Bronica ETRSi power issue

pete4130

Hoping for some help here (looks at DQ...)

My Bronica ETRSi died on me today. Hasn't been used in a while, metered prism on it the whole time but was switched off. The meter inside the prism lit up but no film in the back. I loaded a roll and then nothing from the light meter in the prism. I switched batteries to a fresh one and still nothing. The battery test light isn't coming on either. I'm guessing the body has given up on me or is there something I am missing?

The battery is loaded in correctly. I'm yet to check voltage with multi meter to ensure that the new battery is good.

Thanks.

DaireQuinlan

Did you try shimming in the batteries with bits of cardboard ? Though I think that's what I told you the last time. I'm a bit of a one trick pony with battery problems on bronnies. My SQAi uses 4 button batteries though. What does the etrsi use? Otherwise I'd run through the usual battery crap if you haven't already. Get a nice fresh silver oxide battery / batteries, make sure the contacts are clean etc etc. Take off the lens/prism/back and check. If all else is good and the battery light isn't even coming on then the body might just be toast :-/ Could be something as simple as a loose connection or something, I dunno. I've never taken one apart.

pete4130

Cheers. I did pop a new battery in. Its running a 4LR44 6v battery and has always worked fine with one. It might be the old battery died and the new one is crap. It happened while out so taking a Bronica apart and trouble shooting isn't something I enjoy doing on the street.

The plan today is check voltage of batteries, clean all contacts, remove everything, clean it and put it back together. It's actually Noo's camera and I think the body has just died. She does have it 6 years though and only paid UK£150 for it, 75mm lens, 2 backs and polaroid back so she's definitely got her money's worth from it if it has packed up.

My previous Bronica issue was with my SQ when I was in China. That was simply a flat battery and the prism draining it.

pete4130

As luck would have it, the only multimeter I can find (not sure where the other 2 are?) has a dead battery.

I tried the "fresh" battery in my SQ and nothing (it was a 476A type 6v, same size as 4LR44)...I tried my 4LR44 in the ETRSi and worked no problems.

So it looks like a combination of an ill timed battery going flat and a fresh battery out of the blister pack also being flat. The ETRS lives another day. Noo is very pleased!

Thanks DQ.

DaireQuinlan

yeah checking batteries even if they're fresh out of a blister pack is the first thing I do now if something goes belly up. Reason being ...

1. Old dependable FE-2 stops working. Put freshly opened batteries in, no dice.
2. Scour EBay for new FE-2, find quite lovely all black model cheap, buy.
3. put new batteries from first FE-2 into new FE-2. New FE-2 dead as a doornail. Curse loudly. Prepare to fire off angry EBay email
4. First try new new set of batteries. New FE-2 fires up. Sigh and put new new set of batteries into OLD FE-2. It works fine too.
5. wait ... Now I own two FE-2s! WIN!

pete4130

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

yeah checking batteries even if they're fresh out of a blister pack is the first thing I do now if something goes belly up. Reason being ...

1. Old dependable FE-2 stops working. Put freshly opened batteries in, no dice.
2. Scour EBay for new FE-2, find quite lovely all black model cheap, buy.
3. put new batteries from first FE-2 into new FE-2. New FE-2 dead as a doornail. Curse loudly. Prepare to fire off angry EBay email
4. First try new new set of batteries. New FE-2 fires up. Sigh and put new new set of batteries into OLD FE-2. It works fine too.
5. wait ... Now I own two FE-2s! WIN!

DQ...you made us both chortle. Thanks