The Bronica ETRS is the 6x4.5 medium format SLR that converted me to the format. I had owned a Mamiya 645 briefly before this. The Mamiya passed through. The ETRS is staying. This is the review.
A few things up front. I am a Bronica fanboy. I have admitted this. I love Bronicas. The Bronica S2A is among my favourite cameras in the whole world, and that admiration carried into how I approached the ETRS. It is possible I am biased. I do not think the bias is wrong, but you should know about it before you read further.
Worth knowing also: since making the video this article is based on, I have acquired a Bronica ETR (the earlier model). I would not have reviewed the ETR with the same enthusiasm. The ETR and ETRS were released only two years apart, but the build quality, materials, and overall design feel decades apart. So this review is specifically about the ETRS, particularly a later production example (post-1982 second-version production run), not the broader ETR family.
If you are wondering whether to buy any Bronica 6x4.5 SLR, this article answers “yes, but specifically the ETRS.” More on that distinction below.
There is also a farewell article for when I eventually sell this camera years from now. This one is the falling-in-love piece. If you want to see how the relationship evolved, the farewell is there too.
What it is
The Bronica ETRS is a 6x4.5 medium format SLR, shooting 16 frames per 120 roll. It was Bronica’s first 6x4.5 model (their previous cameras like the S2A were all 6x6).
A few key technical points.
Modular system. Everything is removable and interchangeable. Lenses, viewfinders, film backs, focusing screens. Standard Bronica practice carried over from earlier models.
Leaf shutters in the lenses, not focal plane in the body. This is a major shift from the previous Bronica generation (S2A and EC), which had focal plane shutters. The reason for the change is presumably some combination of:
- Leaf shutters give you flash sync at all speeds, which matters for studio and fill-flash work
- Leaf shutters are less fragile when the back is removed (focal plane shutters are exposed when you swap backs and can be damaged by careless handling)
- Per-lens cost is higher but per-body cost is lower
Non-returning mirror. When you fire the shutter, the mirror stays up until you wind to the next frame, which brings it back down. This is unlike the S2A (which has a returning mirror). The viewfinder blacks out after each shot until you advance. Slightly disconcerting at first but you get used to it.
Battery required for shutter speeds other than 1/500th. The shutter is electronically controlled, so without a battery you only get 1/500th. With the battery, you get the full range from B through 1/500th. The battery is standard and easy to source.
Released in 1976. The ETRS specifically came in 1978, with a second-version refresh in 1982 that ran through to 1989. My copy is a later production example, probably mid-to-late 1980s.
![PLACEHOLDER: the Bronica ETRS with the 75mm f/2.8 lens and waist-level finder, showing the compact form factor]
The “ETR vs ETRS vs ETRSi” question
This matters more than most reviews acknowledge.
The ETR (1976-1978) was the original 6x4.5 model. It has a particular feel, almost a bridge between the older S2A aesthetic and the modern ETRS. The leatherette, the lens finish, the overall build quality reminds me of the S2A in ways that the ETRS does not.
The ETRS (1978-1989, with a second-version refresh in 1982) is the refinement. Better materials, better electronics, more polished overall design. This is the one to buy.
The ETRSi (1989-2004) is the further refinement, with some additional features. Also a fine choice, just newer and more expensive on the used market.
I have an ETRS and an ETR now. The ETRS is genuinely the better camera. If you are buying one of these, look for the ETRS or ETRSi specifically, not just any ETR-family Bronica.
Why I prefer it to the Mamiya 645
This is the comparison most people are looking at, so worth addressing directly.
I owned a Mamiya M645 before the ETRS. Older model, probably mid-1970s production. It passed through my hands and I sold it on. The ETRS is staying. A few reasons.
The ETRS feels more solid in the hand. The Mamiya I had felt slightly creaky and plasticky. The ETRS feels solidly built.
The ETRS lens (75mm f/2.8) is sharper than the Mamiya 80mm I had. This is partly Bronica’s general lens reputation and partly the specific lens. Other Mamiya lenses (like the later 80mm f/1.9) might compare differently.
