In Conversation with Alex Muñoz: The new Pentax 17 (and more)

[@larrymccormick3226]

Just ordered my Pentax 17 yesterday and am really looking forward to it. Had to support Pentax for making the effort. Hoping there's more to come. I said I wasnt going to spend that much for a half frame, but changed my mind. Couldn't let everyone else have all the fun !

[@pushingfilm]

Nice move!

[@shred3005]

I’ll almost certainly be buying it to support the development of film cameras and film processing generally but I’m in a position to be able to contribute in such a way. Although I’d be using it for sure as I can really see myself with it as a casual, fun camera exactly as Alex says to take to a picnic or party or event or as a street camera. You can hand it around to other people you’re with and they can’t go wrong. I love diptych photos also and this really encourages that process. I find the possibilities exciting now that I reaching a stage in my photography where I realise that having massive megapixel cameras with complex shooting capabilities doesn’t make me take better photos. Simple is best. It’s taken me almost 40 yrs of being a photographer to realise that in the last decade.

[@Jonahc-u6h]

Well said… simple is fine. And when on the streets, the more simpler the camera, the better. Just look at the GR! I have my artsy OM2sp and my Film Pen F… they challenge me and give me options to shoot Manuel. A new Pentax 17 with relatively plug and play ability, might be a welcome edition. But, isn’t the GR also plug and play? Anyhow, enjoyed reading your post😀

[@shred3005]

@@Jonahc-u6h the Pentax 17 seems to me to be the film alternative to the digital GR. Was just walking out the out through the foyer of my city office and looking at the street shooting opportunities around me and wishing I had the Pentax 17 on a wrist strap because the fleeting street opportunities were all around and it would have been perfect. My old Pentax MX is lovely but although similar size it’s twice the weight and too slow to manual meter and manual focus (although can trust zone focus if I stop down a bit) and my really old Leica IIIf is definitely too slow for fleeting street opportunities unless you really have your exposure dialled in advance. Yes you can overcome the exposure and focus with knowledge and preparation on old manual film cameras but the Pentax 17 is going to make that easy and accessible for anyone

[@shaoshuai_on_film]

people are saying there are more options that are better than the pentax 17 and cheaper, but I just want to argue that while those cameras are great and cheap, they are also old and deteriorating; The Pentax 17 may be $500, but it's a new product that just came out, made with the latest technology and materials. Plus, when you calculate in the inflation, the pentax 17 in 1990 would cost $365 AUD, so almost the same price with a GR-1 point and shoot when it came out

[@poniatowski3547]

you seriously can't compare a GR-1 with the 17. The spec difference is massive.

[@pushingfilm]

Good points!

[@slothsarecool]

yeah you’re gambling with the old bodies, I’ve had a few film cameras croak on me

[@flowermaze___]

Pentax releases a NEW film camera. Leica remade a classic. Rollie making a new film camera! What a time to be alive. It’s amazing to see R&D, resources, passion and people actually making NEW film cameras in 2024 🎞️ Prices are high, but new things often are. Back in the day, from what I’ve see on old articles, even the simpler cameras like Pentax ME, MG, Nikon EM cost about the same as the Pentax 17 if not more. We’ve been condition to expect film cameras being cheaper because they CAN be found for cheap at 2nd hand shops etc etc. Everyone’s a bit of cheapskate now and expects them to all be dirt cheap. No reason they should be, they’re amazing photo tools and a brand new one is very exciting 🎞️

[@pushingfilm]

Brand new is exciting indeed!

[@gregorioprincipe6838]

Pretty satisfied still with my 2010 2nd hand purchase of the last new film camera before all these recent re-issues. My Fujifilm Klasse W that I remember looked so new.

[@slothsarecool]

I think half frame makes tons of sense for those who want the kind of vintage aesthetic. 35mm was a surprise to me in the sense that the photos are almost too good 😅

[@rebours]

I really don't get the criticism about the lower resolution...if half frame isn't enough quality wise then full frame surely isn't either.

