been replaced by the previous owner! Also the back components are interchangeable. You might buy two $12 UGLY-grade backs and find that one has a like-new core and the other a like-new shell. Put them together and you've got a like-new back.
 
I had an SQ-A for a while and picked it over the SQ-Ai because the body felt more robust to me, with less use of plastic in. I didn't have a problem with any light leaks on the backs (but then I only had two). It's a very well made camera and a dealer once told me that Bronicas were their favourite secondhand cameras due to their reliability.

One accessory I always wanted to get was the speed grip. I never managed to afford this, but friends of mine who had one told me it really helped with the handling of the camera.
 
GB, I have shot with an SQA for over four years and love it. It is my only SLR. It's condition looked like a five year old taxicab when I got it and it still does. But it has worked flawlessly. My friendly local camera repair guy, a Hassleblad specialist, says the Bronica is actually more reliable and requires less maintenance than the Hassy.

I carry mine in my hand, no strap. It is bulky but comfortable. I almost never shoot it on a tripod and find no problems with mirror slap or unsharp photos at 1//125th.

You just can not buy more camera for the money as you are finding out.

I have the 50mm PS, 65mm PS, 80mm PS, 110mm macro and the 150mm S lenses. They are all very good. But the 110mm macro stands out as one of the sharpest lenses I ever use.

You need an SLR as there are times when they work best. But you only need one. And the Bronica is the one I decided to keep for mine.
 
gb hill said:
I will keep this in mind. In what way are the backs weak? Is it the way they clip to the body?
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GB,

Actually, I have had no problem with that rather the exact opposite. I've had two backs, a 120 & a 220, that were difficult to remove. They tended to lock up and took some fidgeting to get them to release.

As has been pointed out very good/new backs are plentiful and cheap!

Best regards,

Bob
 
Hey GB,

I have an ETRSi with 2 120 backs, 2 lenses- the 75 or 80 and the 40mm- the metered prism, and the speed grip. I never seem to burn much film with it even though some of my favorite images have come from it. If you want to borrow it for a little while, I just live about an hour down the road from you. That way you can decide for yourself if MF is something you want to invest in.

I love the huge negative, but find carrying such a camera around something of a chore. I mostly keep it hoping to find someone that would like to trade an M for it and to take some occasional shots with it. I think there's a roll of slide film in one of the backs right now.

Send me a PM and let me know.

Barry
 
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