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

[xkaes]

If it's a half frame, I might just go halfsies with one of my partners and buy one.

Just make sure that you get the half that takes the picture.

 

[bfilm]

The Ricoh Auto Half camera in the "Short series PENTAX Film Project Club House Diary vol.7" article probably has nothing to do with the new film camera from PENTAX. If you have followed this PENTAX x BARFOUT article series, they are always discussing different PENTAX and Ricoh film cameras. An earlier article in this series was discussing the PENTAX 67 cameras, but I don't think we are going to see new production of something like that camera anytime soon.

 

[logan2z]

This was posted on the official Pentax instagram feed today. Looks like the project continues to move forward...

 

[aranzebia]

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news.ricoh-imaging.co.jp

Outline of the product under development
Product name: To be determined
Product name: Undecided
Launch date: Under development for launch in the summer of 2024
Price: Undecided
35mm format compact film camera
Half-size format with two frames per frame, based on vertical composition.
Manual film winding with a winding lever and manual rewinding with a rewinding crank
Manual film rewind system using a rewind lever and manual rewind using a rewind crank

 

[Disconnekt]

They have a new video today.

- Camera will be Half-frame, with photos being in vertical format
- Planning to incorporate manually set zone focusing system
- Electronically controlled shutter & aperture, some settings can be overridden
- Plan to add winding mechanism & rewinding crank
- Lens design was inspired by the Ricoh Auto Half & Pentax Espio Mini

 

[armadsen]

Wonderful news. I think half frame is a good choice, and I’m looking forward to getting one.

 

[Disconnekt]

One of the reason he said they decided to go the half-frame route was due to the current high cost of film

 

[cmacd123]

I wonder if he realizes that he said that Pentax had never made a half frame camera, and then referes a bit later to the lens on the (parent Company Brand) Ricoh Auto Half. (which was also sold by GAF/Ansco as I recall) (I am not familar with the OPTIO model he referred to )

 

[cmacd123]

Just to stick my tounge in my cheek. the Konica AA-35 was both Half frame and a horizontal format. Unfortunatly mine broke.

 

[armadsen]

I wonder if he realizes that he said that Pentax had never made a half frame camera, and then referes a bit later to the lens on the (parent Company Brand) Ricoh Auto Half. (which was also sold by GAF/Ansco as I recall) (I am not familar with the OPTIO model he referred to )

I think they’re intentionally drawing a distinction here between Pentax and Ricoh. After all, they were separate companies for a long time, and are still separate brands with separate design heritages.

 

[Bronson Dugnutt]

One of the reason he said they decided to go the half-frame route was due to the current high cost of film

I've yet to watch the video, but another happy coincidence is that the wider normal lenses used for half-frame will increase depth of field. This is particularly important for amateurs' ability to take 'sharp' photos when scale focusing. Especially if the cameras aren't SLRs.

I was out and about with a Pen FV w/ 20mm Nikkor earlier. During daylight that combo may as well be focus-free.

Edit: Post-viewing, the choice of an electronic shutter and mechanical advance/rewind is an excellent one. A mechanical shutter with a wide range of speeds was probably always out of the question from a complexity & reliability standpoint. A modern electronic version will be more reliable and much simpler to implement. A mechanical advance/rewind does indeed add tactile charm to the experience as well as being less prone to failure, less obnoxious/noisy, and less power hungry than a motorized winder. Plus you can leave some leader out on the 35mm cassette for reuse in bulk loading w/o the need for a leader retriever.

 

[Hassasin]

Just to stick my tounge in my cheek. the Konica AA-35 was both Half frame and a horizontal format. Unfortunatly mine broke.

Do you mean it was NOT using full available height of 35 mm film ?

whether frame is vertical or horizontal depends on how camera is held, so I’m not sure this is even being discussed, but if anyone made a half frame 35 mm and not using full height of it, that was plain stupid.

 

[armadsen]

Do you mean it was NOT using full available height of 35 mm film ?

whether frame is vertical or horizontal depends on how camera is held, so I’m not sure this is even being discussed, but if anyone made a half frame 35 mm and not using full height of it, that was plain stupid.

No, in the Konica AA35 the film travels vertically when the camera is held in its normal orientation, unlike nearly every other 35mm camera.

 

[Hassasin]

No, in the Konica AA35 the film travels vertically when the camera is held in its normal orientation, unlike nearly every other 35mm camera.

OK then, hopefully one can still flip the camera and shoot portrait mode too

Have just looked AA35 (or Recorder) up, these days it caters well to the sophisticated influencer crowd.

 

[Bronson Dugnutt]

No, in the Konica AA35 the film travels vertically when the camera is held in its normal orientation, unlike nearly every other 35mm camera.

In addition to the AA35, other examples of half-frame cameras using a 35mm cine style orientation (i.e. natural landscape) are the Canon Dial 35 and Agat 18k. Both cine & still style advances are able to expose the full width of 35mm film with only the framing (portrait or landscape) being dictated by the film gate. Only if you tried swapping the gates between the two styles you'd wind up with wasted area on the film.

