Bronica S2 winding problem

vsalmasi · Aug 21, 2012

Hello to all.

I need some help with a Bronica S2 Camera which I recently purchased.
This is the first time I have used a medium format camera and need to get over a hurdle with the one I just bought.

So the Camera seems to be working just fine i.e. the shutter is winding and releasing and all the usual operations are occurring however...

The winding mechanism doesn't seem to want to wind the film on past 1st marker.
When I first got the Camera the chap I bought it from popped a test roll in and showed me that it was winding on and I noticed the counter progressing.

So I got a roll of film and loaded as he showed me but when I got to about 4 shots the counter wasn't progressing anymore.
I took many shots on the roll without noticing that it had just stopped. The winding mechanism feels and sounds as though its charging the shutter but the film just isn't progressing as it did. I know it's not moving because I finally got to the end of my tether and opened the back to see where the film was and as expected the film had not wound on very far.

So I assumed that this was a mistake in loading the film and tried another roll however now it seems to moved the film to the 1st shot point but no further.

Any help / advise would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks
VS

jimjamz · Aug 21, 2012

I know this may not be of much help but years ago I used Bronica S2' s exclusively in a professional studio. We had several because they had Nikkor lenses and were cheaper than Hasselblads but they were always breaking down. I couldn't remember a time when at least one of them wasn't at the repair shop due to mostly transport problems or jamming. After a year or so of dealing with the S2's, we went to Mamiya TLR's (less problems) and then Hasselblad.

vsalmasi · Aug 21, 2012

Thanks Jim, could you explain the characteristics of the jamming problems? Did you ever encounter a similar problem to the one I am having?

John Koehrer · Aug 21, 2012

If the camera's got a double exposure switch make sure it's set to advance, not multi.
That would give a symptom like you describe.
The wind/advance/shutter sound correct but the counter and film do not advance.

vsalmasi · Aug 22, 2012

That sounds plausible but I have no idea how to know if the camera has a double exposure function. Any idea on how to engage/disengage it on an s2 or s2a as I'm not really sure which one ice got?

JasonC · Aug 22, 2012

There is no double exposure switch on the S2. Here is the manual,

http://www.cameramanuals.org/bronica/bronica_s2.pdf

Jason.

vsalmasi · Aug 22, 2012

Thanks Jason,
Yes that's my camera. S2
So with no DE switch I guess that's not the problem. Actually I need to correct my description of the symptoms.
It actually doesn't wind on to number 1 position. It goes about 30% of the way from 0 to 1 then doesn't want to carry on winding the film. Also at this point the, manual film advancing mechanism that's supposed to be used for spooling the film on at the end of the roll becomes jammed and I cannot rotate it at all. It's as if something is becoming jammed In the backs winding mech but disconnecting from the body as the shutter is still charging and releasing.
Anybody got any ideas?

jimjamz · Aug 22, 2012

vsalmasi said:
Thanks Jim, could you explain the characteristics of the jamming problems? Did you ever encounter a similar problem to the one I am having?

Yes, I did have similar problems. Fortunately we had several S2s so I would just swap out to a working one and send the jammed one to the repair shop. I believe at the time we would send them to Strauss Photo-Technical in Washington, DC. for repair. Can't remember what the exact problem was as this all happened over 30 years ago. I just remember they were Bronica S2's, always took two complete cameras with me on wedding shoots and never trusted another Bronica product after that. Sorry, just my personal experience. I'm sure many Bronica owners are very pleased with their cameras.

David A. Goldfarb · Aug 22, 2012

Make sure the insert clicks in all the way before you close the back. Not doing so could cause your counter problem.

Argenticien · Aug 22, 2012

You might want to try another back, to isolate whether the problem is in the body or the back. If you can find anyone near you with an S2 from which to borrow a back, perfect. Unfortunately we are about 35 years past the point when you could walk into a local camera shop and buy an S2 back off the shelf! So if you can't borrow one, it would require some patience to find one on eBay, and sometimes the prices there are silly. But it might help you diagnose things. And once you fall in love with (and repair) this camera, you'll want a second back anyway. (Either to carry one color and one B&W, or to carry two different speeds of B&W.) I am still looking for a reasonably priced second back for mine...
--Dave

Kundo · Oct 13, 2012

Answer to your winding problem

The winding mechanism doesn't seem to want to wind the film on past 1st marker.
When I first got the Camera the chap I bought it from popped a test roll in and showed me that it was winding on and I noticed the counter progressing.

