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

chuckroast said:

my Wisner Technical 4x5 ...

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Now that's what I call a perfect example of "some old rusty mechanical relic" -- that will still be working LONG after I'm gone.

xkaes said:

Now that's what I call a perfect example of "some old rusty mechanical relic" -- that will still be working LONG after I'm gone.

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I mean I'll readily admit my take was slightly hyperbolic and both mechanical and electronic can fail as someone rightly pointed out - however..

A Wisner Technical 4x5.

Two metal frames holding a leather bellows and a pair of rails to get the two square frames closer to or farther from each other. That's basically it.

No shutter, no lens, no focusing helicoid, no film pressure plate, no film advance mechanism. No gears, no dials.

Come on now. It would be weird it it weren't still 'working' when you're gone.

It's an extremely simple thing, very far removed from the aging, failing and complex mechanical 35mm cameras people are mentioning as a 'better' alternative to the Pentax 17.

With the mechanical cameras, if they are taken care of and used regularly but not hammered....they tend to keep going. Also the more simple mechanical cameras tend to be the longest lived. When was the last time any of us came across a box camera that was in decent condition and couldn't be coaxed into taking photos. My small collection of 1930s MF folders has never let anyone down and some are pushing 100 years old now. The only one that ever failed was a bottom of the line Ensign....and I bet I could fix that if I were brave.

However, mechanical cameras discovered after 40 years of neglect often need a CLA at least. Meanwhile electronics can fail at any time, especially older electronics. But some of us get lucky.

One of the attractions of the Pentax 17 is that it is new, has spare parts guarantee for some years, and of course has a warranty.