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-C (1976) is a variant of the founding Bronica ETR designed with a fixed, non-interchangeable film back. Where the standard ETR allowed photographers to swap 120 and 220 backs mid-roll, the ETR-C streamlined the design by integrating the back permanently into the body, reducing complexity and cost. Optically and mechanically it shares the same Seiko leaf-shutter Zenzanon-E lens mount, the same waist-level finder, and the same manual-exposure-only operation as the standard ETR. The result is a lighter, simpler camera aimed at photographers who did not require back-swapping capability.
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.
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Before you buy used
About this camera
The ETR with a non-removable back — a simplified, self-contained 645 SLR for photographers who did not need modular film backs.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 120 film, 6x4.5 cm (15 frames per roll) |
| Mount | Bronica ETR bayonet |
| Years | ~1976–~1979 |
| Shutter | Seiko leaf in lens: 8s – 1/500s + B |
| Flash sync | All speeds (leaf shutter) |
| Back | Fixed (non-interchangeable) |
| Meter | None built-in |
| Modes | Manual |
| Finder | Waist-level (standard) |
| Weight | ~1,050 g (body only, est.) |
| Battery | Not required for body operation |
Zenza Bronica introduced the ETR in 1976, establishing a new 6x4.5 modular medium-format SLR system to compete with Hasselblad at a lower price point. The ETR-C was an intentional simplification: by eliminating the modular back mechanism, Bronica could offer the ETR's optical and mechanical core to a broader market. It was produced concurrently with the standard ETR and discontinued around the time the ETR-S replaced the standard ETR in 1979.
The ETR series progression:
Because the ETR-C's fixed back was a deliberate de-feature rather than a new design, it occupies an unusual position: full lens-system compatibility, but less flexible in practice. It is considerably rarer than the standard ETR on the used market.
The ETR-C represents an early instance of medium-format manufacturers offering tiered entry points into a modular system — a practice that would become common in later decades. For a photographer who shot only one film stock and did not need to change backs, the ETR-C offered the ETR's core optical system in a lighter, cheaper package.
Today the ETR-C is primarily of historical interest. The fixed back means it is less practically flexible than the standard ETR, and on the used market the small price premium for a standard ETR is almost always worth paying for the added modularity. Lenses, finders, and winders from the ETR system are fully compatible.
Bronica ETR bayonet mount. Accepts the full Zenzanon-E and Zenzanon-PE lens line: 40/4 E, 50/2.8 E, 60/3.5 E, 75/2.8 PE, 100/2.8 PE, 150/3.5 PE, 200/4.5 PE, and others. Finders: waist-level (standard), 45-degree prism, AE-III metered prism (with PE lenses for AE, though ETR-C itself has no AE circuit). Note: film backs are not interchangeable on the ETR-C; only 120 film is accommodated in the integrated back. Motor Winder E is compatible.
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.
View profile →Bronica ETR-C
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