bronica etrsi vs. gs1

[c_erwik]

I have a choice to get either one of these systems at a similar price. I am a beginner who will use this for

outdoor/lower light handheld shots of family, enviromental portraits...mostly black and white, some color.

 

What are advantages of one system over the other.

[SCL]

FWIW I have found that the etrsi really isn't about low light or handheld shots - I generally use a tripod and low speed film to take advantage of tonality and wonderful enlargement capabilities.. To me, lowlight and handheld shots are fine venue for 35mm.

[Aoresteen]

Stephen is right. Neither of these systems is for low light. But you can do it with MF. Both Bronica systems use leaf shutters. For fast lenses you need a focal plane shutter.

 

Get a Mamiya 645 and the 80mm F/1.9. It is a nice lens (I have one). Costing quite a bit more is the Hasselblad 110mm f/2 that is used with 2000 and 200 series cameras. I am fortunate to have a 110mm and it is one great lens.

 

In either case you will need fast 400 or 800 speed film. Kodak and Fuji make good C41 films and for B&W Ilford has a good selection of 120 films.

 

If the cost seems too high, price out a 35mm system. I also use Olympus OM gear and there are plenty of speed lenses available for it. Or consider a rangefinder such as a used Leica, Canon, or Voigtlander and some fast lenses.

 

Good luck!

[pavelp]

Neither camera seems to be the best choice for what you want to do. They are both great cameras but consider the following factors:

 

1) Low light focusing is not exactly easy with MF screens and generally slow lenses (f/2.8 or f/3.5).

 

2) GS-1 is heavy, 4.5 pounds base weight, add a pound for the prism (a must if you want to shoot verticals), add another pound for the grip (pretty much a must for shooting handheld).

 

3) Focusing helicoids are long (for precise focusing) which means you may be still spinning the barrel when the once-in-a-life-time moment has already passed.

 

But, if those two cameras are your only options, then based on what you plan to shoot, I'd say get the ETRSi.

[danaher_m_dempsey_jr]

For hand-held low light buy a different camera.

I think the ETRS will have somewhat faster lenses than the GS-1.

 

GS-1 has 100mm f3.5 and if you can find it 80mm f3.5. The fastest of the bunch for a GS-1.

 

For the least dollars to do this job. The Mamiya 645 1000s with 80mm f1.9.

 

35mm Voigtlander rangefinder by Cosina has fast glass and easy to use handheld.

[richard baznik]

I have a GS-1 system and have used it hand-held (with the prism and the speed grip). Hand-held is OK if the lighting is good, and for some travel work it's the only way -- e.g., at some pueblos in the southwest. But if I'm traveling in places where tripods are either hard to use or are forbidden, I'll take a Leica M with me as well in case the lighting is not sufficient.

 

Generally MF hand-held is NOT the medium for low-light photography. That's simply not its strength, just as tack-sharp 16x20 prints are not the strength of 35mm.

[josphy]

Have you had a chance to handle either camera? I recently picked up an ETRS, and I'm very happy with it. I went with that over a 6x7 camera, because I still wanted to be able to reasonbly handhold the camera and use it basically like a big 35mm camera. And that's basically how it handles -- like a big chunky 35mm camera (w/ the speedgrip and prism).

 

I honestly don't think you'd want to try and handhold anything much larger *on a regular basis*. I'm not saying it can't be done and plenty of people probably do it, but overall for family shots, lowlight shots, quick portraits, etc., if you're doing that stuff on a regular basis, I would definitely go for the ETRS.

[brenda_carpenter2]

I have a Bronica ETRS and an SQ-A and have never even thought of using them without a tripod. You might try using handheld with the mirror locked up and a very steady grip, but mostly they are designed to give best results with a tripod. An alternative might be to try a good twin lens reflex like a Rolleiflex, Minolta Autocord, or a Yashica Mat. Suspending the camera from a strap around your neck and bracing it against your abdomen can keep it very steady. Also, there is no "mirror slap". I have gotten good results in low light this way.

[photo5]

I used to shoot with my ETRS handheld all the time, and the results were usually superb. I had the speed grip with the AEII finder and the 75mm EII lens. I also used a tripod with it but most of the time I used it handheld. Great little system. Also worked well with my Vivitar 285 and a bounce card.

 

Dave