Pentax announces that they're working on new film cameras!

[logan2z]

I for one am looking forward to seeing what Pentax comes up with.

+1

I can't see how anyone interested in film photography could see this announcement as anything but positive.

 

[dutchsteammachine]

Me thinks the best thing would be a simple 35mm slr or p&s as a minimum viable product, to test the waters on a new product in this category.

If it sells, expand with more advance cameras.

 

[markjwyatt]

But zone focusing, no? I almost never shoot in bright sun. That means guess work and poor focus more than offsetting larger negatives, unless maybe I carried a separate rangefinder but that's another piece of gear and kind of defeats the purpose.

There are some 6x9 folders with built in rangefinders also (Ikonta, Balsa, maybe some Bessas). Some of the higher end ones are coupled also.

 

[MattKing]

That’s just relativism and meekness. But perhaps the meek shall inherit the earth?

Some things do have a time, and hang around for other reasons than being useable and desirable.
Not saying that that necessarily applies to formats over 66.
But it could.

I just have a feeling that most people who shoot 69 and 67 outside a studio do it for the same reasons some people drive a Hummer to work. Only a camera is more easily attainable.

Large format is a different story because there you absolutely have some huge advantages of movements and being able to print as large as you want, for wall size frames without any grain and at super resolution.

Moderator speak on: Yes, the meek will inherit the earth. Or at least the people who aren't judging others for their choices - something we frown upon here! Moderator speak off.
Those of us that shoot 6x9, 6x8 or 6x7 do so for a number of reasons. For me, it is primarily because the negatives are a joy to print from.
And by the way, here is the car that I'm frequently driving when the 6x9 camera is in the back (and where the RB67 was in the back, before our downsize resulted in my selling it). I think you might be able to fit most of it in the back of a Hummer

 

[jtk]

...except of course for the temporary goldmine of weddings. Couples tend to avoid marriage these days, so that goldmine has been closed-off.

The financially successful wedding photographers have small teams, one videographer, one digital still/videographer, and one director/organizer/gofer. No more film.

 

[DREW WILEY]

... really no more tangible pictures. They might instantly print some off at the reception afterwards, using a desktop printer, for sake of the guests. But the whole idea seems to br to get the shots selected and posted on the web before the couple even returns from their honeymoon. Lots of these young couples who opt for that approach later have regrets they didn't obtain anything worthy of at least a presentable picture frame memory on the wall. The instant-everything mentality is also the so-so quality mentality. The lack of serious skill of some of these neo wedding photographers is appalling. They think if they own a DLSR, a zoom lens, and a flash head, they're qualified to go into business.

 

[miha]

Something with spect of the Z-1 would be my pick. No need for a K1000, let alone a P30 (that would be a joke actually IMO).

 

[Sirius Glass]

The Tessina 35 is not comfortable on the wrist strap because of the weight and it gets worse with the prism mounted on it. The camera alone falls off the wrist strap and gets damaged. It was given to me so at least it did not buy it.

 

[Paul Howell]

There are many different ways Pentax/Ricoh can approch manufacturing. Cosina has recent experience and may have tools and dyes in storage that could work for some parts and could make bodies as they did for Konica, TC, Nikon FM10 and Chinon CE5. Or outsource to China, Vietnam. Pentax makes shutters and meters for it's line up of DSLRs, the reach would the all mechanical shutters for the 35mm SLR. The compact might have AF, that would sense. A pipe dream would a low, midlevel, and high end compact, same body, different lens. At the high my dream would be fixed with the Pentax 50 LE lens.

 

[Cholentpot]

It's going to be a knock off of the Nikon FM10. I have a few cameras that have the same internals I suspect. All based off the Yashica FX-3 Super line. I have a Promaster 2500PK Super that feels and acts almost exactly like the Yashica. I suspect the FM10 is also the same. It's cheap and plasticy with a grindy film advance and also nearly indestructible as far as I've seen. It was also one of the last SLRs to be manufactured.

 

[Helge]

Moderator speak on: Yes, the meek will inherit the earth. Or at least the people who aren't judging others for their choices - something we frown upon here! Moderator speak off.
Those of us that shoot 6x9, 6x8 or 6x7 do so for a number of reasons. For me, it is primarily because the negatives are a joy to print from.
And by the way, here is the car that I'm frequently driving when the 6x9 camera is in the back (and where the RB67 was in the back, before our downsize resulted in my selling it). I think you might be able to fit most of it in the back of a Hummer
View attachment 324633

I think you need to read my post(s) again.
The “most people” part is crucial.
Large negatives are a joy to print from, if you print (and if you can find an enlarger that goes comfortably over 6x6).

Most people who shoot 67 today never print.
Most people don’t print.

You can talk about social groups and segments without passing “judgement”.
Taking bragging and status symbols out of humanity would flush the baby with the bath water.

Nice car BTW.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Why do people have a problem with babies and bathwater? Do the babies pee in the bathwater? If so, the bathwater gets emptied and not drunk.

 

[lxdude]

It's going to be a knock off of the Nikon FM10. I have a few cameras that have the same internals I suspect. All based off the Yashica FX-3 Super line. I have a Promaster 2500PK Super that feels and acts almost exactly like the Yashica. I suspect the FM10 is also the same. It's cheap and plasticy with a grindy film advance and also nearly indestructible as far as I've seen. It was also one of the last SLRs to be manufactured.

