Pentax 17 Unboxing and First Impressions

I was able to get a Pentax 17 today and, honestly, didn't even know it would be released until by happenstance I walked into a camera store when they were talking about it. I knew it would be announced, but the availability was surprising. My initial thought is that it looks great but I have some serious reservations about the battery door engineering and the overall build. The camera looks great, the film advance feels lovely, and I'm hopeful that the lens will take great photos. this is definitely NOT a beginner camera, though, either in features and use or price.

[@Journeyman_]

"These silver exterior parts are made of a solid but lightweight magnesium alloy identical to the material used in the PENTAX K-1 Mark II and PENTAX 645Z cameras" a quote from "PENTAX Film Project Story #04" video with TKO

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you! I won't lie, they definitely don't feel or sound like it. I'm definitely taking the bottom plate off of mine to check that.

[@DavidHancock]

@mipmipmipmipmip with luck, someday I'll have a good idea.

[@richardnovak7772]

Good review, thanks. Although the top and bottom are not metal coated plastic, they are magnesium alloy.

[@FrancescoCoppola]

Looking forward e full review! Surely this is a first attempt to make a film camera after 20 years and it shows. I am excited for the other steps of this journey. I really hope they succeed so that I can purchase a new 35mm slr, with a 4 year warranty, ample repair possibilty and a K mount (6x7 would be a wild dream, but I doubt they will make it in short time range).

[@DavidHancock]

Yeah, this is definitely a stepping stone. I doubt a 6x7 is ever in the cards, unfortunately.

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you and same here! I really want this to be a success with people who love using it. There's a lot right with it, especially in terms of user interface.

[@VariTimo]

Auto mode is fixed focus at 1m-infinity.

[@llchan]

Looking forward to your full review.😊

[@1RJ2]

The mode dial is indeed weird. The auto makes it more of an Olympus PEN with fixed focus no matter what zone you pick, so the lens is basically focus by wire(?). They could have worded it differently. Also de Bokeh mode tries to keep the aperture at 3.5 but if there is too much light it will close it down. A few weird quirks but a fun camera overall

[@scrptwic]

You convinced me to fix the light seals in my Spotmatic all Pentax DSLR cameras are ASP-C I dont need anything cropped more like half frame at least the Spotmatic is full frame with interchangeable lenses

[@DavidHancock]

Makes sense

[@doctorbohr1585]

Why wouldn't you have done this already? The Spotmatic is a great camera.

[@scrptwic]

@@doctorbohr1585 I have not shot film since 2005 until now i have had no reason to shoot a film camera again i still photograph with digital cameras sparingly as i remember each film shot was more costly than digital. Having to slow down and frame the shot with a film camera cannot be a bad thing

[@scrptwic]

@@doctorbohr1585 I gave up shooting film in 2005 when I bought my first digital camera a Pentax istDL I still have and use I bought the Spotamatic for the Takumar lenses that came with it I put it away in a drawer until somebody gave me a roll of film I had no pictures on the roll and discovered the light Seals were bad. Now that I can't drive for 6 weeks after heart surgery I have the time for these delayed projects

[@erichartke4331]

The K-1 is full frame so you know, I would love one, but I don't have the extra funds for another digital system since I shoot mostly film.

[@aengusmacnaughton1375]

Pretty sure that the top/bottom plate are a magnesium alloy -- stronger than plastic, but definitely lighter than traditional metal camera body plates....

[@XiaoZong322]

Look forward to the hands-on video🔥

[@DixonLu]

If we were to evaluate it based on Pentax claimed goal: the new social media generation (millennial/gen z), does the package contain sufficient transitional guidance from phone to film? (The camera seems confusing even to me who had shot film for 30 years.)

[@mattdyer9544]

I assume they are relying on/going to point people towards online guides/video content demonstrating how to use it (something younger generations seem to be more drawn to). It seems a common opinion of early reviews that the manual is rather useless, so why they have included it in the first place I'm not sure. If they expect people to look online then they should've created first-party videos, and if they wanted people to read the manual they should have made a proper manual.

