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

[halfaman]

As I understood this, it is the development of more film cameras what has been stopped.

 

[koraks]

Hmm I now cannot find the article where I read about 20% of Ricoh sales being the Pentax 17 but it probably meant to refer to the Photo division.

It's unclear to me where such a figure would have come from. Ricoh does not publish financial figures at this detail level. There is also no 'Photo division' in Ricoh; there's a Camera division that's usually listed under the 'Other' category in the business unit overview and it's not clear whether that unit (insofar as it's actually a unit; it's typically Japanese-vague) is the only within the 'Other' category or not. The 'Other' category accounts for something like 1.5% of Ricoh's revenue. Breakdown of revenue within this unit towards specific product lines is not given, as is customary for companies of this nature.

The only 20% reference I could find is a post of yourself dated March 26 of this year. You didn't provide a reference back then either.

This is a typical case of "I think a spoke to a guy who read something about some bloke who heard a rumor that..." and before you know it, it's a 'fact'.

We don't know how many Pentax 17's were sold and we're likely never going to find out either.

The only people in a position to say something along the lines of the 20% remark would either be accountants or controllers intimately involved in Ricoh's financial administration or SBU managers; they're bound to secrecy and likely for the most part Japanese and will not go online and make off the record remarks along these lines as they have absolutely nothing to gain by doing so.

 

[Agulliver]

As I understood this, it is the development of more film cameras what has been stopped.

They've certainly paused development of further models. This does not state or imply they've stopped manufacturing the 17 - which the purveyors of clickbait Youtube videos admit at the end of their videos which begin with "shocking news" that Pentax have stopped manufacturing it.

As for the 20% figure, I remember seeing it on one of Pentax/Ricoh's social media feeds. It came from them, but I can't find it now. It could well have been an Instagram story, they expire after a few hours.

 

[koraks]

As for the 20% figure, I remember seeing it on one of Pentax/Ricoh's social media feeds. It came from them, but I can't find it now. It could well have been an Instagram story, they expire after a few hours.

There's not a chance in h*** that a publicly traded company like Ricoh would publish this kind of specific financial data on their IG.

 

[Cholentpot]

There's not a chance in h*** that a publicly traded company like Ricoh would publish this kind of specific financial data on their IG.

Not to be political but far more sensitive stuff has been said over whatever platforms in the recent past...

 

[koraks]

Not to be political

Well, quite so - we're not talking about politics here. This is business. You don't get consent from Corp. Comm to post figures like these on IG. Especially not in Japan.

 

[Pioneer]

Regardless I have not seen any corporate communication for some time regarding the further development of more film cameras. I could have missed something since I do not track all of Ricoh's communication. But do subscribe to some photo publications and I would expect something of this nature would make the news in some of those rags. So far not a thing. They are not even talking about Pentax cameras let alone the 17. Has Pentax even advertised the camera in the last 3 months?

 

[4season]

There hasn't been a lot of Ricoh / Pentax news in the past year, but in 2024, camera sales "performed well".

https://pentaxrumors.com/2025/06/30/ricoh-imaging-japan-reported-record-profit/

And Ricoh promoted film at Bild Expo:

https://pentaxrumors.com/2025/06/20/pentax-ricoh-booth-at-the-2025-bild-expo-in-nyc/

 

[Thwyllo]

I am not sure where the 20% number comes from, as I am not aware that Ricoh gives that kind of detail.

But if it is true, I imagine it would be for Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd., and not the Ricoh company or group as a whole.

Even that cannot be true as the GRIII and it's variants are documented as Ricoh's biggest seller by a mile.

 

[Thwyllo]

Yeah, there's no way Pentax has ceased production of the 17. I was at BILD in New York a couple weeks ago and a large part of the Pentax booth was Pentax 17 focused. You don't spend that much tradeshow space on a discontinued product.

....unless you can't sell enough of it

 

[cmacd123]

the german "camera" did have an interview with Pentax 17 designer TKO... Takeo "TKO" Suzuki.

he did not have anything to say about what future developments are likely. he is pictured holding a 17 in europe while wearing a Japanese style outfit

 

[armadsen]

Even if Pentax doesn't continue with the project, I'm happy we got the Pentax 17. I use mine all the time. I'm actually scanning a roll from it as we speak. I find it very pleasant to use and like the results I get from it. And I can hand it to a non-photographer family member and trust they'll get a good photo, unlike my more serious manual exposure, manual focus cameras.

 

[xkaes]

And I can hand it to a non-photographer family member and trust they'll get a good photo, unlike my more serious manual exposure, manual focus cameras.

