New Pentax Film Camera

[steve_bellayr]

Pentax announced that they will start production on film cameras.  I have no more information other than that.  Unknown models or dates.

[rick_drawbridge]

Of interest : https://www.japancamerahunter.com/2023/05/pentax-moving-closer-to-a-new-film-camera/

[bruce_z._li2]

Even Mint is making a new compact 35mm camera. I guess like the new Pentax, both are rangefinder type of compact 35mm film camera. Both seem to have manual film advance. Mint has auto focus, while I'm not so sure about Pentax.

Personally I'm more than happy with scale-focus, manual advance compacts from the 70's-90's. But lots of electronics and ribbon-PCB are failing, and the last generation of Fuji are getting pricy. So it is welcoming to have two companies making new 35mm compacts.

[chuck_foreman1]

Wow...who would've thunk!  Lets see how this pans out!  If it drives down the cost of film.... we'll see!! 

 

[c_watson1]

Doubt Pentax is starting a Unicorn ranch. Their early notices mentioned a p&s model with possible expansion into SLR territory but the tone was cautious and conditional on initial sales. Personally, I can't see it going very far. Film sales are microbe-size relative to historic peaks of 20 years ago, processing is scarce and pricey. Not exactly conditions favoring a re-launch of film cameras on a large scale.

[za33photo]

Interesting news.

IF they can make a good quality camera with NO plastics or electronics , and of equal quality to their old manual Pentaxes.

But somehow I do not think that this product will be acceptable to modern photographers , or be economically viable for Pentax.

 

 

[Mike Gammill]

Any new camera produced (unless a Pro model) will no doubt have a lot of plastic components.  Even so, the price of materials might make such cameras quite expensive.  From what I have seen online I think the new camera(s) are going to be geared toward attracting new film camera users.  Although I'm curious about what Pentax might develop, I would be more likely to buy used gear. 

[Kent T]

On 7/30/2023 at 1:45 PM, bruce_z._li2 said:

Even Mint is making a new compact 35mm camera. I guess like the new Pentax, both are rangefinder type of compact 35mm film camera. Both seem to have manual film advance. Mint has auto focus, while I'm not so sure about Pentax.

Personally I'm more than happy with scale-focus, manual advance compacts from the 70's-90's. But lots of electronics and ribbon-PCB are failing, and the last generation of Fuji are getting pricy. So it is welcoming to have two companies making new 35mm compacts.

We need Pentax to revive the K-1000 ethos but add DOF preview, and. up the build quality a bit. That would sell. a good basic everyman camera for most people.