Curious. Used the SQ-AM for almost 10 years. Mainly 105 and 150 lenses with no issues. Sharp images and great metering. Only problem ever was a cracked battery holder for the motor drive, Minor issue as was able to repair. Lenses were great and always had sharp images so this is a curiosity as to why unsharp focus issues. Metered pentaprism great as well. Both tripod and hand held flash and natural light, sometimes at pretty slow speeds, still good success. Mostly shot with Vericolor 100, so HMMM!!!
The bronicas were meant for indoor studio photography on a tripod. Assuming your lenses are aligned, and as you mentioned, the most likely issue is motion due to slow shutter speeds. Not only size and weight of camera, but also that shutter slap that's going to affect the 200mm more than the 50mm. With the 250, I have to tripod and use shutter lock up to have a chance at a sharp image. Also if your lens is opened up, at 200 mm, your dof is pretty small.
The poor SQ-AM!!! It is a real shame that this is the only video on the SQ-AM that I can find on UA-cam as there are many good written reviews on this camera! I think it mite have just been you Nick and this poor camera is not getting the attention it deserves as a result of it! Mite be something that I will try out next year! This camera was not made for night photography or street photography with being a pure studio camera! I’ve had the same issues with my Hasselblad 503 CX when outdoors on a cloudy day! It wasn’t created for street photography and you need to understand lighting that can be a real pain in this age when most new digital cameras do it on its settings for you! A light box is needed with this camera or sunlight! And there is no shock that the big lens didn’t work, it’s not for that kind of camera! 35mm to 50mm to 80mm max is all the SQ-AM can take! 100+mm won’t work even on a Hasselblad and the SQ-AM can’t take on all the lenses or viewfinders from its brothers and sisters with them being specially made for each camera! Could you do the camera community a very big favour with creating an up to date review with the right viewfinder and lens or think about taking it down as you are making gold into lead with not understanding a very good camera that can take amazing pictures in the right hands!
Looks like its not the camera but the lens...try the 80mm 2.8/normal lens for the Bronica SQ Also It is heavy cos it has a motor stuck to it...guess this is why it is cheaper. By the way does it have the split image focusing screen?
Curious. Used the SQ-AM for almost 10 years. Mainly 105 and 150 lenses with no issues. Sharp images and great metering. Only problem ever was a cracked battery holder for the motor drive, Minor issue as was able to repair. Lenses were great and always had sharp images so this is a curiosity as to why unsharp focus issues. Metered pentaprism great as well. Both tripod and hand held flash and natural light, sometimes at pretty slow speeds, still good success. Mostly shot with Vericolor 100, so HMMM!!!
The bronicas were meant for indoor studio photography on a tripod. Assuming your lenses are aligned, and as you mentioned, the most likely issue is motion due to slow shutter speeds. Not only size and weight of camera, but also that shutter slap that's going to affect the 200mm more than the 50mm. With the 250, I have to tripod and use shutter lock up to have a chance at a sharp image. Also if your lens is opened up, at 200 mm, your dof is pretty small.
The poor SQ-AM!!!
It is a real shame that this is the only video on the SQ-AM that I can find on UA-cam as there are many good written reviews on this camera!
I think it mite have just been you Nick and this poor camera is not getting the attention it deserves as a result of it!
Mite be something that I will try out next year!
This camera was not made for night photography or street photography with being a pure studio camera!
I’ve had the same issues with my Hasselblad 503 CX when outdoors on a cloudy day!
It wasn’t created for street photography and you need to understand lighting that can be a real pain in this age when most new digital cameras do it on its settings for you!
A light box is needed with this camera or sunlight!
And there is no shock that the big lens didn’t work, it’s not for that kind of camera!
35mm to 50mm to 80mm max is all the SQ-AM can take!
100+mm won’t work even on a Hasselblad and the SQ-AM can’t take on all the lenses or viewfinders from its brothers and sisters with them being specially made for each camera!
Could you do the camera community a very big favour with creating an up to date review with the right viewfinder and lens or think about taking it down as you are making gold into lead with not understanding a very good camera that can take amazing pictures in the right hands!
If you want to pay for it I’ll redo the review, if not 🤷🏽
Looks like its not the camera but the lens...try the 80mm 2.8/normal lens for the Bronica SQ
Also It is heavy cos it has a motor stuck to it...guess this is why it is cheaper.
By the way does it have the split image focusing screen?
I definitely feel like I made a mistake with this lens. It does have the split image screen. It always looks in focus before I hit the shutter
Is the shutter only on d grip? Sorry not familiar with this Bronica.
Yes, on this particular model the grip is built in t the body so the grip has the only shutter button