5 (ish) Frames with a Pentax 17 – The Much-Maligned Camera that might just be my Favorite

In the year-and-a-half since Ricoh released their Pentax half-frame camera, much has been written about its design, about the company hitting the pause button on their film camera development after the mixed response to their new offering, and the departure of the principle designer, Takeo Suzuki (AKA TKO) last Spring.

This is not a review of the camera. Hamish already did that nicely in his comprehensive June 2024 post.
This is just about how much FUN it has been to use.

Being small and pocketable, the Pentax 17 is the perfect “everyday carry” camera. And with the diptychs that the half-frame format encourages, it gets you looking and shooting differently.

Because of its ease of use and the 72 frames per roll it makes possible, the camera also inspires you to shoot it more. It’s actually a challenge to finish an entire roll before you get itchy to develop it and see the photos you’ve taken.

The lens is sharp-ish. The metering works well. The flash recovers quickly. And in spite of its light weight, the build quality seems solid. Not Leica M3 solid, but good for a $500 camera.

The only design flaw is the Mode dial, which too easily slips out of position. Without knowing it, you find yourself shooting “Bokeh” when you intended to be using P, the “Program”setting. (By the way, I find that P delivers sharper images than the “Auto” does. There is a P setting for flash, too.)

A few samples follow, but the Pentax 17 album on my Flickr account affords full size images, and — hopefully — a better overview of what it can do.

If you want a camera that allows you to have fun, think differently, and get LOTS of photos on one roll of film, the Pentax 17 might be just the ticket. I love mine.

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