[@chooseitwisely98]

I love shooting the old olympus pen and xa compact film cameras. Being brand new to photography (let alone film photography) i enjoyed those cameras (and still do) for the same reason i think pentax made this one. Zone focus isn't complicated when you dont really know what it is and you're not used to focusing manually. You just don't really worry about it and the wide field of focus on an admittedly slow lens will bridge the gap 90% of the time. The result is a shoot from the hip experience that makes it easy to take your camera everywhere. 72 exposures means youre not too pressed about messing up a few frames and if theres something you truly dont want to miss you just snap a few backups with your phone. Thats my opinion as someone who's the target demo age-wise for this project and still a pretty novice photographer. That said i do consider myself a bit of an enthusiast (hence why im even seeing this content) so my thoughts might not be all that representative of how my "peers" will receive this anyways

[@DavidHancock]

If there's another camera with a similar interface, I haven't ever encountered it. There are some interesting design and engineering approaches, too. I'm not sure yet if I'll like it, but I'm in absolute awe that they did it.

[@vangstr]

You’re right. Pentax should have put a clip on the inside of the battery screw to keep it from falling out. After all the research they failed at this implementation.

[@DavidHancock]

I've been trying to figure out if it's possible and it would have required a whole battery chamber redesign. I still think it would have been a good idea, but the existing chamber cover needs the screw to be fully removed in order for the cover bit to cover off. Part of me thinks magnets would work, but they might not work well enough to have that be a viable grip, too. So I don't have a better idea, unfortunately.

[@aengusmacnaughton1375]

Odd for Pentax to 'slip' on the battery-cover screw like that. I have a bunch of different vintage cameras and the screws/latch for the battery covers don't fall off (Yashica 230AF, many Canon EOS film SLRs, etc.) -- I hope that they fix that in the 2nd run of these things!!!

[@DavidHancock]

I agree. That one item needs a redesign.

[@robertyoung1777]

If it were full-frame it could be a great small lightweight camera.

[@DavidHancock]

Well, even at half-frame, it still is that. :D

[@ZommBleed]

I see you had to get on the bandwagon with the 17. I knew you were going to drop something. I'm waiting for a way for you to drop the lens, even though it's permanently mounted. Thumbs up for not disappointing us by the drop.

[@DavidHancock]

Even with warnings, lots of people are dripping those screws. Ricoh is going to make its shareholders very happy with the profits off the 17's replacement screws.

[@ZommBleed]

@@DavidHancock I'll just hang onto my pentax M42 and K-mount bodies. Also have a Pen FT Olympus.

[@sdhute]

So on the edge on this one. Might just wait for the mint 35mm ff

[@DavidHancock]

Had I known how well they'd sell, I may have waited because it looks like Ricoh didn't need my money and, honestly, I'm not a half-frame fan at all. But if this is anything like the potential FF, I'm going to really like that camera.

[@sdhute]

@@DavidHancock that 2 year extended warranty card thats included for free with purchase or is that a paid warranty extension?

[@acmhc8]

i thought focus setting in auto mode was 1M to infinity?

[@DavidHancock]

What you said is correct. It's fixed in Auto at that range. What did I say? (I assume I mis-spoke.)

[@mrsparkle3372]

are you sure it’s CR123? i thought it was Cr2

[@DavidHancock]

@@mrsparkle3372 it's CR2. I mis-spoke.

[@Bubblestheghost]

Do you have a video on shooting with with it?

[@DavidHancock]

@@Bubblestheghost not yet. It's in the next batch to script.

[@jw48335]

MVP - Minimum Viable Product - worts included free of charge😳

[@DavidHancock]

After I uploaded, I was able to confirm that the shutter is a guillotine -- it looks much better than what's on the reusable cameras but it's the same concept. Also it looks like the lens is an achromatic doublet and it is entirely in front of the shutter (which is fine) and appears to be glass (which is great.) not sure what the aperture is like yet. The interface looks pretty well thought out and designed.

[@jw48335]

@@DavidHancock The lens being entirely in front of the shutter makes sense if they're going to expand on this body by swapping lenses and potentially adding to it. The more I see of this the more I expect a "17AF" or even a "17RF". They're going to want to be ultra conservative on both R&D and production costs.

