Hello,
I noticed that you used my listing of serial numbers, glad to be of help.

I also have a number of photo's if they can be of use, though I guess lots of folk have pictures of the Z, D S's and the like.

I also run a repair service here in the UK with a colleague who was trained in the factory in Japan before being shipped over here.

So if anyone has a problem with a Bronica of any age, please E-Mail me or write and I'll see what I can do.

My address:
28 Worcester Road,
Uxbridge,
Middlesex, UB8 3TH
U.K.

Thanks.
Michael Beard
Email [email protected]

The Earlier Bronicas with the Nikkor Lenses are really very nice if you 
can live without alot of modern "features" which can improve image quality in
specific situations; within limits, the early Bronicas are excellent 
cameras. I have an S2a system that gets some use, enough that I can't see 
replacing it. My set of Fuji rangefinders are my workhorses along with a 
Leica-R system.

My Bronica will outshoot my Leica R5 in many types of situations, but of 
course is far too heavy and cumbersome for field shooting ( I live an 
Alaska, I shoot outside in the rain and snow )

Your camera is an S2a if the serial number behind the ground glass 
starts with "S2A". If it doesn't have that in the serial# then it's an 
S2. The difference is mechanical, the S2a had stainless steel
gears, the S2 has brass (smoother advance but they can strip 
(non-repairable)) so if you have an S2, I guess be gentel with it. You 
said you didn't have a dark slide, so it isn't a C. (by the way, I have 
an extra dark slide ) If your camera focuses with a knob, and not with a 
helicoil assembly, you have a truy old Bronica (model S, or deluxe ), 
and it is something of a collectors item, and I'd be suprised if it's fuctional.

Have fun with your new found camera, I've had my Bronica system since 
the late '70s. It's heavy, and loud, slow to advance and has noticable 
mirror slap, and a truly slow flash synch, but those Nikkor lenses can't 
be beat.
 
Hans Buchholdt/Northern Town Photography 

Date: Thu, 15 Jan 1998
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: fyi serial# was re:Bronica S2a Arrived (fwd)

Bob,

Happy new year to you, if it's not too late to offer salutations!! Thanks for the info, I haven't really been looking for bits, it's too close to Christmas, and my birthday to buy anything. But thanks I appreciate it.

With regards to your S2A. Jimmy Koh has helped me out before, a nice guy.

I believe you have got a late S2......S2A's with 5 digits have "S2A" at the end. The first S2A I have on record begins CB92***S2A. Whereas the latest S2 serial number in my list is 82747. More than that, it follows your mag CM135155 follows on from mine 111757, and the lens I have 102848, and yours is 179617.

sorry to disappoint you, but it's still a beauty!!

I hope this helps.

M

From Bronica Digest:
Date: Tue, 16 Nov 1999
From: "Adrian Pateman" [email protected]
Subject: Re: Bronica serial numbers

Jason

I don't know if this is too late to help you over your decision, but I've just checked the serial number in Tony Hilton "Hove Foto Books" guide to the early Bronicas.

Acording to Tony, serial No CB304766 should be an Bronica EC type 1. I'm sure you can tell the difference between an S2/S2a and an EC, but basically if it has the shutter speed dial on the right hand side, just in front of the wind-on crank, then it might just be an EC.

The easiest way of telling an S2 from an S2a is the wind on crank is distinctly conical on an S2; the S2a is much more cylindrical. Also, apart from the type 2, S2a's will have this preceeding the serial number.

If the serial numbers are of any use ( again acording to Hilton's guide)

S2 begins with CB 50,000
S2a(type1)    "  CB100,000
S2a(type2)    "   CB150,000
EC                  "  CB300,000 

Hope this is still of use.

Adrian Pateman

Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1999
From: Dirk Rosler [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: S2 serial number

Hi Robert,

my S2 has the serial number CB65301, not featured in your list.

Just wanting to add...

Keep up the useful page - it is highly appreciated!!

Dirk

From EBAY Photo March 16, 2001
40mm f/4 nikkor #92291

Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2001
From: Eric Behr [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Subject: Re: Bronica serial number question

you write:

>well, see http://www.smu.edu/~rmonagha/bronserialno.html

Another data point for your pages - my S2A is CB 85119 (must be one of the oldest, I think you only have 9xxxx and above listed). While I'm at it, the 120/220 back is CM 95910 (looks a slightly lighter shade of the leatherette so most likely it didn't originally come with that body), and the standard Nikkor-P 75/2.8 is 110633.

Thanks for the great collection of information.

PS. I'm cc'ing Mr. Beard.

--
Eric Behr | NIU Mathematical Sciences | (815) 753 6727
[email protected] | http://www.math.niu.edu/~behr/ | fax: 753 1112

From: Rick Kurtz [[email protected]] 
Sent: Sun 4/27/2003
To: Monaghan, Robert 
Subject: Tracking Down "S2" & "S2A" Camera Body Serial Numbers


Hi Again,

I got to thinking that as long as I was messing with my lens serial
numbers,I might as well send along my camera body serial numbers and get
your opinion as to whether or not I'm on the right track,as far as tracking
down the year of manufacture is concerned.

Here's what I've come up with so far:

Bronica "S2" Blk. Body #CB 62602 (My guess is 1967 for year of
manufacture ???)

Bronica "S2A" S.S. Body #CB 72462 S2A (My guess is 1969 for year of
manufacture ???)

Bronica "S2A" Blk. Body #CB 94523 S2A (My guess is 1971 for year of
manufacture ???)

I've based my guesses on the serial number runs for these cameras and what
I've assumed to be the total number of cameras produced based on these
numbers divided by the number of years these cameras were in production.

Example:

1) Bronica "S2" starting serial number "CB 50000" and ending serial number
"CB 69999". This model was manufactured from 1965-1968,with an approximate
total number of 20000 units over the four year period.