One obscure consequence of any half-frame 35mm camera is that none of them can expose the long dimension of their film gate onto 16mm film subbed into a 35mm cassette, which can make some peoples' brains ache. If you want 16mm panoramas from a 35mm camera, it has got to be full frame.

 

[mshchem]

Looks like a winner. Kids will eat it up.

 

[kitspics]

Kids will eat it up.

I see some heartburn sometimes (usually on other photography forums) that no one wants a half frame, but I think you're exactly right and this is a savvy move by pentax, instax is hugely popular with young people and having something that convenient and fun in a form factor similar to what they've already got (and frankly for much cheaper film prices, instax is wildly expensive) is the right way to go.

 

[mshchem]

I see some heartburn sometimes (usually on other photography forums) that no one wants a half frame, but I think you're exactly right and this is a savvy move by pentax, instax is hugely popular with young people and having something that convenient and fun in a form factor similar to what they've already got (and frankly for much cheaper film prices, instax is wildly expensive) is the right way to go.

A half frame, with a really short focal length lens will allow the user to take selfies. This is a must, no auto focus dramatically lowers cost and complexity. This sounds like an "Instax like" camera only probably will be easier to use. More like a film cell phone camera. If it takes off Pentax could sell millions.
The film photo business has always depended on amateurs for volume, this is a good thing.

 

[bfilm]

I have a different view. I think a half-frame camera is a big mistake. They seem to have very mixed messaging with this camera, talking about their love for film while at the same time really pandering to a digital society. I think it would be much better to make a more classic format camera and introduce young people to the century-long tradition of 35mm film photography. I don't see this half-frame camera attracting many traditional longtime film users or satisfying a desire in others for something authentic and genuinely different from the digital mass society.

 

[4season]

Ricoh Auto Half is a delightful little camera, hope that this new Pentax inherits it's charm!

 

[Craig]

A half frame, with a really short focal length lens will allow the user to take selfies. This is a must, no auto focus dramatically lowers cost and complexity. This sounds like an "Instax like" camera only probably will be easier to use. More like a film cell phone camera. If it takes off Pentax could sell millions.

I'm not so sure about the half frame being a good thing. the advantage of Instax is it's reasonably instant. Who is going to want to shoot 72 photos before seeing them? I'm assuming that people new to film photography are the target audience here, and that format doesn't seem to make sense to me.

 

[bfilm]

I'm not so sure about the half frame being a good thing. the advantage of Instax is it's reasonably instant. Who is going to want to shoot 72 photos before seeing them? I'm assuming that people new to film photography are the target audience here, and that format doesn't seem to make sense to me.

As I mentioned above, I also think half-frame is a mistake. Some have mentioned that half-frame is fun, but this is not a camera that is being offered as a quirky option among dozens of other choices. Considering that the choices today are a $5,700 Leica rangefinder camera or a $60 plastic camera, what we really need is a medium-grade classic camera.

Pentax is making a big deal about how they talked to so many people in the so-called analog photography world and listened intently to their suggestions. Is this really what they are telling them? That a camera that people use like a cellphone but with film is a good idea? Surely people want a camera that they use like a camera.

Maybe Pentax will follow up quickly with a more classic model, but otherwise I think they are making a mistake. As I also suggested above, I think a traditional type camera, rather than some sort of transitional device, is a better way to introduce young people to film photography and would also satisfy the desire for authenticity.

 

[Craig]

I think a traditional type camera, rather than some sort of transitional device, is a better way to introduce young people to film photography and would also satisfy the desire for authenticity.

You're thinking a new version of a K1000? But perhaps something with an electronic shutter.

The way that AE-1's have become cult cameras with associated prices suggests that wouldn't be a bad way to go either.

 

[bfilm]

You're thinking a new version of a K1000? But perhaps something with an electronic shutter.

The way that AE-1's have become cult cameras with associated prices suggests that wouldn't be a bad way to go either.

An SLR could be nice, and perhaps they will still get to that. But even a compact camera could work. I can understand the electronic shutter because a mechanical shutter is a major project--even Leica has always worked with a German clockmaker for their mechanical shutter. The manual zone-focus is a reasonable choice, hopefully still with a nice optical glass viewfinder for composition. The manual film advance and rewind is nice (although it could potentially be awkward with the small half-frame). But I would do manual exposure (hopefully they at least provide this option). And I would do classic 24x36mm frame. I think a compact camera with those details and with at least a moderately nice build quality would be a much better choice for Pentax than the half-frame camera.

 

[mshchem]

Pentax needs to fit in to a market that's composed of kids. Serious minded people are not remotely interested in a "new k1000" not when you can buy amazing cameras for a couple hundred bucks.

24 exposure rolls = 48 half frame. A little mirror for framing selfies. Auto exposure, maybe a little accessory flash. Beautiful to look at, a wind-on lever and a little crank to rewind