I will back it and buy it just to support their longer term road map of them making a new SLR. I wonder what kind of price range it will retail at?????
I'll be the contrarian here and say I think this thing is legit amazing. All the "extras," like exposure comp, the winder, the memo slot, etc., are all intentionally in there to let enthusiasts know WE SEE YOU. But their project video #4 really lays it out there why these decisions were made, and I really like the comment from TKO "Respect what the new generation wants to do with it." This is a super intentional camera that will indeed be quite successful. We'll be seeing X100vi + P17 videos all summer long. A new Pentax 67 will get here in like 2026, and it will be $5000. But whatever, it'll get here. But this one is important now for a dozen reasons. I'm selling some OM-2ns I'm sitting on to fund a taste of the first internet-inspired film camera.
I don't think it will be successful at all.....new film photographers will see how much cheaper it will be for other half frame options with lens variation like like Olympus Pen F. This camera is an overhyped gimmick
I appreciate the other perspective and I think ultimately Pentax as a whole and TKO have A LOT more understanding of the market so they are probably making all the right decisions and just in terms of metrics this camera is blowing up and likely getting a lot of people into the idea of shooting film with this platform, I'm still going to support it so Pentax can get to that next stage and hopefully lead other brands to follow I just am skeptical that they are going to reach the audience they are hoping to reach. But good luck on those OM-2n sales my good sir and thank you as always for the comment!
I applaud the try, but it's so weird: 1/2 frame Frankenstein made from/inspired by Pentax parts of yesteryear. Marginally smaller than an ME Super body, mainly due to its dinky zone focus lens. And it's around $500 USD? My biggest question for Ricoh/Pentax is: who is in the buyer demographic for this thing? Who knows, maybe it will take off and other manufacturers will jump in. Until then I'll stick with my old Pentax SLRs.
You convinced me to fix my Spotmatic i have not shot film since 2006 i still use all my Pentax DSLR'S my istDL from 2005 , my K100D,2006 i bought for my son as i traded my K50 for his K100D. I finally gave him my K70 as he had Apature block problems with his K50 my K3-11 and my Pentax K3 Mark 111 . I love i still use my Takumar lenses and my old M mount Pentax lenses
To make a 35 mm SLR to the quality of the ones that we had in the 70s or 80s would probably have to sell for like $700 to $1,000 why the heck would anyone want that when they could just buy one of the millions of cameras that are already out there for 100 bucks or less? I think Pentax or any other company does that they're going to lose their ass. The Pentax 17 seems like a good idea but 500 bucks that's crazy. You can buy a an Olympus Pen depending on the model from like $60 to $250 and those are beautiful excellent cameras.
I think Pentax is in a bit of a no win situation. They know this isn’t the camera the old school, film SLR shooter is looking for. By their own admission they have lost the engineering and manufacturing capability they had in the film camera space. In regaining this capability they’ve decided to take a step by step approach which means they have to start somewhere. Studying the group that is supposedly driving the “film resurgence” I can see why they would make many of the choices they did. Nostalgia driving choices such as font and the power knob will appeal to this group looking to connect with film shooters of the past yet allow them to shoot in a format they are familiar with. I have a feeling the bulk of this channel’s viewers would be in the advanced film shooter segment for whom this camera is not the primary target. This isn’t the camera for me but as a first attempt and looking at the target market I think they did a great job.
Idk i feel like I'd enjoy more using my Canon T50 for 50€ and I literally bought it only for the FD f/1.8 50mm that went with it Props for doing a film camera and tbh i do think it could be popular but not for me, and I'm the first one to admit i mostly use my A1 in an auto mode, be it most of the time aperture priority or sometimes shutter priority and manual least of the time but you literally can't do even that with the 17 But the Instagram generation will eat it up, you don't need to know much about photography other than point it and shoot, it's already vertical, good enough image quality for Instagram and it's cool, it's retro Then again, even for that is it too expensive, could you do all that almost for third or quarter of a price on a camera that you can grow with as a photographer eventually (be it AE1, ME Super, FM2 or whatever) - probaby yeah
I think if they make a new K1000 in 2024 it would cost like 1000 usd and most film photographers would just buy old ones for 100 or 200 usd. The problem of any new film camera is people are going to compared the price with second hand cameras from 50 years ago, I think pentax reconizes that so they aren't even trying target us.
