Bronica ETRS - lens choices?

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Hi folks

I couldn't resist it when I saw a good condition ETRS with 120 back for 35ukp in a loca charityl shop, snapped it up, it doesn't have a lens or prism but I can add those, not bothered about a prism, a wlf will do, I can make a temporary one out of cardboard for now, only going to be shooting landscapes with this camera so it will suffice for a while.

Obviously I need to buy a Bronica lens for this camera.

I know nothing about Bronicas so I'm hoping you guys can school me before I make any lens purchases.

I know the later Bronica lenses for the SQ and PE series won't fit, how do I identify which lenses will fit this camera?

Which Bronica lens do you recommend for landscape photography?

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Hmm, just realised the dark slide is also missing.

It's just a sheet of aluminium, can I just make one, I have a load of aluminium and a hacksaw!

Anyone know the dimensions of a Bronica ETRS dark slide?

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

No-one know anything about Bronicas here?

Katastrofo · Expire: 2013-11-19

Congrats, Ian, the dark slides I've seen are made from springy sheets of
stainless steel. Thickness of the aluminum sheet would be a definite concern.

Good luck!

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Hmm, well stainless steel or aluminium that thick is also available, just need to know the dimensions, thickness would be good to know.

Thanks for the input, wish I could upload pics to show you the camera. It is missing the winder, must have been used with a speedgrip. I will just make a new winder, I have a broken tripod I can steal the handle from and modify to work on the Bronica, it might look a bit funny but it will work until I get a speedgrip sometime.

I might even make a pinhole for it so I can try the camera out, I will get a lens for it when I see one cheap.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

A very few Bronica user is here and might be they are left forum already I don't remember exactly. I don't know you made a deal or not look other parts on Ebay what you need and you able to count total costs. My favorite inexpensive medium format SLR is Pentax 645.

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

I own an ETRS-i. Congratulations on your great find. I bought my ETRS-i outfit about a year ago on eBay. Got it for $127. It included the body, 120 and 220 backs (one of each), a non-metered prism finder, and a 75/2.8 lens.

Bronica made three different style backs over the years. My 120 back is the latest (and best). Took a while, searching on eBay, before I found one. So anyway, the darkslide is from this back. I don't know if they changed dimensions on their backs over the years, but I don't think they did because I've interchanged dark slides on the different backs with no issues. Anyway, the dark slide is indeed springy stainless steel.

I have some measurements for you. In inches. You can do the conversion if you need it.

Thickness: 0.010"
Height: 2.050"
Length: 3.042" to 3.002" -- the dark slide is concave shaped on its end. I don't know if this slight dish shape matters or not, but I went ahead and included it.

These measurements do not include the handle -- just the ds only.

You asked about lenses for the ETR series. I'm not an expert but I've learned a bit, and I believe Tamron has quite a bit of Bronica info at their website.

So anyway, here are some suggestions:

Two series exist, I think: MC and PE. The MC were earlier and PE were later. There's usually a pretty big difference in price between the two, and it may or may not be worth it.

The 75 came in at least two different versions, that I know of. The earliest was a 75/3.5. Later ones were 75/2.8. This is the "normal" lens for your ETRS, so you should get one.

Wind angles: 50mm, 40mm and 30mm exist. There's also a zoom that includes wa focal lengths, the 45-90. The 50 is about a 35mm equivalent in 35mm format, the 40 is about a 28mm equiv. or so, and the 30mm is a fisheye -- probably equivalent to a 15mm in 35mm format.

The 50mm can be found for a decent price if you're patient. The 40 usually costs quite a bit more, as does that zoom.

On the long end, the most common is 150mm. I bought an MC 150mm in close to mint condition for about $40 recently. Either eBay or shopgoodwill.com, I don't remember which now.

Bronica also made a 250mm and I think a tele zoom, but I'm not sure.

Anything longer than 150mm and sellers seem to think they've found gold, so I don't have much interest in going any longer than that. Cool

Since you're missing your winding crank, I strongly recommend you pick up a Speed Grip E. If you're patient and go for an auction instead of a BIN on eBay, you can often get them for $40 or less. That's what I did, and I paid about $40 for mine. Really, I feel no need for a motor drive. It's very convenient and easy to use and positioned far enough away from the eye where you don't need to remove your eye from the viewfinder in order to advance the film. But at this moment, the E motor drives are plentiful on eBay (US one), and the prices are not really all that high.

