The first brand-new film camera since the early 2000s is finally here, with just a few hours of waiting, Pentax is about to officially release its half-frame film camera at 22:00h CET. Update: release video below.
After many videos, more than a few teasers and a trip down the memory lane, Pentax 17 is finally here. And it looks like it means business – it is utilitarian and well-made with magnesium top and bottom plates. It’s not too big and not too small to compromise the handling. It has a proper film wind lever, and a nice-looking, two-tone colour scheme, invoking the look of old-school cameras from the 1970s.
Just look at it, it’s a good-looking camera!

Let’s repeat the basics — it’s a half-frame, zone-focusing camera with a full auto-exposure workflow. It has a traditional film wind crank, manual ISO setting, a few program modes, and it’s powered by a single CR2 battery. 25mm lens should provide an equivalent field of view to a 35mm lens on a full frame — wide-ish, and very popular in the recent era.
According to the leaked preorders, it is priced at 550€. Not cheap, but also nothing spectacularly expensive – that’s less than Polaroid I-2. For a brand-new film camera, developed in 2023, made out of brand-new parts, with guaranteed repairability, and with a magnesium body, I’m pleasantly surprised it’s not more.
Now, let’s wait for the official release!
Update: The release video is available here.






