The Bronica SQ-B - A Perfect Square!

I have owned and used many different cameras over the years, but there was one brand that I had absolutely no experience with, that being Bronica.  Known for their various medium-format cameras, Bronica was a brand that I knew little about. I had heard people say both good and bad things about the cameras, but generally the consensus was that the build was not as good as a Hasselblad.  Last year, in a segment on the Film Photography Project Podcast, we had a discussion about cameras, and I said that there are times that I would like to shoot with a particular camera for a while, but not necessarily own it.  One of the cameras that fit that bill was the Bronica SQ series, which are medium-format SLR cameras with removable backs, square 6x6 image format, and look much like the archetypical Hasselblad.  I didn’t have any interest in the 6x4.5 Bronicas, as I once owned a Mamiya 645E, and that format doesn’t hold as much interest to me.  

A few weeks after the episode aired, Mike Raso contacted me and told me that one of our listeners wanted to contact me and loan me a Bronica SQ series camera to use for a while.  It turns out that David Lyon, one of our FPP followers in Utah has a Bronica SQ-B that had belonged to his sister, and he thought it would be great if I could put it to use for a while.  Dave and I started corresponding, and back in March I received a lovely Bronica SQ-B in the mail with a waist-level view finder, 120 back, and the normal 80mm 2.8 lens.  

The Bronica SQ-B is an all-manual 6x6 SLR with shutter speeds from 8 sec. to 1/500 sec, with flash sync at all speeds.  There is no B mode with the standard 80mm lens. The shutter is an electronically controlled Seiko between - lens leaf shutter, meaning that it requires a single 4LR44 6 volt battery to operate.  There is no metering, so a handheld meter needs to be used.  Multiple exposures are possible, as is mirror-lockup shooting.

The film back is interchangeable, with backs for 120, 220, and 35mm.  The lens is a Zenzanon -PS/B 80mm f/2.8 standard lens, which focuses from 80 cm to infinity.   The film is advanced via the crank on the right side.  Shutter speeds are controlled by a knob on the left side with a readout that is viewed from above.  The waist level finder (WLF) is bright and a pop-up magnifier is used for critical focusing.  The shutter release button is on the lower right side of the front, and is easy to use.  There is a separate screw-in port for a cable release on the L side of the body.  There are several iterations of SQ models, and the SQ-B appeared in 1996, so it's a relatively recent model.  The B designation may just mean "Basic" as that is what the camera really is - basic. The SQ-Ai is the top model with auto-exposure and TTL flash capability.

Use of the camera.

My previous experience with 6x6 SLRs was with a Kiev 66, Kowa 6, and Hasselblad 500C.  In all ways, I find the Bronica SQ-B to be a better camera in terms of ease of use, control layout, and ergonomics.  For those days when gloves are needed, the controls are easy to use.  If you have ever tried to use a Hasselblad with gloves on, you’ll appreciate the Bronica.  The dark slide is easy to remove and insert, and the winding crank needs one turn to advance the the film.  Not having a meter was not a problem. I used a Pentax Spotmeter or a Sekonic Twin-mate hand-held meter or sunny-16 while shooting.  That would have been the case had I used the Hasselblad.   The camera balanced nicely in my hands and the WLF worked great.  I found that a Pentax 67 close-up lens on the 80mm lens was really wonderful for close-up portraits.   I carried the Bronica in a shoulder bag with a Nikon SLR and found that the Bronica was not overly heavy in that regard, and it certainly hung fine around my neck with a Tamrac strap.   Some people don’t like WLFs, but for 6x6, I think it’s great.  Of course the image is reversed L-R, but that’s usually only a problem with photographing moving objects.  It’s the same as using a TLR in that regard.  There are prism finders available for the SQ series, but I like the simplicity and unobtrusive nature of the WLF.

Summary of my experience

I don’t know why the Bronica series of cameras have been maligned by some. Perhaps it is just Hasselblad snobbery.  I am a pretty experienced photographer, and have used and handled a LOT of cameras.  I found the controls and layout superior to the 500c I once owned, and my user experience was excellent.  I downloaded a SQ-B manual before attempting to use the camera, and that’s critical for anyone unfamiliar with a new camera.  The controls are simple to use and there are no distractions when using this camera.  The question is — “Should I buy one?”  My answer is a resounding “YES!”    I liked the results that I got from the Bronica, and I have posted a few of my favorites below.    I thank David Lyon for allowing me to use the camera for most of this year.  I find that FPP listeners are great people with a common bond of film photography.   Now, another camera that I would like to try out for a bit is a Horizon!

