Great Wall PF-1

The Great Wall PF-1 is a mixture of an SLR and a simple point and shoot camera. The history of this model is a bit blurred.

The camera was also sold as Aviva PF-1, Yumica RFX-1, Naigai SRF, Continental TXL and Bell & Howell RFX-1. There is clearly a connection between the Great Wall and the Fujica ST-F. This model was introduced by Fuji in the 70’s and has a slightly higher quality case. The Fujica was also sold as Hanimex 35 Reflex Flash.

Fuji built cameras in that time, but probably did not build the ST-F itself. Hanimex was only a distributor, didn’t build their own cameras. Responsible for the production of the two cameras was probably a Japanese company called Sedic Camera Company. Sedic was a little known Japanese company that typically produced cheap cameras in 126 and 110 format for sale, which were sold by other companies like Hanimex, Argus and others under their own brands.

Now how the design or the necessary machines came to China / Hong Kong is not clear.

The lens of the Great Wall PF-1 cannot be replaced. The designation of the lens is “Great Wall 1:2.8 f=40mm”. The lens has a focal length of 40mm. You have to focus the lens by hand. The 35mm camera does not have an autofocus function. The closest focusing distance of this lens is 90 cm.

The Great Wall PF-1 has a built-in light meter. It has been designed for shooting with films with a sensitivity of ISO 100, ISO 200 and ISO 400. The light meter is located above the lens.

The photographer is free to choose the aperture when taking pictures. This is not possible with the shutter speed. This is selected to match the aperture.

For taking pictures in low light conditions, there is a built-in flash, which ensures clear pictures. The Great Wall PF-1 has a thread for a tripod. There is also a connection for a cable release.

The camera weighs 348 grams according to the manual and measures 14.4 x 8.7 x 7.5 cm. Power is supplied by two AA batteries (eBay / Amazon*).

Films for the Great Wall PF-1

35mm films are required for the Great Wall PF-1. 35mm films are still offered by various manufacturers. For colour photos you can use Kodak Portra 400*. The Ilford XP2 Super* is a recommendation for black and white images. Both films are perfect for weddings or holidays.

The colour film is developed in the C-41 process. The C-41 films are offered by most photo labs. The big drugstore chains in Germany offer the development of colour films.

The negatives of the Great Wall PF-1 are 24 mm x 36 mm. The film is rewound with a wheel on the back.