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

[brbo]

If you can find one at half price in EU I'd probably take a bite. I could then compare it to a number of my other HF cameras.

Or are the used ones on eBay not really cameras that people are trying to unload quickly and cheaply?

 

[Samuel Dilworth]

I do not know how many 17's Pentax manufactured but I've heard from a couple of retailers that they've been told that the entire first production run was effectively sold within days and that a second run has begun.

Maybe. But I saw little to suggest that here in Europe. It’s been easily available since the beginning, with camera stores only briefly out of stock while they evidently replenished from Ricoh.

This certainly demonstrates that the information one poster gave us, which was that Pentax top brass' research predicted the 17 would fail and that they wanted to bury the whole "it's time for film" project ASAP was a lie from the start.

The camera was clearly optimised for large-scale production. Magnesium alloy isn’t cost-effective otherwise. I think Pentax took a chance on this being a hit and made a lot of cameras right from the beginning.

We could get some indication of production from serial numbers. I got mine pretty early and it is 9007xxx.

*if* it's 50,000.....that's comparatively a lot of film cameras being sold in a short period of time. I do know a couple of people who have a 17 and really enjoy them. I have not handled one myself but indications are that despite a plasticky feel it's a really well made piece of gear.

I have one. I wouldn’t call it plasticky. There is plastic of course, but it’s high-quality stuff. Mechanics feel great.

The major impression is of lightness, however, and that suggests cheapness to the unobservant.

Whether this level of sales can be sustained is anyone's guess....but this has begun really well.

Yeah, feels like a good start. Let’s hope for a long tail.

 

[xkaes]

Hey, there's no shortage of people who will pay thousands to see Taylor Swift. She's on her way to London for FIVE sold-out performances in a mega stadium.

 

[aw614]

Hey, there's no shortage of people who will pay thousands to see Taylor Swift. She's on her way to London for FIVE sold-out performances in a mega stadium.

I've enjoyed reading your website on all the cameras and info on them, but its getting old seeing you constantly post the same thing over and over on this thread trashing the camera.

 

[Agulliver]

If you can find one at half price in EU I'd probably take a bite. I could then compare it to a number of my other HF cameras.

Or are the used ones on eBay not really cameras that people are trying to unload quickly and cheaply?

I see a few dealers selling 17's on eBay at anything from £470 to £550, brand new.

I see one "used" where the vendor put one roll of film through it and decided it wasn't for them, preferring something with full manual control. They're asking £449

I see nobody offloading one "quickly and cheaply". Perhaps you have links to auctions that I didn't find?

I noted "KlugShop" (a business) is offering brand new 17's on eBay at two prices, £470 and £390. I suspect the latter is either a fake offer which will not be fulfilled or a typo. "KlugShop" (Klug Kaufer) seems to have sold 3000 items successfully, but the rest of their items aren't at all photography related and the vast majority are significantly under £100.

 

[brbo]

I see nobody offloading one "quickly and cheaply". Perhaps you have links to auctions that I didn't find?

Considering that I was asking for links to cheap eBay Pentax 17s, obviously, I do NOT have links.







(my participation here on Photrio has me seriously considering reentering primary school since I see that my English must be absolutely awful)

 

[Samuel Dilworth]

Ricoh sent out a lot of cameras to YouTubers. That was one of the surprises of the launch. Presumably a portion of those cameras will end up on eBay, their job done.

 

[xkaes]

I've enjoyed reading your website on all the cameras and info on them, but its getting old seeing you constantly post the same thing over and over on this thread trashing the camera.

I'm not "trashing" the camera -- or Taylor Swift or Swiftees. As I've said over and over, I hope that Pentax sells a million of them -- and makes a trillion dollars. I quickly added the Pentax 17 to the SUBCLUB's NEWSTAND and the SUBCLUB's HALF-FRAME camera list -- giving it MUCH more coverage than any other half-frame camera (and there are hundreds of them).

