Bronica ETRSi

[terry_evans3]

Could I get a couple of quick opinions on this camera? How is the build, lens

quality, etc. Anything will help. I am more familiar with Mamiya and

Hasselblad. Thanks. Terry

[amund_aaeng]

I have a ETRs and I`m VERY happy. As I shoot mostly handheld, the quick and smooth focusing of the 75mm PE is a godsend.

I sold a HB 500 C/M with a 80mm CT* for the Bronica and couldn`t be happier. The stiff focusing of the HB-lens made it unusable to me, my rate of sharp shots on a roll has increased dramatically. The Bronica lenses are *really* sharp.

[david_eicher]

I shoot Mamiya and Bronica. The Bronica is more my outdoor camera although it gets used just as much at the receptions. Love it.

[terry_evans3]

Great, any experiences with the 45-90 or 150 lenses? Is the camera easy to focus? I have a chance to get a body, 75, 45-90, 150, motor drive, and prism, in excellent condition for $1,200.00. Is that a good deal? Thanks, Terry

[._._z]

you can pick up a used ETR (older model) system with normal lens from keh.com -- with a 14-day, no questions asked return policy -- for under $200.

[johnw436]

Hi Terry,

 

You said, "Great, any experiences with the 45-90 or 150 lenses? Is the camera easy to focus? I have a chance to get a body, 75, 45-90, 150, motor drive, and prism, in excellent condition for $1,200.00. Is that a good deal? Thanks, Terry"

 

I have the ETRS, same camera without mirror lockup. The 75mm lens is TACK sharp. The 150mm is very sharp, but slightly softer when close to the subject. It is my go-to portrait lens because it is just soft enough close up to be smooth and silky, but at infinity it is extremely sharp. I love that lens. The 50mm is a very good wide angle with very little apparent barrel distortion.

 

The lenses are extremely easy to focus, smooth to operate, and built like tanks. I once watched my camera crash lens-first onto the marble floor in a cathedral. The lens filter was utterly destroyed but the lens is as sharp today as it was before. Zero damage to the lens or camera body. I was then a Bronica fan for life.

 

I have never used the zooms. They are very expensive (comparatively speaking) and I have not found a need for one. It's crazy coming from the 35mm world where one needs a suitcase full of lenses or a wide array of zooms... to Medium Format where I have three lenses that solve all of my problems. I think Medium Format pushed me into primes and my photography got better for it- not for image quality but because using primes has taught me to see the image in my head and then go capture it rather than point my camera aimlessly and zoom until I saw something I liked.

 

Terry, $1200 seems quite steep for me. I'd say a large portion of that is the zoom lens. An ETRSi, 75mm, AEII prism, and 120 back, and speed handle (not a motor drive) should be easy to come by for about $500. The 150mm lens brings it to $600.

 

The motordrive (never felt the need for one) is not very expensive. I'd make sure the prism is an AEII which has a built in averaging meter and LED readout. The 'prism finder' does not have a meter at all. The AEIII prism is the best as it has spot metering and LCD readout. It costs about a hundred bucks more than the AEII.

 

Unless you really want that zoom lens, I'd say you could get the same kit without the zoom lens for $700. Without the motor drive you should be down around $600. You might even do better than that if you are patient and shop around.

 

With a 75mm and a 150mm, the only thing you're missing is a 50mm and you can pick up one of those for $150 all day long.

 

You simply cannot go wrong with Bronica. Mine has never let me down and the results are spectacular. I have never been in a situation where I was not the weakest link in the chain.

[jtyr]

A year and a half ago I picked up an ETRSi outfit from KEH. It instantly made sense to me. After spending sometime figuring exactly which ETR series camera would work best for my pruposes and building my total system, it has become my primary system. In most cases it's an excellent substitute for my Nikon manual focus gear, and even some of my Nikon auto focus gear.

 

Lens quality compares very well to my Nikon gear as well as Pentax 67 gear that I have used. Check out my gallery:

 

http://www.photo.net/photodb/member-photos?user_id=451472

 

Nearly all the current work is shot with my ETR gear.

 

As for build quality there are two periods in the ETR line: the metal period 1976 - 81 and the polycarbonate period 1982 - 2004. Until 1981 much of the ETR system (including ETRS bodies) was either painted black metal or unpainted chrome. Some parts of finder housings were polycarbonate, but most everything else was well-built metal. Really, Bronica gear from this time period compares very well with my Nikon F2 system.

 

I've also had good experiences with later polycarbonate period gear. The final back shell design (Ei) is clearly superior to anything that came before and is almost completely metal. The Ei inserts are clad in polycarbonate, but well designed. Much of the rest of the last, ETRSi-era components are well-designed and packed with modern features, but make extensive use of polycarbonate. The ETRSi body, AE-III prism, and Ei-II Motor Winder are particularly excellent, and IMHO blow away all but the very most recent (and very most expensive) Blad equivalents away in terms of features. Certainly this most recent polycarb gear isn't going to have the solid and precise feel of any Blad, but I've got many rolls of film through my system and found it to be very reliable.

 

The long life and high sales of the ETR system allow you to mix and match the best components from early and late time periods. Right now I think the ETR system is one of the very best values in a rock-bottom medium format buyer's market.

 

See this page for a good summary of the system's features and eveolution:

 

http://tamron.com/bronica/etr_guide.asp

 

Hope this helps.

[jtyr]

Oh, one more note on the lenses.

 

There are four periods of lens design: MC, E, EII, and PE. The PE's were the last, and reputedly, the best having been through a significant re-design process. They also seem to be the most plentiful, followed by the original MC lenses. I've even heard good things about many MC lenses, so I doubt you could go wrong.

 

Because ETR gear is such a bargain, I just went right for the PE lenses from the start, and as I've said, have been very pleased with the results. My PE lenses all have solid, painted metal barrels-- Bronica knew where to put metal to its best effect.

 

BTW, my gear sees constant, vigorous (though usually responsible) use.

[Uncle Goose]

1200$ may seem a little expensive but if it is a good camera with little or no wear and with all the things you mentioned then I still find it a good deal. I myself have an ETRSi and wouldn't trade it for the world, It's a excellent camera, certainly when combined with a AEIII prism and a motordrive. The PE lenses are supposed to be better coated but I have both and never seen any real difference. I have the PE 75mm, The MC 50mm and the MC 150mm, they are all very well build and are extremely sharp (possibly even sharper than a Hassie lens).

 

I would say, try to lower the price to 1000$ if you can and have a great camera.

[paul ron]

I LOVE MY ETRS! That camera is a gem and works like a charm. It's so comfortable to handle. The lenses are all sharpand shutter speeds are perfect with the electronic control it uses. They do have a fail safe in that if the battery dies it will still fire at 1/500th so you aren't totaly stranded.

 

I like all the lenses including the old MCs which I find to be built like tanks. I have the older metal body so mine is a bit heavier than my son'd plastic model. I was told by a reapirman friend that some of the gears in the newer plsatic ETRSs presented a problem and were upgraded to metal gears as a repair not as a recall.

 

Your Zoom lens and the other extras are driving your price up. You can still find ETRS and Si for around $350 with a lens in the classifieds right here. Lenses are cheap enough to buy used from KEH as you find a need for em. I love my 50mm and the 150mm as my carry everywhere lenses. I also have a set of closeup lenses I use on my 150mm that just work out perfectly for most of my macro needs. I'm sure a real macro lens or extension tubes are better but I love to play with these gizmos and never have much call for macro although it's so much fun..