Bronica Zenzanon-S Lens 80/2.8 -- A & T switch??

Hi All

 

Just received a Bronica SQ w/ Zenzanon-S 80/2.8

 

The 80/2.8 has an A & T switch on the bottom of the lens. What is this for?

* When set to A... at *ANY* shutter speed - the camera opens the shutter (in the lens) and leaves it open?? Doesn't close.

* When set to T... speeds seem to work accordingly.

 

So is "T" the default setting??

 

(I also received a Zenzanon-S 150/3.5 which ONLY has an "A" setting on lens... and speeds work accordingly on that hence my confusion)

 

Thanks in advance

ignore above! figured it out... the switch on the 80mm is broken and *appears* like its on the T setting, when its indeed on the A. An unbroken switch covers up the letter (mode) not being used... my 80mm appeared to be selecting T, but if switch was unbroken it would cover the T, exposing A. should've thought about it properly before posting here... apologies.

 

ohh, and figured T mode was for long exposures! guess i close shutter by moving switch back to A on the lens too.

Yes you have it figured out correctly. When all is good, the lever exposes the letter indicating the mode it is in. And yes, shift the lever back to "A" to close the shutter after doing a time exposure. The plastic used on these devices is getting a little old and has off-gassed to the point where they can be fragile. Now is a good time to inspect all of the levers on your new-to-you Bronica and see if you have any significant cracks or developing cracks. You can usually "repair' or reinforce them with two part epoxy. Enjoy your Bronica, they are one heck of a great imaging device and the prices of accessories and lenses are usually very reasonable.

Given the SQ line was essentially an electronically-enriched, more-affordable update of the pioneering Hasselblad concept: its darkly amusing all these years later to notice Bronica emulated Hasselblad/Zeiss right down to the choice of some really dubious, pointlessly fragile external plastic parts on the lenses. One of the most infuriating aspects of Hassy CF/CFi lenses, esp at their ludicrous nosebleed prices when new, is the number of flimsy plastic control slides, levers and cosmetic trim rings that stick out all over. These virtually beg to get snagged on something, snapped off, knocked out of alignment, banged on until chipped or cracked, and have their surfaces chewed up by ugly wear in short order.

 

At least with Bronica lenses today, if they break or get too problematically banged up, you can just buy a complete replacement lens for not much more than it costs to buy and install a plastic Hasselblad part on a busted Hassy lens. While used 'blad glass pricing has come WAY down off its original lofty pedestal, proportionately its still triple the cost of equivalent Zenzanon glass (so typically needs to be fixed rather than dumped/replaced). Bronica still has the 6x6 price/performance advantage, and probably always will: too bad there's no practical way to slap an old cheap digital back on them.

Cheers! Yes this was absolutely doing my head in for the first 24hrs in my possession... I was assuming I was sold a lemon :\ So glad its all good (fingers crossed still, first roll being shot now). So happy with it so far though and the price couldn't be beat as I got the SQ, 80/2.8, 150/3.5, Prism Finder, WLF, 2x 120 Backs, 2x Polaroid Backs & bellows for $AUD550 shipped ($US380).

 

On the subject of the Polaroid backs... *IF" i find the film, are they easy to use??

The Polaroid back is easy to use of you're at all familiar with "pack" film and/or Polaroid "pack" load cameras: the Bronica back is literally just the film compartment sawed off a Polaroid pack camera. If you've only used the one-step SX-70 type of film, the pack film back will take some getting used to.

 

Pack film isn't automated or motorized: after exposure, you yank each pic out of the back by hand, pulling it thru the rollers. Wait a brief period of time for the pic to develop, then peel off the chemical paper and discard.

 

Note the fun of Polaroid photography is greatly diminished when using such a back: the picture size is limited to the Bronica 6x6 film gate. This is very small, and wasteful of the now very expensive Polaroid film. Back in the pre-digital era, these backs were almost exclusively used as a proofing tool to check lighting and composition during studio fashion and portrait shoots. Few used these tiny Polaroids in themselves to create art: there was no need, as Polaroid film was sold cheap in every drugstore and there were "pro" oriented Polaroid cameras and press cameras that could expose the entire 3x4 inch pack size (or 4x5 inch sheets).

Note the fun of Polaroid photography is greatly diminished when using such a back: the picture size is limited to the Bronica 6x6 film gate. This is very small, and wasteful of the now very expensive Polaroid film. Back in the pre-digital era, these backs were almost exclusively used as a proofing tool to check lighting and composition during studio fashion and portrait shoots. Few used these tiny Polaroids in themselves to create art: there was no need, as Polaroid film was sold cheap in every drugstore and there were "pro" oriented Polaroid cameras and press cameras that could expose the entire 3x4 inch pack size (or 4x5 inch sheets).

 

I have a Polaroid back for my Hasselblad, but I can't bring myself to use my small remaining stash of FP-100C in it.

 

If I'm going to use a Polaroid back on an MF camera, I use the one for my RB67, which at least makes SOMEWHAT better use of the film area than a Hasselblad or SQ-A. Still, though, I'd rather use something like my Polaroid 250, which has its faults but fundamentally is a pretty darn nice camera.

 

I'm not a big fan of the products from the Impossible Project, but it frustrates me to no end that Fuji refused to sell them their pack film equipment when they decided to exit the market in ~2015. It also seems to me as though FP-100C was a slow, but steady seller that had its development cost long ago taken care of(even back when you could still get Polaroid brand film, I preferred the Fuji product)-part of me wonders if Fuji cut it because they want to sell the overpriced Instax.

I too have a Polaroid back for my Bronica. Its currently in the freezer with a pack of film in it. I use it mostly to test the camera after I have made a repair or adjustment. Its faster and more convenient than shooting a test roll and waiting for it to come back from the lab. Once you figure out how to load the pack film its pretty simple. But at $50 a pack these days, one mistake in loading is mighty expensive. I would use it more if Fuji would have continued to make the film but its just too expensive now. (either that or I have become even more "cheap" as time has gone on)