The FM10 was made by Cosina. Also of course the FE10. No secret there.
Also the Olympus OM-2000, the K-mount Vivitar V-4000 and Chinon CM-7, Canon T-60, and several others, all based on the Cosina CT-1. The Yashica FX-3 is claimed to be a sibling of the others, but some say it appears to be made by the Chinese company Phenix, which made what amounted to a knock-off of the Cosina design. I think the FX-3 was made by Cosina, as the Phenix-made cameras I've handled, while very similar, felt flimsier than the Cosina-made cameras. The Cosina-made cameras are surprisingly rugged and reliable, though plasticky and with a level of refinement that reflects their price point. I doubt the Phenix-made cameras are as good, based on handling a few. I would hope that Yashica would have availed itself of Cosina, and not gone with the cheapest possible.

If Pentax is going to make a knock-off of the FM-10, all they have to do is get Cosina to re-make a K-mount version of the CT-1, or even get one of Phenix's numerous K-mount knock-offs. God, I hope they don't. If they raise all this hoopla just to bring something like that to market, they will lose the good will of many Pentax supporters.

 

[lxdude]

Why do people have a problem with babies and bathwater? Do the babies pee in the bathwater? If so, the bathwater gets emptied and not drunk.

Hopefully the baby does not get drunk either. Babies should not get drunk.

 

[Helge]

Why do people have a problem with babies and bathwater? Do the babies pee in the bathwater? If so, the bathwater gets emptied and not drunk.

People with large drain holes?

 

[Cholentpot]

The FM10 was made by Cosina. Also of course the FE10. No secret there.
Also the Olympus OM-2000, the K-mount Vivitar V-4000 and Chinon CM-7, Canon T-60, and several others, all based on the Cosina CT-1. The Yashica FX-3 is claimed to be a sibling of the others, but some say it appears to be made by the Chinese company Phenix, which made what amounted to a knock-off of the Cosina design. I think it was made by Cosina, as the Phenix-made cameras I've handled, while very similar, felt flimsier than the Cosina-made cameras. The Cosina-made cameras are surprisingly rugged and reliable, though plasticky and with a level of refinement that reflects their price point. I doubt the Phenix-made cameras are as good, based on handling a few. I would hope that Yashica would have availed itself of Cosina, and not gone with the cheapest possible.

If Pentax is going to make a knock-off of the FM-10, all they have to is get Cosina to re-make a K-mount version of the CT-1, or even one of Phenix's numerous K-mount knock-offs. God, I hope they don't. If they raise all this hoopla just to bring something like that to market, they will lose the good will of many Pentax supporters.

That's a lot of information. I'm impressed. It does back up what I thought though. The Promaster I have is K-mount. Currently it has a M42 adapter in it because I like the more modern metering rather than the stopdown of the Spotmatic II. The Yashica does feel better than the Promaster but only slightly.

I hope Pentax does not go in this direction but I suspect they will. Maybe they'll improve on the design and throw some better engineered parts in to the mix. The design itself isn't so bad, just needs refinement.

 

[Paul Howell]

I have a Chinon CM7, made by Cosina, it is all mechanical K mount, ISO range 25 to 1600, metal shutter blades, 3 diode meter read out, top shutter speed of 1/2000. It would fit what Pentax said on the video. It could upgraded to all metal body. I have a vague memory that Cosina stopped making cameras when Copal stopped making shutters?

 

[warden]

I for one am looking forward to seeing what Pentax comes up with.

Me too. A fresh camera from an important brand is a great sign of industry health and confidence. A simple (ish) 35mm camera would be a great start. Bonus points if it is serviceable and made to last.

 

[rcphoto]

I think you need to read my post(s) again.
The “most people” part is crucial.
Large negatives are a joy to print from, if you print (and if you can find an enlarger that goes comfortably over 6x6).

Most people who shoot 67 today never print.
Most people don’t print.

You can talk about social groups and segments without passing “judgement”.
Taking bragging and status symbols out of humanity would flush the baby with the bath water.

Nice car BTW.

I know more people who print 6x7 negatives than people who shoot film P&S cameras.

 

[DREW WILEY]

I print more 6x9 than 6X7, but did some of both last week. Next session will be all 8x10 film. I only print 35mm one or two days a year, and mainly use a 35mm camera more for fun scoutings applications than anything else. If I see something interesting, I'll got back with heavier artillery. 6X9 replicates the same print proportions. But right now I've got an 8x10 in the enlarger cropped similarly about 2:3.
5X7 sheet film would be nice complement; but I'm not about to invest in yet another format at my age.

 

[Helge]

I know more people who print 6x7 negatives than people who shoot film P&S cameras.

Perhaps the little gang on here is not the right place to make a survey.

 

[rcphoto]

Perhaps the little gang on here is not the right place to make a survey.

We're more of a club than a gang

 

[Sirius Glass]

What does 6x7 have to do with the new camera release announcement? There is a lot of reasons that 6x7 cameras do not feel the love and those 6x7 people left out in the cold want to come in out of the cold winter weather is the US today would like to feel some love. It ain't gonna happen.

 

[Helge]

We're more of a club than a gang

Nice to get that straight.

The amount of people you know is printing is not proportional to how many people print out of the total global amount of film shooters.
We can agree on that, right?

Enlargers that take over 6x6 are if not rare, then not something you just pick up. Especially if you want a colour head.

There simply isn’t a proportionally equal relationship between the amount of 67 cameras and the number of enlargers capable of the format on the market.

Once you factor in how many people print, it’s getting low.

 

[Helge]

What does 6x7 have to do with the new camera release announcement? There is a lot of reasons that 6x7 cameras do not feel the love and those 6x7 people left out in the cold want to come in out of the cold winter weather is the US today would like to feel some love. It ain't gonna happen.

You’re right. It’s at best a tangent.
Just arguing for Pentax putting out a 645 camera.