PENTAX 17 35mm Film Camera, Half-Frame Format | Captures up to 72 Images per roll , Vertical (Half Frame) Orientation, 25mm F/3.5 Lens, Built-in Flash

This camera is great, I have enjoyed its performance and how casual the experience using it, is. All the while it gives you a lot of creative control and functionality. I would describe this camera as a semiautomatic point and shoot plus, it has auto controls but lets you take the wheel for certain aspects unlike a regular point and shoot. I would definitely say that this camera is for a more casual and fun photography experience and is perfect for hobbyists that love film, want to shoot more of it, and save some money with half frame. And best of all this is a new camera!! No dealing with old cameras that fail after a year (or less) of use and spending a lot of money on repairs (if you are lucky to find anyone who repairs camera models up to 60 years old) to maybe get another year out of it. New means reliable and easily repairable if it ever comes to that (I speak from personal experience with the Olympus Pen F a older half frame camera). Now a lot of people look at the price and think it is too high and yes $500 is quite costly but also this isn’t anything too crazy for a NEW film camera. For example the Olympus Pen EE (an older half frame camera) adjusted for inflation costed around $1000 when first released and this Pentax 17 can do way way more than the Olympus Pen EE. The build quality is lightweight on this camera but I can see that it is well made despite the fact and I appreciate how light it is after the initial reaction. The shutter is a little quiet but after my initial reaction I think it makes the camera great for candid shots, after reading that they wanted to shutter sound to also be naturally mechanical I have come to appreciate it. Besides that I don’t have any issues with this camera but it is important to know that EVERY camera will have it’s pros and cons. And the next biggest thing about this camera is that it is a modern film camera, this is quite exciting! Film is not dead and when you buy this camera you help keep film alive by telling manufacturers that we want film cameras still. I’d say that if you are getting started with film photography or you are already doing film photography but want a good intro/more casual photography experience this is good choice. I already have a Canon AE-1 Program and I knew I wanted a half frame camera that was more casual and so I could take more photos and this was right up my alley. If you want to get into film but you don’t care about half frame I would recommend getting a full frame SLR and you will get wayyyy more creative controls.

It's a well built camera, thoughtfully designed, and fun to use. I wasn't sure if I'd like the half frame format, but it wasn't hard to get used to. I've run a few rolls of 36 exposure film through and the images are pleasing. I'd recommend not ordering prints with the developing, otherwise you'll be stuck with stacks of prints that will eventually take up a lot of space. Just get a small photo printer & print the ones you like.

I finally had my first film developed. And the results are incredible. Besides the fact that this camera is so much fun to shoot with. Besides the fact that this camera brought back my love for photography that I lost from shooting countless events. The quality of photos is incredible. I highly recommend this camera for anyone who is looking for a simple, fun camera to bring them joy of everyday shooting. The camera is super simple to use. It’s light. It will easily become your most favorite camera in your collection.

Great camera that is Pentax quality, though it is twice as expensive as any other comparable point-and-shoot. Lens is fixed (not interchangeable) which is also night in line at the $500+ price point. The focus ring is zone-based, which can be a learning curve.

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).

Amazing Camera.... The Pentax 17 has such a cool mix of retro charm and modern usability. Half-frame means you get 72 shots on a roll of 36, which is perfect for experimenting and not worrying about burning through film. And that 25mm f/3.5 lens is sharp with just the right amount of vintage character.

This is a fun half-frame automatic camera that takes great pictures, but it doesn’t hold up to frequent use (about one roll a week). I have now returned two of these cameras within 30 days of purchase due to complete film advance mechanism failures. Could be a design flaw, but I haven’t reached out to Pentax to confirm. At a $500 price point I expected more longevity. I really did love this camera. If you choose to purchase it I hope you have better luck with longevity than I do. Should Pentax (Ricoh) investigate the nature of the same failure on my two cameras and release a more durable version in the near future, I would consider re-purchasing. Long live film 🎞️

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.

My pentax 17 arrived and the advance lever did not work (would not advance the film) which resulted in me being unable to take any photos. I am looking for a place to repair the camera but it's proving quite difficult so returning it may be the only option as the warranty is still valid. Still a very disappointing experience overall

Hermosa, retro y super fácil de usar!

Absolutely in love with this camera! Easy to use , high quality photos

Best camera that you can ask for in today's era. Build quality is outstanding. It is very fun to shoot with. Although, it needs a lot of getting used to, being zone focussing.

Excelente experiencia disparando y como es medio cuadro, tienes el doble de tomas para hacer pruebas , e incluso hacer bracketing en las tomas. El enfoque es algo raro al principio, pero una vez que te acostumbras es genial. Las fotos son muy buenas a pesar de ser la mitad de resolucion. la mía traía un pequeño detalle de ensamblaje en los rodillos de la tapa, ya que se desarmaban, y la tuve que devolver, pero espero poder volver a comprarla ya que me gustó mucho.