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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slr-medium-format
The Bronica SQ-B (1996) is the entry-level body in Zenza Bronica's SQ system, introduced to provide an affordable path into the SQ ecosystem. It shares the Bronica SQ bayonet mount and the full range of SQ-compatible lenses and film backs with its siblings — the SQ-A and SQ-Ai — but strips out the TTL flash circuitry and auto-exposure prism coupling present on the SQ-Ai, and simplifies the shutter speed range and electronics relative to both predecessors. The result is a lighter, less expensive body that is still fully usable with Zenzanon-S and Zenzanon-PS lenses.
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.
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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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Before you buy used
About this camera
The simplified, budget-entry SQ body — same lenses, same backs, fewer electronics.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 120 / 220, 6x6 cm (12 frames per 120 roll) |
| Mount | Bronica SQ bayonet |
| Years | 1996-2004 |
| Shutter | 8s - 1/500s, Seiko electronic leaf, in each lens |
| Flash sync | All speeds (leaf shutter in lens) |
| Meter | None (body); optional via compatible AE prism |
| Modes | Manual |
| Weight | ~1,600 g (body only, estimated) |
| Battery | 1x 6V (4SR44 / 4LR44, required) |
Zenza Bronica launched the SQ line in 1980 as a 6x6 modular competitor to the Hasselblad V system. The SQ-A (1982) refined the original; the SQ-Ai (1990) brought TTL flash and extended shutter range to 16s. By the mid-1990s Tamron had acquired Bronica (1998 formally, but under Tamron's influence earlier), and the market for professional medium-format bodies was contracting under pressure from both 35mm professional SLRs and early digital backs. The SQ-B appeared in 1996 as a deliberate cost-reduction: a simpler body at a lower price point to attract students, amateurs, and photographers who did not require the SQ-Ai's TTL and AE features.
The SQ-B was discontinued along with the entire Bronica SLR line when Tamron shuttered the Bronica brand in 2004. No successor was released.
For 2026 buyers, the SQ-B is the lowest-cost entry into the Bronica SQ system. A clean SQ-B body with 80mm lens and 120 back can be found for $300-500 — meaningfully cheaper than an equivalent SQ-Ai kit. Because the SQ-B accepts the full range of Zenzanon-S and PS lenses and all SQ film backs and finders, it is effectively equal to the SQ-Ai in everyday manual shooting without a flash; the TTL circuit is simply absent.
The trade-off is loss of TTL flash (the SQ-B cannot couple to the SQ-Ai's TTL prism finder for through-the-lens flash metering) and a shorter minimum shutter speed range on the body. Neither limitation matters to photographers shooting by natural light with a handheld meter. The SQ-B is therefore the rational choice for budget-conscious 6x6 medium-format work when flash automation is not required.
Fully compatible with all Bronica SQ-mount lenses:
Common lenses: 50/3.5 PS (wide), 80/2.8 PS (standard kit), 150/3.5 PS (portrait), 110/4.5 PS Macro, 200/4.5 PS (telephoto).
Film backs: 120 (12 exp), 220 (24 exp), Polaroid, 6x4.5 mask insert.
Finders: waist-level folding hood (standard), CdS prism (PE), AE prism (PE-II). Note: TTL flash metering via PE-II prism is not functional on the SQ-B body.
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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