MF System Camera

Mr Perceptive

Mr Perceptive

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David
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Right I've decided to purchase an MF system camera, interchangeable backs, interchangeable lenses. I want to keep the weight reasonable (so no Fuji GX680s!!) but I can't make my mind up between 645 and 6x6. I like 645 negatives, they give plenty of detail and scan well but I've always had a hankering to shoot 6x6. A square camera with 50/80mm lens combination would suit my day out shooting.

I want through the lens viewing so no rangefinders (this time), I also don't have unlimited funds so I think a Hasselblad is not achieveable.

Currently I'm drawn to the Bronica's ETRS range (645) or the SQ range (6x6), if any one has any experinece of these or alternative cameras please feel free to impart some knowledge!
 
I've got both and regularly use both. I really like square format myself but (and this might just be because I am much more used to composing for rectangular format) I find that it can feel a bit limiting in terms of composition although I do love square in the right situation.

I find Bronicas to be really easy and intuitive to use, they feel good in the hand and all the controls are in the right places for me, I've tried others but always go back to the Bronica. The SQ-A is significantly larger and heavier than the ETRS and adding the prism finder on the SQ does make it into a bit of a lump but nothing like say an RB.

The only thing that I would point out is the closest focus of the lenses is quite long compared to more modern lenses. This might be true of other systems like this and you can get bellows etc. but it does limit some shots I would like to take at times.

I suppose for general use I would recommend the ETRS because it is lighter, landscape/portrait rectangular format and 16 shots on a roll but if you really want square then then SQ-A is IMHO great.
 
I use the 6x6 SQ-Ai, had one years ago also ETRs but even back then I favoured the SQ-Ai. Main advantage to the SQ-A is that if you want later you can crop the scanned file (or even crop in the enlarger) and you can still bave MF quality, if you go down the 645 route you have less meat to play with so if you decide a square shot is the best crop you lose image area. The other dilemma you have with 645 is if you want to shoot portrait orientation you need the eye level finder. IQ wise, 120 film is 120 film.
 
Can't chime in on the Bronica, but I have a Pentax 645n. With the 75mm f/2.8 it's a very nice hand-holdable package. If you want to borrow it to eliminate it, or at least to evaluate the 645 neg, you're welcome. I bought it for AF and for the 150 f/2.8 which makes it a great portrait camera. It's also nice to have 'easy mode' without worrying about lightmeters etc. Downside is the fully electronic-ness and the weight with anything other than the 75 on there. Also the backs aren't hot-swappable mid-roll. Less of a problem for me but might be for you.
 
Harlequin565 said:
Can't chime in on the Bronica, but I have a Pentax 645n. With the 75mm f/2.8 it's a very nice hand-holdable package. If you want to borrow it to eliminate it, or at least to evaluate the 645 neg, you're welcome. I bought it for AF and for the 150 f/2.8 which makes it a great portrait camera. It's also nice to have 'easy mode' without worrying about lightmeters etc. Downside is the fully electronic-ness and the weight with anything other than the 75 on there. Also the backs aren't hot-swappable mid-roll. Less of a problem for me but might be for you.
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Ian, thats very generous, I already have a GA645 (AF, exposure control etc) which I love, but the fact that I can change film mid roll is a bit frustrating at times, as often I think I have the wrong film loaded. The 645N was on my radar but I think I've ruled it out becuase of the film swapping.

And sorry can't lend you the GSW690III now, as I sold it within 12 hours of advertising it (on Twitter of all places!)
 
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Although I no longer own it, I really enjoyed using my ETRS, it was very reliable and the lenses were excellent and sensibly priced. I borrowed an SQ-Ai for a Scotland trip some years ago and found it excellent too, just a bigger version of the ETRS. My experience of Bronica was very positive and I only changed system when the option to get a 500C/M at a very good price led to me moving the Zenza kit on. On a budget, I wouldn't hesitate for a moment in getting a Bronica 645, 6x6 or 6x7 camera and lenses.

