You obviously haven't used the old half-frames that I've used. My Pen D3 works like new, so do my Samurai Z (I have three). Never had a problem with Ricoh AutoHalfs, Agat 18s. I could go on all day. Besides, if one of them does give up the ghost, they are easy and inexpensive to replace.
But this doesn't change the point.
In fact, the Leica legend and brand exist precisely because of their excellent "featureless" camera. Leica has made essentially the same camera for 70 years and it has outlasted every other 35mm film camera.
Hasselblad is another that made essentially the same highly desirable "featureless" camera for 50 years. These are excellent cameras that do what they need to do well and nothing more.
Linhof, perhaps the oldest camera maker in the world, still make the Technika, one of the finest examples of a technical view camera ever to exist. Despite its mechanical complexity, essentially all it does is hold the film and lens in particular positions.
These are all fine mechanical tools or instruments that are excellent for their intended purpose. The lack of features is one of the benefits.
It is true that you can make good pictures with many cameras, but it is also true that the camera you use affects the way you think and make photographs. The camera very much can affect the quality of photography.
Erwin Puts:
"This mastery of craft and anticipation of the dynamics of the situation, will be more secure and, let us face it, more enjoyable when the tool is in harmony with these goals. A fully manual and mechanical camera that, fitting in your hands, translates your aims with the smooth precision of a finely tuned instrument, has added value."
"It is a pity in my view that most reviewers neglect the art of taking pictures and the subtle match of instrument and result to get fine pictures that fit the character of the instrument."
At first I thought it looked pretty 'clunky' and I still do I suppose, but then I realized what it looks like is a compact simple camera made out of the parts of a mid 1980s SLR. That's probably exactly what it is, designing as many parts of possible so that they can be reused on future more advanced cameras up to an SLR.
i don't understand your point.
a bunch of brands still produce mechanical cameras (hasselblad no more, linhof is beautiful but not leica-complex because it lacks shutter, lenses, all that stuff) at very, very high prices.
There's always room for high quality at high prices items.
Pentax is proposing a camera that costs 1/10 than those, maybe 1/15-20 when you factor all the other elements (leica: a decent lens, we're not buying an m6 to shoot with a mouldy russian L39, right? linhof: tripod, lens+shutter, holders, exposure meter, all the never ending stuff that large format needs).
it's like comparing my bike i just use for a quick ride to buy some groceries to a 6kg carbon-ultra-super road bike: they both got pedals and wheels, but...
OK, so the Pentax 17 is $500. The Kodak H35 is $50. What do I get for $450? I can buy a Kodak H35, Olympus Pen D3, a Konica AA-35, and a Yashica Samurai for that that price -- and have enough left over for film!
Yesterday I didn't quite like the design but today it felt so unique and beautiful.
i don't understand your point.
a bunch of brands still produce mechanical cameras (hasselblad no more, linhof is beautiful but not leica-complex because it lacks shutter, lenses, all that stuff) at very, very high prices.
There's always room for high quality at high prices items.
Pentax is proposing a camera that costs 1/10 than those, maybe 1/15-20 when you factor all the other elements (leica: a decent lens, we're not buying an m6 to shoot with a mouldy russian L39, right? linhof: tripod, lens+shutter, holders, exposure meter, all the never ending stuff that large format needs).
it's like comparing my bike i just use for a quick ride to buy some groceries to a 6kg carbon-ultra-super road bike: they both got pedals and wheels, but...
Sometimes things take some getting used to. It's a bit like some people.
It is also likely that they're looking further into the future and that some parts can be carried over to an SLR, and they've hinted that the all mechanical SLR would be the final step so possibly an electronic SLR would come before that....maybe containing some parts from their DSLR range. It all makes it quite logical stepwise, and keeps development costs reasonable.
The point is that you were saying if Pentax eventually make a film SLR again that it will have to have lots of features to make people happy. But I am saying that I don't think that is the case. Many of the most desired and nicest cameras have had very few features, essentially no features beyond the essentials for making a picture. I think if Pentax made a very simple well-made 35mm film SLR, that it would be very popular.
I am very excited that Pentax is releasing a film camera and has plans for more. I do have a question to the more experienced members of this group now that details of the camera are released. I see it has an auto mode, but when I shoot film I keep my camera on manual and adjust the ISO, shutter and f/stop manually. Will this new Pentax allow for that, and will it allow more powerful lens than what comes with it?
Thanks,
Matthew
I don't really like scale focus but I do love half-frame. I'd kill for the 17 in an autofocus version.
Sounds like you'd love the Konica AA-35 (AKA, Konica Recorder). Yes, I know, you can only get it USED, it doesn't have a film advance lever, and it does have a HORIZONTAL frame, but it's half the price, comes in various colors, and even has a DATE model. It's so thin many people mistake it for a DISC camera!
Quite a camera at the time, with many innovative features. It had a 24mm (f4.0-16) auto-focus lens, focusing to 3 feet. Built-in CDS meter automatically sets shutter speed (1/60 - 1/250) and aperture, in a programmed-exposure system. Although the focus and exposure were strictly automatic, these limitations are somewhat overcome by the other features, such as a built-in motor-drive, auto-exposure, and flash. First drop-in the film. It ran vertically, so the pictures come out horizontal, unlike most half-frame cameras. Then set the film speed (ISO 100 - 400) and you are set to go. The camera focuses the lens, then exposes the film, then advances the film. A RED/GREEN LED in the viewfinder tells you whether the exposure was correct or not. All this in a very thin, attractive body. The camera had the same shape of the disc cameras of the time -- its's so thin you assume that it CAN'T be 35mm! And it had a built-in sliding case to keep everything protected -- well, almost everything -- not the flash and the viewfinder. When the roll is done, flip the switch on the bottom of the camera and the motor rewinds the film into the cassette. The camera came in a variety of colors, such as red, grey flannel, etc.. No tripod socket, flash shoe, PC contact, filter thread or cable release socket. But it DID have a wrist strap! Takes two AA batteries that operate the flash, the meter and the motor drive. It is the same as the Konica Recorder.
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