

- BRONICA RF645 SHUTTER HOW TO
- BRONICA RF645 SHUTTER SERIAL NUMBER
- BRONICA RF645 SHUTTER MANUAL
- BRONICA RF645 SHUTTER PROFESSIONAL
Secondhand Bronica cameras are still widely used by professional and serious amateur photographers, in no small part due to the superior image quality of medium format film over smaller film and digital sensor formats. The last Bronica camera, the RF645, was dropped in October 2005. Production of the Bronica SQ-Ai (including lenses and accessories) finished at the end of September 2003, with sales continuing until inventories were depleted. The Bronica GS-1 was discontinued in 2002. Tamron, a large Japanese lens manufacturer and a supplier of lens elements, eventually acquired Zenza Bronica Ltd.

A rangefinder model, the RF645 in 4.5×6cm format, was also introduced in 2000. Hi, bronica rf645, problem with the film advance, the film advance mechanisme dont lock on the 1 exposure, the shutter release button dont work X in the. Bronica cameras were mainstays of wedding and portrait photographers for many years, and their relative affordability made them popular with amateur photographers as well.Īs the company expanded, Bronica would later introduce lenses of its own design, along with continued refinements and new models of the Bronica SLR, in different rollfilm formats. With its superb, precision-ground Nikkor lenses, the first Bronica became an instant success.īronica SLR cameras employ a modular design: the major components of the camera - lens, body, film back, and viewfinder - are separate and interchangeable. Because Yoshino had invested nearly all company resources into production of the camera body, he sourced the Bronica's lenses from an established Japanese optics and camera manufacturer - none other than Nikon (Nippon Kōgaku Kikai). 23 November 1988), introduced a camera of his own design, the Bronica Z, at the Philadelphia Camera Show. I’m going to stick to a decidedly dowdier but much cheaper camera for my dive back into medium format.Bronica cameras first appeared in 1958, when its founder, Zenzaburō Yoshino (in Japanese: 吉野善三郎, b. I’ve seen too many cameras that looked fine be deemed unrepairable.

Spending big money on a 15 year old camera is a financial risk. In any case I think it’s something to think about when buying cameras these days. In contrast it was pretty easy to repair the cameras from a generation before and older. Back in 99 we would routinely break bad news to people that their electronically controlled camera from the 80s either wasn’t able to be fixed or simply was uneconomical to do so.

I’m sure the electronics in cameras from the 2000s is quite a bit more reliable than stuff from the 80s so maybe this isn’t as big a deal with this particular camera. It’s why even 70 year old shutters can usually be brought back to life. Shutters can be re-lubed, mechanisms can be unstuck. The difference is that very frequently you don’t need to salvage parts at all for a mechanical camera. The 135mm lens is very rare and expensive, while the 100mm is easier to find and is honestly a better choice for the camera.
BRONICA RF645 SHUTTER SERIAL NUMBER
It'll also give you an opportunity to try out the camera a bit, as it will not fire the shutter without film loaded and batteries in.Īnother thing to note is the serial number - SNs staring with a zero have framelines for 45/65/135mm while serials starting with 1 have 45/65/100mm. The mechanism can jam up if the operator has a habit of slam-cranking it - always wind it smoothly. The major thing to test is the film transport mechanism - you should take a roll of film and shoot it through just to make sure that the film winds smoothly. It's by far one of my favorite medium format cameras and is exceptionally nice to use - the viewfinder is huge, info display is easy to read, and the shutter is so whisper-quiet you'll wonder if it actually works. The RF645 is a top-notch camera and commands a premium price for good reason. This helps you test fast speeds because you’ll see the brief flash of light even if the movement itself is too fast for you to see. If you can open the back while shooting, point the camera at a bright light while looking through the back of the camera. If the camera will let you, do this with the back open so you can see it easier. Turn it on, fire it a number of times at different apertures while looking at the lens to ensure the blades are stopping down correctly. I always do this because at least half the time, I show up and the battery in the camera is dead, making it impossible to fully test.
BRONICA RF645 SHUTTER HOW TO
Learn how the camera works, so you know how to test it when you get there and you’re not just fumbling around.īring the correct battery with you.
BRONICA RF645 SHUTTER MANUAL
Generally speaking, if you’re going to have a chance to hold the camera before buying:ĭownload the user manual beforehand and study it.
