ETRS focus issue?

ted120 · Sep 17, 2020

New poster.
I've seen some mention of this but not here. My Bronica etrs fitted with the standard 75mm lens appears to have trouble focusing at infinity.
Using a split screen focusing screen, when the focusing ring on the lens reaches infinity, the image still appears to be out of focus. I must mention that I have yet to run a roll of film through it, so cannot actually say if this is normal or it actually does mean the image is out of focus.
I watched a video for the SQ and they had a similar problem. That was resolved by replacing the word foam banding around the focusing screen. However the ETRS does not have any foam beading, so its obviously not that?
cheers

R.Gould · Sep 17, 2020

What does the image look like to you? does it look in focus,? I have 2 Etrsi's one old and heavily used, but even at 5.6 it is sharp, although sometimes it looks slightly out,(could be old eyes), but the negatives, with every lens I have is sharp, I sometimes think the 200 and 150 looks not quite sharp in the viewfinder, but is always sharp when processed, so I would hold judgement until you have put a film though the camera, and make sure you use some wide apertures, I have a Rolleicord that has a split screen and I get the same problem, image to me is sharp but split say different, when split screen says sharp looks unsharp to me plus at infinity the split screen never matches, always looks out to me, but negatives are always sharp, I tend not to use split screen on 35mm or mf, so try it and see

ted120 · Sep 17, 2020

Ah, your last sentence gives me some hope. Exactly the same issue: split screen not aligned when at infinity. Will run a film through this weekend and see what happens...
Cheers

GRHazelton · Sep 17, 2020

My Bronica S2a had a similar problem, in the case of the S2a it was caused by the foam around the view screen having failed, and the mirror bumpers foam having failed, thus making accurate infinity focus impossible. For the S2 the issue was thoroughly covered on the Flickr group, you might see what the Flckr group for the ERTS has to say.

ted120 · Sep 17, 2020

Indeed, that may have been the model I saw on YouTube. The foam had worn away. The etrs doesnt have any foam, at least mine doesn't, so I've ruled that out as a possible explanation.
Elsewhere, I've read of the focus going beyond infinity, but again, not an issue with mine.
I will say the only other curious aspect is a slight rattle within the lens itself, which I have discovered to be a wafer thin plastic ring about 2 or 3mm wide just inside the lens which appears to be loose. But that might just be a strip covering some internal element.

moto-uno · Sep 17, 2020

A simple test to check for infinity focus , your lens may have a sliding switch on it (near the bottom of the lens) that is held in the "A" position with a small slot screw .
Loosen the screw until the switch can be moved over. Set the multi-exposure lever forward and wind on the film advance . Squeeze the film holder tab(s) on top of the film
holder and remove the film holder and dark slide( leaving the rest in place) . You should then see the 2 small film rollers ( 1 on top and 1 on the bottom ) . Stick some scotch tape snugly
on both rollers . With the camera on a tripod, aim at a very distant straight object and fire the shutter , the lens should stay open and with a magnifier you can check what
is in focus on the scotch tape and check what is in focus in the split screen . Should be the same . The S model and Etr model screen mounting are completely different.
Hope this helps . And anything rattling in a lens needs to be attended to , as it may in fact be locking one of the glass lens in place and you'll never get anything to correctly
focus ( ask me why I know this ) Peter

wiltw · Sep 17, 2020

ted120 said:
Ah, your last sentence gives me some hope. Exactly the same issue: split screen not aligned when at infinity. Will run a film through this weekend and see what happens...
Cheers

There are three genuine Bronica ETRS focus screens with a split screen

Split screen diagonal center with microprism ring surround
Split screen diagonal center only (no microprism surround)
Split screen diagonal center with microprism ring surround and 35mm frame marks

The split screen always goes from lower left to upper right.

If your focus screen does not match above descriptions, it is an aftermarket screen.

ted120 · Sep 18, 2020

moto-uno said:
A simple test to check for infinity focus , your lens may have a sliding switch on it (near the bottom of the lens) that is held in the "A" position with a small slot screw .
Loosen the screw until the switch can be moved over. Set the multi-exposure lever forward and wind on the film advance . Squeeze the film holder tab(s) on top of the film
holder and remove the film holder and dark slide( leaving the rest in place) . You should then see the 2 small film rollers ( 1 on top and 1 on the bottom ) . Stick some scotch tape snugly
on both rollers . With the camera on a tripod, aim at a very distant straight object and fire the shutter , the lens should stay open and with a magnifier you can check what
is in focus on the scotch tape and check what is in focus in the split screen . Should be the same . The S model and Etr model screen mounting are completely different.
Hope this helps . And anything rattling in a lens needs to be attended to , as it may in fact be locking one of the glass lens in place and you'll never get anything to correctly
focus ( ask me why I know this ) Peter

Okay, why?

ted120 · Sep 18, 2020

Mine is an original screen.
Will know once I run a film through I guess.

moto-uno · Sep 18, 2020

I thought you weren't sure if your focus was correct ? If you want to use film , it's your money . And if they're not in focus , what's that going to suggest to you ?
And just a follow up on my parting remark concerning something loose in the lens , without that corrected this all may be for nought . I haven't had one apart in
quite some time , but most rings inside were to secure lens units . Peter

ETRS focus issue?

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