Zenza Bronica S2A Second Back Test - a photo on Flickriver

            On July 17, 2024, I received from Netherland an additional camera film magazine for my Zenza Bronica S2A. The back came with the original dark slide holder branded Zenza Bronica Industries, Japan. 

The back is in a very good condition, and after some mechanical exercices, it succeeded my blank tests using a 120 roll containing only the protection paper. A a test with a real 120 film was necessary to valid the correct film advance and view spacing. 

The camera back was loaded with a Fomapan 100 roll. The 120-format version of Fomapan 100 differs from the 35mm version using a PET (Polyester Tera Phthalate )0.1mm  base instead of the regular cellulose tri-acétate. The 12à-film is also treated with a dyed back coating to prevent halation. This anti-halation coating is dissolved in the developer solution. The Foma data sheets do not indicate necessary pre-washing however.  Strangely the film is labelled on the side "ULTRA 100".

The Nikkor normal lens 1:2.8 f=75mm was equipped with a Hoya Yellow (K2) 67mm screwed filter and the dedicated Zenza Bronica metal hood. 

The film was exposed for 50 ISO (to compensate the filter absorption with a coef. x2) using an Autometer III Minolta lightmeter fitted with a 10° finder for selective measurements privileging the shadow areas. 

View Nr 2 : 1/60s f/6.3 focus @ 6.80m

Traboule des Voraces, July 27, 2024
69001 Lyon
France

After the view #12 exposed, the film was fully rolled to the taking spool and was developed in a Paterson tank with a spiral adapted to the 70mm large film. 500 mL of Adox Adonal (Agfa Rodinal) developer were prepared at the dilution 1+50 and the film processed for 9min at 20°C.

The film showed very nicely exposed views, correctly spaced without any overlap nor light leaks, validating the correct function of this second camera film back.

Digitizing was made using a Sony A7 camera (ILCE-7, 24MP) held on a Minolta vertical macro stative device and adapted to a Minolta MD Macro lens 1:3.5 f=50mm. The light source was a LED panel (approx. 4x5') CineStill Cine-lite  fitted with film holder "Lobster" to maintain flat the 70mm films. 

The RAW files obtained were inverted within LR and edited to the final jpeg pictures without intermediate file. They are presented either as printed files with frame or the full size JPEG.

All views of the film are presented in the dedicated album either in the printed framed versions and unframed full-size jpeg accompanied by some documentary smartphone Vivo Y76 color pictures.

About the camera and the lens : 

The Zenza Bronica’s S (ゼンザブロニカ) were often referred to the « Japanese Hasselblad ». Conceived in the year 50’s (Bronica D, 1959) was manufactured in ToKy,o Itabashi-ku, Minami-Tokiwadai with the Japan engineering  spirit of that time : « we wlll do as … in better! »;  The Bronica (ETR, SQ series) camera’s were progressively discontinued twenty years ago between 2002 and 20O4 and the brand was bought by Tampon company and disappeared from the market.

The Zenza Bronica S2A was produced by Bronica Insdutries founded by Yoshino Zenzaburo,  between 1972 and 1977 and was the ultimate model of fully mechanical medium format modular SLR o th e S series. The  camera in made in stainless steel 18-8 quality for the outer elements. The S2A is still a focal-plane shutter camera with automatic diaphragm and automatic film back coupled to the shutter cocking through a re-arming crank. Bronica were equipped either with Nikon Nikkor lenses, Zenzanon of Komura optics. 

I got this exemplary from a French eBay auction for a quite reasonable price, equipped with a Nikkor-P normal lens 1:2.8 f=75mm, a generic 67mm lens cap, and a neck/shoulder Bronica strap. I found at my monthly trade -exchange photo meeting new-old stock 67mm filters (Hoya HMC anti-UV, Yellow K2, and a Zenzza Bronica Skylight 1A) and two shade shade hoods (one generic foldable and a rigid metal Zenza Bronica Japan). I also found a nice storage box 15x20x20cm to store the machine with silica-gel protectant.

The camera fit in my ThinkTank Retrospective 5 usual bag as easily as my TLR Semflex. The weight is however higher by about 1;8 kg  (0.8 kg for my Semflex TLR).

Taken on: July 28, 2024

Tags:

Lyon

France

Zenza

Bronica

Single-lens

Reflex

medium

format

camera

Japan

Nikon

Nikkor

Nikkor-P

1:2.8

f=75mm

Fomapan

100

Adox

Adonal

Agfa

Rodinal

1+50

Sony

digitizing

Minolta

Macro

50mm « less

Sets appears in: • Zenza Bronica S2A Second Back Test

Groups appears in: • Lyon • Balade in Lyon more » • Lyon Urban Photographie • noir et blanc (français) • Vintage - Fotografie • Analog in Europe « less

Stats: 381 views