The handling is better. The Bronica controls fall where I expect them. The Mamiya’s controls felt slightly awkward to me.
The leaf shutter approach gives me flash sync at all speeds. Useful for the studio work I want to do.
It is the right size. Smaller and lighter than the S2A, big enough to feel substantial, comfortable on a strap for a day of walking.
A few caveats: I am comparing my specific Mamiya to my specific Bronica. Newer Mamiya models (the 645 Super, 645 Pro, 645 AFD) are very different cameras. People who love the Mamiya system love it deeply. Your mileage may vary.
But for me, the ETRS won. Comprehensively.
The London shoot
I took the ETRS to London for a work trip and spent the morning wandering around the South Bank with two films loaded: Fuji Pro 400H first, then Ilford FP4 Plus.
With the 75mm: standard wandering-around shooting. Tried to find compositions that said “London” in the background, with flowers or paths or interesting foreground elements. f/11 at 1/8th for one composition where I waited for someone to walk down a path. Fuji Pro 400H rendering the muted overcast morning beautifully.
Gabriel’s Wharf: a place I used to know well when I lived in London. Mostly closed up in the morning but the architecture and the river views were good. 40mm super-wide would have been useful here. The 75mm felt slightly tight for the open South Bank compositions I wanted.
Then onto the Thames itself, with the City skyline in the distance. A couple of wide London shots, characteristic grey sky and brown water.
Film two, Ilford FP4 Plus, with the joggers along the river. Switched to a slower shutter (around 1/15th) to introduce motion blur on the runners while keeping the river and architecture sharp. Spot-metered for the mid-tones, varied compositions, tried to catch the rhythm of people moving through the scene.
![PLACEHOLDER: a Fuji Pro 400H frame from the South Bank with London architecture and a path leading away, showing the kind of result the 75mm f/2.8 produces in overcast morning light]
What I learned from the morning
The ETRS is genuinely a pleasure to walk around with for street and architecture work.
The form factor is right. Big enough that you take it seriously. Light enough that you do not resent carrying it after two hours.
The 75mm f/2.8 is sharp wherever you stop it down. Wide open gives you decent shallow depth. f/11 gives you real landscape sharpness. No aperture is bad.
Slow shutters at low ISOs work because the leaf shutter has minimal vibration. Less mirror slap than the S2A (still some, because the mirror does move), and the leaf shutter itself adds nothing to the equation. Handheld 1/15th is genuinely achievable.
The waist-level finder works for street photography in an unexpected way. Looking down rather than through the camera makes you less visible to subjects. People do not notice you photographing them. Useful for the jogger shots.
The morning’s frames came out well. Not all keepers, but enough good ones to confirm what I already suspected: this camera is for me.
On Bronica’s “perfect balance” generation
A wider thought about why I like this specific Bronica generation so much.
The S2A is at the end of one era of camera design. The end of the mechanical age. Inside an S2A is a maze of cogs, sprockets, clutch mechanisms, pulleys, ribbons, and levers. It is mechanical engineering at its peak complexity. Beautiful, but almost no one will work on them now because parts are unobtainable and the complexity intimidates modern repairers.
The ETRSi (and later models from other manufacturers) is firmly in the electronic age. Microchips, electronically controlled shutters, often metering integrated into the body, sometimes autofocus. Convenient and capable, but when something goes wrong you cannot fix it with a screwdriver and patience.
The ETRS sits at the perfect transition point. It has some electronics (the shutter timing is electronic). But the electronics are simple, essentially one chip that times the shutter. The rest is mechanical and comprehensible to anyone with a pack of screwdrivers.
I have had this ETRS apart. (I damaged it, full story on my TikTok, and had to do some running repairs.) Inside, the wiring is followable. I traced each wire from source to destination and understood what each one did. The chip was the only black box. When I diagnosed the actual problem (loose battery contacts that had unseated), I just pushed them back into place. Camera fixed.
