The Pentax 17 35mm Half-frame Officially Announced
The first new Pentax film camera in decades is a beautiful homage to the company's rich history
By cjfeola in Pentax Announcements on Jun 17, 2024
Today Ricoh Imaging has officially announced the Pentax 17, the all-new 35mm film half-frame camera that is the result of the much-discussed Pentax film project. The camera retails for $499.95 in the US and is now available to order from the Ricoh Imaging website and retailers such as B&H Photo. The cameras will begin shipping later this month (June).
In Canada and the UK, the camera is priced at $679 CAD and £499, respectively. €549 is the price in the rest of Europe.
The 17 is also available in a US $599.95 special package directly from Ricoh that includes an two-year warranty extension (3 years total), a roll of color film, a roll of black & white film, and includes processing and scanning for both rolls.
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The camera is named for the 17mm width of a half-frame of 35mm film, following in the company's tradition of naming cameras after their format, such as the 67, 645 and Auto 110. It features a newly-developed 25mm F3.5 lens, which is the equivalent to a 37mm lens on full-frame 35mm. The lens, which uses three elements in three groups, is based on the optical design of the PENTAX Espio Mini while using the angle of view and focal length of the Ricoh Auto Half camera. Pentax improved on these classic designs by treating the lens with its modern HD (High Definition) coating to optimize the clarity and sharpness of the half-frame photos.
Kodak Ultramax 400 shot with the Pentax 17
Heritage
In our article about the Pentax film camera from around this time last year, we mentioned that "lost engineering was being reborn" through this project. And Pentax engineers have done just that, with many key components of the Pentax 17 being borrowed or inspired from prior Pentax models— both film and digital. Click on the diagram below to enlarge.
“Many photographers were first introduced to the joys of photography using a PENTAX film camera. We’re hoping to introduce a new generation to the world of film photography with the PENTAX 17,” said Ken Curry, president, Ricoh Imaging Americas. “It is an ideal model not only for film camera enthusiasts who have enjoyed film photography for years, but also for photographers who are excited about trying film photography for the first time.”
Ricoh executives say they have high hopes for the success of the Pentax 17, and are therefore planning more camera models from The Film Project.
Pentax Announces WG-8 and WG-1000
Two new waterproof digital compact cameras available next month
By cjfeola in Pentax Announcements on Jun 5, 2024
Pentax has announced 2 new waterproof digital compact cameras: the top of the line WG-8 and entry-level WG-1000 will be available next month.
The WG-8 is waterproof up to a depth of 20 meters, and will be available in late July for $399.95 in black or green. The WG-1000 is waterproof up to a depth of 15 meters, and will be available for $229.95 in mid-July in gray or olive.
The Pentax WG-8
The WG-8 is designed to be the toughest WG, and effectively replaces the WG-6 as the top of the line. Besides being waterproofed for depths up to 66 feet, the WG-8 is rated as shockproof for falls up to 6.8 feet and is able to operate in temperatures as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit.
The camera features a 5mm-25mm optical zoom, equivalent to a 28mm-140mm lens for 35mm. Minimum focusing distance is 1 centimeter, or just over a third of an inch. The lens also has a high-power ring variable light built in with six bulbs that can be used selectively; for example, using only the horizontal bulbs to produce a more 3D lighting effect.
The WG-8 can also be plugged into a computer with the included USB cable to act as a web cam for real-time live streaming in full 30 frames per second HD video. The macro and ring light capabilities can be used during live streams.
Pentax Releases K-3 III Monochrome with 20-40mm F2.8 Limited bundle
New Limited Lens Kit available immediately
By cjfeola in Pentax Announcements on Apr 26, 2024
Pentax announced the immediate availablity of the new K-3 Mark III Monochrome limited lens kit on its Japanese Instagram account. The kit matches the Monochrome with the HD PENTAX-DA 20-40mm F2.8-4 ED Limited DC WR lens.
"This kit has an image sensor dedicated to monochrome and combines the digital single-lens reflex camera PENTAX K-3 Mark III Monochrome that can take high-resolution monochrome photos with excellent reproduction, and the "lens taste" in portrait photography, challenging areas that can't be measured by numbers, and a sticky finish with the popular HD PENTAX-DA 20-40mm F2.8-4 ED Limited DC WR," Pentax said in the April 25 announcement.
Ricoh launches the RICOH GR III HDF and RICOH GR IIIx HDF
Highlight Diffusion Filter softens light for more expressive images
By cjfeola in Pentax Announcements on Mar 28, 2024
Ricoh is introducing two new GRs with its newly developed Highlight Diffusion Filter (HDF), which diffuses highlights for softer light, creating more expressive images with a sense of depth and emotion. The HDF, which can be turned on and off in a single action, allows users to add a totally different kind of visual expression to their images.
The RICOH GR III HDF and RICOH GR IIIx HDF will be available in April at www.us.ricoh-imaging.com, as well as at Ricoh Imaging-authorized retail outlets. The suggested retail prices are $1,069.95 for the RICOH GR III HDF and $1,149.95 for the RICOH GR IIIx HDF.
Ricoh developed HDF through the years-long cultivation of its advanced inkjet technology. HDR is a special-effect filter that diffuses highlight areas and creates a blurred effect along the image’s edges, producing images resembling those captured in film photography or vintage movies.
HDF can be instantly switched on and off with a single action, allowing effortless switching between the clear, sharply focused images characteristic of the RICOH GR series, and the softer HDF images. HDR replaces the Neutral Density filter, which is not available in the new models.
“The RICOH GR III HDF and RICOH GR IIIx HDF inherit the fundamental merits of our GR series–exceptional image quality, flawless point-and-shoot operation and outstanding portability,” said Ken Curry, president, Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation. “The new GR HDF models give users a new creative option that expands the visual boundaries of snapshot photography.”
Pentax Announces 35mm Half-frame Film Camera
Coming in summer with manual film winding and a lens based on the Espio Mini
By cjfeola in Pentax Announcements on Mar 1, 2024
The first half-frame camera in Pentax's storied film history will ship this summer, according to Film Project Designer Takeo "TKO" Suzuki. The camera will feature manual film winding and rewinding, an electronic shutter, automatic exposure control, and a lens with the same 25mm field of view of the Ricoh Auto Half, with the optical design based on the Pentax Espio Mini.
TKO made the announcement in a new video dropped on the Pentax Film Project web page early March 1 (Tokyo time).
As in previous videos, TKO started by thanking everyone for the outpouring of worldwide support for The Pentax Film Project. He said the project has a working prototype, and he'd been out shooting with it. "
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