...in which I road test my Christmas present to myself, the brand new Pentax 17 Half-Frame film camera.
Not quite a point and shoot camera, not quite a manual throwback. The nostalgia is strong with this one but it combines retrochiq with contemporary technology and materials. Does it work? Well the lens is certainly good enough - good enough for the half frame format anyway, but what about that design?
Something of a Frankenstein's monster, I try out three different kinds of film over the Australian summer as I come to grips with it. Coastal towns to the city, beach to bush, as well as my own ginger monster, Juniper the groodle puppy, they all become fodder for the Pentax 17. The question is, is this a major innovation in photography or had Pentax had been licking cane toads when they came up with this crazy idea?
Camera: Pentax 17 half-frame film camera
Film: Ilford HP5 | Fujifilm 400 | 1shot 400 (rebadged Orwo Wolfen C500?)
Dates: December - January 2025
Developed with Cinestill CS41 and Scanned with a Plustek OpticFilm 120
Web: https://markmcmahon.me
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