Yep. Call me cynical, but... Instagram made this counter intuitive, chimeric, white elephant, retro-lomo grifting mess into a hipster accessory for those that like to shoot smart phone video in portrait mode and have far too much pocket money to spend on fashionable toys. Pentax did enough from 1964 to 1985 for me to enjoy my camera collection. If new cameras are needed to "keep film alive" like so many seem to think, then other people can waste their cash on them to "support" their favorite corporate logo fixation. Hoping for a modern product design that won't be culturally compromised by a company that bears no effective resemblance to their historic legacy is going to be long winded and ultimately futile in my view.
I’m pretty cynical too and even after shooting with it I struggle to find the motivation to shoot with it again over something like a Spotmatic, MX, K1000, LX, ME Super or anything else in their line up
Hey, you're just bitter they didn't give one to you... Just kidding! Your points are mostly spot on, except for the fact that pentax said themselves that this is for newcomers, for social media buffs, and also for testing the ground. Of course it's not for the hard core film purist ( my Mx is furios😅), but without this one maybe there wouldn't be a second project 🤞🏼
This way I can get my own and do my part to support them, I definitely get that I think my counter point to that is $500 is pretty steep for beginners when there are more affordable alternatives out there that will likely suit their needs more I’m definitely hopeful for a 2nd project, just a little skeptical about this one but I hope I’m wrong
I am grateful they are putting money and effort into revitalizing the film photography market. To me, the K1000 is the VW Beetle of cameras, and though they stopped selling Beetles in the US in the late 1970's, they continued to make them (the old styling) until 2003. So what I'd like to see are camera companies manufacturing the original reliable workhorse models. Perhaps upgrade materials and minor design tweaks to improve reliability and maintenance (if anything). Having newly built models of old classics complete with a good supply of new replacement parts can take us well into the future. And I completely agree about the off-putting hand-holding of designs in all walks of life, but especially film photography. At least having the option for full manual control.
The K1000 succeeded cause it was affordable SLR with full lens support This is expensive, no interchangeable lens, fully separate OVF with no focusing link, and half frame resolution... I can't help but see it as a failure. Their target audience will just use their phones or a disposable camera or ANYTHING FROM THE USED MARKET FOR 1/2 THE COST.
That is a much much more concise version of the point I was kind of hoping to make. I’m still glad to see them trying something but I just hope it pays off
10 mins. in and still not a single picture of the camera that youre criticising the features and aesthetics of, what am i missing or is everyone else just capable of conjuring images of things they havent seen
I was thinking of putting images in of the camera but I was looking at the video while I was speaking on it so I didn’t think about it past that, I apologize for that but thank you for watching anyways!
@@RompingBronco sorry if i sound rude, i don't mean to treat you that way, just you kept going into these little nuances and i had nothing to compare your commentary to so that got a little frustrating, but you have a lot to offer from your experience when it comes to videos but presentation is very relevant
Think it’s geared toward this retro/nostalgia wave hitting the millennial generation? Kids who grew up with film cameras still being very commonplace, and maybe they just want to experience it again from a modern perspective.
Yeah I guess, I just think the idea was to create a simple camera for social media but they crammed a lot of additional stuff into it that while cool ultimately raise the price past the point of affordable for a lot of the audience they’re appealing to. Ultimately stoked for a new camera just wish I didn’t have to pretend to be a type of photographer that I’m not
I think its mostly hitting gen Z actually. They're graduation collage and getting proper jobs and can afford things now, and since they started with VHS and film cameras when they were children but lived through constant technological change, many are feeling disenfranchised by modern tech and want the simplicity of what they had as children. You would not believe the amount of times I've heard gen Z say "I don't want an iPhone anymore, I just want a flip phone and an iPod"
I think what happened is they've seen a large part of the success of film revival be bougie point and shoot automatics going for wayyyyy more than the should be and so they've brought that familiar lack of manual exposure but combined it with manual focus and film advance to try and strike a middle ground. Will it work? I'm skeptical. I think they've really hit a contrived in-between in terms of aesthetics but I'm sure for some people this camera will hit a spot. I'm hoping that for that pretty msrp they are making a very large profit margin that might encourage higher ups to continue further into the more complicated sorts of cameras that people really want. If that $500 is barely making a turnaround because RnD and setting up tooling was that expensive then this might just be a short lived revival run.