Therefore,
CB 50000 - CB 54999 = 1965
CB 55000 - CB 59999 = 1966
CB 60000 - CB 64999 = 1967 (The number group that my "S2" camera is in)
CB 65000 - CB 69999 = 1968


2) Bronica "S2A" starting serial number "CB 70000 S2A" and (purely a guess
on my part upon all of the data that I have been able to gather thus far)
ending serial number for the S2A "MK 1", "CB 114999 S2A". I believe this
model was manufactured from 1969-1972. Please remember that I'm only
speaking about the "First Version" prior to dropping the "S2A" suffix from
the serial number.

Therefore,
CB 70000 S2A - CB 81250 S2A = 1969 (The number group that my 1st "S2A"
camera is in)
CB 81251 S2A - CB 92500 S2A = 1970
CB 92501 S2A - CB 103750 S2A = 1971 (The number group that my 2nd "S2A"
camera is in)
CB 103751 S2A - CB 114999 S2A = 1972


The reason I chose #CB 114999 S2A as my cut off number for the "MK1" S2A was
because I've seen a close up picture of a model "S2A" with the serial number
"CB 118xxx",notice that the "S2A" was dropped from the serial number suffix.
In another close up picture I saw of the model "S2A",the serial number was
"CB 113xxx S2A".

Therefore,I decided to start the number run for the "MK2" S2A,at "CB 115000"
and end the run with number "CB 199999",as the new model "EC" started with
serial number "CB 200000" in 1972.

At any rate I'm either fairly close to reality or I'm on another planet
somewhere. Please give your honest opinion concerning my grassroot figuring
of these camera body serial numbers versus year of manufacture. Anything you
can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time,

Rick Kurtz

[Ed. note: As I pointed out to Rick, some of the postings and reports above
contradict the clean, logical, and "official" published accounts of Bronica
serial numbers. But this is an interesting project to reconstruct Bronica's 
real history and get a handle on production numbers...]



From bronica mailing list:
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 2003 
From: "jrw711" [email protected]
Subject: Re: Bronica S, S2A, or other body?

Since I posted this question, I reflected, compared, and researched
further and have come to the conclusion, that my Bronica (Black tone)
body with a Serial No. CB217xx is a very early S2 body, NOT a S2A
body, which has a serial number almost 30,000 earlier than the S2
serial numbers listed in www.medfmt.8k.com/bronica which indicated
a CB50xxx starting number for S2.

Furthermore, one of the messages from Sam Sherman states essentially
that the S2 body has a turn know which is slightly larger than the
one found on the S2A and its crank handle is a little longer and more
conical than the crank handle found on a S2A body. In comparing the
knob of my "S2" body with my S body, they are similar sizes/shapes,
although the S body has the focus ring integrated with the side knob
and there is not the removable focus unit which is found on the S2
and S2A models.

As a side inquiry, I have tried to email this possible newly
identified early serial number for my S2 body, but have not been able
to reach Michael Beard (author/Bronica researcher) whose resources
are found in part at the above referenced Medium Format Webpages
established by Robert Monaghan.

Any thoughts, comments,etc.?
Thanks. JON

--- In [email protected], "jrw711" jrw711@y... wrote:
> Hi: I have check the serial number lists on the Robert Montague (sp)
> webpage/links, but am still not certain what model my "black beauty"
> Bronica is. The body has a serial number of CB217xx. It definitely
> is not the "D" model given its maximum shutter speed is 1/1000 and
> other physical differences from that described in the "D" model manual. 
>
> Any insight is welcomed. Thanks. JON


From bronica mailing list:
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 2003 
From: "konicahead" [email protected]
Subject: Re: Bronica Model C Serial Numbers

--- In [email protected], "kevinelliott" kevinelliott@h.. wrote:
> Hi, from a newbie. I recently tried to identify my model C from Bob
> Monaghan's Bronica site. I found no serial numbers, unlike the S/S2s
> etc. Seems like there's little compiled information on them. He
> suggested I post a query here. If you're willing to help, please
> reply to this or to me at the hotmail address, I'll collate and
> forward to Bob. I'd appreciate serial number, year/country of
> purchase, presence or otherwise of 1/1000th sec marking. Focussing
> ring details.
>
> Bob thought the serial number range, CZ***** was unusual. Mine's
> (supposedly) an early German model C, S/n CZ 13090, has a metre (not
> foot) focussing helicoid with markings for 50/75/135/200mm lenses.
> 1000th second shutter speed exists, works, but is not marked.
> Previous owner said he'd had it from new and that it was one of the
> first in Germany, but couldn't remember the year he'd bought it (if
> I understood his german properly).
>
> Tia, Kevin


Kevin,

My C has a number of CZ 12395 and has a helicoid with feet and 50/75/135/200 as
well. It does not have the 1000 speed marked, but there is a detent for it, and it
works. I bought mine from a guy in New York off of EBay, so I don't know its history.
According to my Terence Sheehy book the C serial numbers started with CZ 10000 on
up. 

I do have a question for you though. The film wind knob seems a little more wobbly
than when I first got it back from Camera Wiz. I had to send it to him because it
jamed on me after the first roll. Maybe it is supposed to work that way. Does yours
do that? 

Another thing that is sort of weird that you may have with yours too, is the end of the
roll problem mine has. When you get to the end of the roll the shutter curtian goes
up half way. If you put a new roll of film in, the camera thinks it is still at the end of
the roll and winds all the way through the new film in without stopping. I just put
the switch on "D" and wind until the shutter cocks. Then release the shutter and put
it back in normal or "White Dot" mode. I have ruined 3 rolls of film because I forgot
to look to see where the shutter curtian was when I took the exposed roll out.
I hope this helps,

Joe




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