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.
View profile →slr-medium-format
The Zenza Bronica S2A Black is the black-paint body variant of the S2A, introduced in 1969 as the last iteration of the Bronica S-mount focal-plane SLR line. The S2A addressed several reliability issues present in the S2, most notably improving the film advance and shutter cocking mechanism to reduce jamming - a known complaint with earlier S-series bodies. Like the S2 Black before it, the black-paint finish was produced in lower numbers than the chrome version and commands a modest collector premium. Functionally, it is identical to the chrome S2A: fully mechanical manual exposure, interchangeable Bronica S-mount lenses (by this era transitioning from Nikkor to Zenzanon branding), modular film backs, and interchangeable finders. No battery is required for any core function.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the — format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
View profile →C41
Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
View profile →Develop — film
We're growing the lab directory near you. Browse all labs.
Before you buy used
About this camera
The final black-paint variant of Bronica's focal-plane 6x6 S-line - a refined S2 with improved winding and rarer finish.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 120 (6x6 cm) |
| Mount | Bronica S |
| Years | ~1969 - ~1972 |
| Shutter | 1s - 1/1000s + B, focal-plane cloth |
| Flash sync | 1/30s |
| Meter | None (body) |
| Modes | Manual |
| Weight | ~1,700 g |
| Battery | None required |
| Viewfinder | Waist-level (standard); prism optional |
The S2A followed the S2 (1965) as a direct mechanical refinement. The primary change was an improved film transport and double-exposure prevention lock. The black-paint variant continued the option offered on the S2. By the early 1970s Bronica was transitioning its lens branding from Nikkor (made under license from Nikon) to its own Zenzanon label. The S-line ended with the Bronica EC (1972), which introduced an electronically timed shutter; after that, Bronica pivoted to leaf-shutter designs with the ETR 645 system (1976) and SQ 6x6 system (1980). The S2A Black therefore represents the end of the original focal-plane S-mount chapter.
The S2A Black is the rarest production variant of the S-mount line. As the last black-paint focal-plane Bronica before the company changed direction, it carries both practical and collector significance. Its fully mechanical operation and no-battery dependency make it robust for field use even decades later. The improvement in film transport reliability over the S2 means S2A bodies are generally preferred by working shooters over earlier S-series cameras. The black finish reduces reflections in studio and press environments - the likely motivation for its original production.
Bronica S-mount lenses span two branding eras on the S2A:
Standard accessories: 120 and 220 film backs, waist-level finder (standard), eye-level prism finder, right-angle finder. All S-series film backs are interchangeable with S and S2 bodies. A TTL metering prism was available as an accessory.
BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
View profile →BW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
View profile →Bronica S2A Black
Image coming soon