Bronica Zenza Z camera – fantastic vintage finds
Now this is a good looking camera…and not only that…it is also the first model produced. It was only produced in 1959 and got the name Bronica Zenza. To distinguish it from later model it was later named “Z”, for the Z on the hood. It is the most easily distinguishable from the later model “D” (for Deluxe) by the grey-ish side (winding) knob. The “D” model had a black one. It was a minimal redesign and more a rename which happend within a year or 2 after the initial release of this Model “Z”. And this is what it looks like in all its splendor.
Since I am not a camera nerd I do not understand how to open it correctly, even though it came with the original blank insert plate (if you are interested, just ask me for some pictures). It also came a carrying back and additional filter which seems it came directly from the first owner but has also probably not been used for decades. So I chose not to mess with it to much…
Here is a great write up by someone who knows his cameras:
Viewer, view and the reset screw
Not to get technical but just some amazing stuff about this camera. Apart from the great looks and beautiful condition.
Besides the above detail shots I can tell you I was pretty stocked with this unique find. Probably only a few thousand were ever made….since it actually had to many options. All options are written down in this great article about the Bronica D.
What I mostly liked about it was the “reset screw”. When I played around with it a little and finally got it to fire, it got stuck…not strange considering it wasn’t used in a long time (see above). So I turned the screw and the mirror clicked back in place. What a great idea which should be on every camera.