 

[JParker]

The Pentax 17 is now showing up on EBAY -- used, of course. That's even faster than the Kodak H35.

That is not unusual at all for a new camera:
Every time when a new digital camera is introduced, after 1-2 weeks you see the first used offers on ebay.
There are a lot of people out there who buy things out of curiosity, try and play with it for some days or weeks, and sell it when it is not 100% of what they wanted or expected.

 

[xkaes]

There are a lot of people out there who buy things out of curiosity, try and play with it for some days or weeks, and sell it when it is not 100% of what they wanted or expected.

It's certainly good news for anyone interested in the Pentax 17, but my guess is that the opposite is true for Taylor Swift tickets.

 

[Agulliver]

As I said, I am not finding used 17's on eBay apart from one where the seller says they put one film through it and decided they prefer fully manual cameras....and are offering it at £449.

The other eBay sales that I can find are all businesses selling brand new 17s at close to or even over the usual retail price and simply using eBay as a selling platform.

Though as @JParker says, it is not at all uncommon to see nearly new tech products trickle into the second hand market after a few weeks. There are plenty of people with enough money to buy something, give it a try, then sell it as "nearly new" when the buzz wears off for them.

 

[titrisol]

While the demand keeps at high levels the prices of "mint" cameras will not be much lower than new ones.
I'd wait 6-8 months before even looking for one at a decent price

 

[xkaes]

This happens with Picasso's too, I suppose.

 

[Agulliver]

Analogue Wonderland are now trying to sell me a Pentax 17 T-shirt.

make of that what you will.

 

[koraks]

Well, will they succeed?

 

[Agulliver]

Well, will they succeed?

I doubt it. I have two photography related t-shirts and that's probably sufficient for me. But I suppose it does mean that someone thinks there's a market for Pentax 17 t-shirts.....though it is pretty easy to get them printed these days.

 

[cmacd123]

first the t-shirt, then a camera to go with it

 

[MattKing]

I've now seen a Pentax 17 in the flesh, and I'm suitably impressed.
One of the members of my Darkroom Group has purchased one - nearly $700 CDN! - and had it available for "Show and Tell" at our recent meeting.
He has lots of experience with half frame cameras - has more than one - and loves to experiment with all sorts of different pieces of photographic technology. He is also frustratingly talented with things like adapting cameras and lenses in order to use them together - including essentially building his own cameras - so he isn't someone who needs point and shoot - he just likes to use it.
One thing that he shares with the likely target demographic is that he is active on Instagram.
The observations that follow are a combination of what I observed directly, and his observations.
First, the camera really looks good - it's fit and finish are excellent.
Second, it appears to be well made, and of high quality materials.
Third, it feels good in the hand, and I expect would be nice to use.
Fourth, it apparently offers really accurate metering.
Fifth, its lens is very good.
Sixth, those pages of negatives have so many perfectly spaced images - they are a marvel to behold.
My friend was making a contact proof sheet from one roll during the darkroom portion of our meeting, which looked great. He also tried to make a print or two, but none of the Group darkroom's enlargers had really been set up well for printing from that size of negative, so that is a work in progress. The recessed lens board for the Beseler 4x5 enlarger he was trying to work with wasn't located until later.
My friend has my old Omega D6 enlarger. I'll be interested to see whether he can figure out a way to use it effectively with half frame negatives.

 

[mshchem]

