I started Bronica story long time ago, but put aside quite a while shortly after initiation.
I am fascinated with the story of founder, Zenzaburo Yoshino, and it triggers me investigating Bronica camera… but more and more
my interest turns to him, not to his camera.
Talking about camera is easy but about a person is a lot more difficult for me. I can not work casually as talking about mechanism as a person,
his dream and how he turned the dream to true. I will keep this self assigned homework a little longer until I collect enough confidence of
telling the story.
Here I just briefly show camera, Bronica S2…
Chronicle
Bronica D,Z,S are in the 1st group of Bronica focal plane 6X6 camera which have integrated helicoid mechanism with the bodies.
S2, S2A are next group which have separated helicoid.
EC, EC-TL are different shape, have electronically controlled shutter but have the same lens mount with S2.
* After EC-TL, Bronica changed line up and design fundamentally, to leaf shutter (or called lens shutter)
SQ, SQ-A, SQ-B are 6X6 type, ETR, ETRs, ETRsi are 6X4.5 type and GS-1 is 6X7 system
It was embrassed when try to operate Bronica S2 with only short experience with Hasselblad.
– film winding lever turns freely… I mean really freely like no mechanism engaged.
– no button to remove film back
– film insert is there, but won’t come out.
– how to raise magnifier?
– when remove lens, helicoid removed too.
– single film back somehow support both 12 / 24 shot (120 and 220 films)
– with mechanical shutter, can set in between speed, eg. if dial set in between 1/60 sec and 1/125 sec, will get 1/90 sec
– whenever wind film, there’s breaking (?) sound and feeling from the mechanism inside (but it is normal)
etc, etc….
At the end, very very interesting and also fascinating like its founder…
*** Let’s continue later…
