Hi everyone! I'm experiencing technical difficulties and I'm wondering if you can help me out. As I announced recently, I got a new 4x5 Shen-Hao. I really like the camera but I have a couple of issues that are making me wonder if I got a lemon.
The first issue that is really upsetting has to do with a 6x12 roll film holder that I got from MidWest. Jim told me it was the Shen-Hao RFH but it says 'DaYi' - now I don't know if that's important or if it's a different RFH altogether. I assumed they were one in the same and I don't particularly care what the label says as long as it works. The problem is that it doesn't fit in the frame of my Shen-Hao. It's too tight and even if I did manage to get it mounted, I wouldn't be able to use the clips to hold it in place. The Fuji Quickload FH, the Polaroid FH and most of my sheet film holders fit fine. However, some of my sheet film holders are pretty snug. Just for curiosity, I tried the DaYi RFH and my snug sheet film holders in my Horseman and they fit beautifully. So that tells me that something is out of whack with my Shen-Hao.
On the front end of things, 3 of the lens board holders that Jim sent me do not fit well at all. One of them I filed down, one won't fit at all, and the other kinda fits but I can't slip the holding clips all the way into place. The the thing is that Jim told me he tested the last one on one of the Shens he has in stock and it fit fine.
The second issue is with the finish of the wood as well as the metal on the camera. It was a bit marred when I got it - nothing major and certainly not anything worth sending it back for. But I've noticed that just about anything will mess it up. For example, I held a folding focusing hood against the back to check for the best orientation for installing it (this was previous to my other thread where I'd pretty much given up on the hood). The thing is I was extremely gentle, had the camera on the floor while doing this and I didn't move it around but it STILL scratched the frame. It's almost like dealing with a wax candle that the slightest errant touch will marr.
Now I realize that for the price, this camera is not going to be as well made as an Ebony, for example. But surely with the great reviews the Shen-Haos get from other folks, what I'm dealing with can't be normal.
So, what should I do? Have any of you experienced anything like what I've described? I'm just at a loss
Any help will be greatly appreciated - thanks in advance!
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