I say, go for the Rolleicord - buy a Vb if you can afford it, download the instruction manual, learn to use it properly. You will never, ever look back. Every other TLR on the market (excepting the more expensive and more upmarket Rolleiflexes) will fade into the background by merest comparison.
A good Rolleiflex/cord won't be cheap, but maybe no more expensive than the silly prices online sellers want for their little two-lensed princesses. A reputable dealer who offers a warranty may be your best bet.
The 'cord Vb offers three distinct advantages. (1) The WLF can be detached, and better fresnel screens or the Rollei prism can be used. (2) the camera can be used to make double exposures by flicking a small lever on the left side of the lenses. (3) Two small image kits are available, one for 16 exposures (which I have and use all the time) and the other for 24 exposures (which I also have and almost never use, but it's fun if you want 'pretend' 35mm images). Both kits give you horizontals, so no having to tilt the camera sideways for pretty landscapes. The '16' is useful given the insane cost of 120 film in Australia where I live, and with a little creative cranking you caneasily get a 17th image on every roll. So!
Rolleicords also use Rollei bayonet 1 filters and accessories, which are readily available, of top quality, and still not too expensive to buy used.
The only (minor) disadvantages I can think of, is the odd shutter lever (not a button) which is below the taking lens and requires you to flick it sideways to trip the shutter. Still, no more strange to use than the equally odd focusing lever on the Autocords, and you will get used to working with (the 'cord) lever after two or three rolls of film.
The Xenar on the Rolleicord is a fine lens and every bit as good as the Tessar on the older Rolleiflexes or the T. I've never used the Triotar, which to me is an ancient lens anyway, and I believe a three element one.
I had a Yashica D in the 1960s and it was (just) okay for me, but I decided early on that life was too short to go without a Rollei. I now own four - a 3.5 E2, two black body Ts, and a Rolleicord Vb. I would never, ever use any other TLR, and in my time I've tried them all - Yashica, Ikoflex, Mamiyas. For me, the Rolleis are "it"...
Another thought. If all you need for your Bronica SQ-A is a WLF, then bite the bullet and buy one. I used this camera for professional work (in my case, architecture) in the 1990s. It handled well, ergonomically, and the lens sharpness was, in a word, incredible.
A good Rolleiflex/cord won't be cheap, but maybe no more expensive than the silly prices online sellers want for their little two-lensed princesses. A reputable dealer who offers a warranty may be your best bet.
The 'cord Vb offers three distinct advantages. (1) The WLF can be detached, and better fresnel screens or the Rollei prism can be used. (2) the camera can be used to make double exposures by flicking a small lever on the left side of the lenses. (3) Two small image kits are available, one for 16 exposures (which I have and use all the time) and the other for 24 exposures (which I also have and almost never use, but it's fun if you want 'pretend' 35mm images). Both kits give you horizontals, so no having to tilt the camera sideways for pretty landscapes. The '16' is useful given the insane cost of 120 film in Australia where I live, and with a little creative cranking you caneasily get a 17th image on every roll. So!
Rolleicords also use Rollei bayonet 1 filters and accessories, which are readily available, of top quality, and still not too expensive to buy used.
The only (minor) disadvantages I can think of, is the odd shutter lever (not a button) which is below the taking lens and requires you to flick it sideways to trip the shutter. Still, no more strange to use than the equally odd focusing lever on the Autocords, and you will get used to working with (the 'cord) lever after two or three rolls of film.
The Xenar on the Rolleicord is a fine lens and every bit as good as the Tessar on the older Rolleiflexes or the T. I've never used the Triotar, which to me is an ancient lens anyway, and I believe a three element one.
I had a Yashica D in the 1960s and it was (just) okay for me, but I decided early on that life was too short to go without a Rollei. I now own four - a 3.5 E2, two black body Ts, and a Rolleicord Vb. I would never, ever use any other TLR, and in my time I've tried them all - Yashica, Ikoflex, Mamiyas. For me, the Rolleis are "it"...
Another thought. If all you need for your Bronica SQ-A is a WLF, then bite the bullet and buy one. I used this camera for professional work (in my case, architecture) in the 1990s. It handled well, ergonomically, and the lens sharpness was, in a word, incredible.
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