Fun fact, the Pentax K1000 cost the equivalent of $1000 when it came out. This $500 is half that prize, and you will not ever, ever, see a camera come out for $350, unless it's a toy camera.
@@adamhymel2386 I must be watching different channels than you. There are drawbacks like any camera. but reviews I've watched have been generally positive
I think on the whole there’s some refreshing design choices were made that will make it a different experience from shooting an SLR 35mm film camera. I’ve ordered one from my local camera store here in Australia and they included 10 rolls of processing and scanning in the Price. They said I was the 11th order in the first 2 days for their store . The vertical format comes with half frame of course, but besides being familiar for young digital natives, it changes up the way experienced photographers normally see through the viewfinder and anything that brings a different approach to composition is good for your photography. I also like the storytelling that can come from diptych prints and scans. For 35mm film I normally shoot with an old Leica III rangefinder or 70s Pentax MX for 35 yrs. But this will be quite different and I look forward to that. The whole camera is about user experience. Tactile and requires some control input but in such a light way that inexperienced film photographers can hardly get it wrong but still get the tactile experience .. zone focus rather than auto focus or manual focus is a perfect example. This is a great way to help younger generation to success with film. All around this is a super smart design. I can’t wait to use it.
I've printed many half frame negs in the darkroom years ago. They aren't much good for anything beyond postcard size and even then are not great. A good lens will help but I wouldn't touch a half frame camera with a pole. Why didn't they simply start making K 1000's again? People are who buy these are going to be pretty pissed off when they see the poor quality of half frame negs.
Further looks on the youtube I see many reviews of this camera and I am here to say RB got screwed. I found this channel because I am a Pentax fan boy. I love that old unwanted lenses still work on my newer Pentax digital cameras. I think that is rare. And RB here has many of his videos on Pentax. He talks and showcases Pentax cameras. I have found Pentax reviews from tubers who have much less subs and looking through their catalogs some never even mention Pentax yet they were given advanced access to the camera. I call BS.
I got a lot of hate in one of my old videos for saying this but I have hardware pet peeves. One is that there is a proper side for washers to face. The other, and this is my major point, there is a quality reflected in clocked hardware. Slotted screws are straight garbage but at the very least they should be clocked especially for press photos.
I honestly think it looks cheap. All the cost saving methods were applied. No auto focus. Zone focus. Half frame. Plastic. Too bad. Its a money grab. Production wise I think it costs less than 100 usd. It should have been sold at 200 usd.
Pentax lost me on half frame. Fk social media. Like some idiot is going to give up their phone for a half frame film camera. A big disappointment to me.
Yeah like I said in my original comment, it would have been nice to appeal to us film photographers who kept film alive the past few yrs. We don't want a half frame rangefinder, are you kidding me?!!! They hyping it up to $500. Get outta here. I can buy TWO amazing point and shoot film cameras for that price. Like the Nikon L35AF or the Olympus XA2
Yeah I'm severely disappointed in the fact that they didn't appeal to the film shooters who have been keeping this art form ALIVE for them. We don't want a half-frame rangefinder, are you kidding me?!! The actual build is so plastic. Thwy could have at least made it a versatile mount for vintage Pentax/Ricoh lenses for the price range....at least give us autofocus for $500. Id rather buy 2 Nikon LF35As or 3 Olympus XA2s than this crap.
It's on the road map, they are making 3 different film cameras. But the "for film shooters" upcoming camera will be Leica priced. Not sure how appealing that is for you.
I will back it and buy it just to support their longer term road map of them making a new SLR. I wonder what kind of price range it will retail at?????
Like $1.5k
@@42crazyguy if it is K-mount, I would have to sell some gear to make up the difference. What a dilemma this hobby is.
$500 usd
I'll be the contrarian here and say I think this thing is legit amazing. All the "extras," like exposure comp, the winder, the memo slot, etc., are all intentionally in there to let enthusiasts know WE SEE YOU. But their project video #4 really lays it out there why these decisions were made, and I really like the comment from TKO "Respect what the new generation wants to do with it." This is a super intentional camera that will indeed be quite successful. We'll be seeing X100vi + P17 videos all summer long. A new Pentax 67 will get here in like 2026, and it will be $5000. But whatever, it'll get here. But this one is important now for a dozen reasons. I'm selling some OM-2ns I'm sitting on to fund a taste of the first internet-inspired film camera.
