jim_gardner4

As mentioned, it wasn't a problem, I was curious if Bronica have the same facility Hasselblad do. If I was JE/\SSSSSSUS it probably wouldn't have even been a question.

It's not an issue, just a question.

The first camera I used was a friends Brownie. First I owned was a Zenith 12xp which I still have. May put a film through it soon for the first time in 30+ years.

No hardship, I just wondered if it was possible with the Bronica. Your right though, that last frame may be the best one.

It was that joint/line about 1/2 inch from bottom right as we are looking at it that made me question S. I am looking at an F4s now at the same joint seems to be higher on this one.

Although you mentioned "shooting" spare a thought for the results. I use many different MF cameras but for sheer quality, 4x5 blows MF away. Yes I know some replies may say that's rubbish but in my experience a 20x16 enlargement from 4x5 is mind blowing. Once again, this is MY experience. I'm sure 10X8 is stunning but there is no way I could afford the money or space for that. I also have a 16x20 camera (but only ever used 11x14 film in it) and contact prints were fantastic. Using LF isn't difficult, it's just different. Yes film is more expensive but you will probably use a lot less of it. I have often been out for half a day and made 2-3 exposures.

I will also say F4 but the battery pack looks bigger than the "s". Was there not an even bigger one? An "e"?

I went out today with a new (to me) Bronica SQAi and exposed 11 frames. When it came to remove the film I could obviously have just exposed the last frame and wound the advance crank, but for some reason I thought it would be possible to wind the smaller crank on the film back to wind the film onto the take up spool. I seem to think this is possible on Hasselblad's but don't really want to waste a film to try it. Do any Bronica or Hasselblad users know if it is possible to wind remaining film off, or do we have to operate the shutter 6 times if we want to remove a half used roll of film? I tried with film back both on and off the body.

A Speed Graphic which I only owned for a year or so then sold. With a focal plane and/or leaf shutter. It could be used hand held. Also a Minolta X700 and 35-70mm lens. One of my first cameras that travelled the world with me and gave fantastic results. I part ex'd the Minolta for a Nikon F4s and got less than £150 for it. I since bought another X700 (which soon broke) but I would still like the very one I sold if only for sentimental reasons.

Just out of interest I looked in the manuals for Hasselblad and Bronica. Hasselblad call in Pre release. Bronica call it Mirror lock up, but they do have the option (on SQAi) of keeping the mirror up for all exposures.

Some interesting replies there, thank you all. I can’t say I have noticed any loss of sharpness when hand holding medium format but then I don’t use it without a tripod very often. When it is on a tripod I do generally use mlu. It’s interesting to hear different views but for now I will still use my Mamiya C330 when out for a walk without tripod. Obviously no moving mirror in the C330. I am happy to use 35mm handheld without mlu certainly down to a 1/60 and 50mm lens but the Hasselblad and Bronica have big mirrors that make the camera feel like it is moving. Thanks again.

Having not been working much recently due to Coronavirus, I have had a lot more time for photography. Apart from testing cameras and trying to get some new prints I have also been reading and processing (mentally and in the darkroom). Having been using various cameras for 30+ years I have generally used mirror lock up to minimize vibrations on longer exposures and especially with medium format cameras. MLU has always been second nature. If exposure times are getting longish, use MLU to eliminate that vibration when the shutter fires, but,,,,Thinking about it recently, and possibly thinking about it too much and confusing myself, I now have a question that may be better in the beginner forum. MLU is something I have used forever but cant for the life of me now see why only at long exposures. When we make an exposure, the mirror lifts up which may cause some vibration and thus negatives that are not as sharp as they could be. Lets say the mirror vibration lasts for 1/4 of a second (complete guess on my part as to the duration) and the exposure is 4 seconds. Disregarding the delay between the mirror going up and the exposure starting, the mirror vibration would then last 1/16th of the exposure time. With an exposure of many minutes, the vibration would only last a tiny fraction of the exposure time and may not be recorded on the negative at all. If the exposure was 1/4 second or faster, then the entire exposure would be made during the vibrations. Why then is MLU used on longer/slower exposures, when the vibration could be present on only a small part of the shutter open time, and generally not on shorter/faster exposures, when the vibration could be present for the entire exposure time?

