Pentax 17 compact film camera launches with vertical half-frame format and retro styling

Despite the unmistakable hype around the revival of film photography, there are precious few film cameras still in production, with most of the demand being filled by the second-hand market. Pentax, however, has been bold enough to embrace the trend with the launch of the Pentax 17, an honest-to-God new film camera that still manages to look like it's time-travelled from a few decades ago.

The Pentax 17 name derives from its defining feature – it captures a vertical 17 x 24 mm frame, which is roughly half the standard 36 x 24 mm full frame. This half-frame capture means it gets 72 shots from a 36 exposure roll (buy B&W and colour film on Amazon). 

Pentax talks about how shooting and posting photos in a vertical format is more familiar in the age of smartphones and social media, and rightly so. However, with the increasing cost of buying, developing and printing film, getting twice as much out of a roll is an equally significant advantage.

While the Pentax 17 is no SLR, it does offer a healthy amount of hands-on control. The f/3.5 lens has a 37 mm focal length (full frame equivalent) and a manual zone-focusing system, allowing you to select one of six ranges that start from 25 cm for macro shots. There’s even a 40.5 mm filter thread enabling further creative control. 

The top plate carries an exposure compensation dial and one for selecting ISO. There are also six shooting modes to choose from: program AE, slow-speed shutter (both with or without flash), bulb, maximum aperture priority (labelled BOKEH), and of course full auto. 

The analog shooting experience is completed by a manual film advance lever, a rewind crank, and an old-school ‘note holder’ on the rear cover that can be used to remember the film type currently inserted. The camera uses a CR2 lithium battery that should be good for 10 rolls of 36 exposure film.

Ricoh, Pentax’s parent company, makes no bones about the fact that it’s riding a wave of popularity that’s apparent as much on Instagram as in business projections: “compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the global film camera market is projected to be 5.2% through 2030 and a quick search of the hashtag #filmphotography on Instagram pulls up more than 42.6 million posts.” 

The Pentax 17 has been priced at $499 in the US (pre-order on B&H Photo) and €549 in Europe, and will be available starting in late June. While Ricoh is obviously optimistic about the film revival trend, it's yet to be seen whether the Pentax 17 can induce other manufacturers to follow suit or if it’s just a flash in the pan. Meanwhile, one can try out the half-frame format with the Kodak Ektar H35 reusable point-and-shoot, or go the instant camera route with the Fujifilm Instax Mini 99 and the Polaroid Now+ 2nd gen.