Near tragedy.... Bronica fan for life!

[johnw436]

I spend a lot of time in this and other forums reading the opinions

given for one camera brand or another. I want to share something

that happened to me a few days ago.

 

I was about an hour into shooting the inside of the Cathedral

Basilica in St. Louis with my Bronica ETRS- the newest love of my

life. Not realizing the time, and too wrapped up in my shots to

notice that people had been trickling in for some time- 12 o'clock

mass was about to begin. Photography during mass is a no-no, and

for all its strengths, the Bronnie just isn't a tool for covert

use.

 

I moved my rig and related gear off to one of the side alcoves and

began to put the gear away. I set my tripid-mounted ETRS off to the

side and began stowing away all the loose items I'd dragged from the

basilica's dome area. The memories get blurry now...and everything

seems like a bad dream in slow motion.

 

From a squatting position over my camera bag, I turned to see my

camera/tripod falling (!) over. I lunged desperately. In slow

motion, as though my feet were in concrete and my arms weighted with

sand I flailed for any part of my camera or tripod as it fell away

silently, like a giant old-growth redwood being felled. The only

part of me working fast enough was my brain reminding me where I was

and stifling the expletives before they could escape my lips, now

frozen in terror whilst I awaited the mighty crash of my camera onto

the ancient tiles of the cathedral floor.

 

My fingertips brushed something... I know not what. It was all I

needed or could ask for so I clutched tightly what turned out to be

my cable release, still screwed into the side of my camera. One

nanosecond of relief, but it was not enough and the camera crashed

lens-first into the immovable bedrock of floor tiles, leaving me

rocked to the core sitting speechless and horrified on my knees-

holding the remains of my cable release and looking at the shattered

corpse of the one I had grown to love in the three weeks I have had

it. My beloved Bronica ETRS.

 

I released it from the tripod and lifted it and cradled it in my

arms. His eye was a shattered mess of broken shards, somehow held

together to form a web of intersecting diagonals. The edge of the

lens crushed in, I knew his insides were a mess as well. I put the

camera away and packed up for my 1000 mile drive home.

 

Once home I took the camera out and lo and behold, it didn't look

bad. In fact, the shattered lens was only a shattered skylight

filter! After a lot of delicate surgery and glass removal, I was

able to get the filter ring off. Can you believe it?! The lens

was fine! The camera is fine! The skylight filter was totally

demolished but the Bronica shook it off like nothing!

 

I ran some film through the camera, checked the meter....NOTHING IS

WRONG!

 

Incidentally, I am now the world's #1 proponent of skylight

filters. Went to North Tampa Photography and bought one for each

of my lenses yesterday (along with a new cable release) and I am

happy as a clam.

 

I have read a few threads where some have questioned the build

quality of the Bronicas. Let me tell you this, if your camera is

tougher than this one then your camera maker is wasting their time-

there's a lot more money to be made manufacturing armored cars!

 

My ETRS, coupled with Plastic AEII finder, and 75mm MC lens are as

tough as a ten-cent steak. This rig, with its newly mounted Hoya

shock absorber, will be my camera of choice until it simply gives up

the ghost. I am a fan for life.

[rich815]

Interesting story. Not sure it was the Skylight filter that saved the day though...

[michaelging]

John,

God might have had something to do with saving your lens, but I agree that a UV filter is the cheapest kind of insurance . I too have had lenses saved by a UV filter.If you check the threads you will find a lot of people who say you don't need one,You and I might disagree. Thanks for the story.

[philippartridge]

So, now you can replace it with an SMC or Pro filters, or one of the top B+W equivalents, being mindful to get one that is neutral! Filter rings on lenses are effective at retaining the integrity of the lens barrel if a filter is mounted, and in the case of mishaps do protect the front element very well. Having said that, modern coatings are far harder than most realise, but alignment within the barrel and element integrity can only stand so much shock loading. I get concerned most about protruding front elements - take a look at Schneiders SS 110mm large format lens or Mamiya's 6/7 wides - no barrel protection for these items. What I do most times is treat the filter as (i) in-transit protection, removing upon shooting, or (ii) in-situ for poor condition shooting. Glad about your happy ending...

[jon_wilson]

Hey Distant Cuz, you think the ETR is tough, you can almost drive a tank over the old Bronica S2A and it will not harm it. The only problem with it is when the shutter flaps....it sounds like incoming....Happy Veteran's Day to all you great Vets...those with us and those who are also honored in my memories and prayers as being gone, but far from forgotten. Jon R. Wilson, Idaho

[johnw436]

Hi yourself, distant cuz!

 

Yes, thanks to all who have served or are currently serving.

 

John L. Wilson USN veteran

Tampa, FL

 

 

It may not have only been the filter that saved the day, but I wouldn't ask God to avert his attention from our brothers in arms for one millisecond for a lousy camara.

 

Like I said, if there's a company out there making tougher gear than this they need to be making Humvees.

 

May God bless those who need it most.

[tarashnat]

John,

 

I can empathize with you. I had a 50mm f/4 Hasselblad lens hit a wood floor from tripod

height and land, I thought, glass first. I was mortified. Upon inspecting the lens, the front

part of the barrel (where the filter retaining ring screws in) was bent, but otherwise the

lens appeared and functioned fine. I was able to straighten out (or is it curve out) so that I

could fix the thread enough to screw on the hood or retaining ring. Otherwise, the lens

performed as before...