[@nikoladimitrijevic8172]

Same... Portra 400 35mm with good exposure and with a newer lens, printed on 5x7 looks almost like DSLR. Only when printed on A4 I can clearly see the character of the film.

[@doozledumbler5393]

Hearing the news that Pentax was overwhelmed by the amount of orders it's safe to say the price point wasn't the issue for a lot of people.

[@pushingfilm]

Yep!

[@larrymccormick3226]

For myself, the ultimate camera would be a new true Panoramic camera thats affordable with a wide 24mm f2.8 . Not the usual masked frames, but like the Fuji/Hasselblad form. But small as can be made and in all metal body with a great wide lens that has a leaf shutter. Great half frame cameras are already out there that are easy to find for really easy to find. For what it is, way to expensive !

[@gregmarcus3064]

Feeling left out guys 😂 It was a virtual You Tube Party with all the film photography You Tubers having advanced copies of the P17. 😂

[@pushingfilm]

Feels like that! Exciting times 😁

[@BradleySwainAwesome]

Portrait is not required for half frame! The Yashica/Kyocera Samurai was half frame landscape. It just looks weird as hell lol

[@pushingfilm]

You're right, I forgot about the Samurai! We actually have one of them lying around the house somewhere 😅

[@terryschmidbauer1964]

Funny how a guy with TWO Leica “party cameras” is complaining about the price of the 17. 🎉

[@ralphgeronilla]

The greatest question is would I buy a spotmatic or the 17?

[@nwmi23]

Buy both, I was able to purchase a Spotmatic SP for $80, and I also purchased the Pentax 17, and I'm waiting for it to arrive.

[@kristoffergo6294]

Why they could not make a normal SLR pentax camera? they have all the vintage lenses avaible already.

[@pushingfilm]

This will sell to a larger audience, and pave the way for a potential SLR later

[@poniatowski3547]

The 17 is overpriced. Alex is right when he says $350USD is more appropriate. At $550AUD I'd buy never at $900. I'm interested to see what happens with the Mint Rollei and where it lands pricewise.

[@ryejack]

Right now, they're saying the Rollei 35AF will be about $650-800 USD.

[@poniatowski3547]

@@ryejack even at 800USD thats something like 1200AUD which I'd pay for a new all metal bodied f2.8 35mm AF camera - will b interesting price it ends up as and how the lidar AF performs - interesting times.

[@ryejack]

@@poniatowski3547 It's one that I'm watching as well. The photos they've release so far look amazing. Having the ability to change aperture and shutter speed will be a huge plus. I'm very curious what the difference in price will offer. My guess is body materials or accessories, but we shall see.

[@pushingfilm]

Neither would I, and I'm also more keen on the Rollei... But for the many people who've already put their money down on the 17, that tells me the price is fine.

[@poniatowski3547]

@@pushingfilm JCH livestream on the Rollei Mint looks awesome. 800usd 5 element glass lens AF auto and manual mode with oct delivery. How blessed are we. Pentax and now Mint hope they sell the crap out of both. I was worried about the Pentax but after seeing the Mint Rollei I think the bigger companies may well start looking and particularly Pentax for a premium camera to compliment the 17.

[@maxwellwellmax878]

The Colab I didnt know I needed, but glad it happened!!! and yeah the 17 was DOA at that price.

[@doozledumbler5393]

So DOA that they couldn't handle the amount of orders and had to stop taking preorders?

[@pushingfilm]

If there's an opposite of Dead on Arrival I think this release is it 😁

[@michaelacookePDX]

I love the new Pentax 17 but for $500 there are so many other film camera options that are high quality and full featured.

[@pushingfilm]

Not brand new though!

[@TheDevilakshmi]

Wow, somebody actually said it is called "one seven" instead of seventeen. The font of the 17 was taken from the Pentax six seven. Anyhow this is a fantastic camera and is a great move for Pentax/Ricoh. I have already pre-ordered mine and will be a great camera for my collection. Lol, ten years ago this camera would have been all the rage, competing with similar cameras like the Olympus Trip 35. Seems to me like there a lot of film snobs who are now looking for ultimate image quality instead of just having fun with shooting film. Whatever happened to Lomo?