For a photowalk, in Lyon, France, I brought along my Zenza Bronica S2A to test the JCH StreetPan 400 black-and-white film in 120-medium format 6X6.
The film is coated on a PET (Polyester Tera Phthalate) base with a dyed back coating to prevent halation phenomenon. The film has an extended sensitization in the red to the near-IR at 750nm. The Bronica Nikkor normal lens 1:2.8 f=75mm was equipped with a protective Zenza Bronica L-1A 67mm filter and its dedicated Zenza Bronica metal shade hood. The film was exposed for 400 ISO using an Autometer III Minolta lightmeter fitted with a 10° finder for selective measurements privileging the shadow areas. The weather was obscured by a thick cloudy sky during all the session.
View Nr 10: 1/125s f/6.3 focus @ infinite
Cathédrale Saint Jean Baptiste, Primatiale des Gaules, September 25, 2024
69005 Lyon
France
After the view #12 exposed, the film was fully rolled to the taking spool and was developed in a Paterson tank with a spiral adapted to the 120-format film. 500 mL of Adox Adonal (Agfa Rodinal) developer were prepared at the dilution 1+25 and the film processed for 10min30 at 20°C.
As a result, I found that, in general, the film densities were in general weak in the shadows and the film has a little tolerance to underexposure. However the digital processing was flawless.
Digitizing was made using a Sony A7 camera (ILCE-7, 24MP) held on a Minolta vertical macro stative device and adapted to a Minolta MD Macro lens 1:3.5 f=50mm. The light source was a LED panel (approx. 4x5') CineStill Cine-lite fitted with film holder "Lobster" to maintain flat the 70mm films.
The RAW files obtained were inverted within LR and edited to the final jpeg pictures without intermediate file. They are presented either as printed files with frame or the full size JPEG.
All views of the film are presented in the dedicated album either in the printed framed versions and unframed full-size jpeg accompanied by some documentary smartphone Vivo Y76 color pictures.
About the camera and the lens :
The Zenza Bronica’s S (ゼンザブロニカ) were often referred to the « Japanese Hasselblad ». Conceived in the year 50’s (Bronica D, 1959) was manufactured in ToKy,o Itabashi-ku, Minami-Tokiwadai with the Japan engineering spirit of that time : « we wlll do as … in better! »; The Bronica (ETR, SQ series) camera’s were progressively discontinued twenty years ago between 2002 and 20O4 and the brand was bought by Tampon company and disappeared from the market.
The Zenza Bronica S2A was produced by Bronica Insdutries founded by Yoshino Zenzaburo, between 1972 and 1977 and was the ultimate model of fully mechanical medium format modular SLR o th e S series. The camera in made in stainless steel 18-8 quality for the outer elements. The S2A is still a focal-plane shutter camera with automatic diaphragm and automatic film back coupled to the shutter cocking through a re-arming crank. Bronica were equipped either with Nikon Nikkor lenses, Zenzanon of Komura optics.
I got this exemplary from a French eBay auction for a quite reasonable price, equipped with a Nikkor-P normal lens 1:2.8 f=75mm, a generic 67mm lens cap, and a neck/shoulder Bronica strap. I found at my monthly trade -exchange photo meeting new-old stock 67mm filters (Hoya HMC anti-UV, Yellow K2, and a Zenzza Bronica Skylight 1A) and two shade shade hoods (one generic foldable and a rigid metal Zenza Bronica Japan). I also found a nice storage box 15x20x20cm to store the machine with silica-gel protectant.
The camera fit in my ThinkTank Retrospective 5 usual bag as easily as my TLR Semflex. The weight is however higher by about 1;8 kg (0.8 kg for my Semflex TLR).