Hi, I could know what is making this annoying problem. I got same with my Bronica and I just opened that filmback. There's lots of screws but not so much other stuff. Anyways I find out that when you wind film from starting position to 1st frame, when you got to the first frame filmback locks. Its because then camera part starts to load itself. And when you fire your shot then -- there comes hammer from camera and it picks to the knob in the filmback and releases the film for going one frame towards and then it locks again.
So I just put little bit bike oil to that knob and everything works fine finally. If you look your filmback from camera side you can see on the left side wheel, below that is circle shaped hole and below that is vertical shaped hole and that is where camera picks. Put oil there and it could work. If you want to be sure that you don't mess up thinks with that oil, then you maybe should open that metal plate which is locked with screws. And then you have chance to oil whole mechanism. Just put all the part back with care.

Trask · Oct 13, 2012

I suggest you send your S2 to Frank Marshman in Harrisonburg, VA (see one of my prior posts for his contact info). Frank used to run Camera Wiz, and has fixed more Bronicas than any of us can imagine. And his rates are reasonable -- I know, I asked him to work on mine re: the deteriorating foam focus issue.

Smilin' Vic Coln · 2025-04-22T07:49:00-0400

Kundo said:
Answer to your winding problem

Hi, I could know what is making this annoying problem. I got same with my Bronica and I just opened that filmback. There's lots of screws but not so much other stuff. Anyways I find out that when you wind film from starting position to 1st frame, when you got to the first frame filmback locks. Its because then camera part starts to load itself. And when you fire your shot then -- there comes hammer from camera and it picks to the knob in the filmback and releases the film for going one frame towards and then it locks again.
So I just put little bit bike oil to that knob and everything works fine finally. If you look your filmback from camera side you can see on the left side wheel, below that is circle shaped hole and below that is vertical shaped hole and that is where camera picks. Put oil there and it could work. If you want to be sure that you don't mess up thinks with that oil, then you maybe should open that metal plate which is locked with screws. And then you have chance to oil whole mechanism. Just put all the part back with care.

This is a very old thread but just wanted to say I am also having this issue on one of my film backs, dunno what's causing it. Gonna try the oil thing.

Smilin' Vic Coln · 2025-04-22T08:34:31-0400

Kundo said:
Answer to your winding problem

Hi, I could know what is making this annoying problem. I got same with my Bronica and I just opened that filmback. There's lots of screws but not so much other stuff. Anyways I find out that when you wind film from starting position to 1st frame, when you got to the first frame filmback locks. Its because then camera part starts to load itself. And when you fire your shot then -- there comes hammer from camera and it picks to the knob in the filmback and releases the film for going one frame towards and then it locks again.
So I just put little bit bike oil to that knob and everything works fine finally. If you look your filmback from camera side you can see on the left side wheel, below that is circle shaped hole and below that is vertical shaped hole and that is where camera picks. Put oil there and it could work. If you want to be sure that you don't mess up thinks with that oil, then you maybe should open that metal plate which is locked with screws. And then you have chance to oil whole mechanism. Just put all the part back with care.

For anyone who is looking for a solution to the "Bronica s2 film advance stuck on 1 problem" The oil in the place this guy mentioned did end up working for me as well.

OAPOli · 2025-04-22T10:31:42-0400

It's not clear to me where the oil was applied. I'd be careful putting oil if you don't know where it will end up.

When you fire the shutter, there is a tab from the body that pushes a lever in the back. This lever acts on a double disc with notches, where the notches become aligned to free the counter and allow the film to advance. You need to dismantle the disc assembly and clean it. The tab moves in/out very quickly so the smallest amount of lag in the disc movement will cause issues.

I believe there are some left-handed screws in there so watch out.

Smilin' Vic Coln · 2025-04-23T02:14:48-0400

OAPOli said:
It's not clear to me where the oil was applied. I'd be careful putting oil if you don't know where it will end up.

When you fire the shutter, there is a tab from the body that pushes a lever in the back. This lever acts on a double disc with notches, where the notches become aligned to free the counter and allow the film to advance. You need to dismantle the disc assembly and clean it. The tab moves in/out very quickly so the smallest amount of lag in the disc movement will cause issues.

I believe there are some left-handed screws in there so watch out.

I will keep this in mind for the future thank you.

Bronica S2 winding problem

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