Pearl River chinese TLR?

hi all,

 

anyone familiar with it. I found a bit on line but not much especially re: valuation. Found

one with eveready case at a local shop but the guy wants $50 which I think it

a little steep. shutter sounds good and everything is really clean.

 

any info appreciated.

 

thanks!

This is a clone of the Seagull TLR. The chinese industry does not care too much about patents and copyrights, so there were even many domestic companies copying each other.

 

There are many different opinions about the quality of the original Seagull TLR (there are many model variants). Their lenses seem to be of acceptable performance, and some even have split-screen focussing screens. Anyhow, I don't think the chinese TLRs have any advantages about any other simple TLR camera.

Fifty bucks isn't a bad price if it's mint.

Haven't used one but I agree the price is reasonable if it appears to be in good condition and it works. It's easy enough to check the aperture settings and whether the shutter fires, film advances, etc. See if you can run a roll of film through it before you buy. The Chinese cameras are generally knockoffs of the Yashicamat series, which in turn was "inspired" (stolen from?) the Rollieflex. I have a Yashicamat 124-G that's great. You can find those on Ebay for around $200-300 mint. Maybe less now with everyone focused on digital. They're a much better camera I expect if you want to spend that much.

The Pearl River TLR is indeed a knock-off of the Seagull TLR which in turn are knock-offs of Rolleicord/Yashicamat/Automat TLRs. I lived in China for 5 years during which time I owned and used various Seagull's and have seen a few of the Pearl River TLRs in used photo stores. I would never pay more than $20 for one, and would hesitate to even recommend one at any price (except maybe the newest ones still being made, which are still overpriced I think). For $50 or perhaps a tad more you can get a used (maybe ugly but with a lens in good condition) and good performing Rolleicord with MUCH better build quality and reliability. The Seagulls <i>can</i> be very good performers. My first one was tack sharp. I sold it because I bought a Rolleicord and now have a Rolleiflex. Wish I never did though as I got it for $20 and it was a nice one. Later in my travels and time in China I picked up a couple more, some $10, some $25 or so. And here's the problem: inconsistency in lens sharpness and build quality. Some were quite soft, while others were ok. One of them was great in terms of sharpness but about 4 months later in using it the shutter parts literally fell apart in my hands. The others were so soft I sold them back to used camera stores for pennies just to get rid of them. So, they are a crap shoot but not one that is worth it IMO when reliable, much better built options are out there for only a little more money.

I had a Seagull 104-B for a couple years -- they're not bad cameras at all. The lens is a reasonably competent triplet, and mine didn't have the potentially problematic crank advance; it was knob and red window all the way. I wouldn't pay any more than $50 for one, but if it's clean, shutter works correctly at all speeds, and is knob advance, $50 with the case isn't out of line at all.

 

Very important: if the Pearl River shutter is copied from the one on the older Seagulls, do *not* change the shutter speed with the shutter cocked. Doing so can bend a lever inside the shutter and result in crossover between the top of the slow range and bottom of the fast, which requires opening the shutter (at the cost of destruction of the front panel cover material) to correct.

 

Other than that, the only way to get more TLR for your money is to shop eBay very patiently, or buy into a Lubitel (which isn't much worse quality and a lot cheaper, but has a slower lens, plastic body and rather difficult focusing system).

Was (is) the Lubitel a Voigtlander Brillant copy?

hey thanks all for the info!

"Was (is) the Lubitel a Voigtlander Brillant copy?"

 

More or less. The Brillant AFAIK had a frame counter. The first russian bakelite cameras (Komsomolets) actually were made from original Voigtlaender dies, with a soviet shutter/lens. I have read that there are even Komsomoletz items were the Brillant name was just ground off. Later they made their own dies and simplified the design, omitting the frame counter.

I prefer the Yashica. They are on Ebay, with $50.00 you can get an

good working and overlast the Chinese TLR.

<p>Chinese TLR mainly 4 model:<br>

4A<br>

4B,4B1<br>

4C<br>

mainly difference on lens.4A is 3group 4 lens. 4B ,4B1,4C are 3group 3 lens.4B1 is split screen<br>

4C can use 135 film with accessory can take 31 film. 4B 4B1 4C can take 6X6/645(using accessory)if using 645 focus SCREEN has two red line , these two red lines for 645. on the back which has two red windows 12/16 12 is 6X6 can taken. 16 is 645 since 120 film back has no. <br>

hint for using CHINESE TLR<br>

for sharp image F stop 8~16 for soft image 2.8 /3.5. it is also using other CHINESE camera.like phoxie 205 which 4 lens 3 group if F2.8 the image is soft after 2.8 become sharp.<br>

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</p>

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