Wow. Just wow.
I'm glad i never started collecting any Bronica then. I was tempted to... the idea of having medium format Nikkors is powerful!!
First Medium Format Purchase! Advice!!
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Wow. Just wow.
I'm glad i never started collecting any Bronica then. I was tempted to... the idea of having medium format Nikkors is powerful!!
Hasselblad probably comes closest to your wants.
The lenses between 50 and 250 aren't that bad pricewise. Anything else hold onto your wallet.
There were a couple of ways to use a meter with them. A metering knob that replaces the advance knob. But it's slower to use than a winding crank, another was a clamp-on accessory shoe that would clamp to a lens hood(square or rectangular).
****With your need for critical composing ability the earliest(500C) vignettes with longer lenses >120. I don't remember if the larger mirror came out with the 500CM or 501.
The C lenses took Bay 50 hoods and filters. CF lenses changed to a Bay 60 and there are some lenses that use Series Vlll's
The lenses between 50 and 250 aren't that bad pricewise. Anything else hold onto your wallet.
There were a couple of ways to use a meter with them. A metering knob that replaces the advance knob. But it's slower to use than a winding crank, another was a clamp-on accessory shoe that would clamp to a lens hood(square or rectangular).
****With your need for critical composing ability the earliest(500C) vignettes with longer lenses >120. I don't remember if the larger mirror came out with the 500CM or 501.
The C lenses took Bay 50 hoods and filters. CF lenses changed to a Bay 60 and there are some lenses that use Series Vlll's
I had said
I could live without the 150mm lens.
As far as the mirror vignetting, I only see it on the 250mm lens with the 503 CX. It appears on the top edge of the mirror and is not noticeable, I do not even see it. It does not show up on the negatives.
There were those who believed that it was sabotage. I can't understand how they could go that long without realizing the problem and correcting it. The later EC's were fine. I bought my S2a from a women whose father had passed. He had been the original owner. When I received it, sure enough it would not focus on infinity. It's an easy fix.
Nikkor even got a reputation for producing soft lenses. When the EC's came out all a sudden the Nikkors were sharp except for the 135mm.
I wonder if this contributed to the split between Nikon and Bronica.
I heard that Nikon said that they quit manufacturing lenses for Bronica because they wanted to concentrate on their 35mm cameras and lenses. However, Nikon did make large format lenses so it does make you wonder.
In case you don't know, Nikon's large format lenses are excellent and every bit as good as the offerings from Schneider, Rodenstock and Fuji.
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The Bronica's offer what seems to me very close to what I want at such incredible prices, it's so tempting to just go ahead and try the system out. Has anyone ever encountered battery issues? (I guess this question is in regards to those who might have used them in very cold weather; I shoot often outdoors in Canadian winters where it can reach as low as -25C!) Anyways, I can probably live with a battery operated body like the EC line. Especially because changing a 6V battery over a 1.5V (for most 35mm) will be a lot easier and faster in stuck temperatures.
Can someone give me a little breakdown of A) what lenses go on which bodies (leaf/focal plane/[both] compatibility) and B) which lenses were made by which manufacturer and perhaps some image examples of these lenses? Again, looking for Wide (45-50mm) Normal (75-85mm) Tele (135-150mm) and a good 2x teleconverter.
Can someone give me a little breakdown of A) what lenses go on which bodies (leaf/focal plane/[both] compatibility) and B) which lenses were made by which manufacturer and perhaps some image examples of these lenses? Again, looking for Wide (45-50mm) Normal (75-85mm) Tele (135-150mm) and a good 2x teleconverter.
The S2a's which preceded the EC's were entirely mechanical with focal plane shutters and no meters. They used the same lenses from Nikkor, Bronica and Komura that the EC's used. There was a leaf shutter lens made but I have no experience with it. I'd recommend the 50mm, 75mm, 200mm Nikkors and the 150mm Bronica for portraiture. The 40mm Nikkors are really sweet but hard to find and collectable. I've heard that the 80mm Bronica lenses are nice but I have never used one. The 75mm Nikkor is excellent though. Most lenses are dirt cheap today. I sold my beautiful 150mm Bronica lens for less than $50.00 on Ebay. There were a couple aftermarket 2x teleconverters but I would skip those. Just buy a longer lens.
The later 6x6 Bronica's after the EC's were Hasselblad copies and used Bronica leaf shutter lenses. I have never used one except for the 645 ETRsi which is a bargain today.
The later 6x6 Bronica's after the EC's were Hasselblad copies and used Bronica leaf shutter lenses. I have never used one except for the 645 ETRsi which is a bargain today.
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I have owned:
6x7- Mamiya RZ67
6x6- Hasselblad 500c/m, Bronica EC, Bronica S2a
645- Pentax 645Nll, 645N, 645, Bronica ETRsi
If I were to buy into a medium format slr system today I would look at a Hasselblad or a Mamiya RZ67 (or RB if I didn't want batteries). Hasselblad is the best overall camera to carry around but I prefer the RZ for portraiture. I also prefer 6x7 over 6x6 for landscapes but to me landscapes are better shot with a 4x5 where you can change the plane of focus. Tilt is nice!
The RZ's and RB's are big and heavy but the "L" grips do help a lot. I had one of them on my RZ. There is also the Pentax 6X7 which a lot of people use for landscapes but they don't have interchangeable backs.
6x7- Mamiya RZ67
6x6- Hasselblad 500c/m, Bronica EC, Bronica S2a
645- Pentax 645Nll, 645N, 645, Bronica ETRsi
If I were to buy into a medium format slr system today I would look at a Hasselblad or a Mamiya RZ67 (or RB if I didn't want batteries). Hasselblad is the best overall camera to carry around but I prefer the RZ for portraiture. I also prefer 6x7 over 6x6 for landscapes but to me landscapes are better shot with a 4x5 where you can change the plane of focus. Tilt is nice!
