Thoughts on Bronica SQ MF camera

[gb hill]

Checked out a Bronica SQ today. I have been wanting to get into MF for awhile. The camera has the 120 back and an 80/2.8 which is standard lens. $200.00 with 90 day warranty. What are your thoughts on this camera? looks nice & a cheap intro into MF. What about blurred photos using hand held & mirror slap? Should I go for it? Any opinions are appreciated.

 

[wlewisiii]

I've looked at the SQ's and they seem like well made cameras with good glass. That said, when I when that route, I went with Mamiya 645 instead. Even though I like the square much better than portrait oriented 6x45, the Mamiya just felt better handling and the mirror slap was nowhere near as onerous.

If you really want 6x6 & handheld, just get a Hassy & be done with it.

Just my opinion, yada yada yada...

William

 

[gb hill]

I would love a Hassy but it's way over budget.

 

[wlewisiii]

Understand as I have that problem too. But I think it might save you money long term if you simply save for the Hassy instead of buying the lesser system that won't do what you really want to do. You aren't a wedding photog who has a job to shoot tomorrow & can put it on a tripod for most of the shots anyway - no, you're doing whatever it is that your eye sees as art with a hand held camera. Long term, I think you'll end up with a Hassy anyway. Use what you already have & save towards that goal.

I know that's what I should have done regarding my Contax II. Would have been a much cheaper route overall.

Hope this is of some help,

William

 

[aizan]

the sq doesn't have mirror lock-up. i'd look for an sq-ai, which doesn't cost much more.

 

[BSchall]

I've had a SQA for 12 years or so. It was my primary camera for 4 or 5 years until I got into 4x5. I've shot it handheld many times and always gotten nice sharp pictures. The mirror slap is just, as far as I'm concerned, folk lore. If you shoot at speeds that are fine for hand holding, then it works fine. I've also shoot a lot of landscapes with it on a tripod. The lenses are as good as anything on the market. The camera bodies are pretty robust. I've had mine in the South Florida swamps and humidity and also in the New Mexico sand and dryness. Never a misfire. Don't hesitate to jump on the Bronica bandwagon.

 

[JeffGreene]

I love 6 X 6, but do agree with Aizan that blurriness could be a problem without mirror lockup. That's the reason I love my SL66. 🙂

 

[kuzano]

Pretty cheap intro to MF...

Pretty cheap intro to MF...

Great glass. Leaf shutter in lens, so it synchs flash at all speeds. The lens would sell for almost what you are paying for a usable system. If the lack of mirror lockup creates an issue, just stay on the lookout for the SQ-ai body. They often show up on eBay pretty reasonable. In fact, there is a seller on eBay... Shutterblade... that very often has a lot of Bronica stuff.

Spend a bunch more on a Hassy... find out you don't care for MF???

The Bronica glass, if in good condition will shoot to Hassy standards, as will Mamiya.

Also... where else are you going to get a 90 day warranty. How reputable is the seller in your eyes.

I'd go for it, but see if you can run a test roll through it before buying it.

 

[daveywaugh]

I just sold my Hasselblad 500cm after only a month of usage. Absolutely lovely camera, stunning lens but in the end the 'system' was simply too cost prohibitive for me to enter into a long term relationship!

I am now a Bronica SQai user and to absolutely honest, there's nothing I miss about the Hassy - well maybe it's gorgeous chrome curves 🙂 The SQ system seems solid, the 80mm to my eyes has to be in the same league as the Planar (well very close) and frankly I am not using Velvia 50 and then scanning on a 300K Crossfield drum to be able to find out. Accessories are easy to come buy and MUCH cheaper. Mirror slap is less than the Hassy.

Yes, the company doesn't exist anymore but it's not as though Hasselblad are committed to the V system anymore. Yeah they've got spare parts but remember, the cost of one 45 degree prism can pay for a used SQai with lens, back and accessories twice over!

I do like the ergonomics of the SQai over the SQ but differences are pretty marginal. MLU is noce but to be honest, on a good tripod, I really don't think the mirror is going to ruin the picture. The price you've been quoted seems great and I'd go for it! I think it's a good deal. Forget saving for a year (for a Hassy) and enjoy shooting!

 

[stuken]

I had an SQ-A for about 6 months. I loved the camera.

 

[Michael I.]

i have a SQAi and have no issues with mirror slap down to at least 1/60
http://sushiisyumi.blogspot.com/search/label/bronica sqai

 

[Yammerman]

I looked at the Hasselblad for a while but I still thought it way too pricey and in the end picked up a SQA very cheap. It has miror lockup and with patience you can pickup lenses at bargain prices. I like the fact you can change the backs any time and use 67mm on all my lenses. I was thrown by the mirror staying up till you wind on the film but I soon figured that out and love the camera.

