The Pentax 17 // A film camera review (but not at all technical)
Cameras are wonderful and cameras are magic, but if you aren’t fully in love with a camera it just won’t get used. This lesson has been learned the hard way. For years I’ve heard people say things like “oh it just makes me want to go shoot!” about their favorite cameras, a feeling I’d felt maybe once long long ago with my first camera but never since.
By now you know where I’m headed.
The Pentax 17. A new film camera that was panned in most reviews written, honestly the internet hated this thing when it first came out. The only reason I ended up with one was because of how much I love half frame cameras so I figured why not, plus buying a newly produced film camera meant it would hopefully last a bit longer than the ones that are coming up on 50 years of usage now. Because of constant travel in a rough and tumble field, my gear gets chewed up and spit out. If a film camera lasts a season I’d call it a win.
To start I want to address the elephant in the room (maybe 2), primarily the fact that this is a nearly fully automatic camera which photographers seem to hate and that, as a half frame camera, the scans are much smaller. It makes sense to want control over your camera and I have many a camera that can be fully controlled, but tinkering with a camera is only great if you’re into that sort of thing (and have the convenience of time on your side). While working I neither have that time nor energy to constantly be adjusting and monitoring for each shot, situations bounce between bright sun and dark shadows moment by moment and sometimes it’s nice to have a camera that can take it all in stride. Alternatively while living life the camera should be an extension of me and not get in the way. Something quick and dirty is necessary, and that’s what the Pentax 17 is. When it comes to scan sizes I’m much more interested in the quality of light that film is able to capture, technical specs mean very little outside of their ability to convey an idea or emotion effectively. While having a camera with higher resolution is great, many times it just isn’t as practical not only when it comes to speed with which you can shoot but also the weight and size of a camera. Again, quick and dirty. The Pentax is small, light, easy to adjust (now that I know this camera all functions can be set while I’m holding it at my side not looking before it’s brought up to compose), and most importantly, fun.
That’s not to say this isn’t a technical marvel. The camera has now become known for its metering ability and after well over 100 rolls through the camera, it nails exposure the vast majority of the time. If it doesn’t, it’s almost always been user error, ie backlight or an incorrectly set camera mode. Part of that metering system prioritizes an aperture of f8, meaning a much wider depth of field and a crisper image which lends itself to making the half frame punch well above its weight. It creates wonderful images, easily.
That leads us to why I like this little thing so much, aside from the pure utilitarian use of a portable, easy film camera. To start it’s just a joy to use. There are only a few settings to choose from while shooting, essentially flash on, flash on with shutter drag, regular shooting, regular shooting with shutter drag, bokeh mode that prioritizes open aperture, and an automatic setting that I only use when I hand the camera to a four year old. You can adjust exposure compensation, and uhhhh that’s it. The modes are wildly easy, there’s just enough of them that it’s a fun thing to think about while shooting while also knowing it doesn’t really matter, the camera will make a decent photo no matter which mode you pick in the majority of situations. Focus is done by zones which, if you haven’t zone focused before, is very forgiving and easy to get the hang of due to that wide depth of field. That’s it for settings, honestly a very true to form point and shoot. While this is the making of a good little camera, what brings it together is the tactile feel. The shutter advance lever is wonderful, the camera is light but doesn’t feel cheap, it fits nicely in hand, and there’s just enough nobs n wheels to fiddle with to make it fun. In short, it makes you want to tinker without needing to tinker, it just works.
Alright, fun camera but how’s the image quality??? As stated it is a half frame camera, no escaping that. Smaller files, larger grain, less resolution, not as sharp, etc. But like, this is film. That’s supposed to be what film is. That’s the draw. If you were trying to get things perfect then use a digital camera, or a more purposeful film camera. You want to take panoramic landscape images? Don’t buy this. You want to go on a camping roadtrip with friends and snapshot the night away? This is for you. The Pentax 17 is a living life camera and less of a making wall prints camera. It’s for the moments you want to remember as a memory, just a quick snap and away it goes. No need to get in the way of being alive. For that reason I’ve found myself grabbing it more often than any other camera. It does what I need in a package that doesn’t subtract from what I want to experience.
Is the Pentax 17 for you? No idea. We all shoot differently, with different priorities and mindsets. That said: it’s fun, it’s easy, it’s film, it’s a joy to use, and it’s more put together than any other half frame.
Speaking of which!!! You get 72 images per roll on this thing! It’ll cut your developing costs in half, which gets rid of that pesky subconscious “well I don’t want to waste a shot” mentality that hindered me from shooting film very often. This camera helped me get over that mental block I’ve always felt when approaching film, which was sorely needed. This little camera is the spark I needed. Since then I’ve passed it around to a bunch of my friends, all full time working photographers, and nearly all of them have ended up buying one (which isn’t saying much, we buy a lot of cameras, but still). This isn’t the ever illusive do-it-all camera we’ve been waiting on for decades, but it may be the camera to get you out of a funk and start creating effortlessly again. It found its way into my permanent kit and I don’t think it’s leaving anytime soon.