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  #1  
Old 22nd December 2014, 09:04 PM
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Jakecb Jakecb is offline
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Default lens for sq-ai

After much faffing about and with cost considerations nudging in front I didn't buy that Hassleblad but instead bought a Bronica SQ-Ai.

I'm liking it, no problems so far.

The one I bought came with a 80mm lens which is fine but I think I need something a bit different for portrait shots. Possibly a 150mm lens.
I wondered if anyone has had any experience using one and could point me in the right direction.

Thanks
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Old 22nd December 2014, 09:28 PM
alexmuir alexmuir is offline
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I have the 150mm lens and find it to be good for portraits. Mine is the PS version which is more recent than the S type, although either should be fine. These lenses can be had really cheaply nowadays so shop around. The Pro Lens Shade is a good investment for studio work. It's an adjustable bellows lens hood that will work with your 80 and also the 150. Watch out if buying spare backs. Prices vary enormously, and some are in horrible condition. This is one item where I would look at reputable shops rather than ebay. I really like these cameras and have recently bought a second body.

Alex.
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Old 22nd December 2014, 11:34 PM
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Thanks Alex. Yes I had gathered from reading online that backs are the weak point in the system, often broken or faulty or just used beyond their possible lifespan. I do need a spare so will proceed with caution. Re the 150mm lens I'll keep an eye out for a bargain

Jake
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Old 22nd December 2014, 11:44 PM
paulc paulc is offline
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I also have an SQ-Ai and have used it regularly with 150mm, 80mm, and 50mm lenses - I don't do portraits so can not really comment on which lens is best for that particular purpose...

The weak point of second hand backs seem to be primarily the foam seals - These usually break down in to a sticky goo, but are easily cleaned up and repaired.
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Old 23rd December 2014, 10:15 AM
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I have the 150 lens as well I don't use it as often as I should as it is a lot heavier than the 80mm.
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Old 23rd December 2014, 10:43 AM
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Indeed. the 80mm lens is the lightest of all the PS range, the 500mm being the heaviest (3.76Kg).

Yes, I do have the specifications to hand, and yes, I need to get out more
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Old 23rd December 2014, 11:36 AM
Paulographic Paulographic is offline
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I love the 150mm lens for head and shoulder portraits but I also use a 1.4 teleconvertor with the 80mm standard lens for this purpose too. I have the pro lens shade but got it at a camera fair to use on a couple of large format lenses.
For new and second-hand Bronica I found Mifsuds in Devon to be honest in their descriptions, affordable prices and speedy service.
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Old 23rd December 2014, 02:27 PM
alexmuir alexmuir is offline
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I've repaired the foam seals on a couple of backs and it is a fiddly and time consuming job. It isn't difficult, but I wouldn't want to do it on a back that was expensive to begin with. Another area to check is the condition of the rollers. I have one back I've stopped using because the rollers are worn and damaged. They mark the film. I understand that early film backs, possibly pre-SQ series, were prone to gearing failures, but this hasn't been an issue with any of mine, a couple of which are really well used.
Alex
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Old 23rd December 2014, 03:28 PM
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One more point about the SQ backs. Not all are equal. If you use a metered prism, it will work fine with backs from the earlier SQ, SQ-A, and SQ-Am, but not the SQ-B. The SQ-B was a "budget" version and lacked the internals to do TTL metering so Bronica didn't fit an ISO dial & connecting pins to the backs. Physically, the SQ-B backs will still fit on an SQ-Ai body and work just fine as long as you don't need the metering function.
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Old 26th December 2014, 09:23 AM
John King John King is offline
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A 150 is fine for portraits, it is the approx equivalent of a 100mm on a 35mm. However, many a damn good portrait has been taken on a Rollieflex twin lens which has either a 75mm or an 80mm fixed lens, so prhaps you could save a bob or two
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