Bronica ETRS

 

A modular 645-format SLR.

 
 

Bronica ETRS with 75mm f/2.8 Zenzanon MC. (Color photos of the camera were made with a Nikon F, 55mm f/3.5 Micro-Nikkor-P.C, and Portra 400.)

 

Le Pain Quotidien Bethesda, Md. Bronica ETRS, 75mm f.2.8 Zenzanon MC, Fomapan 200, 2023.

 

Bronica v. Hasselblad

The Bronica ETRS, introduced c. 1979 (McKeown, 1996) is an economical Japanese alternative to the Hasselblad:

  • Medium format leaf shutter SLR.

  • Modular design with removable back, lens, finder, focus screen, and film advance.

The differences are in the format, the shutter, and material.

  1. Format: The ETRS is 2 1/4 x 1 3/4 inch (6 x 4.5 cm), one size down from the Hasselblad’s classic 2 1/4 inch (6 x 6 cm) square format.

  2. Shutter: The ETRS requires a battery, the Hasselblad does not.

  3. Material: The body and back of the ETRS is substantially plastic, the Hasselblad is metal. The ETRS’s predecessor (ETR) and early versions of the ETRS were of metal construction but the 2nd series ETRS (like mine) and the later ETRSi were redesigned in plastic.

 

Houseplant (Ashton, Md.) Bronica ETRS, 75mm f/2.8 Zenzanon MC, Fomapan 200, 2023.

 

Design and use

The ETRS body and back are plasticky. But this camera has strong points:

  • Very bright focus screen with a split image and an excellent waist level finder. Composition and focusing are quick and precise.

  • No foam or rubber seals except, presumably, in the back for the dark slide. The closest competitor, the Mamiya M645, has foam seals in the rear film compartment which can wear out over time.

 
 

Bronica ETRS with 75mm f/2.8 Zenzanon MC.

 
 

Ansel Adams on the Bronica ETR

In his book The Camera (1980), Ansel Adams introduces the ‘so-called ideal format’ in which negatives have the same aspect ratio as 8x10 paper. There are photographs of the Bronica ETR (the very similar predecessor to the ETRS) and the Pentax 6x7 as examples (p. 27). However, in the context of medium format cameras, he states, ‘My personal preference is for the square format’.

 
 

Washington, D.C. Near Smithsonian metro. Bronica ETRS, 75mm f.2.8 Zenzanon MC, Fomapan 200, 2023.

 
 

Maintenance and repair

I haven’t had any maintenance done on this camera.

Summary

I like the Bronica ETRS. It is easier to focus than my other medium format cameras and if I wanted to add lenses it would be more economical than with the Hasselblad.

References / further reading

Adams, A. 1980. The Camera. Boston: Little, Brown and Company.

McKeown, J.M. and J.C. 1996. McKeown’s Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 1997-1998. Grantsburg, Wis.: Centennial Photo.

See pp. 463-465 for Bronica cameras and lenses. McKeown’s states that ‘even the older Bronica cameras fit into the ‘user’ category’. This is encouraging for those of us who use rather than collect.