Update June 17th, 2024: Pentax 17 Half-frame Film Camera Officially Announced
While some of us have been hopelessly waiting for Pentax to release a proper mirrorless camera mount system, they are instead working on a half-frame (17mm x 24 mm) film camera, the Pentax 17! A leaked image of the 17 is found on Weibo which shows the front view of the camera in hand which gives some clues about its size and features.
Pentax 17 Half Frame Film Camera
Pentax 17 has a frame width of 17mm so the default orientation of the photos will be vertical, and a standard roll of 36 frame film will give you 72 photos. The 17 has a fixed 25mm F3.5 lens which is quite wide but not particularly fast. It takes 40.5mm filters and the minimum focusing distance is 0.25m. The camera has a built-in flash and a viewfinder, and expected to have Auto exposure and auto focus, but manual film advance and rewind.
Pentax 17 Top View
Pentax 17 Key Features
35mm Half-Frame Film Camera
HD PENTAX HF 25mm f/3.5 Traditional Lens
Manual Zone Focus with Macro Setting
Window Viewfinder with Dual Frame Lines
Autoexposure, Program, and Bokeh Modes
Built-In Flash, Flash AE Modes
Exposure Compensation and ISO Dials
Manual Film Advance Lever & Film Rewind
Takes 1x CR2 Battery
2.5mm Remote Cable Switch Terminal
