Month: March 2025

Bronica SQ-A Medium format camera

First a little history.

This will be post No:1 of a series, where I attempt to buy parts of a damaged camera system to repair, reassemble and get back into working order.

I have chosen this particular camera as it was one that featured prominently in my career when leaving school and starting in the Photographic world. I’m going to buy this camera in bits, as it is modular. I’m going to try and buy parts that are for spares and repair for me to fix, to see if I can get a half decent working example. So expect a bit of a Frankenstein project here.

Bronica SQ-A

Just like my post on the Canon A1 that I previously published, this was another loan camera in my early years of photography back in the 80s. When money was sparse, colleagues usually allowed the loan of their equipment under certain conditions, one of those being,”Don’t break it”. I used this camera when I did my first studio session when a friend of a friend was setting up a business selling Teddy bears. She wanted good quality portrait photos of her work and this camera enabled me to do that. This was the first medium format camera I had ever used, and for that reason alone it will always sit as my favourite. Many people favour later models and other equipment, but this is my personal favourite. It has its flaws as some do, however this camera was significant in me learning a profession, as well as it triggering many treasured memories for me personally.

Now I want one of my own. 41 years after I first used one. But I don’t want to pay a premium price for it. In fact i wish to pay as little as possible, and that’s where it’s going to be difficult.

You can read more about the camera here: Bronica SQ-A

Requirements

As this is modular camera unit, I will need these parts to form the most basic camera, no bells and whistles as they say, just the basic version:

  • Lens – obviously
  • Main body – got to be the SQ family
  • Viewfinder – a few to choose from
  • Film back – I’m after the standard 120 roll film back

I’m looking at this being a medium term project so these items will be purchased over a currently undefined period of time, I’m hoping to buy items that require attention so I can keep the costs down, something that needs attention and repair would suit, as I can create a post regarding its repair. Individual spare parts do command some high prices so I’ll look at maybe purchasing some beat up stock that I can use as spares. I’ll keep a running total of the spend, I know I could buy a working complete unit for around £6-800GBP second hand, but that’s damned expensive in my eyes, I believe it was only £400Gbp (Minus lens) back in the mid 80s. I want to prove that a good usable unit can be built with just a little attention at a much lower and more realistic price. On the cheap if you like, as good quality photography does not need to be expensive. It might not look pretty, but it will be practical, and it will work. Most working cameras look beaten up. Most of the ones I used whilst working for a photo agency were total wrecks but took great photographs. I want to run a roll of colour and one of Black and white through it to prove i have made a working practical camera. It’s probably going to be a lengthy project, it’s going to be hellishly tough, but one I’m very much looking forward to.

From now on it will be known as….

The Frankenstein project.

And more posts will appear as the parts start to arrive and are assessed. Each part will have its own post dedicated to its purpose and repair, and a final post where it will be finally assembled and tested.

Thanks for passing by, please be sure to check back as this exciting project comes together, using the links below:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Manflu (Common cold for Women)

This is a jest post as all the prompts that have appeared recently courtesy of WP, are repeat suggestions, and there is no point in answering them if nothing has changed.

I know a female who has succumbed to the dreaded manflu (pic: courtesy of Happythreads)

For the last 7 days now me and the good lady have succumbed to a quite nasty cold that we believe was obtained from a trip to the south of Iceland. A couple of inconsiderate souls behind us on the bus were coughing and sneezing throughout the trip and I believe they wanted to share their misery with us. Well it has worked. Thanks for that.

We’ve been through massive ups and downs in illness this week, and the thing the common cold does brilliantly is to give you the impression you are getting better and then the next day hit you with a more ferocious, and violent second infection. That was on day three and four this week and the second wave was when the sore throat from hell hit, it did give me a lovely husky tone though.

Normally as a couple it is usually only the one of you that goes down with it, and the other partner who signed that invisible contract looks after you and makes you feel more comfortable. That is where the Manflu accusation usually comes in as the Female of the relationship undoubtedly ends up attending to the needs of the mortally wounded male in the partnership. There has been none of that this week as we both Cough and splutter around the house, with zombie like motions both sounding like honking geese with our constant barking coughs.

Now this was a real show of love and commitment and we have both gotten through it.

And the wife has not been able to use the Manflu tag against me once, as she has suffered it too. I may use this post as a reference for her to look back to during any future discussions regarding how this situation developed 😂

I haven’t missed work though. “How selfish” I hear you say, but you are wrong. I work mainly alone and the only contact I normally have with anyone is when I hand over at each end of the shift. I have contacted my colleagues prior to handovers and these have been carried out as they were in Covid times in the carpark. I haven’t used the office, I’ve stayed mobile in the van. The last thing I want to do is to pass this on to my colleagues and their families.

Day 7, today we are both a bit better, another day indoors will probably see us well, we have been drinking plenty, eating as best we can, and taking many potions and lotions to get us through. I think we can finally remove the “Unclean” sign from the front door, and ask that guy with the barrow who keeps passing by to stop shouting “ Bring out your dead!” In the grand scheme of things we are fine though and as stated this post is a jest post.

It could be the first documented case of Manflu transmission to the Female species, and I witnessed it first hand. I wonder if our fickle governments should consider a lockdown?

Stay safe and healthy everyone. Have a super day.