There are a ton of fixed-focus, auto-exposure, half-frame cameras that you can give to a six-year-old -- and get good pictures. Probably better than the ones I take!

https://www.subclub.org/shop/halframe.htm

 

[armadsen]

There are a ton of fixed-focus, auto-exposure, half-frame cameras that you can give to a six-year-old -- and get good pictures. Probably better than the ones I take!

https://www.subclub.org/shop/halframe.htm

Of course, but they’re all old, and of questionable reliability. My 10 year old son has and loves a Minolta Alpha Sweet (not a fixed focus half frame, I realize) that we got for $5. But he’s already on his second after the first one threw up an error and stopped working.

Also, the Pentax 17 is not fixed focus, it has zone focus, and the bokeh mode is nice to use occasionally.

 

[dcy]

Even if Pentax doesn't continue with the project, I'm happy we got the Pentax 17. I use mine all the time.

That's how I feel as well. Even if Pentax doesn't make new cameras, I do not regret supporting the effort to make a brand new film camera from a major manufacturer. The camera itself is also great and I very much enjoy shooting it.

I already have a mirrorless camera with a backpack full of expensive lenses. For film, I decided I wanted a more laid-back experience, but I also wanted a camera with some controls. For me, the P17 is pretty close to the sweet spot. I can treat it as a point and shoot if I want, or I can grab the controls and take a close-ups shot of a flower with a nice bokeh.

 

[dcy]

Also, the Pentax 17 is not fixed focus, it has zone focus, and the bokeh mode is nice to use occasionally.

Yeah. Every roll I shoot, I like to take a few close-up shots with bokeh.

 

[xkaes]

Of course, but they’re all old, and of questionable reliability. My 10 year old son has and loves a Minolta Alpha Sweet (not a fixed focus half frame, I realize) that we got for $5. But he’s already on his second after the first one threw up an error and stopped working.

Also, the Pentax 17 is not fixed focus, it has zone focus, and the bokeh mode is nice to use occasionally.

This bring up the question that has been discussed quite a bit on this FORUM -- mechanical vs electronic. In 10 or 20 years, how many Minolta SRT cameras will still be working vs the Minolta Alpha Sweet?
Similarly, in 10 or 20 years, how many Pentax K1000 cameras will still be working vs the Pentax 17? You won't be able to get replacement parts for any of them.

I'll put my money on the mechanical models.

 

[armadsen]

This bring up the question that has been discussed quite a bit on this FORUM -- mechanical vs electronic. In 10 or 20 years, how many Minolta SRT cameras will still be working vs the Minolta Alpha Sweet?
Similarly, in 10 or 20 years, how many Pentax K1000 cameras will still be working vs the Pentax 17? You won't be able to get replacement parts for any of them.

I'll put my money on the mechanical models.

Oh, me too, for sure. My main camera is a Leica MP partly for that reason.

 

[albireo]

I'll put my money on the mechanical models.

I will do the opposite. I think mechanical cameras are mostly overrated.

I've had many cameras and all of my mechanical cameras, older or relatively recent, have been iffy in a way or another, many times in subtle, invisible ways, many times in obvious ways after some time.

All of them have needed repairs, often costly, always lengthy, and many of these repairs have been subpar, meaning that the camera started malfunctioning again a few months after CLA or never really worked the way it was intended to work as a factory-fresh camera anymore. I binned so many mechanical cameras.

The only cameras that have worked flawlessly for years without needing any CLAs, any repairs, any intervention whatsoever have been my electronic Nikons from the 90s (F801S and F90X amongst others) and my Fuji GA645i, a camera I bought from Japan in as new condition, a plastic electronic monster everyone tells me "it'll fail sooner rather than later", but that actually keeps ticking like a Swiss watch, and has been giving me spot on, in focus, well exposed pictures for many years, without any issues.

"But it will catastrophically fail". I will buy another.

I know you're passionate about old half frame cameras (do I remember correctly you run a website on Olympus PENs?) but I would 100% choose a Pentax 17 over some old rusty mechanical relic anytime.

400$ FM2n or 40$ F801S? F801S no doubt.

 

[chuckroast]

I will do the opposite. I think mechanical cameras are mostly overrated.

I've had many cameras and all of my mechanical cameras, older or relatively recent, have been iffy in a way or another, many times in subtle, invisible ways, many times in obvious ways after some time.

