On the 17th of June 2024, Pentax unveiled its new film camera to the world- the Pentax 17, a first for a camera manufacturer in over 20 years. This bold return was the result of many years of surveying the market, analyzing feedback, consolidating technical advice from long-retired engineers, and finally producing the “modern” film camera. The reception, as I awoke an hour into the global launch, was unprecedented in my years as both a photographer and camera collector; the community strongly conveyed a gamut of emotions: anticipation, excitement, lust, and even disappointment, skepticism, and for some, exasperation.
Thanks to Pentax Australia, I had the opportunity to test the camera two weeks ahead of the launch. Now a full week after the launch and with all my ideas percolated, I’ll leave the technical camera analysis to those who can articulate better than myself. Instead, I will endeavor to convey my thoughts and feelings as a film camera enthusiast and casual enjoyer of analogue photography.
HELLO NEW FRIEND, FAREWELL OLD FRIEND.
Two weeks ahead of the launch, and under the strictest of NDAs and suggestions to tape over anything that may identify the cameras as the never-before seen Pentax 17, I found it in my hands to touch and try.
I was immediately baffled by two things:
- Despite knowing that a half-frame with manual winding was coming, I don’t think anyone could have predicted what the final camera would look like. However, it carries so many references and Easter eggs to past Pentax cameras that it still felt familiar in terms of design language. My initial reactions alternated between “What?!” and “Wow!”. It was lighter than expected but sturdier than it appeared. Anyone crying “PLASTIC” isn’t wrong; plastics have come a long way and are better for housing electrical components. However, the top and bottom plates are reassuringly made from magnesium alloy, in color and finish similar to the LX Titan. There’s just so much to look at and take in that one could either write this camera off as a “parts bin” product or as a love letter to Pentax history.
- The previous user of this pre-released demo unit had loaded it with Kodak Gold 200 and never bothered to finish it. I would have much preferred a Cinestill color film or something more exotic, such as the Lomochrome XR films. Regardless, I’m not one to waste film… just a disclaimer for the images you may see later on that are uncharacteristic of the color film photography I usually do.
Alas, on the same day as welcoming the Pentax 17 into my hands for the first time, it was time to also say goodbye to an old friend, who I will dedicate the first shots taken with the Pentax 17:
A concerned-looking boy *(due to his facial markings resembling eyebrows) who would look up at you with “worry” until he found a place on your lap or in your arms. Goodnight sweet prince.
My deepest gratitude to my occasional photography partner Alex for letting me partake in one last party, a Kurt Russell movie marathon, whilst he spent time being held, cuddled and loved.
STEALTHY SYDNEY STREETS SIGHTSEEING
Street photography is a casual hobby of mine, more so when I’m traveling. I can already envision the Pentax 17 being a very capable travel companion alongside my Ricoh GR IIIs.
Despite the late winter rains, I was able to at least find one day on a weekend to play tourist in my own city. On high alert, photographers were pounding the Sydney pavement in high numbers, whether they were visiting the CBD for VIVID festivities in the evening or taking part in one of the many photowalks that were happening. The Pentax 17 fitted snugly and discreetly in my coat pocket.
I found the vertical framing to be something I both welcomed, being a portrait photographer, but also something I had to get accustomed to quickly, as my instinct was to turn the camera to its side. The optical viewfinder right above the lens proved useful when composing for architecture or leading lines in the Pentax 17’s default portrait orientation. The exposure metering felt accurate, although the roll of HP5 could have benefited from a +1 exposure compensation to have less crunchy, grainy shadows, and would have scanned better… no fault of the camera.
ONE LAST (ROCK AND) ROLL
When the Pentax 17 leaked on Pentax Rumours a few days ahead of the launch, I felt a little less panicked. At least now I couldn’t be credited for disastrously disrupting a global launch and thought it might be safe enough to take it on a more crowded outing: Sydney band Fox Company’s final show.
After 10 years of rocking out in the Sydney scene, they had now called it quits with one final party at the Marrickville Bowling Club on Friday, the 14th of June 2024. I remember the early days when I was a budding photographer, capturing them (badly) on Pentax, and even the photo used to advertise this final performance was one of mine, shot on a Pentax K-70. It seemed only fitting, and purely coincidental, that Pentax would come full circle, loaded with a roll of Ilford HP5, to document the occasion.
This time, as a patron (rather than a photographer), I still endeavored to test the camera, rolling the settings dial through the various Program and Flash Program modes. The Pentax 17 was still intuitive enough to use, even if I was three Hard Rateds and two Starward Nova doubles (neat) deep as the bands kept rocking. To its credit, zone focusing felt reassuring to use… I’m sure if I had my Nikon 35Ti or any other autofocus film compact camera, I would have been frustrated by the autofocus.
