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

[ooze]

For me, the most poignant message of this (and the first) video is how easy and quickly knowledge can disappear. Give it 20 years and no-one knows how to build a film winding mechanism anymore; a mechanism that's been used in countless cameras for many decades. Every time I wind the film I'll probably remember this.

Hats off to Pentax. I hope they succeed.

 

[Ernst-Jan]

For me, the most poignant message of this (and the first) video is how easy and quickly knowledge can disappear. Give it 20 years and no-one knows how to build a film winding mechanism anymore; a mechanism that's been used in countless cameras for many decades. Every time I wind the film I'll probably remember this.

Hats off to Pentax. I hope they succeed.

Today probably even more than in the past, when you started working at 16 at a factory and worked there for 45 years. People hop on and off jobs nowadays.

 

[Agulliver]

What Pentax are attempting is not easy! And this might even be the last realistic chance they or anyone has to do this.

I am *thrilled* to hear that not only is there support on social media from photographers and vendors....but from businesses. Who? We don't know....but mayube....just maybe...Pentax putting their hands up and saying "We're going to do this" has caused one or two other relevant companies to lend support in supplying parts and knowledge.

And yes....knowledge is lost fast. Even 20 years ago film cameras were available new in some abundance. Now nobody can make a decent one. I wish Pentax every success. Will I buy this camera? Probably not, but it will depend on a number of factors. What I may very well do is buy the next one, if it's a little more sophisticated.

 

[Helge]

Said it before and I’ll say it again:
They’ll need something extra special to sell the PnS.
A Mju II clone is not going to cut it.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

It will have to be appealing to the young. Period. That will be their challenge.

 

[faberryman]

It will have to be appealing to the young. Period. That will be their challenge.

So a circa 2002 digital camera. They are all the rage now. Right?

 

[Cholentpot]

Said it before and I’ll say it again:
They’ll need something extra special to sell the PnS.
A Mju II clone is not going to cut it.

An MJU clone will sell like hotcakes at a country fair.

I think they're going to go with a modern Hi-Matic like design. But if they just rolled out the Ricoh GR line and updated it people would be quite happy.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

So a circa 2002 digital camera. They are all the rage now. Right?

What's your point?

 

[faberryman]

What's your point?

If the media is to believed, the current rage among young people is the low mexapixel digital cameras from days of yore. If Pentax is going to need to deliver something that appeals to young people, that would be it. Most of what you hear on Photrio is what old men want Pentax to deliver.

 

[Cholentpot]

If the media is to believed, the current rage among young people is the low mexapixel digital cameras from days of yore. If Pentax is going to need to deliver something that appeals to young people, that would be it. Most of what you hear on Photrio is what old men want Pentax to deliver.

We just watched a video of a guy explaining what they're doing and how while being passionate about the project. Accept the ray of sunshine. It's a good day for film shooters of all ages.

 

[Oldwino]

This video is somewhat baffling to me. An obsession with the winding mechanism. And the sad fact (apparently) that today’s graduates from engineering schools cannot read or understand mechanical drawings.

Good luck to them. Glad there are still a few "old folks" left to help them out.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

If the media is to believed, the current rage among young people is the low mexapixel digital cameras from days of yore. If Pentax is going to need to deliver something that appeals to young people, that would be it. Most of what you hear on Photrio is what old men want Pentax to deliver.

I see what you are getting at, but Pentax is wanting to make a film camera, not a digital camera. To appeal to young generation, the film camera will have to be simple to load, and use. You should see my students sweat it out, trying to load film into a K1000! They get frustrated easily, and ask me to do it for them. They have zero patience Hopefully Pentax will address this. The "old men" of Photrio are mostly speaking from a position of wisdom.

 

[faberryman]

I see what you are getting at, but Pentax is wanting to make a film camera, not a digital camera. To appeal to young generation, the film camera will have to be simple to load, and use. You should see my students sweat it out, trying to load film into a K1000! They get frustrated easily, and ask me to do it for them. They have zero patience Hopefully Pentax will address this.

I have helped students learn to load film the first time. Fifteen students with fifteen different cameras so they all required individual assistance. It is an hilarious experience, almost as hilarious as me trying to figure out where to put the memory card in my first digital camera.

The "old men" of Photrio are mostly speaking from a position of wisdom.

Is that why they all want something different? They really just want Pentax to come out with their favorite point and shoot. I can't remember the suggested target price from that thread. I think it may have been $500. I don't think they were listening very carefully to the Oracle of Delphi on that aspect of the project.

 

[Cholentpot]

This video is somewhat baffling to me. An obsession with the winding mechanism. And the sad fact (apparently) that today’s graduates from engineering schools cannot read or understand mechanical drawings.

Good luck to them. Glad there are still a few "old folks" left to help them out.

I for one and glad to see there is an obsession. That's how quality ends up, over obsessing with minute details leads to great things if properly directed.

 

[ant!]

Instead of the Exakta, I would have expected more a Contax S or Praktika to be shown, since those were the inspiration for the early Pentax SLRs, up to the naming of Pentax... But maybe they want to build a left-handed camera, then the Exakta would be a good model (no idea how the winding mechanism in those SLRs differ, I guess they use it for a reason. Or someone just had one laying around...).

