35mm Film Camera - PN2011 Vivitar
The Vivitar PN2011 is a 35mm fixed-focus panoramic camera marketed by Vivitar.
The low-fi, plastic camera needs no batteries and has a 28mm fixed-focus lens, fixed shutter speed of 1/125 and aperture of f8. Camera switches from normal to Panorama mode.
FPP contributor Brian Moore filed this report:
"Being plastic the PN2011 is light as a feather, and small enough to fit nicely in the pocket of my cycling jersey. It’s not bad looking either, in my opinion at least. And at first glance it could pass for a modern digital camera."
There’s nothing modern about it, though. Better yet, nothing electrical. Film is manually advanced and rewound. Focus is fixed. Same goes for the exposure, which is 1/125th at f8.
Features
The shutter is locked when the built-in lens cover is closed. The shutter’s locked after each exposure too, until you advance the film. Double-exposures, accidental or otherwise, are therefore impossible, at least as the camera is designed. (More on that below.)
A user-friendly window in the back door lets you see the film you have in it, and the film counter window has a slight magnification so you can read the frame count more easily. It’s still a matter of guesswork exactly what frame you’re on, though.
The tiny 28mm lens allows for a nice wide field of view. You can enhance the perspective with the PN2011’s gimmicky panorama mode. This is simply a mask that blocks the upper and lower portions of the frame. It can be a fun effect, though, if you find fun in blocking major areas of your image.
Perhaps the most unusual feature for a camera of this type is its tripod socket. The PN2011’s shutter has no bulb mode or any other feature that might require a tripod, so the threaded socket is somewhat useless.
At the end of the day…
If all you’re looking for is a low cost, low fi, film camera that you can throw in your bag or glove box and not really care too much what happens to it, the Vivitar PN2011 is for you. On the other hand, if it’s the pursuit of photographic experimentation at low risk you’re after, the Vivitar PN201l may serve you very well indeed.
ALERT -The rewind on plastic cameras break very easily. Please be very careful and make sure you "pop" the bottom tab before rewinding your film. Each camera is checked before shipping to you. We can not replace the camera if you break any plastic.
