BRONICA SQ STRAP SERIAL NUMBERS

The film backs also have different serial numbers than the bodies.

BRONICA SQ STRAP SERIAL NUMBER

To make things more confusing, some camera batches included an вЂњS2AвЂќ after the serial number and others did not.

There are different bits of information floating around the internet about these numbers, and they do not all match. However, IвЂ™ve seen cameras with serial numbers around 80000+ that appear to be S2As. A ccording to a video by David Hancock, S2 bodies have serial numbers less than 100000, early generation S2A bodies (1969-1972) are between 100000, and later S2A bodies (1973-1977) are above 150000. The S2 and S2A appear almost identical apart from serial numbers and a few small features (e.g., film advance knob, neck-strap lug). Bronica S2A vs S2ДЇirst, the older S2 (1965-1969) is notorious for faulty film advance gears that jam, and the mechanics were improved on the Bronica S2A. BuyerвЂ™s notesД«efore heading over to eBay or your local camera shop, there are two things worth noting about the Bronica S2A. Hagley Park, ЕЊtautahi/Christchurch, Aotearoa/New Zealand (Kodak Ektar 100). By all accounts, it was a solid camera that could take great photos without destroying my bank account or demanding any special respect. The S2AвЂ™s lack of prestige was attractive to me.

BRONICA SQ STRAP SERIES

I knew about the Hasselblad 500 series and its iconic status, but as a casual photographer, spending thousands of dollars on a used camera was simply out of the question. The aesthetics pulled me in, and then I was sold after reading more on the history and specs of the camera (see above). I first discovered the Bronica S2A in a brilliant ASMR-like video by Tywen Kelly. Eventually I narrowed my choices down to fully mechanical medium format cameras, as I wanted a slower, more tangible experience than what IвЂ™d had with modern digital photography.

BRONICA SQ STRAP PLUS

I perused information online (thanks 35mmc), recalling what IвЂ™d learned while shooting film as a teenager, plus lots more about different cameras and film formats. Something clicked during lockdown and I decided that returning to film was the antidote I needed. It had become an exhausting chore that distracted me from enjoying and remembering what I was doing. My photography felt inconsistent, dispensable, and plagued by my own perfectionism. I had shot digital cameras exclusively since the 2000s and grown tired of capturing, sorting, and editing heaps of photos. Like many other photographers, I looked for inspiration to go on photo walks during lockdown, but inspiration eluded me. My partner had to cancel an upcoming visit from overseas, and I had to face the reality of being stuck in a shared flat for six weeks instead of going on a road trip as planned. Still, the initial outbreak and lockdown in Aotearoa was a punch in the gut. I was lucky to live in Aotearoa/New Zealand during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, spared from the long-term lockdowns, infection rates, and losses that so many others have experienced. Fifty years later, this is still the case, with Bronica S2A kits costing around one-fifth the price of Hasselblad C/M kits. Some other lenses that fit the S2A include the Nikkor-D 40mm f/4, Nikkor-O 50mm f/2.8, Nikkor-H 50mm f/3.5, Zenzanon 150mm f/3.5, and Nikkor-P 200mm f/4.Дuring the 1960s-1970s, BronicaвЂ™s 6Г—6 SLRs provided photographers with alternatives to the pricey Hasselblad 500 C and C/M.

Bronica partnered with Nikon to produce a line of reputable lenses for the S system. ItвЂ™s sharp, fast enough for shooting indoors in decent light, and produces gorgeous images. That said, the S2A makes up for its lack of subtlety with good looks, a maximum shutter speed of 1/1000 second, interchangeable film backs, a bright viewfinder, and a safety that prevents the shutter from firing without removing the dark slide (i.e., no misfires).ДЇrom what I can tell, the best feature of the Bronica S2A is the standard Nikkor-P 75mm (~50mm equivalent in 35mm format) f/2.8 lens. Firing the shutter is like slamming a car door, so you can forget about being discreet with this camera. Weighing in at just under 2 kg, the Bronica S2A is a tank, almost to the point of being absurd. The S2A is unique in having an вЂinstant return automatic mirrorвЂ™ that swings down instead of up during exposure, which allows space for wide-angle and deep-seated lenses that extend far into the camera body. It was the last fully mechanical 6Г—6 SLR among BronicaвЂ™s Z/D, C, and S series, and later replaced by the electronic EC model. The Bronica S2A is a hefty 6Г—6 focal plane medium format SLR produced in Tokyo from 1969-1977.

Bronica sq strap