Review: I took some nice photos of the Osaka cityscape in 2024 with the new film camera 'PENTAX 17' [62 sample photos]
The PENTAX brand's newly developed film camera '
PENTAX 17 | Products | RICOH IMAGING
https://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/japan/products/pentax17/
The appearance of the PENTAX 17 has been checked in detail in the following article. Click the link to check the button layout and texture of the PENTAX 17. This time, I took over 60 sample photos to show what kind of photos you can take with the PENTAX 17.
I took a closer look at the appearance of the full-scale film camera 'PENTAX 17' that appeared in the Reiwa era - GIGAZINE
◆FUJIFILM 400
First, below are some sample images taken with the film ' FUJIFILM 400 ', which was announced to be introduced in Japan in April 2024, attached to a PENTAX 17. All image data was digitized by Kitamura Camera's developing service and has not been processed other than by resizing. You can also click on each example to see the full-size data sent by Kitamura Camera.
Photographing the Dotonbori Glico Sign from Dotonbori Bridge. The PENTAX 17 is a camera designed for vertical composition, but if you hold it horizontally, you can take vertical photos like the one below.
Ebisubashi Bridge. It has a retro feel, but the clothes of the people passing by tell us that this is not an old photo.
Photographed the Dotonbori Glico sign from Ebisubashi Bridge.
There was construction going on across from the Dotonbori Glico sign.
Ebisubashi Bridge photographed from below.
Film cameras have a narrower dynamic range of brightness that can be captured in one photo than smartphone cameras, so even areas that are clearly visible to the naked eye can appear dark. Since you can't tell what kind of photo you've taken until it's developed, it takes some getting used to in order to take the photo you want.
A narrow dynamic range can also work in a positive way. In the photo below, the clear difference between light and dark makes the boundary between the Dotonbori side and the sidewalk stand out clearly, creating an overall tight impression.
Another interesting point is that shadows are captured clearly.
Photographed the flag hanging in front of the Osaka Shochikuza Theater.
A large crab from Kani Douraku.
Stubborn dad.
Kushikatsu Daruma.
Isomaru Fisheries. The sparkling feel of the lamp is expressed.
A sign with Kuidare Taro printed on it.
A banner promoting the Osaka-Kansai Expo scheduled to be held in 2025. The 1970 Osaka Expo is said to
I saw a poster for the Osaka-Kansai Expo around town.
An izakaya with beer cases piled up on the eaves.
alley.
Just by taking a quick photo of the shopping street, you can capture a nice atmosphere.
souvenir shop.
A duty-free shop selling a large number of suitcases.
If this was a photo from the Showa era, I would believe it.
Photographing a construction truck. The PENTAX 17 weighs just 319g including the battery and film, so you can easily take snapshots by walking around with it in your hand and snapping a photo whenever you come across an interesting subject.
An overturned trash can.
Outdoor unit and stairs.
bicycle.
No parking here.
The PENTAX 17 has a zone focus, and you can choose the focus range from 'Macro (0.24m to 0.26m)', 'Table Photo (0.47m to 0.54m)', 'Close Distance (1.0m to 1.4m)', 'Close Distance (1.4m to 2.2m)', 'Medium Distance (2.1m to 5.3m)', and 'Long Distance (5.1m to infinity)'. The following photo of takoyaki was taken using the 'Table Photo (0.47m to 0.54m)' setting.
Below is a photo taken close to the takoyaki with the setting set to 'macro (0.24m to 0.26m)'. The focus was way off. Unlike a digital camera, you can't check the results immediately, so you have to take multiple shots and develop them to get used to it.
Photographing the tracks from the station platform.
A train coming into the platform. Since the camera doesn't have a burst function, you have to wait for the right moment to take the picture. That's also what makes it fun.
This is an Osaka Metro vehicle.
I took the train to another town and took some photos of the shopping street with a retro feel.
Photographing a busy road from a high vantage point.
I took a photo holding a crepe in my hand. The focus was set to 'Table Photo (0.47m-0.54m)' and the image was perfectly in focus.
I took a photo of curry at '
A dark building at night, with film grain.
A telephone booth. You can take bright photos at night as long as the flash can reach the area.
I took a photo of a vending machine installed next to a paid parking lot.
The following photo was taken at night of the station and bus terminal. The color of the bus was clearly visible to the naked eye, but the photo turned out dark. If you are used to smartphone cameras, you might think that you can take photos that are as bright as or brighter than the naked eye, but film is quite weak in dark places, so you need to be careful.
◆Kodak UltraMax 400
The photos from here on were taken with a PENTAX 17 equipped with
First, I took a photo of the Osaka Metro route map that was posted inside the subway station.
A photo of the train entering the platform. Because it wasn't very bright, the destination sign stood out.
Trains stopping and people passing by on the platform.
Taken from a little above.
Subway stairs.
The light has a bluish cast and a grainy feel to it, making it a photo that really feels like a film photograph.
There are Expo posters inside the station.
Roads around Osaka City Hall.
Myakumyaku lies down in front of the main entrance of Osaka City Hall.
Taken from a different direction.
I wanted to take a photo of Tsutenkaku Tower, so I went to Dobutsuen-mae Station. This is the staircase leading from the basement to the ground.
A traffic cone placed near the entrance of SPAWORLD HOTEL & RESORT.
Strollers waiting.
I walked to a place where I could see Tsutenkaku.
When Tsutenkaku
Tsutenkaku's LED vision can also display in color, and in the photo below, the Myaku-Myaku is displayed in color.
A store with a huge sign in Shinsekai.
New World Market.
The entrance to Tsutenkaku Observatory. The shadows of Tsutenkaku are black, giving the impression that you are underneath a large structure.
Tsutenkaku Tower photographed from the north side.
This is a photo I took to capture Tsutenkaku and the words 'Tsutenkaku Hondori' at the same time, but the streetlights overlapped the top of Tsutenkaku. Unlike digital cameras, the PENTAX 17 does not reflect the viewfinder's field of view directly in the photo, so it takes some getting used to in order to take a photo with a perfect composition.
Summary
The PENTAX 17 is equipped with an automatic exposure function, so you can take pictures easily in bright outdoor locations or indoor locations with good lighting. Another attractive feature is that the developed photos have a grainy texture unique to film and a retro feel that is reminiscent of film. In addition, the half-size format has the economical advantage of being able to take twice the number of photos that a film can take. On the other hand, there are some points to be careful of, such as 'in dark environments, the image may be darker than expected' and 'the flash may go off in dark restaurants, etc.'
A big attraction of the PENTAX 17 is that you don't know what kind of photos you've taken until you develop the film. At first glance, this may seem like a disadvantage, but when you get the photos developed and see that they are complete, you can enjoy the feeling of a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with each photo, thinking things like, 'The colors are just right,' or 'I never thought I'd be able to take this composition like this.' For those who see this as an advantage, the PENTAX 17 is highly recommended as a professional film camera that you can use without having to think about complicated things.
The suggested retail price of the PENTAX 17 is 107,000 yen excluding tax and is scheduled to be released on Friday, July 12, 2024. The PENTAX Store Rakuten Market is selling it for 81,541 yen including tax, but it is out of stock at the time of writing.
[Scheduled for release on July 12th] PENTAX 17 Dark Silver Original Set (PENTAX 17 Half Format Film Camera, Compact, Half Format, Uses 35mm Film, Takes 2x the Pictures) [Direct from the Manufacturer]
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