Bronica SQ-B and vibration,etc.

[don_minton]

I am toying with buying a Bronica SQ-B, probably used, for a variety of reasons. I like the flexibility a system camera has over my Yashicamat 124G - mainly the availability of lenses, and closer focusing. (And I can now afford it!)

 

<p>

 

However, when you release the shutter, it sounds like you're slamming a car door!

 

<p>

 

I shoot almost exclusively handheld, natural light, (albiet on fast film - tri-x 320). At what shutter speeds do I need to worry about vibration? Is this a Bronica thing or an SLR thing? -- should I be looking at Hassleblads?

 

<p>

 

Then there is the issue of conspicuity. The yashicamat is virtually silent. I know it doesn't matter in the studio, but do you find this annoying/distracting/embarrassing in public?

 

<p>

 

I hope these aren't silly questions, but it is an 10x increase in equipment investment for me! If & when.

 

<p>

 

Thanks,

 

<p>

 

Don Minton

www.geocities.com/soho/studios/6051

[anonymous___]

I experienced both : I have once tried my friend's 10-years old SQ , the shutter was smooth as silk, pleasingly quiet. But, the ETR of myself is exactly as you described - slamming the door !

[eugene_crumpler]

Go listen to a Pentax 67. Mirror lockup is a must-have with MF SLR cameras. Ansel Adams said that he could not reliably hand hold his Hassey at less than 1/250. Even hand holding at 1/250 with the p67, I can see a difference in sharpness from tripod(Big Bogen) mounted, mirror-up, cable released 16x20's. If I want quiet, I will use C33(TLR).

[tim_brown]

What you experienced is to some extent a part of all those Rube Goldberg machines we call SLR's. In MF the mirrors are bigger and clunkier. That's why there are still many serious rangefinders in MF while in 35mm there's P&S and Leica. You could take the path less (or previously) traveled and get a Mamiya TLR.

[steve_nichols]

I have both a YashicaMat and an ETRS and have used a Pentax 6x7. i

don't think you will ever get close to the quiet shutter of the

Yashica. I only use a very light tripod and get absolutely stunning

images with it at 15th second or so. The ETRS goes kappow every time,

but strangely I have never seen shake. Just because it makes a lot of

noise doesn't mean the images will be blurred. The 6x7 though is a

different kettle of fish thanks to the focal plane shutter. On a

light tripod it nearly fell over! The moral? Keep your YashicaMat for

heavens sake. Invest in an ETRS or SQA (you won't regret it) but make

sure you use a good tripod and cable release.

 

<p>

 

Steve

[michael_heal]

<p>And yes, do go try a Hasselblad 500CM. It is nowhere near as

quiet as the Yashicamat. It does have a mirror that needs to get out

of the way in a hurry, but it is quite smooth. Perhaps like more

like a car door shut gently (but we may not be talking about the same

car :-) ). Is it quieter than the SQ-B? I don't know, but perhaps a

local dealer will let you try each side by side. Best to try out the

alternatives before you put down your money.</p>

[tapas_maiti2]

Hi all

 

<p>

 

I did an interesting (if basic) experiment on vibration at home. I

hired a Bronica SQA to compare vibrations against my blad and P67 and

an old Canon AE1. To do this I used Kitchen scales, these are very

sensitive and you can gauge how much the shutter firing distorts the

scales quite easily.

 

<p>

 

Results.

 

<p>

 

The blad was much smoother that the bronica, with the mirror up it

generated no more vibration the Canon. The mechanical actuation of the

bronica shutter generates a lot of shake.

 

<p>

 

With the Pentax I also wanted to see the relative effects of the

different stages of the shutter firing - I guess that if the vibration

is caused by the recoil of the mirror it doesn't really matter.

1. No mirror lock up 0 much more vibration than the others.

2. Mirror lock up, fire shutter. Mirror rising causes less vibration

than it returning.

3. Mirror lock up, wait for vibrations to settle, fire shutter on bulb

and hold to see action of shutter. Shutter seems to cause no more

vibration than the bronica.

 

<p>

 

Overall, I was relatively impressed with the P67, the mirror action

is worse but I think the shutter vibration is overated. I was very

impressed with the blad , the smoothness of the action more that

anything helps to nullify vibrations and with the mirror locked up

vibrations are effectively a non issue. With the bronica (the one I

used anyway) I think that if it had an instant return mirror everyone

would be complaining in the same way as the do over the P67.

 

<p>

 

Tapas