Currently selling my Pentax 645 gear as a result. If I'm going to lug MF about I want a big neg for my trouble. I've not used it off the tripod but I might give that ago when the sun shines again after reading the posts on here.

For me it does the job but hey I love my Skoda too.😀

 

[Photon42]

People are very different in this regard. If you really actually want a Hasselblad, go save up for it, if there's any chance to make it w/o selling important parts of your body 😎. Rather limit yourself to one lens in the beginning. It's also one of those cameras every repair shop knows inside out, I suspect.

If of course this is your first camera, go take the cheaper Bronica, as you get pictures from it earlier. Just don't expect too easy resale (that may depend on the price, but there might not be much headroom left).

MF has a processing part as well. Everything tends to be more expensive there (per image, maybe not per pixel 😀). So if you use a flatbed scanner, you end up with the same quality as a Nikon Coolscan and 35mm film. The labs here in Switzerland always tend to be more costly for images from 120 film, if they still know, what it is ... (scanning costs are terribly high, as well).

 

[Parkes Owen]

the sq doesn't have mirror lock-up. i'd look for an sq-ai, which doesn't cost much more.

Good advice, I had an ETRsi 645 for 5 years and regret selling it. Stunning glass and very reliable, used it for landscape, aerial and product work. Resale value is not an issue as they are so cheap now that you would have to give it away to lose money! I have always wanted a blad, but only for the 'coolness' factor, as
i`m sure it wouldn`t improve my photography! 😀

 

[gb hill]

I think wanting the blad is the coolness factor. The SQ I looked at may be the one with mirror lockup. I didn't give it that close of an examination. The store has two of them. They are a reputable camera store & have bought my Canonet from them with the same warranty. Now from familiarizing myself with Bronica cameras & reading what you all had to say about them I will shake off the "kid in a candy store" mentality & seriously go check them out. Thanks for all the imput. I think this is the way to go if I get one. I also loved the way it fit in my small hands.

 

[kuzano]

As I recall one tricky part of the bronica....

As I recall one tricky part of the bronica....

If you try to crank and dry fire it...I seem to recall the wind crank just keeps winding unless the back has film loaded. I could be wrong... as I could be thinking about the Mamiya Super Pro in that regard. If that's the case with the Bronica, it's a bit disconcerting until you know about it. Also, the fact that the mirror stays up until you wind is a plus, since it precludes the mirror slap on return. Most people are disconcerted by this, but it was smart engineering prior to MLU bodies.

Regarding film processing... I do have to send my 120 for processing, but I have a good processing lab (Portland Or) that processes 120 in strips for $4.95 and scans the negs/transparencies to CD for $9 per roll and 1.50 for sleeves for the roll. That plus mailing and a week to get it back.

 

[vdonovan]

I've been using an SQ-A for portraiture for two years and I like it. What I like best is that lenses and accessories are CHEAP. If you keep an eye open, you can get new bodies on KEH for $90, backs for $15. I bought a prism finder for $20.

I'm happy with the image quality. It's a big heavy camera and I would never personally use it off a tripod, but then I don't have to for portaits. The SQ-A has a mirror lockup, which I use often. It's not a street camera.

I've had a little trouble with the bodies. They are pretty complicated mechanically, with a lot of interlocks that depend on tiny parts that can bend or break. It's hard to find people to work on them and it's almost never worth the $$$. At least with Mamiya and Hassy the companies are still in business. They even still sell parts for some old cameras.

I bought an ai that locked up almost immediately. Fortunately I could get another body for $90.

 

[JoeV]

If you try to crank and dry fire it...I seem to recall the wind crank just keeps winding unless the back has film loaded. I could be wrong....

I've owned at ETRS for 20 years, no problems, great kit. I wish I had the SQ because I'm partial to square format.

The trick to the dry fire is to flick the multiple exposure lever down; it's located on the right side, just above the hand crank (on the ETRS, that is; could be different on the SQ.)

~Joe

 

[minoltist7]

I have SQ-A and I like it very much.
At 1/125 no blur from mirror slap on handheld shots with standard 80/2.8 lens.
But I use it mostly on tripod. It has mirror lock-up.

Some users told they had problems with light leaks in backs.
Unfortunately, body-to-back lock mechanism broke, and I glued back and body together with scotch tape as a temporary fix.

 

[rpsawin]

I have an SQ-b and use it for landscape/seascape work. I use it on a tri-pod. The system is robust and represents an excellent value for the $$$. The weak point seems to be the backs. If you get a flakey one it can give you fits.

Best regards,

Bob