[@monsieurgolem3392]

Bro..what is a guillotine shutter?

[@DavidHancock]

It's one that has a single shutter blade that moves out of the way and back, often down then up in 35mm cameras.

[@monsieurgolem3392]

@@DavidHancock which ones have that and whats the benefit?

[@DavidHancock]

@@monsieurgolem3392 it's not that there's a specific benefit. There are a bunch of different types of shutters -- guillotine, leaf, and focal plane are the most common. They're selected based on camera need, design, and cost. There are some different benefits in terms of flash sync and maximum shutter speed, also trade-offs in cost and complexity.

[@monsieurgolem3392]

@@DavidHancock got it.

[@Democratiser]

I am underwhelmed. Love the idea of a new film camera but given all the design and functionality choices the 17 perplexes me. The forthcoming Mint produced ‘Rollei’ 35 with AF on the other hand sounds like the more exciting option subject to it actually being delivered and tested.

[@DavidHancock]

Well, yeah, but what's the price point on that going to be? If the 17 came out in 1950, when viewfinders were common, converting dollars over time, it would have been priced at $40, about the price of an Ansco Memar back then. And, honestly, this compares favorably to that and would serve the same market were they to have been released next to each other for the same price. So I would not compare this to the Rollei for the same reason that I would not compare a Ford Explorer to a Maclaren M1.

[@Democratiser]

@@DavidHancock I hear the Rollei 35AF will sell for about $700-800. If true then then I think there will definitely be people choosing between the two. The key USP of the Pentax might only be the 72 frames.

[@DavidHancock]

@@Democratiser Wow. If the Rollei really is only twice the price of this, that's going to be 1- awesome for the prospects of future cameras and 2- kind of a harsh damnation of the Ricoh pricing model.

[@Democratiser]

@@DavidHancock Indeed, I agree it should be a bit of a hit. I just checked and the range quoted by Japan Camera Hunter is actually US$650-$800. The 35AF is apparently using the sonar lens like the 35S and 35SE. It is such a beautiful body design. The cold shoe being on the bottom is the main quirk.

[@Pedro240896]

Screws aren’t that big of a deal man

[@DavidHancock]

@@Pedro240896 no, but a lost grip is. And that doesn't look like a standard screw based on the thread and what design. Fortunately, the battery won't need to be changed often.

[@michaelacookePDX]

It seems very underwhelming for a camera that costs $500. Would you spend $500 on it? I'm assuming Pentax sent this to you to review so you're not personally out the money.

[@DavidHancock]

Pentax didn't send this to me, no. I did not get an offer from Pentax, either. And as a matter of policy, I now decline all offers for free gear, period and with zero exceptions. I bought this and it was actually about $600. So in that regard, I'd gladly have spent $500 instead. 🤓

[@michaelacookePDX]

@@DavidHancock Is the camera made in Japan?

[@DavidHancock]

@@michaelacookePDX Good question and I didn't even think to ask until you did. Vietnam.

[@ArthurJS123]

Thinking every social media photography channel with over 1000 subs was given one of these. No “full frame”, no thanks.

[@DavidHancock]

I was not given one of these. I got to buy it. Honestly, I didn't even know it was being released on the 18th. I just thought it was an announcement.

[@ArthurJS123]

@@DavidHancock Funny how many have said this, yet all of the first videos came out pretty much within the same day. Not saying I don’t believe you, but I have a great deal of cynicism these days with social media and how content creators are influenced.

[@TheStockwell]

Fascinating. Half a thousand dollars for a plastic, half frame camera? That has problems right out of the box? 🤔 No offense intended, but a person could get a very good vintage camera - made of metal! - on eBay or from Pacific Rim Camera for a lot less. This might be the film camera equivalent of NFTs. Fascinating. 🙄 Best wishes from Vermont 🍁

[@DavidHancock]

Yeah, this is a curious one.