 

[Helge]

An MJU clone will sell like hotcakes at a country fair.

I think they're going to go with a modern Hi-Matic like design. But if they just rolled out the Ricoh GR line and updated it people would be quite happy.

I’m betting it won’t. Mju II has a special cache with a certain audience. Lots of other PnS out there that are equally good. But people have got Olympus little wonder stuck on repeat.
Even with current prices of it and a neigh on perfect feature match, a clone could never compete on equal terms.
We are looking at at least a $400 camera.

 

[mshchem]

Winding mechanism . Needs to have autofocus, this would save money, smart matrix metering, auto exposure, manual exposure, chrome or black metal plated ABS injection molded outer shell, injection molded chassis. Leaf shutter? ie film version of Fuji X100V???

Where are Pentax digital cameras manufactured??? Japan buyers would love if camera could say "Made in Japan"

If this could retail for under $500 would be great, I don't see how this could be possible I suspect $1100 more likely.

Pentax is getting great press from this

 

[faberryman]

Here's the latest:

Film News: Pentax moving closer to a new film camera

Pentax continues in their quest to make a new film camera. And they now have an update to show they are moving closer to a new film camera.

www.japancamerahunter.com

I didn't actually listen to the video so I don't know if any of the information is new, or if the video is just a rehash of what we already know, which is next to nothing.

 

[faberryman]

If this could retail for under $500 would be great, I don't see how this could be possible I suspect $1100 more likely.

So I don't know whether this is going to be too little too late or too much too late.

 

[4season]

Prototype lens/shutter assembly makes me think it could be similar to a Minolta Hi Matic G (zone focus), or if they get really ambitious, F (rangefinder). IME, it's not so easy to get good examples of such cameras, as they were often carelessly stored with batteries still inside.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

And the sad fact (apparently) that today’s graduates from engineering schools cannot read or understand mechanical drawings.

That was a sad fact when I graduated from engineering school. There is a long litany of deficeincies in recent grads, now, in my time, in Socrates' time. And there is a long history of greybeards complaining. We all just learn to muddle on through.

I'll guess students are really bad at reading orthographic projection but quite good at solid modeling. And I'll bet they are really bad at making drawings using india-ink on linen.

 

[faberryman]

Prototype lens/shutter assembly makes me think it could be similar to a Minolta Hi Matic G (zone focus), or if they get really ambitious, F (rangefinder). IME, it's not so easy to get good examples of such cameras, as they were often carelessly stored with batteries still inside.

I think it was Huss that pointed out the two sensors either side of the viewfinder in one of the photos that indicated it was autofocus.

So manual winding and automatic focus. Maybe that's what young film enthusiasts want.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Stopped by our local camera store yesterday, which has a big set of locked glass cabinets dedicated to used gear. Pre-pandemic it was full of all kinds of goodies, mostly vintage Nikon and Canon as well as quite a selection of medium format used gear, and some large format cameras and lenses too. Then it was almost empty, and yesterday I noted how it was beginning to fill up a little more now. The counter person in charge told me that just as soon as any real film camera in decent condition shows up, either 35mm or MF, it almost instantly sells. Not so with used digital; that crowd only wants the "latest and greatest". But at times, vintage film cameras, especially classic Nikon and MF brands, sell at a faster pace there than the big selection of new digis at the opposite counter. And if anything, they can be a bit overpriced when it comes to used gear. The sheer amount of 35mm and 120 film being processed at several local lab also indicates considerable demand in this area. But any new 35mm film camera would have a high bar of expectation to meet, if it were to successfully enter the contest. It would have to EARN its reputation. Nothing equivalent to the K1000 would do that; it would have to compete with vintage Nikon F-series or the solid build quality of early Pentax, etc.

 

[faberryman]

But any new 35mm film camera would have a high bar of expectation to meet, if it were to successfully enter the contest. It would have to EARN its reputation. Nothing equivalent to the K1000 would do that; it would have to compete with vintage Nikon F-series or the solid build quality of early Pentax, etc.

A new film camera that would compete with the vintage Nikon F-series you suggest would be quite expensive, which would limit its appeal. Probably not a good first camera option for a young film enthusiast.

Nikon discontinued the F6 body in 2020. At that time, it was selling for around $2600. Apparently people didn't want to pay $2600 for a film camera body. Or perhaps Nikon could not keep making the F6 for that price and knew that an F6 at a higher price wouldn't sell.

One issue with a new interchangeable lens film camera is what lens mount to use. You obviate that issue by offering a point and shoot with a fixed lens.

Sort of seems a shame that what Pentax has in mind is a 1990s plastic fantastic point and shoot. But maybe that is what the market needs.

 

[4season]

I think it was Huss that pointed out the two sensors either side of the viewfinder in one of the photos that indicated it was autofocus.

So manual winding and automatic focus. Maybe that's what young film enthusiasts want.

I don't see a viewfinder, but upon closer examination of the lens barrel, sure, I suppose that the scalloping around the circumference could simply be a decorative element, and I see no hint of a focus helicoid. Hadn't expected that level of sophistication, but more power to them if they can pull it off.