Pentax17 35mm Film Camera That captures up to 72 Images per roll with a Vertical (Half Frame) Orientation, Perfect for Social Media.

It’s been ages since I last picked up a film camera and to be honest, I bought this on a whim hoping to relieve some old glory days. I’m so glad I did. It’s reawakened a long forgotten passion for the medium and it’s downright fun. Is it a pro level camera? Probably not but it’s still awesome and takes great pics. Plus if you’re just getting into film or rediscovering it, what better way to get into it than with 72 exposures. The build quality is good, it’s small enough you can take anywhere, and once you get used to it, the zone focus is just fine. You can also put it in program and use it like a point and shoot (mostly).

Very well build and light camera. Need to read the manual but overall very easy to operate. You can get some amazing nostalgic photos that todays best smartphone can’t provide.

So far I really like this camera. It took me a little while to get used to the zone focus system and the manual it comes with is not very in depth. However, after some practice and watching some YouTube tutorials I feel comfortable with it. It is now my go to EDC camera and slips into a jacket pocket fairly comfortably. I haven’t messed with the macro or bulb functions much but I plan to experiment going forward. Attached are a few of my photos with this camera, I highly recommend getting medium or high resolution scans to maximize the potential of the half frame format. The only annoyance I have, is having to rely on a lens cap on such a (relatively) small camera, I am used to cameras of this size being point and shoots that have integrated lens covers. Not sure if that is just a “me” problem though.

Tengo un par de cámaras restauradas, y una H35 para disfrutar, pero esta es la que siempre anda conmigo. Es sencilla, me da 72 fotos, el lente es calidad y esencia.No soy un profesional, pero amo el filme y amo lo que esta cámara produce.

Great starter camera for beginners. Also you purchasing new hopefully it’s in good working condition. With used cameras that always a risky purchase.It’s easy to use lightweight.

I bought a Pentax 17 and recommend it for film enthusiast with deep pockets. The price is steep for a camera that can only give you an equivalent of a 6 MP to 10 MP image. This will cost you more money so be prepared mentally as photo labs tend to charge a steep price to develop film, especially half frame film. The photo lab scans are between 1000 dpi to 2000 dpi which may be inadequate for some people. You can buy a Patterson tank, C41 chemicals, and develop your own film at home to save money. You can buy a film scanner to scan your own film. Aim for 3000 dpi to 7000 dpi scanners. If you are up to the task and you want a new film camera with a warranty, buy it. If you want to save money on a film camera, maybe a mint condition Olympus Pen half frame camera would suit your budget. Whatever you do, don't get the Kodak Ektar H35 or H35N. The flash on my Kodak Ektar H35N broke after 2 months proving it is unreliable.===============Looks is nice. It carries the heritage of multiple Pentax film cameras of years past. It is definitely a collectors item.Ease of use is a challenge as you have to worry about distance if you are using other modes besides Auto. Stick to auto until you are familiar with the camera.Functionality is good, it does what it says. I got some good pictures with it as you can see on my shared photo.The picture quality looks good as long as you don't zoom in so forget about cropping. It is good enough for social media and 4x6 prints. You can improve the image after a high resolution scan and edit in lightroom. It does poorly in low light situations and higher iso film is expensive. The flash is not bright enough for large areas so think close range portraits when indoors. To get the best image quality on the Pentax 17, I recommend low ISO film (Kodak Vision 3 50D, Kodak Ektar 100, Kodak Portra160) on a bright sunny day since the grain is fine giving you a better picture with less noise. If you are going to spend some time indoors, bump up the film to 400 iso. Bulb mode is available but you would need a tripod and remote shutter release or a really steady platform to get a good image. I shot the samurai armor on bulb mode by placing the camera on a display case and just held the shutter open with my finger while keeping the camera as still as I can.I have included pictures I have taken with this camera for you to view and make a determination. Price vs quality.One thing I noticed about myself, I ended up grabbing the Pentax 17 camera more often than I do my Nikon F6 film camera. There are no lens or flash or multiple rolls of film and equipment to lug around in a big camera bag. The Pentax 17 already has flash, it has no lens to change, it gives me 72-76 pictures instead of the 36 that the Nikon F6 gives me and it fits in the Think Tank LITTLE STUFF IT! pouch that clips to my belt. I just take one extra roll of film and one extra battery which fits nicely in the front pouch of the little stuff it camera case. Its small size is convenient and easy to carry around. Its about the size of a smart phone.

Build quality 10/10.Operation 10/10.It looks amazing. It feels great It works good. For me.... it's too small and feels cheep. It's not.... but that's how it feels. It shoots half frame which is a money saver. But for film.. it's all about the feeling. And this feels too cheep. I have a 1986 nikon F2 and I'd rather use that. This was very nice and fun though.