I also have an F, F2, F3, F4 and F5. I love the F but to actually use its the F2 or F4 every time and for more serious stuff it would always be the F4. Unfortunately the F4 I bought new stopped working a few years ago in that the red led warning light would blink when I pressed the shutter release and it would simply do nothing. I sent it off for repair and when it came back it did work for a few rolls. When it broke again the same people said it couldn't be mended. Recently I brought a very good body and prism for a few hundred pounds so now have two prisms. No bleed on either displays. The F4 is by far the easiest and most user friendly F series camera to use. Everything is in the right place and there are no menus to access to make a button do this, that or the other. Both bodies are numbered 25***** and I think they look and feel fantastic. Also, both were/are "s".

For the cost of the chemicals it simply isn't worth storing working strength solutions. I use ID11 which is only liquid when mixed to stock strength. In this case, store in collapsible bottles. Stop bath neat is kept in original bottles with air in and keeps for over a year. When mixed, use once and dump as the cost is pence. Same for fix. You may save a few quid over the months by storing working strength solutions but your print may suffer in the short term from the developer and long term from the fixer. If you are like me and spend hours in the darkroom to get a decent print, saving 50p just isn't worth the time spent.

I love using b+w film over digital. Tried digi many years ago but simply didn't enjoy it. Also try and use all my film cameras from 35mm to 16x20? inch (though I have only used 11x14 in it). The next one to be used again is a Bronica ETRSi that hasn't been used for almost 10 years and I'm also going to try 35mm again. Last holiday I took a Mamiya tlr, 3 lenses, filters, tripod, light meter. It did get some funny looks but I enjoyed it and there are some framed prints on the wall from it. So far this year I have printed negs from 35mm, MF (6x6) and LF (4x5).

Good point well made.

I speed read most of this because it started to get bitchy and childish, but I do have a few questions. What is art? Whose definition of art do we study? When we have studied it, what might we learn?

Robin, I certainly did this during my tests. On shot from which, was a mile out. I will try again as I would use it normally and see what happens.

Sandy, Hmmm. Where will I find that?

I last posted about this in May 2020. My old email address will soon not be in use at all. I have tried again to change my old address to a newer one but all I get is "saving". Is there yet any way of changing an email address as when my old one is no longer in use, I assume I wont be able to log in or get any emails from Photo.net. ?

I have the Bronica ETRSI and Hasselblad. The Hasselblad I love but they are very expensive and Hasselblad UK have stopped repairing them. Bronica, especially the 645 over 6x6 systems, are a fraction of the price. So much cheaper in fact, that they almost become disposable. If a lens or body fail, buy another one for under £200. Having used both and now looking at prints around 13"x10" on the wall, it is almost impossible to tell which system was used for each print from a quality point of view, though this may be different if you went really big. If I had to do it all again, I wish I had started with Bronica 6x6. If you don't like that format you could crop and you wouldn't have to turn the camera on its side for "portrait" format.

Ok. I shot off another roll of film. This time using the waist level finder only (not the PME). Camera was on a tripod and I photographed points at 8 feet, 30 feet and approx. 250 feet with 3 different lenses. The WLF with magnifier is much better to focus than the PME. As suggested, I made a note of the focus scale on each lens barrel. The results were not bad apart from 1 shot at 30 feet which was clearly focused behind. The lens barrel focus scale said 50+ feet so, although I thought the image was sharpest through the WLF, the lens barrel was at 50 feet. I went back and tried focusing at the same point again many times, and each time the lens barrel said 30 feet. At this point I cant say why that discrepancy occurred but at least I am happy to use the camera again. The other thing I noticed was that when moving the FLE scale on my 50mm lens away from the Inf - 4 metres, the focus scale on the lens barrel means nothing. That is to say, it is only accurate when the FLE is at Inf - 4 metres. Many thanks for all the replies and suggestions on this question. Much appreciated.

The C330 are great cameras and can deliver excellent results. Best of all, no mirror which means they can be shot hand held at slower speeds if needed.

Having just looked at the body without the back on, it seems there is no way of telling exactly where the film plane is so making a screen that is the correct distance from the body to within a few thou "may be a little more difficult" that I expected. Tom, Does this happen with all lenses? Yes it does which is why I have ruled lenses out. Orsetto, When I was looking it the body, I admit to expecting to see some sort or pad the mirror sat on but, as you said, there seems to be a "prong" each side and a spring. I will run yet another roll of film through the camera and may post some scans.

I can make a frosted screen for the back and use a loupe with that. Normal focusing screen is nice and tight and hadn’t been out between camera working and not working. All replies so far are very helpful and appreciated. They give me a possible way forward.