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Bronica ETRSi
France Version française
Photos by MJHT text by MJHT. From the collection of MJH. Last update 2024-01-15 par Sylvain Halgand.

Manufactured or assembled in Japan from 1988 to 2004.
Index of rarity in France: Rare (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 10475

See the complete technical specifications

Chronology of cameras Bronica 

M. Zenzaburo Yoshino, an industrialist from Japan1, aimed to create the best Japanese camera post-war by openly drawing inspiration from the proven techniques of Hasselblad. The first Zenza Bronica model, the Z, was introduced in 1958. In 1961, the D and S models were released.

The models continued to evolve until the early 2000s. They were single-lens reflex cameras with interchangeable lenses and backs. The early models featured a focal plane shutter, later replaced by models with a leaf shutter. They were available in 6 x 4.5 cm or 6 x 6 cm formats, using 120 film.

Focal Plan Shutter(6 x 6 cm)
S 61-65  
C   64-65  
C2   65-72  
S2   65-69  
S2A   72-77  
EC   72-78  
EC-TL   75-78  
EC-TL II   78-80  
Leaf shutter
ETR (6 x 4,5 cm)
ETR   76-80  
ETR-C   77-80  
ETRS   78-80  
ETRC   78-80  
ETRSi   88-04
SQ (6 x 6 cm)
SQ   80-84  
SQ-A   82-91  
SQ-Am   82-91  
SQ-Ai   90-03
SQ-B   96-03

Patent No. 3,675,557 for the mirror moving mechanism in a photographic camera Patent No. 3,677,162 for the hood for a focusing screen of a camera
1Alongside numerous patents in the field of photography, Zenza Bronica Ind Inc also filed patents for gas lighters.

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The Bronica ETRSi was released in 1989. It is the fifth iteration of a camera that first appeared in 1976, the Bronica ETR. The basic model underwent few changes over these 13 years but was refined with the addition of various features such as double exposure and mirror lock-up, repositioning of controls, and the addition of safety measures, especially to prevent opening the back without the mask.

It's worth noting the gradual replacement of metal on the sides and back with molded polycarbonate. However, all versions maintain complete compatibility with previous backs, viewfinders, and lenses, and the quality and precision remain intact. Various accessories introduced during these 13 years and after 1989 are also compatible with the early models, to a certain extent.

Its main features are as follows:

- Single-lens reflex camera with a 6 x 4.5 format.
- Interchangeable lenses with an exclusive Bronica bayonet type, ranging from a 30mm fish-eye to a 500mm with a Seiko electronic shutter between the lenses. Shutter speeds range from 8 sec to 1/500, including B and T modes, all controlled electronically. Manual speed at 1/500 is possible without a battery. In total, there are twenty lenses, including four zooms.
- X synchronization at all speeds with any electronic flash. When coupled with the SCA 386 module and a compatible SCA 300 flash and one of the two AE prisms, the camera directly meters on the film plane and automatically adjusts the speed and flash duration based on the given aperture.
- Interchangeable viewfinders including a waist-level finder, three prisms, two of which are AE with aperture priority, a revolving finder, and a quick finder.
- Interchangeable backs for 120, 220, standard and panoramic 135, 70mm, and Polaroid formats.

Add to this an array of accessories, motor drive, macro attachments, teleconverters, dedicated flashes, precise and reliable construction, and high optical quality, and you have a system where the photographer can freely express themselves without technical limitations.

The standard 75mm f/2.8 lens is remarkably precise and offers outstanding rendering, comparing favorably to products costing three times as much. The grip provides perfect control of the camera, combining the shutter release and the winding lever.

This camera facilitated an easy entry into medium format for me. Its weight and size differ little from a 35mm with a zoom lens. The waist-level finder is extremely clear and precise, and in my opinion, preferable to the simple prism or the AE II prism, which I find lacking in brightness, even though the AE II allows for automated TTL/OTF metering. I have not yet tried the AE III prism, introduced in 1994, which is said to be brighter and covers 100% of the frame.

Bronica ETRSi





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