The Fam, Part Two, The Shunned- Great Wall PF-1

I know I had said that in the second edition of my highly unpopular posts in which I introduce you to my family of cameras would feature the Holga, but I felt compelled to share with you the disappointment and frustrations that can sometimes happen when a new addition to your photographic family simply doesn't work out. Because it's crap.

Enter the Great Wall PF-1 35mm Hipstermatic SLR

I had been looking for a cool camera for my daughter. I wanted it to be fairly easy to use, while still allowing her to learn about things like aperture and manual focus. I honestly don't know how it is that I settled on the PF-1. I think I thought she'd like the name and the look of the camera. Or something. I was looking really hard at a Fisheye, but I didn't want her camera to be a one trick pony, and it also didn't offer much in the way of helping her to learn the fundamentals of photography, which was my primary goal.

I guess I chalked up the lack of reviews on Amazon to the fact that it was so awesomely cool that nobody knew about it yet. So although I was just a smidge apprehensive, I went ahead and bought it.

It arrived in a timely manner, and the girlie loved it. She put a roll through it right away. I did notice some initial quality issues almost immediately. The label on the focus ring was coming off. Removal of batteries was incredibly difficult due to an inexplicably tight fit in the battery compartment. You could literally leave the compartment open and swing the camera all around without the batteries becoming even slightly dislodged. Still, she liked the camera, and I could glue the focus ring thing down. Battery changes might be an ordeal, but it's not like you have to change them every day, right?

By this time we were shooting several rolls a week between our three cameras, and we would wait and have a bunch processed at the same time. When entire rolls were coming back exposed yet devoid of any images, we weren't sure at first which camera was to blame. I was having my own unloading problems with the Holga, so at first I attributed it to that. But soon it became apparent that none of my daughter's pictures taken on that camera were coming out, like at all. I watched her load and unload the film, she didn't seem to be doing anything wrong.

So after yet another roll came back empty, I decided to load it and shoot through a roll on my own. After initially threading the film onto the take up reel, things seemed fine. Advancing the film and clicking the shutter to get to the first frame, fine. But then upon taking the first shot, you could hear the film pop loose, and feel a noticeable lack of tension in the advance winder reel. I tried it again. And again. I did some research. I tried again. And again. I was quite puzzled. I have no difficulty loading three other film cameras, two of which have similar take spools.

Finally I brought in my go to guy for all things mechanical or technical, my friend with Asperger's. He set about it with his usual focus and resolve, trying repeatedly to wind the film onto the spool with the aid of magnifiers and bright lights. After a couple hours he returned to me, triumphantly proclaiming the problem solved. But as soon as I tried to shoot the first frame, that now familiar pop proved him wrong.

 Sigh.

So by now I have simply had it with this camera. I've contacted the company, but they seem to think it's just a matter of my not doing something right. They want to troubleshoot. I just want to send it back. And although I am beyond the ridiculously limited for a film camera 14 day return window, I think it's only fair they take it back and issue a credit or something. I don't feel I should have to continue subjecting myself to the frustration that is this camera. The company disagrees.

Negotiations are ongoing.

What I learned from this is to listen to my gut, and heed the tiniest bit of apprehension about a camera, especially when so little is available in terms of actual user reviews. Also, even sellers on e-bay have return windows of thirty days. Fourteen days is ridiculous for a film camera unless you've researched it so thoroughly you know for sure you can't go wrong.