[@TheStockwell]

After looking at a few videos and reading a bit, I've added to my original comment. "Curious" is giving this contraption the benefit of a doubt it might not deserve. This seems like a high-end Kickstarter project - which has been released before having the kinks worked out. @@DavidHancock

[@TheStockwell]

Finding fault with people who find fault with a camera? That's a curious approach to joining an informative conversation! Best wishes from Vermont 🍁

[@poniatowski3547]

@mipmipmipmipmip I think there are many of us who want the camera to succeed but are perplexed by Pentax design choices here. This camera is very important - it potentially determines the future for any more cameras from any big player not just Pentax. But they released a curious camera that is very niche, shouldn't they have tried to produce a camera that appeals to widest audience? and at $500usd thats 1000aud here in Oz - too much. I know regards R&D and recoup costs and value today vs 1990 prices etc etc - the problem is this camera has been released not in a vacuum but in world that means its competing against old cameras and at that price - fully refurbed 1/2 frame cameras in minty condition that will give trouble free use for years and years that are just plainly batter cameras. I want it to succeed I fear it wont.

[@nunoteixeiradesign]

As an Industrial designer, this camera is ugly as hell. As a photographer this is a mistake and a flop in the making, wait until people get the first rolls from the labs, they will return this crap to Pentax fast. Pentax will not be able to compete with other camera makers like Lomography and Rollei. Rollei is already working on their brand new Rollei 35 AF...Pentax, what have you done, what a disgrace.

[@DavidHancock]

I wasn't a fan of the design at first and still don't like how the viewfinder fits into it. The top is growing on me and i the interface is absolutely delightful to use. I'm about halfway through my first roll and the way everything feels is nice. It's also filled with fun tricks like the strap being the same length as the minimum focus distance, which I've been making use of. The grip also feels fantastic to hold and carry. I am curious to know how the little triplet lens works and can't wait to finish this roll and send it off.

[@nunoteixeiradesign]

@@DavidHancock lens can be sharp, Pentax has always made outstanding glass but half-frame can never compete with full frame, there are no miracles on this matter. If you are into half-frame you can buy a gorgeous Olympus Pen F for the same price, an value wise, it's a better choice.

[@DavidHancock]

@@nunoteixeiradesign going with a vintage used camera over this is definitely not a great choice. The Pen cameras have shutters that, if they jam, are ruined and generally unrepairable. Also, they're old now and worn and have higher and higher failure rates now than even a few years ago. Plus the 17 is packed with features that the Pen series lacked. Comparing this to any vintage camera is unfair to both cameras because the feature sets and component ages are so different.

[@Robthevampire666]

It looks cheap and what's the market for a point and shoot half frame camera ? surely that market uses digital or phone cameras which don't cost £400+ would have been better coming out with a device aimed at 35mm Photographers with some advanced features and ability to use vintage lenses

[@DavidHancock]

Having done a partial disassembly, it's very well made and definitely worth the cost. As for the market? That's a fair question and I suspect that it's geared toward people who want to use film and cut their costs a bit. People don't make huge prints often anymore, but do share images on phones all the time. Half-frame images are almost indistinguishable from full-frame imaged on most social media platforms, even when viewed on a computer monitor.

[@Robthevampire666]

@@DavidHancock Why use film for social media which is usually an instant post for instant gratification and likes etc and while £400 might not be a lot to yourself it when you are young I don't see that market being interested in the cost of the camera-film-developing nor the time for developing

[@DavidHancock]

@@Robthevampire666 I think the sales numbers may not back up the lack of a market. As I understand it, the first run, which was large (Europe alone received 10,000 units,) sold out in a day or so with the Japan allotment selling out in minutes (I don't have confirmation that Europe sold out completely, but if not, many of them did sell.) As I understand it, both Japan and the U.S. are on backorder for the next production run. So the market appears to be there.

[@Robthevampire666]

@@DavidHancock Not sure where you got that information from as it is not yet on sale in Europe I would be surprised as the reception to it here in the UK has been very negative and I can assure you the social media users I know want instant access it's the whole point of these platforms the Guardian called it "30 years too late" and I'm afraid it is just that a modern antique

[@DavidHancock]

@@Robthevampire666 Well, I bought mine while I was in Europe last week.