Another analog comeback: Meet the new Pentax 17 analog camera

Exciting news from Japan: Ricoh, a major Japanese imaging company that owns the Pentax camera brand, is launching its first Pentax-branded film camera in over 20 years. This new model, the Pentax 17, will be launched first in overseas markets in June, followed by the domestic market (Japan) in July.

Learn more about the re-emergence of Pentax film cameras

By now, many Strata-gee readers have probably noticed that the resurgence of analog formats has become a recurring theme for me. In February, I noted the growth in analog cassette sales worldwide. Before that, Strata-gee was one of the first to report the surprising growth in vinyl record and turntable sales.

When the article about the growing demand for audio cassettes was published, I received a number of sarcastic and derogatory comments, both publicly and privately. Yet it is clear to me that – for one reason or another – a good portion of the consumer market is interested in analog products. This article about the new film cameras that are beginning to be marketed is just one more example of the growing interest in analog formats.

For those familiar with cameras, no big surprise.

Of all the analog comeback stories I’ve covered, this one is perhaps the least surprising to me. As many readers know, photography has been my hobby for several decades. When digital cameras finally supplanted film, the reality is that film never really went away. While manufacturers eventually stopped making new film cameras, there was and still is a large, active, and even vibrant community of enthusiastic photographers who continued to use analog film, preferring the look of analog capture to digital.

In fact, the market for used cameras, parts, and film has remained relatively healthy over the years, with some iconic used film cameras commanding high resale values. But on the other hand, manufacturers have begun to reintroduce some point-and-click film cameras, which remain popular with guests at weddings, parties, concerts, and other live events. Yes, these are primarily single-use cameras, but they use analog film and offer processing (many drugstores and camera stores continue to offer film processing, too).

Targeting the younger generation

The all-new Ricoh Pentax 17 is a compact camera that the company is targeting at Gen Z customers (ages 12-27) who are looking for a retro experience “that contrasts with today’s digital world where photos can be taken with smartphones.”

The company expects the Pentax 17 to sell for around ¥88,000 (~$556) in the local market.

For our teenage and 20-something customers, a film camera is not a nostalgic item. In fact, it is something completely new.

Akihide Tabei, Director of Ricoh Imaging

Introducing cinematic quality to a new generation

Ricoh executives told the media that they were looking to introduce young people to “the kind of image quality that comes with film” and to introduce them to “the simple pleasure of manually rewinding film after each release,” according to a Nikkei report. This is not a high-end camera, but rather a fun consumer camera that is compact enough to take with you anywhere, while still delivering better image quality than single-use cameras.

It uses standard 35mm film, but it incorporates a unique half-frame shooting system that cuts each frame in half, converting it to a 17mm x 24mm vertically oriented format (hence the camera’s model name). This may be a nod to shooting vertically on your phone. Thanks to its half-frame shooting design, you get twice as many photos from a standard roll of film (that’s 72 shots on a 36-shot roll of film). This also helps keep the cost down, as film costs have remained quite high. Users will be able to share their analog shots on social media, via a conversion service offered by electronics stores or camera stores.

A strong network of dealers spread across the world

Although the model is brand new, the company has managed to gain distribution worldwide. In the United States, major camera retailer B&H Photo is taking advance orders for the Pentax 17 at $499.95. It says the camera will be “shipping soon.” I’ve also seen the Pentax 17 listed at Adorama and other camera retailers.

Pentax was founded in 1919 as the Asahi Optical Company, which manufactured lenses for eyeglasses. It manufactured its first SLR camera in 1952. In 1964, it launched the Asahi Pentax SP, which became a huge success with consumers around the world. Pentax joined Ricoh in 2011.

A category they can own

The arrival of the first digital cameras, and then smartphones, really sounded the death knell for more traditional film cameras in the 2000s. According to the Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA), “total shipments of film cameras fell 98% in 2007 from their peak in 1997,” Nikkei reports.

At this point, the major players in the camera market, such as Canon and Nikon, no longer offer film cameras. If Ricoh/Pentax manages to develop this market, they will be the only players.

What do you think? Is this film camera ready for its close-up?

Learn more about the Pentax 17 analog camera at ricoh-imaging.co.jp.

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