S2A Lens question

Hello---I believe I have a Bronica S2 A---its max shutter speed is 1000, the

serial number is CB 511...70 (I assume that means it was manufactured in 1970).

The lens is a Nikorr-P..80mm...the focusing ring is IN the camera...is this an

S2A? Also, what type of lenses can I get for this camera. Is there a specific

name or designation for these lenses? Thanks!

See this web page on how to id a S2a camera body plus more info on Bronica's

 

http://medfmt.8k.com/brons2a.html

Some images at: http://images.google.no/images?svnum=10&hl=no&gbv=2&q=Bronica+S2A&btnG=S%C3%B8k+etter+bilder

 

I had a 75mm as the standard lens, then bought a 100mm and a 40mm. The 75 was a superb lens, the others were "average".

 

The S2A was my first "modular" SLR medium-format after using Yashica TLR. That Bronica was a good intro to the modular concept, but it was noisy and felt tinny.

 

Once when taking it to a camera repair shop ... the technician looked sick when I showed it to him. He said: "These things have been discontinued for 'X' number of reasons, one for each part inside them. ... Please, I really don't want to open that thing. If something's mechanically wrong, buy another body. It will be cheaper."

 

I sold the S2A outfit including 2 mags, 3 lenses and a 2X teleconverter, put the proceeds on a Hasselblad, and simply moved on.

 

Cheers, Kevin.

There a good discussion of the differences between an S2 and an S2a <a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=008idM">here</a>, around the middle of the page.

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BTW, I'm skeptical that the last two digits indicate the year of manufacture.

Let me have the address of that camera technician so I can send him some cheese to go with his whine.I have the S,S2 S2a,and EC and they can be drop kicked across town and still function wonderfully.They are loud but the EC nick named Easy Charlie by some for their ease of operation has a mirror lock up.

I am fortunate to have the Nikkor 50,75,105 and 200.There is longer and shorter glass available.I have a close up diaptor that I enjoy for these lenses too. I have a number of 30"x40" cibachromes that hold together quite well at this size from my Nikkors.

I only use owner/operators to work on my equipment and they don't get sick.Walt Byrnes

I have had bronica C's and S2's I really like the nikkor lenses. They work fine but when they don't look out, KOH camera used to fix them. I had problems with the stop down ring in the lense focus helical.They responded to cleaning. The S2a had steel wind gears that held up, the brass gears in all the others were ok but don't use the wind handle, It put too much torque on the gears and shaft, I found the main drawback was the noise and vibration, we all should use a tripod anyway. The S2a model also had a S2a stamped ont dthe top rear of the body . Not all S2a's had this stamping tdhere are web sites that give the seerial number where they started using the steel gears..The problem with old age (CRS) cant remember sxtxtx...Good luck Don

True, the later S2A bodies were not marked as that - looked in my files and found: New style S2A bodies start with serial number 150037 (and are not marked S2A). Same sort of thing on backs - I think the backs that are later than 81501 are S2A backs. Worth checking on since you are much less likely to run into repairs on the later S2A, and the need to find parts that are pretty much unavailable.

 

Stephen