“You get what you pay for,” or so the adage goes. Unfortunately, some manufacturers of 35mm film cameras think that this financially-charged homily gives them license to levy a hefty price tag on products that sometimes don’t live up to the hype. Naturally, a gentleman does not name names, but you can easily draw your own conclusions after a cursory review of today’s film format camera market.
That is, until today. Today, a new, all-metal point-and-shoot camera enters the market with a reasonable sounding price of $80. It is a bit of an odd bird, however, with numerous benefits clouded by some truly confusing attributes. This is the Yes!Star S1 and that name is the first of these baffling aspects that you’ll notice about this camera.
Thoughtfully, the manufacturer, Yes!Star, has provided a website for supporting this new camera. It’s once you plunk down your money for this “fun, reusable camera with a touch of nostalgia” that you start to see some of the real problems of this camera. Inside the all black box that’s embossed with a pair of hands holding the S1, you’ll be surprised by all of the goodies that accompany your new budget point-and-shoot.
First of all, there are two rolls of 36-exposure color film included with the camera. Great! One of these rolls is preinstalled in the camera, while the second roll is sequestered away inside the bottom of the box. A quick glimpse of this second roll, however, will leave you baffled since there’s very little helpful information printed on its container. Oh sure, it’s “400 speed film” and it’s “color print film,” but the only indication about the emulsion is that it is “supreme.”
More is Less
Following the generous provision of film with the S1 are a couple of more unexpected accessories: an AA battery for powering the camera and an amply sized neck strap that is printed with “Yes!Star S1.” Rats, now, you can’t use that strap on your Leica M-A Type 127. Speaking of Leica, there’s another “extra” buried in the S1 box that should be familiar to savvy camera connoisseurs–a circular, metallic red sticker bearing the Yes!Star logo. The implication is that this sticker should be affixed to the front face of the S1. Meet your new Leica-sorta simple use reloadable 35mm film camera.
Continuing on this sticker theme, the S1 box also contains a sheet of 27 different peel-apart stickers. Ranging from the cute, “Shutter,” “Camera,” and “36 Exposure” to the unusual, “Nice,” “Quick Fun,” and “Photography: Fast Photo Developing.” One of the stickers that’s a head-scratcher, however, is the 35mm film cassette labeled, “Fujifilm C400.” Yes, you’d be forgiven for guessing that Fujifilm has not endorsed the Yes!Star S1 camera. Oddly enough, this stomping on the copyrights of other companies doesn’t stop here.
There are two separate and distinct Instruction booklets included with the S1. Why? The first booklet is branded by Yes!Star (specifically, Yestar (Guangxi) Medical Systems Co., Ltd.) and it includes helpful guidance for loading film, taking photos, and developing photos. The second booklet is an entirely different animal.
Labeled “Simple Use Reloadable Film Camera” this title sounds suspiciously similar to a Lomography product. Sure enough, the Lomography Simple Use Reloadable Film Camera Color Negative is the same product described in this second instructional booklet. But it is much worse than just a name drop…it’s the exact same booklet packaged with the Lomography camera!
Even worse, this plagiarized product booklet includes the exact same Lomography instructions and warranty for the Lomography branded Simple Use Film Camera. Slyly, there is no warranty mention in the first instructional booklet that is Yes!Star branded. Rather, “…the Lomography Society will repair or replace the item…” is boldly claimed in this secondary booklet’s Warranty section.
Regardless of your opinion about this legal tomfoolery, the best judgement for the Yes!Star S1 point-and-shoot camera is made by the photographs that can be produced with “Supreme” film. Judge these samples for yourself and see if you really do get your money’s worth.
Enjoy.