Since buying my outfit, I've added the Speed Grip E, another 120 back, and the 150mm lens. I'd like to get a 40mm but I'll settle for a 50mm if the price is right. That'll pretty much complete the kit.

A couple of shots I took using Kodak Portra 160NC with the ETRS-i and 75mm lens:

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

I used to have the 2.8/75 - very nice on the 5D!

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Thanks Michael, I take your word as gospel on such things.

I think what I'll have to do is build up the kit bit by bit as I see the parts cheap, a lens being the first to get, I will definitely get a speed grip, everyone seems to recommend them.

I really like those Harley pics, a lot of detail in them.

Thatnks for the tip on the 2.8/75 Lucis, I think that is the lens I will start with, seems the cheapest and most common.

Shame the shutter is in the lens as I have a couple of Ross lenses that would be very nice on this format.

Excalibur · Expire: 2014-04-21

****Anyway, the dark slide is indeed springy stainless steel. ****

........and you don't need it using the camera, only for changing backs.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Hi Excalibur

That's what i figured - if I only have one back and only shoot 120 film and don't change lenses mid-roll, I don't need a darkslide.

I can work without one until I see one cheap sometime or get a new back with one.

Excalibur · Expire: 2014-04-21

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Yes, I'd come to that conclusion myself, the 75 is by far the cheapest and most common of the ones I see. 60-70ukp could buy me the 75 or 150 right now BIN but I will wait for cheap ones to come along.

Excalibur · Expire: 2014-04-21

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

I'd like a wide angle as I'll mainly be shooting scenery with it.

Thanks for your help.

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

Ian, after you finish shopping at eBay for a wide angle, don't forget keh.com. I was there just a short while ago today, taking a look. They have an excellent lens selection, including quite a few wide angles to choose from. And their bgn prices are hard to beat. You're in the UK, right? Chances are shipping costs to the UK won't be too prohibitive.

KEH wants too much for their Speed Grip Es though. Almost as much as they want for their motor drives. Keep your eyes peeled for an auction and you can probably get one for a reasonable price.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Ebay might be a closed avenue for me now, Paypal refuses to let me link a bank account to my Paypal account and I've reached the 1,900 sending limit.

Thanks for the tip about keh.com, they have some cheap ETRS lenses, a 50, 75 and 150 sounds like a good kit to have.

IANUS · Joined: 14 Oct 2008 Posts: 276 Location: Germany

Hello Ian,

I have a ETRS with 2,8/50mm, 2,8/75mm and 3,5/150mm lenses. My standard lens is the 75mm. There are three versions out there not two MC, E-II and PE. PE lenses are the newest and most expensive. Some lenses are only available in PE.

You can find some info in the net that the wide angle PE lenses (50mm and 40mm) got some improvements over the MC. I can't comment on that since I have a PE lens Wink

.

The PE lenses have half stops for aperture. The other ones have full stops.

If you have a screen with rangefinder it will black out for slower lenses. That's why I prefer the 50mm over the 40mm which is only f4.

If you want to shoot in portrait format you definitely need a prism and the grip. With WLF you will behave really funny (I did for some time).

If you have only one back you don't need the dark slide - it is only necessary for changing backs.

IANUS · Joined: 14 Oct 2008 Posts: 276 Location: Germany

Btw. if you are based in Europe: ffordes might be a good adress for Bronica equipment.

Excalibur · Expire: 2014-04-21

***Paypal refuses to let me link a bank account to my Paypal account and I've reached the 1,900 sending limit.***

erm what's all that mean esp the "1,900" sending limit Confused

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

IANUS · Joined: 14 Oct 2008 Posts: 276 Location: Germany

martinsmith99 · Expire: 2013-11-18

Nice cameras and samples. Shutter sounds like a spud gun though.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

Geez, that sounds strange, Ian. Never heard of that before. Paypal didn't have a problem verifying my account and I use a small local bank.

Well, anyway. Martin cracked me up with his comment about the shutter. It does sort of have a rather pronounced per-click-clunk sound to it. But this is rather typical for a medium format SLR in my experience.

By the way, I contacted Tamron about the broken link to the Bronica archive. I received an email Friday that it had been fixed. So, sounds like the "official" Bronica archive is back online.