I don't think it will be successful at all.....new film photographers will see how much cheaper it will be for other half frame options with lens variation like like Olympus Pen F. This camera is an overhyped gimmick
I appreciate the other perspective and I think ultimately Pentax as a whole and TKO have A LOT more understanding of the market so they are probably making all the right decisions and just in terms of metrics this camera is blowing up and likely getting a lot of people into the idea of shooting film with this platform, I'm still going to support it so Pentax can get to that next stage and hopefully lead other brands to follow I just am skeptical that they are going to reach the audience they are hoping to reach. But good luck on those OM-2n sales my good sir and thank you as always for the comment!
Hey, Pentax, bring back the k1000 and the LX!
I applaud the try, but it's so weird: 1/2 frame Frankenstein made from/inspired by Pentax parts of yesteryear. Marginally smaller than an ME Super body, mainly due to its dinky zone focus lens. And it's around $500 USD? My biggest question for Ricoh/Pentax is: who is in the buyer demographic for this thing? Who knows, maybe it will take off and other manufacturers will jump in. Until then I'll stick with my old Pentax SLRs.
Cool camera, but ugh, the price!
You convinced me to fix my Spotmatic i have not shot film since 2006 i still use all my Pentax DSLR'S my istDL from 2005 , my K100D,2006 i bought for my son as i traded my K50 for his K100D. I finally gave him my K70 as he had Apature block problems with his K50 my K3-11 and my Pentax K3 Mark 111 . I love i still use my Takumar lenses and my old M mount Pentax lenses
To make a 35 mm SLR to the quality of the ones that we had in the 70s or 80s would probably have to sell for like $700 to $1,000 why the heck would anyone want that when they could just buy one of the millions of cameras that are already out there for 100 bucks or less? I think Pentax or any other company does that they're going to lose their ass. The Pentax 17 seems like a good idea but 500 bucks that's crazy. You can buy a an Olympus Pen depending on the model from like $60 to $250 and those are beautiful excellent cameras.
I think Pentax is in a bit of a no win situation. They know this isn’t the camera the old school, film SLR shooter is looking for. By their own admission they have lost the engineering and manufacturing capability they had in the film camera space. In regaining this capability they’ve decided to take a step by step approach which means they have to start somewhere. Studying the group that is supposedly driving the “film resurgence” I can see why they would make many of the choices they did. Nostalgia driving choices such as font and the power knob will appeal to this group looking to connect with film shooters of the past yet allow them to shoot in a format they are familiar with. I have a feeling the bulk of this channel’s viewers would be in the advanced film shooter segment for whom this camera is not the primary target. This isn’t the camera for me but as a first attempt and looking at the target market I think they did a great job.
Idk i feel like I'd enjoy more using my Canon T50 for 50€ and I literally bought it only for the FD f/1.8 50mm that went with it
Props for doing a film camera and tbh i do think it could be popular but not for me, and I'm the first one to admit i mostly use my A1 in an auto mode, be it most of the time aperture priority or sometimes shutter priority and manual least of the time but you literally can't do even that with the 17
But the Instagram generation will eat it up, you don't need to know much about photography other than point it and shoot, it's already vertical, good enough image quality for Instagram and it's cool, it's retro
Then again, even for that is it too expensive, could you do all that almost for third or quarter of a price on a camera that you can grow with as a photographer eventually (be it AE1, ME Super, FM2 or whatever) - probaby yeah
I think if they make a new K1000 in 2024 it would cost like 1000 usd and most film photographers would just buy old ones for 100 or 200 usd. The problem of any new film camera is people are going to compared the price with second hand cameras from 50 years ago, I think pentax reconizes that so they aren't even trying target us.
For $500 a person can buy a couple high quality vintage 35mm film cameras.
Yep. Call me cynical, but... Instagram made this counter intuitive, chimeric, white elephant, retro-lomo grifting mess into a hipster accessory for those that like to shoot smart phone video in portrait mode and have far too much pocket money to spend on fashionable toys.
