The ETRS added compatibility with interchangeable prisms and finders, including auto-exposure models. It took until the ETRS, however, for the Bronica to really catch up with its competition from Mamiya and Pentax. The ETR also introduced the Bronica graphic design and camera aesthetics that would remain for the next two decades. Nikon was no longer their partner, and after failing to strike deals with Topcon and Carl Zeiss, Bronica decided to move the lens design in-house. It was their first 6×4.5 system, their first system using leaf shutters, and their first time designing lenses for themselves. The ETR system had a lot of firsts for Zenza Bronica. The next major revision came in 1976,when a 6×4.5 option appeared.
BRONICA RF645 65MM LENS FILTER SERIES
The EC series would replace the S, adding electronics along the way. Specifically, the film advance of the S2 jammed quite often. It mainly had internal changes aimed at reliability. The S2A succeeded the S2 after five years on the market. The S series used Nikkor lenses for its entire lifespan, although other manufacturers made lenses for the system as well. This also allows the S2 to accept a bellows attachment for close focusing.Īs before, there was a simplified C2 model without interchangeable backs. Longer lenses would have their own helicoids. The S2 added a second focusing helicoid for normal length (between 40mm and 200mm) lenses. The first revision came in 1964 with the release of the S2. This camera did not have interchangeable backs, but was otherwise similar to the S. With the S, it is impossible to fire the shutter or remove the back until the dark slide is removed.Ī simpler version called the C came shortly after. The most notable ones are those involving the dark slide. The S trimmed the fat from the previous models, removing extra-long shutter speeds and other extraneous features while adding some nice quality of life features. The S is a 6×6 SLR that introduced a new line of lenses and accessories from previous Bronica bodies. The Z had an instant return mirror, automatic aperture control, and built-in depth-of-field preview.įrom the Z, Zenza Bronica iterated and added features for a few years until the release of their next substantial camera, the Bronica S, in 1961. The Z was an instant success, adding many features to the modular-SLR format that Hasselblad had popularized. Nikon provided the lenses, and they immediately put Bronica on the map as a player in the 120 SLR space. With the Z camera, Zenzaburo had invested so much of his time and energy into the camera itself that he subcontracted the lens design to a well-established brand. He invested the profits into a factory where he produced jewelry and watches for a while before switching to cameras. He had invested countless years and quite a lot of Yen into this camera.Īfter World War II, Yoshino had founded a camera store that grew popular with GIs and local photographers. Zenza Bronica first came to be in 1958, when Zenzaburo Yoshino revealed his first camera, the Bronica Z. In the following videos and text, we’ll go over Bronica’s history and then dive into four Bronica systems individually with the help of Nuno and Nico. Even at current prices, though, the various Bronica systems represent a great entry point into 120 photography for most people, and the different systems can serve different photographer’s needs. In their time, they created some of the most intuitive, smart, and well-featured medium format cameras without driving prices up.īronica cameras have earned a reputation as great value propositions for a reason, and only recently have their prices risen. Zenza Bronica was a Japanese company created by engineers, for engineers.
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