Bronica SQA problems

[sirch]

I just processed a roll of Portra shot on the Bronica SQA and there appears to be a number of double exposures in the middle of the roll. I am assuming this is due to not winding on properly because the frame edges are exposed. I've not seen this problem before and I shot this yesterday evening and this morning and didn't really notice anything strange about winding on. Any ideas???

 

[simon ess]

I once had the same happen with my SQ-B.

I can't remember exact details but it was connected with using the mirror lock up lever.

 

[sirch]

The SQ-A does have a setting that lets you take multiple exposures but as far as I know I didn't touch it.

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

I've owned both Bronica SQ and Hasselblad systems and I've never seen anything like that from them. I have seen it on knob wind TLRs and it generally came down to slipage in the spring mounted film counter wheel. By analogy then I'd check the linkage between the camera and the magazine to check that the gears aren't worn or sticking.

 

[sirch]

I'll do some investigating but it's hard to see what is going on when the back is mounted in the camera

 

[Asha]

I'll do some investigating but it's hard to see what is going on when the back is mounted in the camera

The ETRS645 would allow the shutter / mirror to be cycled with film back and /or lens removed.

Perhaps it's a feature that also exists with the SQ ?

Unfortunatly I'm unable to "talk" you through the procedure as I no longer possess the camera.

 

[Peter B]

Never seen this sort of thing with mine Chris, but the first thing seems to be that the frames look to be correctly spaced? This would rule out any slippage issue, and I'm assuming the frame counter edged up 1 at a time as normal? I'll check out my book later this evening as I'm wondering if it is maybe a shutter issue, but that's just guessing at the moment. Were they all shot with the one lens, or did you maybe use a different lens for the dark shots?

Edit: the multiple exposure switch is directly above the wind crank on the SQA, but the book suggests you would have to wind on first and cock the shutter before moving the multiple exposure switch/lever forward by 90 degrees. This would suggest that it can't be accidentally done when winding on. The other thing it says is that you have to move the lever back to the vertical once you've taken as many shots as you want, so again that would suggest you can't really do it accidentally as the film won't wind on until you move the multiple exposure lever.

 

[sirch]

Interesting point about the lenses, the first three and last three used the same lens (80mm), the ones in the middle used either that lens or a the 110mm, so could be that. I might try to devise a way to check the lens but with the shutter in the lens there's not a lot to check.

There are "frames" visible on the bad part of the neg which makes me think it is more likely to be double exposure, the frame spacing looks good, it's almost like there is a good frame and then a secondary exposure. Light leak in that 110mm lens may be? here's a scan of the bad part of the neg

 

[sirch]

So I thought I had come up with a plan, shoot 6 frames with one lens, switch over and switch 6 frames with the other lens, this would test both lenses and changing over to try to find out the problem is. Of course everything worked fine :banghead:

 

[Asha]

Of course everything worked fine :banghead:

That would, imo, indicate a fair chance that the original issue was down to user error.

The great news is, your kit is evidently fine.

The not so great news is figuring out what went wrong last time.

Tbh, frustrating as it is not knowing the cause of the stuffed frames, the fact that all is good re kit, I'd no longer fret over it and just get back out there and continue to shoot

 

[sirch]

I'd no longer fret over it and just get back out there and continue to shoot

I do agree but it's a bit unnerving and bit of a pain if I've invested the time and effort to shoot something and half the roll is wasted

 

[Peter B]

I do agree but it's a bit unnerving and bit of a pain if I've invested the time and effort to shoot something and half the roll is wasted

but I guess it's maybe an idea to shoot some cheaper b&w film until you're sure that the problem has disappeared?

 

[Asha]

I do agree but it's a bit unnerving and bit of a pain if I've invested the time and effort to shoot something and half the roll is wasted

Don't get me wrong, I'm with you with the frustration, very much so but like anything, if there is nothing can be done to rectify the end result, it is futile and a waste of energy nattering over it …...Much more profitable to put that energy into climbing that hill ( or whatever) again to get a similar, or even better shot!

 

[Topsy]

New here but not new to film shooting or Bronica, had one in the old days SQ-Ai and have just bought another one. I was checking the operation of my recently purchased kit and had taken 4 photos 1 with the 80mm and 3 with the 65mm then whilst checking my newly acquired 40mm, 150mm and metering head I noticed that when I was on long shutter speeds the 65mm just closed the lens blades, no audible first and second click that I get with the other 3 lenses, closer inspection revealed that the lens aperture was indeed just closing therefore I will not get any shots on the film it will be unexposed. Your symptoms seem to be similar so I suspect faulty lens shutter. The seller of the lens advised cleaning the contacts might work, it didn't but in your case it could have been as simple as a poor contact that in the removing and re-attaching the lens cleared itself?

 

[sirch]

New here but not new to film shooting or Bronica, had one in the old days SQ-Ai and have just bought another one. I was checking the operation of my recently purchased kit and had taken 4 photos 1 with the 80mm and 3 with the 65mm then whilst checking my newly acquired 40mm, 150mm and metering head I noticed that when I was on long shutter speeds the 65mm just closed the lens blades, no audible first and second click that I get with the other 3 lenses, closer inspection revealed that the lens aperture was indeed just closing therefore I will not get any shots on the film it will be unexposed. Your symptoms seem to be similar so I suspect faulty lens shutter. The seller of the lens advised cleaning the contacts might work, it didn't but in your case it could have been as simple as a poor contact that in the removing and re-attaching the lens cleared itself?

If I unserstand corrrectly in your case the shutter is not opening? Which would leave the film clear after developing, in my case the film is exposed hence dark on the neg

 

[Topsy]

If I unserstand corrrectly in your case the shutter is not opening? Which would leave the film clear after developing, in my case the film is exposed hence dark on the neg

Indeed you are correct. I didn't come over too well the point I was making in a round about way was that your contacts may have been temporarily hampered which could have held the shutter open for longer than required hence overexposing your film but removal and re-attaching may have cleared the problem. It's just a thought.

 

[sirch]

Ah! fair point, definitely worth taking a look at the contacts, thanks.

 

[Asha]

Ah! fair point, definitely worth taking a look at the contacts, thanks.

That’s actually a good suggestion tbh as although I have no recollection of contact problems with the briny that I had, I did occasionally have to clean them on the rz67 to ensure communication remained between lens and body

 

[sirch]

I had a good look a the contacts and could see nothing obvious but gave them a clean anyway. It's hard to know if that is the issue because I have not experienced the problem again.

 

[Mr Badger]

I had a good look a the contacts and could see nothing obvious but gave them a clean anyway. It's hard to know if that is the issue because I have not experienced the problem again.

It could just have been having a bit of an off day after the possible shock of being used again after a period of hibernation? Perhaps a teeny bit of c rap got in the works and stopped something moving back into place? In the absence of a definite diagnosis, probably the only thing for it is to run some more films through it, noting what settings and lenses you're using, and see if it happens again.

 

[Asha]

I had a good look a the contacts and have not experienced the problem again.

Well that has to be good news.
Would seem that whatever the issue was isn’t going to be a long term problem [emoji6]