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

[xkaes]

my Wisner Technical 4x5 ...

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.

 

[albireo]

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.

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.

 

[Agulliver]

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.

 

[pbromaghin]

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.

I had played with various Rolleis in used camera stores over the years and wondered what was so great about them. Then I happened across one like you describe. I bought it immediately for the most I've ever paid for a camera. It is absolutely wonderful.

 

[mtnbkr]

Might be of interest to someone interested in getting a Pentax 17:

PENTAX 17 - REFURBISHED - $349.95 - Ricoh

The PENTAX 17 is a half-frame camera, capturing two 17mm x 24mm pictures within in a single 35mm-format (36mm x 24mm) film frame. It produces vertical-format pictures with similar ratios to those captured by smartphones, and with the distinctive image quality created only by a film camera. The...

us.ricoh-imaging.com

Chris

 

[multivoiced]

I'm not seeing a "buy" button. How does one get this?

Might be of interest

 

[Disconnekt]

I'm not seeing a "buy" button. How does one get this?

Mpb has a few on their site for $409:

https://www.mpb.com/en-us/product/pentax-17?sort[productPrice]=ASC

 

[mtnbkr]

I'm not seeing a "buy" button. How does one get this?

They may be sold out. There was a Buy button when I posted the link.

Chris

 

[Subversive Mk II]

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.

On the other hand, they can suffer in the hands of idiots.
I have an immediate pre-war Linhof Standard 9x12 which is in perfect working order except some eejit stripped the geared thread on the front riser.
It's not terminal, the camera is still useable, but it's really annoying and not repairable by simply buying another part - if I were equipped to do it, I could make one, after a great deal of faffing around.
On the other, other hand, since I fell into my very small collection of Linhofs entirely by chance and accident, I have a 4x5 Technika III on which everything works perfectly and after a lifetime of pro work and it being consigned to a cupboard for a couple of decades before I bought it, it needed nothing to get it back into use.
Using it is a joy, it's just so well made and feels precise. Proper craftsmanship at a high price. You get what you pay for.

 

[xkaes]

The 17 has been around for two years.

I saw on EBAY about a dozen new listings for USED 17's -- TODAY -- so I wanted to see if this was a sign of waning interest, i.e. people "dumping" their cameras.

So I dug a little deeper. There are about three dozen USED 17's listed on EBAY on any day, and the asking prices are all over the place form $200 to $1,200. They usually sell for between $350-450. So it seems that while plenty of users are selling their camera, there are still plenty of people interested in buying them.

Anyone know if Pentax is still making them? I assume not.

When they eventually get down to the price of an AGAT 18 I might bite the bullet.

 

[Thwyllo]

The 17 has been around for two years.

I saw on EBAY about a dozen new listings for USED 17's -- TODAY -- so I wanted to see if this was a sign of waning interest, i.e. people "dumping" their cameras.

So I dug a little deeper. There are about three dozen USED 17's listed on EBAY on any day, and the asking prices are all over the place form $200 to $1,200. They usually sell for between $350-450. So it seems that while plenty of users are selling their camera, there are still plenty of people interested in buying them.

Anyone know if Pentax is still making them? I assume not.

When they eventually get down to the price of an AGAT 18 I might bite the bullet.

You can still buy them new in Europe for between €425 and €550, the more expensive options come with a couple of rolls of film. But there are dozens for sale in second hand sites, the vast majority apparently "like new" which tells you everything you need to know and pretty much what I expected.

 

[xkaes]

...and why Pentax has apparently learned a lesson.

 

[mshchem]

A nice SLR would be cool. Reality is a brick wall. When there's mint used autofocus SLRs selling for a couple bucks......

 

[Nitroplait]

Anyone know if Pentax is still making them?

It is batch production not a running assembly line. Pentax may run another batch if they found the demand meeting or exceeding their expectations.

The shop where I work has discounted the stock of new 17 cameras quite a bit from the original list price. Also the shop has made a special offer with a handful of film rolls with the camera purchase for just a little more than the regular price of camera alone, to sweeten the deal.
In other words, not selling like a influencer hotcake, and below shop expectations - but I have no idea if it is above or below Pentax expectations.

 

[Thwyllo]

Well it's kind of typical Pentax isn't it....slightly off the wall ideas (viz Pentax Q which I love) but never any notification of number of units sold, just as with their APSC monochrome. So they can puff it up all they like without fear of contradiction.

 

[4season]

For me, the novelty of Pentax 17 wore off some time ago, and considering that I've owned it for more than a year, that seems about right. What initially felt like my shiniest new retro-toy, now feels like another picture-taking tool. But as a tool, it's pretty good and thrifty.

 

[koraks]

never any notification of number of units sold

Which camera manufacturers give hard sales data?

 

[Thwyllo]

Which camera manufacturers give hard sales data?

Not quite the point is it .. other manufacturers don't tend to engage in the sort of preening that Pentax is given to. Their whole product lineup is out of kilter to be honest, and in an age when DSLRs are all but dead, their last mirrorless was what, the dreadful K-01? Sorry but with the one exception I'm just not a Pentax fanboy.