This balance, electronic where electronics help and mechanical where mechanics are comprehensible, is what makes the ETRS such a satisfying camera to own long-term. It is from an era where camera design had achieved peak comprehensibility. The S2A is past that point (too mechanical). The ETRSi is past that point (too electronic). The ETRS is just right.
The accessories ecosystem
This camera was massively popular. The accessories situation reflects that.
Lenses: 40mm super-wide, 50mm wide, 75mm standard (the one most cameras come with), 105mm portrait, 150mm short telephoto, 200mm telephoto, 250mm long telephoto, 500mm super-telephoto, plus several macro options and a 2x doubler. Pretty much every focal length you would want is available, often at reasonable used prices.
Backs: 120 for 16 frames, 220 for 32 frames, 135 for 35mm work, several Polaroid backs for instant film tests. The 120 back is the one you want for most uses.
Viewfinders: waist-level (standard), prism (with various metering options), rotary prism, magnifying finder. The prism with TTL metering is easy to fit (push button, slide off waist-level, clip on prism) and I picked one up cheaply.
Speed grip with shutter release: makes the camera handle better for handheld work. The original wind-on arms cost almost as much as the camera (eye-watering), so I am running a 3D-printed replacement arm which works fine.
Macro bellows: I have one of these and will be doing some serious macro work with it. Future article.
Tripod adapters, cable releases, flash brackets, lens hoods: all available, all reasonable.
This is genuinely one of the most complete accessory ecosystems for any medium format camera, and a real advantage for the system.
![PLACEHOLDER: the ETRS with the metering prism, speed grip, and longer lens, showing how the system grows around the body]
What is not perfect
In the spirit of honesty, the ETRS is not flawless.
The non-returning mirror takes adjustment. After every shot the viewfinder is black until you wind on. This is by design but it can throw your rhythm if you are used to returning-mirror SLRs.
The battery requirement is a vulnerability. Without a working battery you are stuck at 1/500th. Carry spares.
Some of the older speed grip parts are expensive. The wind-on arm specifically is silly money on the secondhand market. 3D printing solves this but is an extra step.
It is heavier than 35mm but lighter than 6x6. This makes it Goldilocks for some people and “neither one thing nor the other” for others.
The system was a major manufacturer offering, which means lots of cameras went through professional hands and may have heavy use behind them. Buy a tested copy or budget for a service. Standard advice for vintage medium format.
Where the ETRS lives in my kit
This is the bit that matters most personally.
The ETRS is my default medium format camera now. When I want to shoot 120 and I am not specifically going out for some particular project, I grab the ETRS.
The S2A is for when I want the 6x6 frame or the theatrical mirror crash, or when I am feeling more deliberate about a shoot.
The Rolleiflex SLX is for when I want auto exposure, which I sometimes do.
The large format gear is for serious landscape or studio work where I have time to set up properly.
The ETRS is the everyday medium format option. Trips to London, walks in the country, opportunistic shoots where I do not want to think too much about gear. This is what makes a camera a keeper.
Verdict
The Bronica ETRS is an excellent 6x4.5 medium format SLR. I would recommend it without hesitation to anyone considering 645 medium format film.
Buy it if:
- You want 6x4.5 medium format on a budget that does not stretch to Mamiya 645 Pro money
- You want leaf shutter flash sync flexibility
- You want a camera that can be serviced and understood
- You value lens ecosystem breadth
- You are comfortable carrying a camera that is substantial but not crushing
Avoid it if:
- You specifically want the 6x6 square format (look at the S2A or the Bronica SQ)
- You hate non-returning mirrors
- You are happier with fully mechanical (the S2A) or fully modern (a Mamiya 645 AFD or similar)
- You are sensitive to weight (look at a Mamiya 6 or a Fujifilm GA645)
For me: easy yes. The ETRS is staying. I will be doing more work with this camera, and you will see more of it on the channel. Macro, wildlife (with proper preparation this time), street work, portraits. Lots to come.
I will also link back here when I write the farewell article, because that is the natural arc of any review piece: buying in, using, and eventually selling on. For now: this is the camera I am keeping.
If you have used an ETRS yourself, I would love to hear how it has worked for you. Comments below.