Bronica Experts

I have a Bronica SQ-AI and I was wondering what is the difference between the S and the PS lenses...is one better for color...if I am primarily shooting b&w, does it matter which I use? there is a price difference between the two...

thanks

The PS lenses are the newer generation, supposed to be sharper design. I have both and really see no difference. Best part about them is being newer, theres less chance of getting a wornout shutter than there is with the S variety, but only by a little. If your budget is tight, get the S and use it till the camera wears out, you'll be happy with it.

I can't see a noticeable difference between S and PS images either, in sharpness or colour or saturation.

The performance differences between S and PS are ( according to Bronicas ex-European distributor) more marked as the lenses get longer, and I only have an S 50mm , because the filter thread is 67mm just like most of the others whereas on the 50mm PS it is much larger. Further, PS lenses have click stops at half stop intervals not full stops as have the S lenses. However you can easily set the S lenses to an intermediate point between the click stops since the lenses open/close down accordingly.

The age point however is relevent. The PS lenses were introduced in 1985 and I guess that a PS lens could be anywhere from three to twenty years old. The S lenses are between 20 and 25 years old. Its arguably that difference that explains the higher price for PS .

"The performance differences between S and PS are ( according to Bronicas ex-European distributor) more marked as the lenses get longer"

Funnily enough, I was told that the difference was greater with the wide angles because it "was harder to design a wide angle than a telephoto", so who knows? Prices now are so low that I think you should just go for the best/newest one you can find.

I and a friend each owned Bronica SQ cameras in the 70's. The wde angle lenses and the normal were of the S variety. The 150mm and the 250mm were not very good lenses. I sold my Bronica. He later upgraded to th P series. All of the lenses were quite satisfactory.