A question to Bronica users

[manet]

Hi,

A question to Bronica users

I have heard that the electronic of the sq series was being the weakness of these cameras.
What think the users will be welcome.

TIA.

[CGW]

Any electronic circuit can fail. Bronica SQ series bodies are pretty tough. Old S series lenses can wear out. SQ bodies don't AFAIK have a reputation for faulty electronics.

[manet]

Thanks CGW for your prompt answer.

[Joe O'Brien]

I'll second CGW's post. I've shot with a Bronica for a couple years now, and talk with someone who has shot them for many more years. I have never heard of faulty electronics.

[Pumalite]

Any Bronica is excellent

[ParkerSmithPhoto]

I've had my SQs for many years (almost fifteen for my oldest) and the only problems I have had are with the backs and leaking light seals, which is a fairly easy fix and is the one weakness of the Bronica. The glass is excellent.

Pay attention to the battery. I learned recently that the battery check light can be fine but still lack enough charge to properly time the shutter. Mine was periodically missing the set shutter speed. New battery, no problem.

[moto-uno]

Having the ETR,ETRSand ETRSI models, the camera electrics have never been a problem.The AE finders on occasion need light downward finger pressure on the front to get the meter to illuminate(or a piece of fowm between it and the film holder)

regards,Peter

[Usagi]

I have used my SQ-Ai now 8 years (before that it was used 6 years by previous owner).

Electrics on the body, lenses, AE-finder, TTL, motorized grip and film backs works fine except two of my five film backs that has recently begun to show some problem with connection to AE-finder.

As film speed information is read by AE-finder via simply contact pins, i guess that either those pins have worn somehow or these two backs are simply used so much that they do not fit stiff enough. The AE metering works if i push film back bit upwards.
The film speed is determined by resistance, so the electrics on the backs are quite simple.

Otherwise the biggest issue is batteries like already mentioned. However when using motorized winder grip, that is not a problem.
The winder will 'go slow' before voltage drops enough to affect shutter.

[Tony-S]

No issues with my GS-1 system.

[lxdude]

I have heard of several circuit board failures with the EC series, but they are all very old now, and they were an early electronic camera.
Parts should be available for leaf shutter Bronicas for quite a while yet, as factory servicing has only just stopped, and there are good places like Koh's to get them repaired.

I have not heard of very many failures of the leaf shutter Bronicas, and most of those were not of the circuit boards, but were wiring and contacts. I have heard of some failures of the electronics in the lenses, though as the body does the timing I would think that's probably related to bad connections or contacts.

That said, I have had one ETR-Si body fail to time the shutter, and the circuit board in an AE-III finder fail. So it does happen. But the overall reputation for reliability for the leaf shutter Bronicas is quite good. I would not consider the presence of electronics in the camera body to be a reason to not buy one.