This image was with the ETRS and 50mm f2.8 Zenzanon, which pretty well lived on the camera
Bron 1.jpg

This was taken with the 75mm f2.8 EII Zenzanon wide open on decade OOD Fujichrome
bron 2.jpg

Hope this helps. Also I'd be inclined to agree that the Fuji GX680 might not be the best option LOL! By far the most absurd MF camera ever created by man. That said I utterly love mine!
 
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I've never used an ETRS, but I get the impression it could be used handheld with the speedgrip. I've never felt able to use my SQ handheld, so that'll be a decent tripod to carry as well as the additional weight of the camera. This is pretty much why my 6x6 is almost all on the Rolleicord nowadays, although I agree with @sirch that the SQ is a fine camera in many ways, plus I think you can get a 645 back for the SQ and even the very rare 135W panoramic back. He's also right about the close focus of the lenses, although there is a 110 macro which presumably does this. If you haven't handled an SQ, it's worth trying to get your hands on one to appreciate the mirror movement and why you'd want to lock it up before shooting with the camera on a tripod. I don't know how this compares to an ETRS.

Some folks want to use a wlf with the ETRS series and the price of these can get quite extreme, so maybe something to be aware of, plus the popularity of the ETRS seems to be nudging their price above the SQ. This might be down to the speedgrip and prism, but again something to be considered before deciding on your desired spec. and proposed use.
 
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Peter B said:
although there is a 110 macro
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They have a loose interpretation of the term "macro", the 110mm lens scale goes down to 0.66m, whereas the 80mm goes down to 0.8m and the 50mm down to 0.5m, So yes, the 110 gets you a bit closer but it's not 1:1
 
I have the speedgrip and prism (the metered one) for my ETRSi and I haven't used them since I picked up a waist-level finder. They're useful to have, but they add a lot of bulk and weight to the kit (which is otherwise fairly compact for a modular medium format system), and I like the extra magnification that the WLF gives when focusing. The prism and speed grip do make shooting in portrait orientation a LOT easier though. :)

In terms of close focus, unless you're looking at much closer focus or macro type stuff, the 75mm is not too bad. It focuses around 12" from the front element.
 
I only recently got myself an ETRSi and am still finding my way around it. Up next is a studio session and shooting from a tripod as it seems to work well with my Godox strobes and trigger.

I really like using it, but definitely prefer the WLF to the prism and speed grip. I've mostly used the 75mm lens, but today I'm taking out the 40mm too. Although I have the 150mm, I've not used that at all yet.

I've only shot b/w on it so far as I D&P those myself, but I will be trying some colour film soon and I'm looking forward to seeing the results.
 
Peter B said:
I've never used an ETRS, but I get the impression it could be used handheld with the speedgrip. I've never felt able to use my SQ handheld, so that'll be a decent tripod to carry as well as the additional weight of the camera. This is pretty much why my 6x6 is almost all on the Rolleicord nowadays, although I agree with @sirch that the SQ is a fine camera in many ways, plus I think you can get a 645 back for the SQ and even the very rare 135W panoramic back. He's also right about the close focus of the lenses, although there is a 110 macro which presumably does this. If you haven't handled an SQ, it's worth trying to get your hands on one to appreciate the mirror movement and why you'd want to lock it up before shooting with the camera on a tripod. I don't know how this compares to an ETRS.

Some folks want to use a wlf with the ETRS series and the price of these can get quite extreme, so maybe something to be aware of, plus the popularity of the ETRS seems to be nudging their price above the SQ. This might be down to the speedgrip and prism, but again something to be considered before deciding on your desired spec. and proposed use.
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FishyFish said:
I have the speedgrip and prism (the metered one) for my ETRSi and I haven't used them since I picked up a waist-level finder. They're useful to have, but they add a lot of bulk and weight to the kit (which is otherwise fairly compact for a modular medium format system), and I like the extra magnification that the WLF gives when focusing. The prism and speed grip do make shooting in portrait orientation a LOT easier though. :)

In terms of close focus, unless you're looking at much closer focus or macro type stuff, the 75mm is not too bad. It focuses around 12" from the front element.
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I have a speed grip and Prism finder(s) for my SQ-Ai and whilst it is usable if you want that kind of MF shooting there are probably better options than the Bronica(S) and speedgrip. I did have a Speedgrip for my ETRSi back in the day and it is a bit better in use than the one on the SQ-Ai probably because of the weight and the natural rectangular framing. There are focussing screens for the SQ-A with lines for 645 framing.
 