All of them have needed repairs, often costly, always lengthy, and many of these repairs have been subpar, meaning that the camera started malfunctioning again a few months after CLA or never really worked the way it was intended to work as a factory-fresh camera anymore. I binned so many mechanical cameras.

The only cameras that have worked flawlessly for years without needing any CLAs, any repairs, any intervention whatsoever have been my electronic Nikons from the 90s (F801S and F90X amongst others) and my Fuji GA645i, a camera I bought from Japan in as new condition, a plastic electronic monster everyone tells me "it'll fail sooner rather than later", but that actually keeps ticking like a Swiss watch, and gives me spot on, in focus, well exposed pictures since many years without any issues.

"But it will catastrophically fail". I will buy another.

I know you're passionate about old half frame cameras (do I remember correctly you run a website on Olympus PENs?) but I would 100% choose a Pentax 17 over some old rusty mechanical relic anytime.

400$ FM2n or 40$ F801S? F801S no doubt.

By far - by many miles - the most reliable camera I own that has never, ever, ever failed, is my Wisner Technical 4x5 ...

 

[Nopo]

I will do the opposite. I think mechanical cameras are mostly overrated.

I've had many cameras and all of my mechanical cameras, older or relatively recent, have been iffy in a way or another, many times in subtle, invisible ways, many times in obvious ways after some time.

All of them have needed repairs, often costly, always lengthy, and many of these repairs have been subpar, meaning that the camera started malfunctioning again a few months after CLA or never really worked the way it was intended to work as a factory-fresh camera anymore. I binned so many mechanical cameras.

The only cameras that have worked flawlessly for years without needing any CLAs, any repairs, any intervention whatsoever have been my electronic Nikons from the 90s (F801S and F90X amongst others) and my Fuji GA645i, a camera I bought from Japan in as new condition, a plastic electronic monster everyone tells me "it'll fail sooner rather than later", but that actually keeps ticking like a Swiss watch, and gives me spot on, in focus, well exposed pictures since many years without any issues.

"But it will catastrophically fail". I will buy another.

I know you're passionate about old half frame cameras (do I remember correctly you run a website on Olympus PENs?) but I would 100% choose a Pentax 17 over some old rusty mechanical relic anytime.

400$ FM2n or 40$ F801S? F801S no doubt.

Allow me to disagree, as I have had the opposite experience...
The only cameras that have never failed in decades are a Canon TX and a Rolleicord IV, while my Pentax and Olympus electronic SLRs have spent hours in CLA to get them working again.

 

[albireo]

Allow me to disagree, as I have had the opposite experience...
The only cameras that have never failed in decades are a Canon TX and a Rolleicord IV

I have bought and sold many Rolleicords and other TLRs. They're some of my favourite cameras of all times, but finding one that works as it should in 2025 is tough - perhaps close to impossible.

Many are in a poor state, even if they look pristine - they might have been poorly handled, knocked about, they've been tinkered with by generations of creative DIY oriented owners, they're out of spec in multiple ways. They ever so slightly back-focus, front focus, they have misaligned backs, slightly misaligned front standards, erratic shutters, improperly assembled taking lens front or back elements.

Many have been sent for 'CLAs' to clueless or semi-clueless technicians, who often just hack quick solutions, if at all, to get these cameras back up and running in some way in order to do a quick buck.

Many users will never find out that their camera doesn't really work as it should even following a CLA. Maybe suspicion seeps in at some point, but many times the fact we've done a CLA is sufficient to put our mind at rest.

That is - of course - until you chance upon a TLR that works as if it left the factory yesterday. I won't go into details, but I have chanced upon one. It's an entirely different camera from all the other ones I've used and submitted to CLAs. It's not a subtle difference.

So IMO 'never failed' is relative to what your expectations and experiences are. I've seen what a brand new TLR is capable of doing, which means for me that all others TLRs I've had have 'failed' in a way or another, meaning they've never really lived up to their potential and have made me waste tons of money and time in the process of finding out.

My TLR journey has been one with a happy ending, but If I had to redo it all over again, I would probably skip the huge money pit that are mechanical old cameras and only buy mint, boxed, new or relatively recent complex electronic cameras. (or perhaps extremely simple mechanical camera frames without shutter or lens like @chuckroast suggests). These electronic cameras are often so complex that no DIY tech hobbyist would bother touching them, and fewer or no "CLAs" have been performed on them, as opposed to many mechanical cameras that will have been gutted apart by an expert/non expert every 10 years or so. There is a much higher chance than an unfashionable, fully electronic camera works to factory specs. If it doesn't, it often fails completely or at least spectacularly, so it's time to buy another.