Pentax: Two new compact film cameras planned - Pentax 17 announced June 2024

[grain elevator]

A new rumor came from Korea, but I'm unsure of the source.
The product will be announced in February of 2024, and will be available for purchase in Korea in March or April.
It's expected to cost less than 1 million won, and the lens angles will be 28mm and 43mm.

1,000,000 won = Approx. $740

This sounds very promising. Not that I had the money to spend on this. I'm not in the market any time soon. But one can dream. If it also has a decent viewfinder, and preferable placed at the corner so one doesn't have to smudge ones nose on the back...

 

[brian steinberger]

Thank you very much for the info. Of course concerning rumours we always have to be very careful.
But this looks at least quite reasonable / likely.
The difference in focal length makes much sense: One with a normal focal length, the other with a wide angle significantly wider, with a really visible difference.
And the 28mm focal length make much sense for also another reason: Ricoh has a lot of market experience with it: Their former Ricoh GR film compact camera with the 28mm lens was a great success on the market. And a 28mm lens can still be designed compact enough for a compact camera.

If this rumour proves to be true, then I have been right with my assessment in my original post:
"My assumption:
The cameras will be "twins": Same body, but with different lenses, e.g. one with a normal focal length, the other one with a wide angle lens."

We will see........the excitement / suspense is increasing .

I am also very curious whether in the case that there will be one version with a 43mm lens, if then this lens will have a similar design approach as the current, by Pentaxians very much loved 1.9/43 Limited lens.

Best regards,
Henning

I haven’t been following this thread really closely but this post almost makes it sound like they could be twin fixed lens rangefinders. Similar to to Olympus 35 series. Are we assuming they’ll be SLRs? I would be interested if rangefinders. They would also be more compact.

 

[Henning Serger]

Are we assuming they’ll be SLRs? I would be interested if rangefinders. They would also be more compact.

No, we are not assuming that they will be SLRs because we already definitely know that they won't.
Because Ricoh / Pentax had officially told that they will first start with compact camera type, and not with SLR type.
But if the first compact camera introduction will be successful, they plan to go further by adding also film SLRs.
First a manual, non-AF SLR, and later also an AF SLR.

Best regards,
Henning

 

[brian steinberger]

No, we are not assuming that they will be SLRs because we already definitely know that they won't.
Because Ricoh / Pentax had officially told that they will first start with compact camera type, and not with SLR type.
But if the first compact camera introduction will be successful, they plan to go further by adding also film SLRs.
First a manual, non-AF SLR, and later also an AF SLR.

Best regards,
Henning

Thanks Henning I’ll be keeping an eye on this.

 

[armadsen]

The current Ricoh GRIII digital camera comes in two models, one with a 28mm equivalent and one with a 40mm equivalent, so this tracks with that too.

 

[removedacct3]

First a manual, non-AF SLR, and later also an AF SLR.

I - and I assume many other Pentaxians - are looking forward to see what Pentax will do for a new film based SLR. Fingers crossed for something MX/LX like.

 

[Agulliver]

There does seem to be some confusion. What Pentax/Ricoh have announced is that the first two cameras, possibly due for a Spring 2024 launch, will be compact 35mm cameras.

The ultimate aim is to work towards a mechanical SLR and an electronic SLR.

At least one UK based retailer has completely misunderstood this and is publishing articles saying that Pentax are about to release four cameras, the two compacts and two SLRs in early 2024.

Pentax have been quite clear about the road map. It's all happening pleasantly quickly if they are ready to launch in the first or second quarter of 2024.

 

[MartinCrabtree]

I hope it sells well enough to continue development on new 35MM cameras. Cannot wait to see it. I may buy one just to help the cause.

 

[Pioneer]

...a few more pennies in the stash...

 

[Mackinaw]

Sounds like Ricoh is walking back expectations for these new cameras. They may not be see the light of day.

Ricoh makes official statement about Film Camera Project's compacts

Is Pentax releasing two compact film cameras in Spring 2024? Ricoh has pumped the brakes on that previous statement.

photofocus.com

Jim B.

 

[Pioneer]

It seems that way. New leadership may mean new direction.

At the very least they are still in the design and feasibility stage. No production decisions yet.

 

[abruzzi]

It reads to me that someone working for Ricoh, but not familiar with the details of the project, said more than he was supposed to or more than he actually know (that never happens on the internet!) and everyone took it for an official statement, so Ricoh corporate had to do damage control.

 

[removedacct3]

It reads to me that someone working for Ricoh, but not familiar with the details of the project, said more than he was supposed to or more than he actually know (that never happens on the internet!) and everyone took it for an official statement, so Ricoh corporate had to do damage control.

That's my impression as well. Without any evidence whatsoever, I am quite certain that a newly designed Pentax film camera will one day come onto the market.

