Problem with Bronica ETRS battery life

[Steve Smith]

I have a Bronica ETRS which I have had for not quite a year now which seems to drain the battery very quickly (i.e. after a few days).
I have connected a multimeter in series with the battery and there is a constant current flow of a few milliamps continuously.
This is body only without a lens, film back or prism attached.
Has anyone had a similar problem or more importantly, know what the cause is?

I can't work out why there should be any current taken by the body at all as the shutter timing circuit is part of the lens (I'm assuming this) and any metering circuitry is in the prism. All the body should do is provide power to the parts which need it as and when they are fitted (lens, metered prism, etc).

I don't want to spend too much time on this and certainly not spend any money as the price of a secondhand replacement body would be much lower than any repair cost but I am just asking in case anyone has had a similar problem and solved it.

Thanks,


Steve Smith.

 

[Ole]

There must be something wrong - I bought my ETRS in 1991, and still haven't changed the battery! I don't use a metering prism, so it's only the shutter timing and the little "exposure LED" in the finder.

 

[David Henderson]

I had what sounds like a similar issue with a SQ-Ai bought used in 1997. It did I'm afraid need significant repair to its circuitry, though to be fair it's performed decently from then.

 

[Changeling1]

The "cheap" solution is to remove the battery when not shooting- I have a Canon EOS 630 that drains the battery similarly (an expensive lithium battery).
Fortunately I have a three other EOS 6xxs that don't have that nasty habit and the errant 630 may wind up getting used for parts if that should ever become necessary.

 

[Steve Smith]

Thanks for your responses.

I think I knew the answer to my question before I asked it. The camera works fine if I put the battery in before I use it then take it out again later so I will keep doing this until I buy a replacement body when one shows up for a good price.

Once I have a second body, I don't mind pulling the first one apart to see what the problem is.

Steve.