Until recently I had a Rolleicord VA which is 6x6, and also a Bronica ETRSi which is obviously 6x4.5. I only really shoot portraits, and found that I barely used the Rollei as I just prefered the look of the 6x4.5 for my portrait work. In the end I sold the Rollei on as it was just collecting dust on a shelf. I guess is it fairly subjective though in that sense. So I guess it really all depends on what you usually shoot. Generally speaking though I cannot recommend the Bronica highly enough. Great modular system, and just works so well. They are also really good value for money too as far as MF stuff goes. I have the speedgrip and Prism finder for mine so it's literally a breeze to shoot with.
 
I love my Bronica SQ-A. It is so versatile. In a studio on a tripod with WLF or out and about with AE Prism and speedgrip. In that configuration I tend to use the 110mm f4 Macro as my standard lens and it focusses close enough. If this is not sufficient, there is a 110mm f4.5 Macro which does focus down to 1:1. I use 6x6, 6x4.5 and 35mm backs according to what I am shooting. A disadvantage of this type of camera for action pics is shutter lag. I have solved this by making a sports action finder using a Hasselblad Sports finder monted on a Bronica adapter made for the ETR series action finder. This way I can focus using the screen or by scale and lock the mirror up so there is no delay on release.
Over many years use I have found the Bronnies to be convenient and reliable to use. The only downside is that as I get older the SQ-A with AE Prism and a chunky lens gets quite heavy after a day slung round the neck. Time for a Monopod probably.

David.
 
There seems to be plenty of SQ-A's about, varying external condition, any gotchas I should know about before making an investment descision??

I 'think' I'm after an SQ-A, WLF, 80mm, 50mm and a couple of 120 backs

Is there much/any different between the earlier and later lenses??
 
I've only used the PS lenses, other than the SQ-B 80mm which I think may be the S lens tarted up? One man's view on the differences in the 150mm, if that's any use? It's only the first half of the video.

 
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Mr Perceptive said:
There seems to be plenty of SQ-A's about, varying external condition, any gotchas I should know about before making an investment descision??

I 'think' I'm after an SQ-A, WLF,
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From the Bronica Manual

Introduced at Photokina in 1990, the SQ-Ai is principally an upgraded and modified SQ-A. It has also been cosmetically revamped. Notable additional featuress over the SQ-A include the option of automatic through-the-lens flash metering and a multiple exposure warning in the viewfinder. To complement the SQ-Ai is the Motor Drive SQ-i and SQ-i film backs which have built-in exposure compensation dials.
 
Excellent!

The only issue I ever had was a back on which the cog had stripped some teeth. Apparently this is not unheard of so worth having a look.
 
Mr Perceptive said:
I would like to that everyone who has contributed to this thread. I'm off tomorrow morning to look over (an immaculate from teh photos) Bronica SQ-A withy 50/80/150 lenses, WLF, 2 backs, and assorted accessories (including all 3 lens hoods) - I'll report back if I 'invest'.
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That is a good kit for all round shooting, good luck with the purchase look forward to seeing your shots with it. (y)
 
Mr Perceptive said:
I would like to that everyone who has contributed to this thread. I'm off tomorrow morning to look over (an immaculate from teh photos) Bronica SQ-A withy 50/80/150 lenses, WLF, 2 backs, and assorted accessories (including all 3 lens hoods) - I'll report back if I 'invest'.
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Purchased! All in excellent order everything works as it should do, one back has slighly deteriorated light seals which I will replace tomorrow. Very happy :)
 
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Also got hoods, extension tube, polaroid back and other assorted bits

Viewfinder is lovely and bright

Yw4xkhkh.jpg
 
Congratulations, great little outfit. I hope that you enjoy your Bronnie as much as I enjoy mine!

David.
 
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