 

[pentaxuser]

That's my impression as well. Without any evidence whatsoever, I am quite certain that a newly designed Pentax film camera will one day come onto the market.

I applaud your faith and your honesty about the evidence but there have been so many other projects where both those qualities were evident in the supporters that never saw the light of day

pentaxuser

 

[armadsen]

Ricoh/Pentax has been very consistent in saying that they were working on new film cameras but had not made any decision about whether or not they would actually end up releasing any. They've said that every time they've (officially) released new press about the project. I don't see anything new or different at all in this latest statement, except a reiteration of the previous official statements by the widely spread (mis?)information that came from the European rep quoted. I assume that person was indeed speaking out of turn and without authorization from corporate PR.

I'm an engineer and have worked on several serious projects, some taken very close to market-ready, that never ended up being released for one reason or another. It's not an unsual thing.

Having followed everything I could with regard to this project since the day (hour!) the news first broke, nothing seems to have changed. They just want to keep expectations correctly managed. I won't be at all shocked if they don't ever actually release new film cameras, but that has always been true. I'll be even less shocked if they do release new cameras.

 

[Agulliver]

It is worth remembering that Ricoh issued an official statement about two weeks before the statement about Spring 2024.....stating that the cameras were under development but might or might not make it to the market.

Chances are that they *are* aiming at Q2 2024 but haven't got the green light to release just yet. There's a bit of a gap between having a perfectly working prototype and then spending money on actually manufacturing a few thousand that *might* not sell.

 

[logan2z]

Pentax half-frame film camera now in prototype stage, release "as soon as possible"

The Pentax Film Camera Project has been quite an interesting journey to follow. Not least of all because it’s a new film camera being developed...

www.diyphotography.net

 

[armadsen]

Note that the article that one is based on does not actually say that the new camera will be half frame. They’re discussing the Ricoh Auto Half, an old half frame camera.

 

[logan2z]

Note that the article that one is based on does not actually say that the new camera will be half frame. They’re discussing the Ricoh Auto Half, an old half frame camera.

From the article:

"The new Pentax camera is to be a half-frame camera"

 

[armadsen]

From the article:

"The new Pentax camera is to be a half-frame camera"

The article you linked to says that, but it's reporting based on the article in Barfout, which does not say that. I'm pretty sure it's a misinterpretation of the original article (which I've read). https://barfout.jp/feature/6133/

 

[logan2z]

The article you linked to says that, but it's reporting based on the article in Barfout, which does not say that. I'm pretty sure it's a misinterpretation of the original article (which I've read). https://barfout.jp/feature/6133/

Ah, you are probably right. The article does mention a half-frame Ricoh camera but that's a different camera than the one under development. I guess the author of the article I linked to got confused.

 

[cmacd123]

their is one set of Photos taken with an Auto Half. (I used to carry one in my Briefcase for years)

 

[xkaes]

The new 35mm cameras that have appeared recently have mostly (?) been half-frame. One reason is the cost of film. So I'm sure Pentax has been considering this.

 

[Agulliver]

KosmoFoto is practically frothing at the mouth about one of the two rumoured Pentax cameras being a half frame, because an old Ricoh half frame was spotted being used by the folk doing the latest publicity for the "new film camera" project.

It is worth noting that there is *nothing* official from Ricoh/Pentax about any half frame camera.

But it might make sense. Given the success of the Kodak branded half frame cameras, and others (all made by Reto?) which are of quite basic quality.....a well made half frame with a much better lens and some more features such as auto exposure/aperture and perhaps auto focus (rather than fixed) could find success. Heck, that's something I do not have in my arsenal of cameras so I might actually consider it over a P&S full frame 35mm.

If they also release a full frame 35mm camera with similar features and quality, that's a whole segment of the market that younger photographers are probably interested in which they've opened up.

If Leica can sell 5,000 cameras in 2023 alone at something like £$6k each....Pentax can probably sell at least those numbers at a tenth or so of the price. It's never going to sell hundreds of thousands or millions like they did in the 90s and earlier....but it would be a winner in modern terms.

Still hoping we do get to see a camera launched this year, and whatever the state of play I wish Ricoh/Pentax well. If it's a half frame, I might just go halfsies with one of my partners and buy one. The idea that it effectively does the same as a phone camera is interesting, with up to 72 photos per film it's certainly going to be somewhat economic once it's been purchased.

 

[ant!]

I love my Canon Demi EE17, but find a film too long in a halfframe. I use only 24exp film in it, but that's still a bit more then 50 photos. But gives great results, I used mostly expired superia 200, and it's grainy, but nice.
AF isn't really needed, the full-information viewfinder of the EE17 in combination with scale focus and the larger depth of field is a good combination, rough distance guess it's more then good enough. Only problem would be forgetting to focus...

So I guess half frame might be as well a way to simplify focussing...