Pentax did enough from 1964 to 1985 for me to enjoy my camera collection. If new cameras are needed to "keep film alive" like so many seem to think, then other people can waste their cash on them to "support" their favorite corporate logo fixation. Hoping for a modern product design that won't be culturally compromised by a company that bears no effective resemblance to their historic legacy is going to be long winded and ultimately futile in my view.
I’m pretty cynical too and even after shooting with it I struggle to find the motivation to shoot with it again over something like a Spotmatic, MX, K1000, LX, ME Super or anything else in their line up
Hey, you're just bitter they didn't give one to you... Just kidding!
Your points are mostly spot on, except for the fact that pentax said themselves that this is for newcomers, for social media buffs, and also for testing the ground. Of course it's not for the hard core film purist ( my Mx is furios😅), but without this one maybe there wouldn't be a second project 🤞🏼
This way I can get my own and do my part to support them, I definitely get that I think my counter point to that is $500 is pretty steep for beginners when there are more affordable alternatives out there that will likely suit their needs more
I’m definitely hopeful for a 2nd project, just a little skeptical about this one but I hope I’m wrong
I am grateful they are putting money and effort into revitalizing the film photography market. To me, the K1000 is the VW Beetle of cameras, and though they stopped selling Beetles in the US in the late 1970's, they continued to make them (the old styling) until 2003. So what I'd like to see are camera companies manufacturing the original reliable workhorse models. Perhaps upgrade materials and minor design tweaks to improve reliability and maintenance (if anything). Having newly built models of old classics complete with a good supply of new replacement parts can take us well into the future. And I completely agree about the off-putting hand-holding of designs in all walks of life, but especially film photography. At least having the option for full manual control.
Definitely buying this camera. Hope a full frame model comes out as well - already bought that one!
Why don't you just go ahead and tell us what you really think !
Was not aware half frame shooters had money like that
I do care about the advance lever too, you are not alone!
The K1000 succeeded cause it was affordable SLR with full lens support
This is expensive, no interchangeable lens, fully separate OVF with no focusing link, and half frame resolution... I can't help but see it as a failure.
Their target audience will just use their phones or a disposable camera or ANYTHING FROM THE USED MARKET FOR 1/2 THE COST.
That is a much much more concise version of the point I was kind of hoping to make. I’m still glad to see them trying something but I just hope it pays off
10 mins. in and still not a single picture of the camera that youre criticising the features and aesthetics of, what am i missing or is everyone else just capable of conjuring images of things they havent seen
I was thinking of putting images in of the camera but I was looking at the video while I was speaking on it so I didn’t think about it past that, I apologize for that but thank you for watching anyways!
@@RompingBronco sorry if i sound rude, i don't mean to treat you that way, just you kept going into these little nuances and i had nothing to compare your commentary to so that got a little frustrating, but you have a lot to offer from your experience when it comes to videos but presentation is very relevant
**sounded
Think it’s geared toward this retro/nostalgia wave hitting the millennial generation? Kids who grew up with film cameras still being very commonplace, and maybe they just want to experience it again from a modern perspective.
Yeah I guess, I just think the idea was to create a simple camera for social media but they crammed a lot of additional stuff into it that while cool ultimately raise the price past the point of affordable for a lot of the audience they’re appealing to.
Ultimately stoked for a new camera just wish I didn’t have to pretend to be a type of photographer that I’m not
I think its mostly hitting gen Z actually. They're graduation collage and getting proper jobs and can afford things now, and since they started with VHS and film cameras when they were children but lived through constant technological change, many are feeling disenfranchised by modern tech and want the simplicity of what they had as children. You would not believe the amount of times I've heard gen Z say "I don't want an iPhone anymore, I just want a flip phone and an iPod"
I think what happened is they've seen a large part of the success of film revival be bougie point and shoot automatics going for wayyyyy more than the should be and so they've brought that familiar lack of manual exposure but combined it with manual focus and film advance to try and strike a middle ground. Will it work? I'm skeptical. I think they've really hit a contrived in-between in terms of aesthetics but I'm sure for some people this camera will hit a spot.
I'm hoping that for that pretty msrp they are making a very large profit margin that might encourage higher ups to continue further into the more complicated sorts of cameras that people really want. If that $500 is barely making a turnaround because RnD and setting up tooling was that expensive then this might just be a short lived revival run.
