The Pentax 17 launched in 2024 as the first mass-market 35mm film camera built from scratch in a long time. It is half-frame: each exposure uses half a standard 35mm frame, rotating 90 degrees, yielding 72 shots from a 36-exposure roll. The output is portrait-oriented frames with the grain and character of 35mm film at smaller image area, which amplifies both.
The 25mm f/3.5 lens is fixed, with zone focus set via a ring on the barrel: portrait, group, or landscape. Exposure is programmed automatic with an EV compensation dial for overrides. The optical viewfinder is bright, parallax-corrected at portrait distance, and includes a frame counter. A proper mechanical shutter sound, not a simulation.
The body is polycarbonate and weighs 190 grams loaded. It fits a jacket pocket. The form factor is contemporary without pretending to be retro, which is the right call.
Half-frame is a commitment. The smaller negative requires slower film in bright conditions if you want grain that reads as deliberate rather than accidental. With something like Kodak Gold 200 or Portra 400, results are consistently usable. With ISO 800 pushed in low light, the grain is significant and the results are either failures or keepers depending on your taste.
Film photography has its frictions. The Pentax 17 removes most of the unnecessary ones while keeping the ones that matter.
£369 - ricoh-imaging.co.jp