I've now seen a Pentax 17 in the flesh, and I'm suitably impressed.
One of the members of my Darkroom Group has purchased one - nearly $700 CDN! - and had it available for "Show and Tell" at our recent meeting.
He has lots of experience with half frame cameras - has more than one - and loves to experiment with all sorts of different pieces of photographic technology. He is also frustratingly talented with things like adapting cameras and lenses in order to use them together - including essentially building his own cameras - so he isn't someone who needs point and shoot - he just likes to use it.
One thing that he shares with the likely target demographic is that he is active on Instagram.
The observations that follow are a combination of what I observed directly, and his observations.
First, the camera really looks good - it's fit and finish are excellent.
Second, it appears to be well made, and of high quality materials.
Third, it feels good in the hand, and I expect would be nice to use.
Fourth, it apparently offers really accurate metering.
Fifth, its lens is very good.
Sixth, those pages of negatives have so many perfectly spaced images - they are a marvel to behold.
My friend was making a contact proof sheet from one roll during the darkroom portion of our meeting, which looked great. He also tried to make a print or two, but none of the Group darkroom's enlargers had really been set up well for printing from that size of negative, so that is a work in progress. The recessed lens board for the Beseler 4x5 enlarger he was trying to work with wasn't located until later.
My friend has my old Omega D6 enlarger. I'll be interested to see whether he can figure out a way to use it effectively with half frame negatives.

I bought a half frame negative carrier for my Beseler. No camera yet. It's just a matter of time.

 

[titrisol]

I bought a half frame negative carrier for my Beseler. No camera yet. It's just a matter of time.

I designed a 3d printed half frame slide (both for projection or in my case as mask for the slide-copier

Half frame slide holder by titrisol

In anticipation of the Pentax 17 camera, I remixed the 35mm slide holder for a vertical 17x24mm image** A "SLIM" version is also offered which shaves 0.15mm of the original so it doesnt get stuck in carrousel projectors as noted by an early adopter.Remix of...

www.thingiverse.com

 

[mshchem]

I designed a 3d printed half frame slide (both for projection or in my case as mask for the slide-copier

Half frame slide holder by titrisol

In anticipation of the Pentax 17 camera, I remixed the 35mm slide holder for a vertical 17x24mm image** A "SLIM" version is also offered which shaves 0.15mm of the original so it doesnt get stuck in carrousel projectors as noted by an early adopter.Remix of...

www.thingiverse.com

Very nice! I do have a box of Gepe half frame slide mounts, not sure if I will ever use but it's nice to have. I think half frame is kinda genius on the part of Pentax.

 

[xkaes]

My friend was making a contact proof sheet from one roll during the darkroom portion of our meeting, which looked great. He also tried to make a print or two, but none of the Group darkroom's enlargers had really been set up well for printing from that size of negative, so that is a work in progress.

Anyone who happens to have a 4x5 enlarger AND uses smaller formats can use the enlarger as a great way to make LARGE contact sheets of those tiny, impossible-to-see negatives.

All you need is a glassless 4x5 film holder. For example, you an get three rows of 35mm film in a 4x5 carrier, and using half-frame for example, you can contact print an entire roll. 8X10 might be enough, but why not 11x14"?

 

[cmacd123]

OK, NOW has anyone heard any Rumors, or comments about the SECOND camera, that was indicated in the title? the 17 could easaly be reworked by the factory as a full frame model, (different Lens elements , changed advance gears, different finder.) as the pressure plate and the Gate (what it would be called in a movie camera) are both large enough for a full frame opening.
or are they still swamped in getting out enough of the 17 model.

 

[JParker]

OK, NOW has anyone heard any Rumors, or comments about the SECOND camera, that was indicated in the title? the 17 could easaly be reworked by the factory as a full frame model, (different Lens elements , changed advance gears, different finder.) as the pressure plate and the Gate (what it would be called in a movie camera) are both large enough for a full frame opening.
or are they still swamped in getting out enough of the 17 model.

I would not expect that they make any final decisions soon. It is certainly clever to wait a little bit, look at the market reactions and refine the market research:
- how are the sales of the Pentax 17 developing after the initial start phase
- how is the feedback of the customers after several months of use
- what do the customers like, what do they criticise
- have real customers / users of the camera expressed wishes for another model, and in what way
- how is the market reaction to the Rollei 35 AF now introduced by Mint.

 

[blee1996]

- how is the market reaction to the Rollei 35 AF now introduced by Mint.

If I were Pentax, I would be very interested in the market reaction to Mint's Rollei 35 AF camera as well.