I really want this, but it's like $150 too expensive for me to immediately buy. Then again, even if it was a GR clone, i wouldn't buy it for $500
Fun fact, the Pentax K1000 cost the equivalent of $1000 when it came out. This $500 is half that prize, and you will not ever, ever, see a camera come out for $350, unless it's a toy camera.
I'd buy new GR1 for $500. This fancy Smena-8? Hard no.
Totally agree with you… 👍🏼
Maybe if you ever got your hands on the camera itself you could do a proper review
The majority of reviewers with this camera in hand can confirm that it is SEVERELY lacking
@@adamhymel2386 I must be watching different channels than you. There are drawbacks like any camera. but reviews I've watched have been generally positive
That is the plan! I'm looking forward to the opportunity and haven't watched many other reviews so I can go in with a clean slate
I think on the whole there’s some refreshing design choices were made that will make it a different experience from shooting an SLR 35mm film camera. I’ve ordered one from my local camera store here in Australia and they included 10 rolls of processing and scanning in the Price. They said I was the 11th order in the first 2 days for their store .
The vertical format comes with half frame of course, but besides being familiar for young digital natives, it changes up the way experienced photographers normally see through the viewfinder and anything that brings a different approach to composition is good for your photography.
I also like the storytelling that can come from diptych prints and scans. For 35mm film I normally shoot with an old Leica III rangefinder or 70s Pentax MX for 35 yrs. But this will be quite different and I look forward to that.
The whole camera is about user experience. Tactile and requires some control input but in such a light way that inexperienced film photographers can hardly get it wrong but still get the tactile experience .. zone focus rather than auto focus or manual focus is a perfect example. This is a great way to help younger generation to success with film. All around this is a super smart design. I can’t wait to use it.
I've printed many half frame negs in the darkroom years ago. They aren't much good for anything beyond postcard size and even then are not great. A good lens will help but I wouldn't touch a half frame camera with a pole. Why didn't they simply start making K 1000's again? People are who buy these are going to be pretty pissed off when they see the poor quality of half frame negs.
Further looks on the youtube I see many reviews of this camera and I am here to say RB got screwed. I found this channel because I am a Pentax fan boy. I love that old unwanted lenses still work on my newer Pentax digital cameras. I think that is rare. And RB here has many of his videos on Pentax. He talks and showcases Pentax cameras. I have found Pentax reviews from tubers who have much less subs and looking through their catalogs some never even mention Pentax yet they were given advanced access to the camera.
I call BS.
I got a lot of hate in one of my old videos for saying this but I have hardware pet peeves. One is that there is a proper side for washers to face. The other, and this is my major point, there is a quality reflected in clocked hardware. Slotted screws are straight garbage but at the very least they should be clocked especially for press photos.
Thank you for understanding, I felt like that was kind of a goofy thing to fixate on but it did stick out to me
I honestly think it looks cheap. All the cost saving methods were applied. No auto focus. Zone focus. Half frame. Plastic. Too bad. Its a money grab. Production wise I think it costs less than 100 usd. It should have been sold at 200 usd.
Ugliest camera I've seen in a long time. There's NOTHING analog looking about it. FAIL.
lol what you literally have to advance your own frames, set focus & shoot FILM it’s analog….
Pentax lost me on half frame. Fk social media. Like some idiot is going to give up their phone for a half frame film camera. A big disappointment to me.
Yeah like I said in my original comment, it would have been nice to appeal to us film photographers who kept film alive the past few yrs. We don't want a half frame rangefinder, are you kidding me?!!! They hyping it up to $500. Get outta here. I can buy TWO amazing point and shoot film cameras for that price. Like the Nikon L35AF or the Olympus XA2
you realize half-frame existed about 40 years before the smart phone, right?
Yeah I'm severely disappointed in the fact that they didn't appeal to the film shooters who have been keeping this art form ALIVE for them. We don't want a half-frame rangefinder, are you kidding me?!! The actual build is so plastic. Thwy could have at least made it a versatile mount for vintage Pentax/Ricoh lenses for the price range....at least give us autofocus for $500. Id rather buy 2 Nikon LF35As or 3 Olympus XA2s than this crap.
It's on the road map, they are making 3 different film cameras. But the "for film shooters" upcoming camera will be Leica priced. Not sure how appealing that is for you.
@@flohmin if it's leica priced just buy a leica... doa in my opinion