Pentax 17: first few snapshots

[4season]

Resistance to lens flare seems good.

 

[loccdor]

3 elements and modern coatings should make a pretty high contrast, low flare lens. You might consider giving color negative +1 exposure as a normal practice even fresh, and definitely if it's expired or from Lomo.

 

[mollyc]

A series of mishaps at my local shop delayed processing of my roll of Lomo 800 CN by a couple of weeks, and now that I've got the negatives back, every single frame is lacking in density, with shadow regions scarcely denser than the film base itself! Which makes me wonder if there was a processing error, else could my expired (2020) film have degraded so badly Before pointing fingers at the camera, I shall do more shooting, this time with fresh Ilford HP5+, which I'll process myself. Camera ISO dial was set correctly, and I didn't experience any problems with inadvertently moving Mode or Exposure Compensation controls, so ..? Anyhow, here are a couple of less-bad frames. Normally, I'd like to reveal more shadow detail, but that's not possible here due to underexposure.

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Macro focusing using camera strap as distance guide worked pretty good, as did parallax correction.
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I find the meter slightly underexposes and shoot at one stop over box speed and/or EC at +2/3, depending on which film I'm using.

 

[blee1996]

A series of mishaps at my local shop delayed processing of my roll of Lomo 800 CN by a couple of weeks, and now that I've got the negatives back, every single frame is lacking in density, with shadow regions scarcely denser than the film base itself! Which makes me wonder if there was a processing error, else could my expired (2020) film have degraded so badly Before pointing fingers at the camera, I shall do more shooting, this time with fresh Ilford HP5+, which I'll process myself. Camera ISO dial was set correctly, and I didn't experience any problems with inadvertently moving Mode or Exposure Compensation controls, so ..? Anyhow, here are a couple of less-bad frames. Normally, I'd like to reveal more shadow detail, but that's not possible here due to underexposure.

The backlit trees will be challenging for any simple meters, so I wouldn't be too surprised that the Pentax 17 might under-expose a couple of stops there.

On the other hand, the sunflower looks all right to me. Front lit objects should be fine.

 

[4season]

Thanks @loccdor and @mollyc, I've finished up a roll of Lomo 100 today, some of it exposed at ISO 50. But rather than use the ISO or exposure compensation controls to tune the base exposure to my liking, I'll be experimenting with a sliver of neutral density material pasted over the light sensor.

 

[4season]

On the other hand, the sunflower looks all right to me. Front lit objects should be fine.

IMO, yes and no. Yes in the sense that pleasant images can be made. But no in the sense that underexposed images aren't delivering the best possible quality. At a quick glance, I think my photo of the rock outcropping looks decent, but the shadows scarcely have more density than the unexposed border, so there's hardly any detail there, and in order to brighten up the overall image sufficiently, I've had to boost exposure until said border isn't true black at all. I'd be surprised if the camera delivered satisfactory results with slide film with stock camera settings.

 

[4season]

I guess there was something amiss about my first roll of (expired) film or the processing, because the second roll is exposed correctly. Lomo 100 CN, exposed at ISO 100.

 

[blee1996]

I guess there was something amiss about my first roll of (expired) film or the processing, because the second roll is exposed correctly. Lomo 100 CN, exposed at ISO 100.

Very nice photos, especially the colorful umbrella hanging from the ceiling!

 

[4season]

 

[mollyc]

Pentax has sent out a survey regarding the 17 and future developments. Not sure if it's meant to go out to non-Pentax-email-list people, but it doesn't say not to share, so...

Dear Valued Customer, We hope you are enjoying your PENTAX experience!  We always strive to improve our products and services, with a view to becoming a camera brand that is loved by our users. Following the launch of our Pentax 17 Film Camera we have decided to conduct an awareness survey, which will help us gain valuable feedback with regards to the appetite for film cameras. This survey will take only a short time to complete and will provide us with important insights.​

Why your feedback matters: •        Help shape future products – Your input directly influences how we evolve our cameras. •        Improve your experience – If you are an existing Pentax 17 user, let us know what’s working well and where we can improve. •        Make your voice heard – This is your opportunity to share your honest thoughts.​

Take the Survey here

 

[35mmJim]

Pentax 35mm film is an option in a question.

I'm personally not aware of any commercial films made by Ricoh. But it peaked my interest as a competitor to Kodak hopefully rather then rebadged film.

 

[xkaes]

Kodak, Agfa, Fuji, Konica, etc. made film and cameras in the past. Today we have a Kodak camera (not made by Kodak) using Kodak film (made by Kodak). Why not a Pentax camera (made by Pentax) using Pentax film (not made by Pentax)?

 

[blee1996]

Thanks @mollyc for the tip. I just filled in the survey, as a proud owner of Pentax 17. And I encourage you to do the same.

The survey is a very long and detailed one. Hope our feedbacks will trickle into the upcoming Pentax film cameras.

 

[mollyc]

Thanks @mollyc for the tip. I just filled in the survey, as a proud owner of Pentax 17. And I encourage you to do the same.

The survey is a very long and detailed one. Hope our feedbacks will trickle into the upcoming Pentax film cameras.

yes i filled it out! i was worried the link wouldn’t work properly since my browser kept telling me “thanks for completing the survey.” so glad to know it clicks through correctly for new browsers.

 

[mshchem]

The results look great!

 

[blee1996]

At the Maker Faire in SF Bay area. Pentax 17, Fuji C200 (Japan), home processed in Kodak C41.

Crane - Pentax17_Fuji200B_020_L by Zheng, on Flickr

Yellow and orange - Pentax17_Fuji200B_004_L by Zheng, on Flickr

Tail - Pentax17_Fuji200B_014_L by Zheng, on Flickr

Trojan horse - Pentax17_Fuji200B_015_L by Zheng, on Flickr

Squid game - Pentax17_Fuji200B_031_L by Zheng, on Flickr

 

[pamphoto]

I got to borrow the Pentax 17 from Fort Worth Camera this month and I have yet to develop and scan the film. I started using the camera more like a point and shoot because that was what it feels like. So we shall see what mess I've made with the images. I used hp5+