Here are some selects for your viewing:
SMOL CAMERA, HUGE ELEPHANTS
From the launch there were two major “negative” sentiments in the internet echo chamber, I’ll try to address these concerns from my perspective as best I can:
IT’S TOO EXPENSIVE, I CAN GET [VINTAGE CAMERA] AT [LOWER PRICE]
And you’re absolutely right! Classic cameras can be bought for a steal… I’m guilty of adding classic cameras to my ever-expanding and financially irresponsible library of film cameras. However, as the years go by, parts required to repair these cameras become scarce, and the knowledge of quirks and servicing becomes lost to retired technicians, driving the second-hand market price higher.
If we take a look at the price points of compact film cameras that are currently produced and can be bought new:
Lomo LC-A + = $328.90 USD (via the lomography webstore)
Alfie Tych Film Camera = £299.00 (Premium model £499.00)
Rollei 35AF = $650-800 USD (TBC)
By comparison, the Pentax 17 doesn’t seem to be as outrageously expensive as some would lead you to believe. Even some vintage film compacts can cost 2-5x as much as what Pentax are asking for… the pricing of second-hand film cameras fluctuates based on the cosmic dartboard of market demand, units produced, hype (either social or historical relevance), user history, condition, durability and functionality. I don’t think an initial asking price of $499 USD, which comes with a warranty, is too unreasonable.
Backed by a warranty and a network of support centers worldwide.
IT DOESN’T DO [FEATURE], PENTAX DOESN’T KNOW WHAT THEY’RE DOING, FILM IS DEAD, I WANT [MORE FEATURES].
And Rome wasn’t built in a day. To bring to market a mechanical film camera that’s not disposable plastic doomed for landfill requires consulting retired engineers and technicians, referencing past cameras, testing new parts, and creating the tooling needed for mass production. Not to mention training a whole new generation of service agents.
In the first official video from 2022, PENTAX Film Project Story #1, Designer TKO recognizes that it will be a long journey and that it is not enough to simply reproduce a film camera from the past. The first step is creating a compact camera, a modern film camera that meets the needs and wants of today’s users, introducing them to the fun of film photography with the features of modern photography.
We are going to do our very best to create film cameras focused on young users interested in the world of film photography, experienced users emotionally attached to film cameras, and everyone else who loves working with film cameras. We intend to deliver cameras that make film photography fun for all of them.
TKO
And considering that sentiment as the objective, I think Pentax has crafted a camera that succeeds in that endeavor.
Personally, even though I would like to think of my collection as “considered,” each camera in my collection gets rotated in and out of use, almost on a whim. The camera that I have the most lenses for, the iconic K1000, may be the least used (due to the light meter, IFKYK). My most competent film camera body, the mechanically over-engineered Nikon FM2, isn’t my workhorse; that would be my Hasselblad 503CX. You’d think I prefer handling that camera, but no, the most intuitive would be the Leica M3 and its larger 50mm frame lines. However, I wouldn’t classify that as the fastest camera to operate; that would be the light plastic Pentax MZ60 with its auto exposure and autofocus. My most portable camera, the Lomo LC-A, isn’t my most carried; that would be the Leica M6. And the one I marvel at the most, the Nikon 35Ti, with its compact nature and analogue readouts, doesn’t seem “fun” to use.
But for a camera that’s portable, tactile, and involving enough in the process but simple enough for results?
The Pentax 17 is fun.
It’s what Pentax promised in 2022, and it’s what’s delivered in 2024.
FINAL MUSINGS OF THE PENTAX 17
Context is important.
The age of digital has never really made analog obsolete. Mechanical watches are still being produced and their mechanisms refined, vinyl records are still in demand, and screens haven’t replaced the humble bookstore. Tangible expression is still part of the human experience.
In 2024, it is a miracle that a major camera manufacturer would dare to bring out a new film camera to market, with no sales data within the past two decades to assure demand and profitability… but Pentax rose to the challenge. It is the first step in a long road to keep the experience and medium of film photography alive for new generations. The success of this entry model would pave the way to other models, perhaps ones that would appeal to existing and more demanding film photographers, and even digital photographers wishing to transplant their experience to film.
Regardless, the noise generated by this release has been a boon for film photographers worldwide. Whether you decide to pick up a Pentax 17 seems irrelevant (congratulations if you do, it’s been reported that demand has greatly outpaced expectations); analog photography is now trending again and more accessible to the masses. Modern manufacturing building upon lessons learned from the wisdom of past engineers, half frame doubling the value of a roll of film, and the auto exposure system guaranteeing photos develop, while keeping the fundamental joy of mechanical input, is a great introduction to new users.
If the Pentax 17 wasn’t for you but inspires you to pick up an old camera, or research and invest in a camera better suited to your needs, style, or sensibilities, that’s also a win. It’s this momentum that keeps the medium alive.
A rising tide lifts all boats.