Thinking of getting a Bronica S S2 EC or SQ?

Hi there,

Entertaining the thought of getting a bronica camera with 75 normal Nikkor and 150 for portraits.

What is the most economical option?
What Bronica is best robust quality?
Any lenses to avoid?
If I get the sq I can get the 110
Macro

Lastly there is a model similar to mamiya m645 that has no removable backs I don’t know the model but would that be a good option I don’t switch mid roll to different films pretty much HP5 or Tri X?

Your opinion counts, Thank You.

Harlequin

Hi
I have an Sqam and Sqai but cannot comment on the others you mention.
I love both and have, in 6 or so years of moderate use, had no problems with either. Many say the Am is too reliant on the motor drive and batteries etc. but it's simple electrics and they do tend to be cheaper than other models, handles more like an SLR as it has built in grip - heavy with prism finder but if you want light best go with 6x4.5 .
The Sqai is the top of the range but really only gives one extra feature which is off the film metering for flash - just flash - with the special adapter and metz flash!
You still need a handheld meter or metered prism for any other situations. This is also at the expense of a rather temperamental battery compartment that needs several small bits of card jammed in to function most of the time. I if was buying again I would go for the Sqa (not i) which does not have this.
The macro lens is rare and expensive , there are two versions 1:1 and 1:4 so look carefully if one seems too good to be true.
Extension tubes or close up lenses could be a simpler option.
When buying backs be aware that this is the main point of problems , the interlink between the back and camera, not too hard to fix if your that way inclined but best just pay a bit more and get one that looks in really good condition. I have personaly not had any trouble with the 5 backs I own.
Hope this helps.

I have a SQ-A with 80 and 150mm lenses, I've always been fond of square negatives with the option of cropping in either direction. I'm also selling my kit. Shameless self promotion.

I had the SQ-A and have the EC-TL now and I think the SQ-A is better but the looks of the EC-TL are better.

The S2 is an improved reliability redesign of the S, and using focusing helicoids in the lens, rather than putting focus mechanism inside the body. Both are focal plane shutter. In comparison, the SQ-A uses electronically timed Seiko shutter in each lens, with electronics in the body controlling the shutter open time. The Nikon lenses are contemporary to when multicoating first was introduced by Pentax on 135 format SLRs, so the coating of the PS lenses for the SQ are improved.

To sum up, the S2, S2a, EC and ECTL are bronicas with focal plane shutters in their bodies and thus, simpler lenses because they don't need a central shutter inside each lens.

The S2 and S2a are purely mechanical and very similar, whereas the EC and ECTL are electronic and moreover the ECTL has a photocell inside its body that lets the shutter speeds be computed automatically.

The four types of camera can use the same lenses. There is also another camera named bronica C, in fact the same as S2 but without detachable backs (rather rare, I believe).

The most reputable lenses (that I have and can use with both my S2 and ECTL) are the standard nikkor 2.8/75mm the wide angle nikkor 2.8/50mm and the teleobjective zenzanon 3.5/150mm.

my bronica lenses

polka said:

<snip>
The most reputable lenses (that I have and can use with both my S2 and ECTL) are the standard nikkor 2.8/75mm the wide angle nikkor 2.8/50mm and the teleobjective zenzanon 3.5/150mm.

Click to expand...

I'll add that all the Zenzanon lenses for the S/EC series were very good, 4/40, 2.8/50, 2.8/75, 2.8/100 3.5/150 2nd vserion, etc. They are smaller than the Nikkor equivalents, and many were optically identical to the ETRS lenses.