Bronica Learning Center :: SQ Guide

DESCRIPTION: Modular 6x6 cm. camera system; full system leaf shutter lenses; 120/220 interchangeable film magazines and inserts, Polaroid, 35mm wide & normal back; Interchangeable finders, manual metering with waist level (MF) or eyelevel (ME). Patented speed grip allowing "35mm" style handling, with winding, firing, grasping, and hot shoe all on the grip.

ACCESSORY COMPATIBILITY:

LENSES: All S, PS lenses, teleconverters; extension tubes and extension bellows made for SQ, SQ-A, SQ-Am, SQ-Ai, and SQ-B (note: the PS designation indicated a redesign of the entire lens line, starting in 1986).

BACKS: All SQ & SQ-i 120, 220, 35mm normal (24x36mm), 35mm wide (24x36mm), and Polaroid.

INSERTS: All 120 and 220 inserts can be installed on any SQ roll film back (note: never put 120 film on a 220 insert, and vice versa).

FINDERS: All SQ waist level, non- metering eyelevel prisms, and manual metering finders. Note: the SQ Auto finders cannot be attached to the SQ body; there is a defeat pin that prevents it. The manual finders have 6 contact pins; the auto finders have 10.

GRIPS: The Speed Grip S; the "L" grip, and the "T" grip ( both discontinued in '79). No motor drive was possible for the SQ.

SCREENS: No changes have ever occurred in the screens, so all S screens fit all S cameras.

MISCELLANEOUS: All rubber eyecups for the Prism (eyelevel) finder "S", ME and AE finder "S" are universal (#1714). The 45DS and AE-i auto finder take their own. Diopters: same as eyecups; AE-i and 45DS have variable diopters that have two optional helper diopters. Filter thread sizes of lenses are ø67mm, except 40 mm S/PS, 500mm S (ø95mm), PS50 (ø77 mm), PS110mm ( ø72mm) and PS 500 (ø122mm).

The SQ-A was a refinement of the SQ. The contact pin array for the viewfinder was increased from six to ten gold contacts, allowing for auto metering capability with the AE finder S. Also, a mirror lock-up lever was added. The backs were modified slightly, with the ISO dial for the original backs having white and orange numerals, and the new with silver. The darkslide was changed to the locking style; to lock
required both the new grey handle slide, and the new silver numeral ISO dial back.

All accessories for SQ cameras fit the SQ-A, however the AE finder cannot physically mount on the SQ; a safety defeat pin prevents attachment.

The SQ-Am was a "motorized only" SQ-A body. Because the SQ cameras, to date, used mechanical shutter releases, adding a motor would be somewhat clumsy to synchronize (the original ETR motor faced this dilemma, and was somewhat fussy to install), and slower. For this reason, it was deemed preferable to integrate the motor into the body. The SQ-Am used six AA batteries to drive the motor, while retaining the small 6 volt battery to power the operating system of the shutter and meter. It ran at two frames every three seconds, and achieved approximately 60 rolls of 120 film per battery set.

All accessories for the SQ, and SQ-A fit the SQ-Am, with the obvious exception of the Speed Grip. A dedicated 9 volt pack using six "C" cells was offered to power the motor for extended periods (#BQ1826) ; the remote 6 volt camera battery (for shutter timing) would be possible to use modifying the battery compartment door
slightly.

It is important to note at this point, that in 1986, a complete redesign of the SQ lenses were being formulated at this time. The GS-1 camera, introduced in January 1983, was the first camera and lens system built in the new Bronica factory, which was equipped with the newest and most modern lens testing and assembly gear
available in the world. The PG lenses were such an improvement in design and
execution over their already high quality and much heralded ancestors, that it
became evident that this new approach should be incorporated in all of the
Bronica lenses. The "PS" series, a 6x6 version of the "PG" lenses, were phased
in beginning in '86, and eventually becoming the current line. All "S" and "PS"
lenses are compatible with all SQ style cameras. Also, the "PE" lenses were
added to the ETRSi camera line in 1992, adding the more advanced "P" (Pro)
series capability to those cameras.

After much debate and request from the loyal Bronica users worldwide, several key technological improvements were incorporated into the new SQ-Ai. Perhaps most prominently was an add on motor drive, the SQ-i motor, requiring an electro-magnetic release on the body. Also featured was a connection port for off-the-film plane flash control. The adapter designed for the Metz units was the Bronica SCA 386. Flashes from Quantum, Lumedyne and Sunpack also will dedicate to the SQ-Ai.
Because this system required a small circuit board to be added to an already
fully packed body, more room was created by flattening the battery compartment
slightly. This mandated a change from the 6 volt single battery to four 1.5
volt cells (note that the voltage requirement did not change).

The body also incorporated a multi exposure warning in the viewfinder, a 16 second calibrated shutter speed, and a "B" (bulb) setting on the shutter speed dial.

While the backs between the previous models and the SQAi are fully compatible, the newer backs were modified slightly at this time. The ISO dial was relocated to the rear of the back, rather than on the top, so that the speed setting could be seen better with a prism attached. The ISO range was also extended to 6400.

All accessories for the SQ, SQ-A, and SQ-Am were compatible with this body, with several exceptions. Because of the new motor drive and its connection to the body, the winding crank was changed to an SQ-Ai only model. The SQ and SQ-A cranks cannot fit, nor can the Ai crank fit the older cameras. Also, the motor drive itself cannot be used on any body but the SQ-Ai. The remote power pack (#1654) for this motor is different than the SQ-Am (#1826), and the electromagnetic release cable is a 3.5mm plug ( #1655), instead of the 2.5mm model (#3655).

A new auto prism finder, the SQ-i AE, was introduced in January, 1996. This finder
would attach and couple to the SQA, SQ-Am, and the SQ-Ai bodies. It featured
auto or manual, spot or average metering, an LCD low power draw display, a
variable diopter, 4 stops more sensitivity than its predecessor, a built in
eyepiece blind for long auto exposures, and an exposure memory lock

While all of the remarkable advancements were being added to the SQ-Ai, it became clear that the medium format market required a price sensitive square format system for students, as well as the seasoned pro who needed no bells and whistles. Thus, Bronica introduced the SQ-B camera. It was sold as a kit; with body, back, 80mm PS/B lens, and waist level finder included in a single package, since then it is available a la carte. The SQ-B was nearly identical to the SQ-A, but had no
contacts in the viewfinder area. Any SQ type prism could be attached, but
because no power could be supplied to the finder, no metering capability would
occur. Also, because the finders couldn't meter, the back supplied with the SQ-B has no ISO dial. The shutter speed range was the same as the SQ-A, with 8
seconds to 1/500. The SQ-B retained the mirror lock-up feature of the SQ-A.

The 80mm PS/B was optically identical to the PS version, but the A/T selector switch was eliminated. In short, everything that could be removed from the SQ-Ai comfortably was, to make the camera as cost effective as possible.

All of the lenses, finders, screens, backs, inserts, and the speed grip for the SQ cameras fit the SQ-B. The winding crank, battery, battery compartment door, and remote battery pack are the SQ and SQ-A type.