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  #1  
Old 10th December 2016, 06:00 PM
LukeS LukeS is offline
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Default Bronica ETRS Reviews?

So I have seen a Bronica ETRS for sale and was wondering if anyone else owned one of these, could recommend them and would know a rough price.
All I know is the kit comes with the following:

ETRS Body
75mm standard lens
2 120 film backs
Prism Finder
Speed Grip
Variety of cokin filters and holder with lens ring
Extensible hood
Analog light metre
Spartan battery and aluminum case.

Is this any different to the Bronica SQ a that I mentioned early (which has now been sold) and if you would the kit for onto the SQA body if I chose to upgrade later.

Thanks in advance,

Luke
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Old 10th December 2016, 06:07 PM
alexmuir alexmuir is offline
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This camera makes 6x4.5 negatives. The lenses, etc are not compatible with the SQ cameras. The SQ can make either square 6x6 negatives, or rectangular 6x4.5, if you buy an SQ 645 back. The ETRs cannot make the larger square negatives. It is, however, a very good camera system, and there are lots of lenses, etc available on the secondhand market. You will have to decide if you want to make 6x6 negatives, or not. The ETRs is physically smaller and lighter if that makes a difference.
Alex.
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  #3  
Old 10th December 2016, 06:18 PM
Alan Clark Alan Clark is offline
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Hi Luke.
You are talking about two different cameras here, and as far as I know you won't be able to put anything from one onto the other.
The SQA is a square format 6x6 (also called two and a quarter square). You get 12 exposures off a roll of 120 film with this.
The ETRS is 6x4.5 format, i.e. rectangular format. You get 15 exposures off a roll of 120 film with this.
I have an SQ, which is an older version of the SQA. The only difference, I believe, is that the SQA has mirror lock up. The SQ doesn't.
I also have an ETRSi, aquired "by accident". I didn't really need it but it was offered to me at a very good price.
Both cameras are very nice. The square format SQ is more versatile. It gives you the lovely square photos which look great for some subjects. And you can crop it to a rectangle if needed. And you don't have to turn the camera through 90 degrees like you have to with the ETRS when going from horizontal to vertical format.

Alan
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Old 10th December 2016, 06:21 PM
Alan Clark Alan Clark is offline
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Alex, your post crossed with mine!
One point about weight. As you say, the ETRS is lighter. But when you add the prism finder, which you need when turning the camera from horizontal to vertical. it becomes heavier than the SQ with waist-level-finder only.

Alan
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Old 10th December 2016, 06:30 PM
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Brock Brock is offline
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You can also mark off the ETRS viewfinder and shoot 4.5x4.5 cm square photos all day long.


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  #6  
Old 10th December 2016, 06:58 PM
big paul big paul is offline
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I have a etrsi kit for sale if you are interested ..I had mine for years, with the winder its like shooting a 35mm SLR you can use it at any speed with flash as the shutters in the lens ,645 is a good size as you get more shots per film ..


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  #7  
Old 10th December 2016, 08:12 PM
John King John King is offline
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Default Bronica ETRS

I have had an ETRS and an ETRSi, I sold the ETRS because to be frank it was worn out by professional use. (not by me) A while later I bought an ETRSi which I still have and this attracted my interest because you can lock the mirror up to give shake free exposures. To be honest I have not used that facility because with the camera on a tripod it doesn't make much difference - actually there's none. The 'P' lenses are, comparatively speaking to a few years ago, - as cheap as chips!

The lenses are good whether you use a 'P version or the later 'PE'. The coating is imoroved on the PE but even with the 24mm WA, I have never had a problem with flare or lack of contrast.

If you buy the ETRS and you want to shoot portrait format a prism is almost essential. a plain prism is as good as anything and are rediculously cheap around £40 or so - even a mint one. I always use a seperate meter so having one in the prism doesn't bother me. Even spare backs can be found in good condition for around £35 or so, the ETRS and ETRSi backs are interchangable.
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Old 11th December 2016, 09:04 AM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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I have had a Etr, the earlier version of the Etrsi for many years and they are fine cameras, with the kit you have listed you will have the start of a very good MF kit, with the speed grip it is like handleing an oversize 35mm camera, but with the advantage of the bigger negative, and if you are coming from 35mm then 645 is an ideal format,I admit I do not use mine that much today as I prefer to use classic cameras, but I would not part with it as it is handy to have it there, the lenses are easy to get and reasnabley cheap, and it has the great advantage if you use flash at all to use leaf shutters, as does the Bronica range, which gives you flasy sync at all shutter speeds,
Richard
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Old 11th December 2016, 10:39 AM
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Rob Archer Rob Archer is offline
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I had an ETRSi for many years, with 40, 60, 75 and 150mm lenses. It's a superb system. I traded it in to get a Mamiya 7ii. Whilst I love the Mamiya I miss the flexibility of the Bronica. It's a superb camera and the lenses (particularly the later PE series) are incredible. Highly recommended!

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Old 12th December 2016, 05:05 PM
Svend Svend is offline
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The only caution might be the availability of service parts for Bronica. Other owners here might chime in about that situation in the UK. But I know in N. America there is (as far as I know) only one service shop that still has a complete parts inventory. If you have a problem and no parts are available, you might have to buy a second donor camera. (Might be cheap insurance to do that anyway, just to make sure you're not left with a doorstop).

Otherwise, as the others have said, these are great cameras. Very flexible design. The lenses for the SQ series are said to be sharper than ETR series, if that matters to you (ETR are plenty sharp, though). I seriously looked at buying an SQ, but was deterred by the lack of parts here.

Good luck.

Svend
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