C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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The Bronica ETR-i is a transitional body in the ETR system's evolution, released in 1977 as a refinement of the original ETR (1976). The ETR-i addressed early criticisms of the first-generation ETR body, most notably improving the TTL metering interface to make stop-down metering more reliable and easier to use.
Reference
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C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
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Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
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About this camera
A refined second iteration of the original Bronica ETR 645 SLR, adding TTL metering improvements in 1977.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 120 / 220 film, 6x4.5cm (~15 exp per 120 roll) |
| Mount | Bronica ETR |
| Shutter | Leaf (in lens): 8s - 1/500s + B |
| Flash sync | 1/500s (all speeds) |
| Meter | TTL stop-down (via viewfinder accessory) |
| Exposure modes | Manual |
| ISO range | 25 - ~ |
| Film advance | Motor-drive integrated (battery-powered) |
| Film backs | Interchangeable (120, 220, Polaroid) |
| Viewfinder | Interchangeable (WLF, metered prism) |
| Battery | 4x AA |
| Battery required | Yes |
| Year | 1977 |
The Bronica ETR system launched in 1976 as Bronica's answer to the growing demand for a compact, lightweight 645 medium-format SLR. The original ETR was Bronica's first 645-format camera and introduced the ETR mount and leaf-shutter-in-lens architecture that would define the system through its final iteration, the ETRSi (1988).
The ETR-i appeared within the first year of the system's life, a rapid revision that suggests field experience and dealer feedback prompted changes to the metering implementation. The ETR-i was itself short-lived: the ETRC followed in 1979, adding a more integrated viewfinder coupling, and the ETR-S in 1980 brought aperture-priority automation. The ETR-i occupies a narrow window in the system's timeline and is among the rarer bodies in the ETR family today.
The ETR system as a whole sold steadily through the 1980s and 1990s, finding a market among portrait and wedding photographers who wanted a lighter, more affordable alternative to Hasselblad or Mamiya RB67 while still retaining the large-negative advantage of medium format.
The ETR-i is of limited independent significance; its primary importance is historical, as a step in the maturation of the ETR system that would eventually produce the ETRSi. Photographers seeking an ETR-system body for use today will typically choose the ETRSi or ETRS for their more developed feature sets and greater accessory compatibility.
That said, the ETR-i is fully compatible with all ETR-mount Zenzanon lenses and most system accessories, which means a working example provides access to the complete optical library at the lowest cost of any body in the family. Its chief limitation relative to later bodies is the absence of aperture-priority automation, confining the user to manual exposure control.
The full-speed flash sync (1/500s at any aperture, on every lens) was a genuine competitive advantage over focal-plane-shutter rivals in 1977 and remains practically useful for studio and location flash work today.
The ETR-i accepts all Bronica ETR-mount lenses. Key optics:
Note: the ETR-i predates the PE-series labelling; early lenses carried the E or MC designation but are mechanically compatible.
Accessories:
BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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