Bronica

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bronica or Zenza Bronica (ゼンザブロニカ, Bronica or Zenza Bronica ^?) was a Japanese brand of professional medium-format roll-film cameras, including rangefinder and single-lens reflex models.

Bronica cameras first appeared in 1958, when its founder, Zenzaburo Yoshino, introduced a camera of his own design, the Bronica Z rollfilm camera, at the Philadelphia Camera Show. The Bronica Z and successor Bronicas, utilizing large-coverage, high-quality Nikon Kogaku Kikai (Nikkor) lenses, became an instant success.

Bronica later introduced lenses of its own manufacture with its later camera designs. Zenza Bronica Ltd. was eventually acquired by the large lens manufacturing concern Tamron. Zenzaburo Yoshino died in 1988.

Their single-lens reflex models (SQ, ETR and GS) were discontinued in October 2004, and their last model, the RF645 rangefinder camera, was discontinued in October 2005[1].

The Bronica had been the workhorse of wedding and portrait photographers for many years. Secondhand Bronica cameras are still widely used by professional and serious amateur photographers, in no small part due to superior image quality of 6x4.5, 6x6 and 6x7cm rollfilm over smaller film and digital sensor formats.

Bronica SLR cameras employ a modular design: the major components of the camera—lens, body, film back and viewfinder—are separate and interchangeable.

[edit] Bronica models:

[edit] ETR series

ETR - Introduced January 1976. 4.5x6 cm camera system
ETR-C - Introduced October 1977. Identical to ETR models except film magazine cannot be removed from film back.
ETR-S - Introduced January 1979. Improved version of ETR.
ETR-S Modification - Introduced July 1982. Unnamed change to original ETR-S model. Lens release located on left side of body, backs released using two independent tabs.
ETR-Si - Introduced October 1989. Improved version of ETR-S.

[edit] SQ series

The Bronica SQ camera takes square photographs on 120 film.

SQ - Introduced October 1980. 6x6cm square format camera system.
SQ-A - Introduced January 1982. The SQ-A was a refinement of the SQ. The contact pin array for the viewfinder was increased from six to ten gold contacts, allowing for auto metering capability with the AE finder S. Also, a mirror lock-up lever was added. The backs were modified slightly, with the ISO dial for the original backs having white and orange numerals, and the new with silver. The darkslide was changed to the locking style; to lock required both the new grey handle slide, and the new silver numeral ISO dial back. All accessories for SQ cameras fit the SQ-A, however the AE finder cannot physically mount on the SQ; a safety defeat pin prevents attachment.
SQ-Am - Introduced January 1983. "Motorized only" version of SQ-A body. Uses 6 additional AA batteries.
SQ-Ai - Introduced October 1990. Improved model of SQ-A
SQ-B - Introduced February 1996. Student model based upon SQ-A. Lacks some features of SQ-Ai.

[edit] GS Series

GS-1 - Introduced 1982. Lightweight, electronically-controlled, modular SLR 6x7cm camera system, with four interchangeable viewfinders, speed grip, and optional backs for 35 mm, Polaroid, 6x4.5cm, 6x6cm, and 6x7cm rollfilm. 120 and 220 size film backs available in 6x4.5, 6x6 and 6x7cm. Dedicated Flash (G1). The GS-1 uses 'PG' -series lenses in a variety of focal lengths: 50 mm, 65 mm, 100 mm, 110 mm macro, 200 mm, 250 mm, and 500 mm.