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Iolo Edwards

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I slipped and fell into a river today and my Bronica SQ-A was briefly submerged in water, until I managed to drag myself up, anyway. Does anyone have any advice on what I should do to protect the camera from any further damage. And does anyone know if this kind of accident is fatal to SQ-A? More than letting the camera dry out is there anything else I should do?

I only recently bought it, so I'd be gutted if that's the case.

Any advice  would be greatly appreciated thanks.

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1 hour ago, Doug Palmer said:

I can only suggest letting it dry out as much as possible, and if it doesn't work getting it to a technician asap. Probably the lens will need taking apart. At least it isn't salt water.  Once my Bolex went down a waterfall yet lived.

Great, thanks Doug. Kudos to the bolex.

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If it's something you value I would probably send it to a technician to be disassembled and dried out properly, and any water stains on optics cleaned. But if it was only brief perhaps water didn't get in very far? The problem can be that water trapped in small spaces may be hard to completely evaporate away and can eventually corrode or stain. If the camera had any electrical power when you dunked it (even just a battery fitted) there could be some component damage, but you don't want to turn anything on to check until it's quite dried out.

It wasn't salt water was it? That would definitely require an immediate overhaul. Usually the advice there is to immediately dunk the equipment in fresh water, and then send it straight to a technician.

I'm not familiar with that camera though, so only giving generic advice.

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10 hours ago, Dom Jaeger said:

If it's something you value I would probably send it to a technician to be disassembled and dried out properly, and any water stains on optics cleaned. But if it was only brief perhaps water didn't get in very far? The problem can be that water trapped in small spaces may be hard to completely evaporate away and can eventually corrode or stain. If the camera had any electrical power when you dunked it (even just a battery fitted) there could be some component damage, but you don't want to turn anything on to check until it's quite dried out.

It wasn't salt water was it? That would definitely require an immediate overhaul. Usually the advice there is to immediately dunk the equipment in fresh water, and then send it straight to a technician.

I'm not familiar with that camera though, so only giving generic advice.

That's great, thanks Dom. I'm definitely going to send it to a technician asap. It wasn't salt water, thankfully, but it was submerged completely for a moment in the water, and I think water has gotten everywhere. As you say, it needs to be dealt with by a technician.

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Jeeesus, is this a sentimental cam?

Why not buy a new one and stop the madness? Suck it up, you screwed up and take your lumps. 

If they don't sell this for $299, write them and offer $225. You may get it. Or look around and pick one up cheap. They are not worth much. Forget the high-priced Japan sellers. they always overprice.

ZENZA BRONICA SQ-A CAMERA WITH ZENZANON-S 150MM LENS,220 FILM PACK | eBay

s-l1600.jpg

You can find clean bodies for a little over $200.

s-l1600.jpg

Photos: eBay

If you are not shooting and near water...keep your camera in a dry bag.

dry bag - Google Search

Hassy used to be cheap but have skyrocketed in price as of late. I still got my Superiwde C. I wish they came out with a FF 6mp back for it that was affordable. ($1200) I gave up on the film. If the back is not FF then it is not a Superwide C.

Well, good luck figuring it all out.

Edited by Daniel D. Teoli Jr.
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Well yes, obviously if a repair costs a lot more than another camera and lens it makes more sense to just replace it. I'm not sure a good lens and camera would be that cheap normally, but I'm not really familiar with medium format gear.

I do like the idea of repairing things rather than replacing them, especially in this age where companies are always coming up with new reasons to replace even perfectly functioning things like mobile phones, and hindering efforts by third parties to allow their products to be repaired (I face this issue with certain lens manufacturers, but see also the Right to Repair Movement). But I guess get a repair quote and see how it compares to replacement. At least with a serviced camera and lens (or one you've already tested) you know it works, as opposed to the eBay gamble.

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Bronicas were never the most durable of 6x6 SLRs so I wouldn't be wanting to spend much on repair. Maybe half the cost of replacement would be sensible...........around £200, and there won't be any spare parts.

The linkage from the body to the electronic leaf shutter is a complication- presumably lots of circuitry to get corroded.

Hopefully you already have it packed in desiccant.

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Hopefully your Bronica is dry now. Hair dryers effective?  I think with that Bolex experience many years ago,  I must have dried it out in the Afghan sun.  It was many weeks before I was able to send it to a technician, though lenses came back looking new.

http://filmcamblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/bolex-survives-afghan-waterfall.html

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5 hours ago, Doug Palmer said:

Hopefully your Bronica is dry now. Hair dryers effective?  I think with that Bolex experience many years ago,  I must have dried it out in the Afghan sun.  It was many weeks before I was able to send it to a technician, though lenses came back looking new.

http://filmcamblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/bolex-survives-afghan-waterfall.html

Heh, great story Doug! Bolexes are tough as nails aren’t they? I’m surprised the zoom survived bouncing off the rocks. 
 

I worked for a rental house that provided the cameras and lenses for the Australian film Balibo, and during that shoot an SR3 was being carried by an assistant when he slipped and fell into a river. The camera sank to the bottom and was fished out, thoroughly sodden. They sent it straight back to us, I spent 12 hrs straight pulling it completely apart, drying, cleaning and treating it for corrosion, reassembled it and sent it back the next day. I remember being a little nervous, but it finished the film without a hitch. 
 

The cameras on the 2005 film House of Wax didn’t fare so well, a studio fire destroyed them all. I remember seeing a melted lens, the glass had flowed out over the twisted barrel and formed a sort of modernist sculpture. Water damage is much better.

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