 

Taras

[pavelp]

Do some focus checks though. Bronica lenses have metal barrels and some also have recessed front elements, which is a lot of protection on its own. However, I wonder if the lens mount did not get shifted or skewed.

 

But I agree with you that Bronicas are built well. It's not metal and leather but the plastic is very robust.

[raj_bhutani]

I can further vouch for the tough built quality of Bronica. Some 4 months ago, I had almost the similar experience. Bronica ETRSi with 75mm + UV Filter falling on lens edge. Filter gave up its life to save everything else. Focusing, mount, electronics, mechanicals, etc. no noticeable difference.

I must have taken some 25 rolls after that and no difference.

Good Luck and many many more years of tough service,

Raj

[raczoliver]

In the future, you should use the neckstrap even when shooting from a tripod, especially while attaching and removing the camera.

 

Hoods are good protectors as well, and they also improve image quality.

[mike butler]

Hey John,

 

I had an experience similar to yours in the field.

 

I was using a Bronnie Sq-B and kind of forget that one of my tripod legs was much lower

than the others when I moved it aside and turned my back on it to put a roll of film away.

Of course, I heard this sickening crash behind me about about two seconds later.

 

Fortunately, the lens seemed OK ( I had a yellow filter on it and a metal lens shade, thank

goodness). But the body took a couple of nasty nicks, and it felt and sounded kind of

loosey-goosey, so I put it away. I sent the body off to a tech later and it checked out fine

after a couple of minor adjustments.

 

I think what happened was that it fell on the cable release, and the stiff part of the release

absorbed the shock just enough to save me.

 

The Bronicas are rugged, yes, but it taught me a valuable lesson about an ounce of

prevention.

 

Take care,

 

Mike

[johnw436]

I really appreciate hearing so many of you have had a similar experience. I don't wish this on anyone but I'm glad I'm not the only person it's happened to. I look up to a great many of you and it's comforting in some ways to know you all have made the same unfortunate mistake.

 

I think the one thing I cannot get over is my feeling of stupidity for allowing it to happen in the first place. "An ounce of prevention"... you got that right! The sickening crash you describe is right on. So completely avoidable had I been paying better attention.

 

I love my Bronica, but can't imagine dropping a Hassy lens from that height. I believe I'd have gotten sick right there on the floor. I don't have a tremendous amount of money tied up in my gear, but I did drive a thousand miles each way to shoot the basilica. That DID sicken me. Had I not been in a church I think I'd have said some things I would have been ashamed of.

 

Yes, I did a lot of focus checks. I would have bet money that the crash would have shifted the elements in the barrel even if they didn't break. Nope. After spending an hour getting the filter off I disassembled everthing on the camera I dared to touch to inspect it as well. Years ago I did a lot of gunsmith work and it's surprising how much firearms and cameras have in common internally. If anything, I thought the pure shock of the crash on the tile floor would have wrecked the internals or at least knocked the camera out of square. Wrong on both counts. The lens, the body and the finder all checked out great.

 

Thanks to all of you for responding to this thread.

[fast_primes]

A rubber lens shade will also protect the lens!

[avid]

And told in such a way, I was almost at the edge of my seat, biting my nails. I heaved a sigh of relief at the end. Glad your ETRS is doing well and as for the UV filter, I say RIP in gratitude. Whew!!

 

I had a similar incident on a pile of slippery rocks off the Pacific coast. I had no idea what looked to be a benign wet rock at a precarious slope to the angry ocean 20 feet below, could be so treacherous and obdurate. With my Hassy mounted on the tripod in hand, I stepped to gain higher ground and off I go sliding towards the threashing waves on my knees. To do the only thing I could to save the day on this remote beach, I threw the tripod and camera to safer, drier rocks up above hoping it does not come rolling down. I was not inclined to take such a fine instrument to my watery grave if that was my destiny. Of course, it also freed up my hands to attend to tasks like grab on to some over-grown lichen or something. I watch the outfit land on the rock with a loud thud the A24 back first and then the lens takes the second hit as it bounces but with less impact, the splayed legs of the tripod prevent any roll on the inclined rock. It all feels like a slo-mo and I manage to let out the expletives while still sliding backwards. Somehow, I manage to gain footing and I crawl up fearing another slip will deliver me to the ocean below. Once back to the camera, I check it out with a heavy heart for any sign of damage, none to my relief, not even the UV filter. I exhaust an entire roll of 220 film and nothing seems out of the ordinary. Lucky there is no meter in it to worry about. Still apprehensive, it was only after I processed the roll could I heave a sigh of relief. Images bore the same color, contrast and sharpness characteristic of the Distagon 80mm CF. And the camera does not show any sign of such an impact. Yep, the Hasselblad got my respect henceforth. Had it been my other camera, an electronic Contax 645, I bet it would have been a different story. Anyway, it was good to hear of your experience and know that some cameras are built to endure. I can relate to that.

[johnw436]

Avi- talk about a story! I found myself tense at one moment and then laughing so hard my eyes teared up the next.

 

I loved this part, "...I threw the tripod and camera to safer, drier rocks up above hoping it does not come rolling down. I was not inclined to take such a fine instrument to my watery grave if that was my destiny."

 

CLASSIC!

 

Now that is what I call dedication and loyalty! I think somebody at Hasselblad should use that for advertising purposes and send you a free camera for using it. Me? I think I'd have used the tripod as an anchor or ice-axe while I slid down the cliff- hoping desperately it would catch on some roots or scrub! Camera be damned! You could have been killed... my camera just fell on the floor.

 

That is the best story I've read in a long time.

 

john