The RZ's and RB's are big and heavy but the "L" grips do help a lot. I had one of them on my RZ. There is also the Pentax 6X7 which a lot of people use for landscapes but they don't have interchangeable backs.
The 500C/M does not have the larger mirror; that change started with the 501. But, the Acute-Matte Screen installed in the 500C/M will mitigate the vignetting caused by longer lenses. To be honest, I only ever noticed the vignetting with my 250CF lens even using the standard screen; the brighter screen resolved this and other issues.
Best regards,
AlanH
If I look when I am using the CF 250mm lens on my 503 CX it can see a thin line of vignetting but is barely noticeable and it does not affect the negative. Do not worry about it.
I had a Bronica SQB for a couple of years. I put a fresh battery in when I got it. Can't remember if I ever changed it by the time I sold it. I did use it outdoors in winter time when temperatures were down to 0C/32F but not colder than that. I suppose you can stick a heat patch under the camera (where the battery is) to keep it warm, I know they sell this stuff for digital cameras to use in extreme cold like the ones you say.
For the lenses, if you are talking SQ bodies then it takes leaf shutter lenses and you want to look for PS lenses, they would be newer and cost little over the older S lenses.
I've been shooting with an SQA/SQAi for about seven years, including four months while I was living with my parents in the wilds of Manitoba (where I currently happen to be at the moment). I did a lot of shooting out in the snow and cold (Dec-Mar) and never had any issues with the batteries or lenses (unlike my Nikon FE which did slow down considerably in the cold weather). Although it does get down to about -40C here I never went out when it was that cold, so it was probably more in the -15 to -30C range. In regards to the batteries, I think I've only ever changed them once, maybe twice, for each camera body over the years that I've had them, so they are long lasting.
As for the different Bronicas themselves, I've only ever shot square (SQA, SQAi) and used a variety of S and PS lenses, mostly the wide and normal - I rarely found use for the tele as it required a tripod and I was often shooting in situations that wouldn't allow for one.
It sounds like an internet myth, that these cameras were misaligned the factory. I read the same story somewhere, and it doesn't sound very plausible. The cameras should focus correctly as long as the foam pushing down the ground glass is OK.
The problem with these cameras is that the ground glass/fresnel assembly is constructed in such a way that the ground glass will eventually be pushed away from the correct position as the original foam disintegrates. But, as has been said, the fix is easy.
Trond
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Going back to Hasselblad a bit...how bad is this vignetting on the old mirrors and tele lenses? I've had lenses with a bit of vignetting and it had never been a huge deal for me... But the complaints about these old mirror systems in the Hassies seems to get A LOT of complaints! Is it close to black along the edges or something? Or is it more of 'it SHOULDN'T vignette, it's a Hassy' type deal? To be honest, I'm not even sure exactly how this new mirror system solves this problem.
I once borrowed a 250mm lens for my 500C and the vignetting did not seem all that bad to me, I was easily able to use the lens. The only lens I ever owned for it or intended to own for it was the 80mm 2.8, so the vignetting did not even factor into my decision to buy a Hasselblad.
The same happens with the Mamiya C330 series of cameras. The foam rots, and then the focus point is misaligned. And then the user complains of sharpness or focus problems. And thus some internet forumers start claiming that Mamiyas are not sharp enough, "Rolleiflex or nothing."
Repair is incredibly easy.
KidA, see above, the voice of experience !!
KidA, regarding the nice canadian weather (-25°C)... I recall that, for example, on the Pentax 6x7 system, there was an accesory that allowed you to have a "remote" battery pack, so you could carry the battery inside your clothing, where it's warm. Perhaps you can build something similar for the camera of your choice.
At those temperatures, even with a fully mechanical camera, you will need to visit a camera technician to make sure the lubricants are modern and thus will not lock the camera.
It is not much vignetting, just a line a the top of the mirror. It gets more press than it deserves because one expects Hasselblad by reputation to be perfect and it is important that people are aware of it before they buy the camera.
MattKing
Moderator
It is not the lens that vignettes. In fact, it really isn't vignetting, but rather a problem with the viewing system being unable to cover the entire field of view.
Your negatives or slides are great - nice, even coverage of the entire field of view. It is just that when you compose the shots you cannot see the entire field of view - one edge is darkened.
The later versions of the camera deal with the problem by incorporating a larger mirror.
EDIT: and of course, you only encounter the problem with the longer focal lengths
Yeah, I wondered that myself. It sounds too crazy to be true.
The thing is I started reading how so many people had bought the S2a's and older Bronica's and had the same problem. I also read where people told how to fix the problem. I eventually bought an S2a from a lady whose father had passed. She claimed that he bought the camera new. It was in fantastic shape and looked like it had not been used. I tried to focus the 75mm on infinity and sure enough it couldn't do it. The focussing screen was at the wrong height.
I don't know why all these cameras had this problem. The later EC's were all fine.
You sure? I see no foam or any other cushion material enywhere in my C330.
100.00% sure.
Remove focusing screen assembly, remove ground glass (actually plastic) by simply unlatching it, and then remove the 4 screws that hold the ground glass.
You will see gunk, which was previously a pliable foam. It should be replaced, otherwise the ground glass not always seats fully into the 2 or 3 special stoppers that are in the camera.
You must replace this if you want to restore the performance to the best level.
I will have a look at it when back home. But just to make something clear: the foam is in between the ground glass and the metal (silver) frame that holds it?
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No. The foam is between the focusing screen assembly "top" (which has a clear glass on it) and the small metal subframe that holds the ground glass. Thus, it makes the ground glass exert pressure downwards agains the camera body, more precisely against the 3 posts that set the critical top-lens-to-ground-glass distance.
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