The Magic Square... The Bronica SQ-B

There is something about shooting in square format - whether it's 35mm or medium format.  While one can crop an image to be square, it's the composition in camera that makes the difference.  For one, you don't have to worry about an image being in portrait or landscape mode -- it's all the same. I think the first camera that I owned that shot square format may have been an Ansco folder. Then, I acquired a Rolleiflex for $75 back in 2002.  There are a lot of fun little square-format cameras out there, too. Some use 127 film. Getting used to the advantages as well as limitations of a TLR was quite educational and opened up a new way of seeing for me.  In 2004 I bought a Mamiya 645E that was new at Adray Camera in Ann Arbor, and while I owned it for 6 years, I never was comfortable with it -- the boxy body was cumbersome for vertical shots. I also owned a Kiev 60 for a while, and that SLR was quirky, as the frame spacing wasn't predictable.  However, i did take some decent images with it. I bought a nice  Kowa Six, and that lovely camera was nice, but a bit fiddly. Later, I acquired a Hasselblad 500C, back when they were selling used for really cheap, and people were ditching their film cameras for the latest DSLR.  I sold the Mamiya 645, of course. I enjoyed using the 'blad and had a number of lenses for it, and for some reason, sold it all after I acquired a like-new Mamiya C330 Pro with 80mm and 135mm lenses in March 2014.  The Mamiya is a bit of a beast, but I do enjoy shooting with it, as it close-focuses, which is something the Rolleiflex could not do without a special diopter , etc.   Having full control of my exposure and focus is important, but then, a camera like the Great Wall SLR from China is pretty much the opposite -- I owned one for a few years, and while I got some images from it that were somewhere between a Holga and an Argoflex, I found that it sat on the shelf a lot, so I sold it for a bit more than what I paid for it. While I sometimes regret selling my Rollei, the Yashica A that I have had for quite a while takes satisfactory images, and I paid $30 for it. The Mamiya C330 is a great system camera, and I use it regularly. How many TLRs does one need? (Don't answer that!).
At this point, you are wondering "When is this guy going to get to the topic in the title?" I'm getting to that. Really.  What this all leads up to is over time, I realized that I sometimes have a camera crush, and what I really want is to be able to use a certain camera for a bit, not necessarily own it.  I have had a sort of revolving door when it comes to square-format cameras. Last fall, I realized that the one camera system that I had NOT tried was a Bronica SQ (I have no interest in shooting any more 6x4.5).  I didn't really want to go and buy one, only to find that it wasn't for me, or it was okay but quirky.  I mentioned that I would just like to borrow one for a while on the Film Photography Podcast, and certainly never thought that anyone would take me seriously.  After all, the FPP gives cameras away, right?

A few months ago, I received an email from an FPP listener, and he offered to loan me a Bronica SQ-B.  It had belonged to his sister, and he needed to have some work done on it, and after that he would send it to me to use for a while.  It arrived on February 18, and after unboxing it and checking it over, I looked online and found a manual. I had a 6V battery for it, and after getting used to the controls and layout, I loaded a long-expired roll of film and shot it at various settings, just to acquaint myself to the camera.  I tossed the exposed roll in the garbage, and loaded a roll of Verichrome Pan which I shot last weekend, along with a roll of Tri-X.  Those were developed the next night, and I am quite pleased with the results.
First of all, the SQ uses an electronic shutter, so unlike the Hasselblad 500C that I once owned, you need a battery for the camera to work (so does my Pentax 6x7).  There is no metering with the SQ-B, just like the 'blad 500C. The SQ-B that I now have is fitted with a waist-level finder, which I do like, and of course, one can add a prism finder, just as with the 'blad.  The controls on the SQ-B remind me of the Mamiya 645E, which is fine.  I wasn't a fan of setting the shutter speed on the lens with the 'blad.  The SQ-B goes from 8 seconds to 1/500, and no B or T.  That works fine for me.  It fits easily into my canvas messenger bag with a compartment insert.   The film loading is familiar, and the use of the dark slide is also familiar, though sometimes results in a  "doh!" moment when I forget to remove it.   Using the camera with an external meter or just using sunny-16 (or the Black Cat Exposure Guide) is fine.  If I were shooting something complex, I might use my Pentax Spotmeter.  In any case, this is a fun camera to use, and I look forward to doing a lot of photography with it over the next few months.  Thank you for the loaner, David Lyon!

A few images from my Sunday afternoon outing last week. All shot in Ann Arbor, MI.