[Mingji]

I was so excited when they announced the new film camera project back in Dec last year. This March, They seemed to confirm it's hand-winding. Is there other info about this project? My wallet is ready

[Sandy Hancock]

Expect to wait several months. This is Pentax we're talking about

[panonski]

Expect to wait several months. This is Pentax we're talking about

[AfterPentax Mark II]

I was so excited when they announced the new film camera project back in Dec last year. This March, They seemed to confirm it's hand-winding. Is there other info about this project? My wallet is ready

Why so excited about an out of time product? Ricoh/Pentax makes brilliant digital camera's. Unless this project is foreboding of them to return to making film P&S's and SLR's.

[Wheatfield]

I was so excited when they announced the new film camera project back in Dec last year. This March, They seemed to confirm it's hand-winding. Is there other info about this project? My wallet is ready

No, but it looks like they might have a lens for it in the works.

[reh321]

Why so excited about an out of time product? Ricoh/Pentax makes brilliant digital camera's. Unless this project is foreboding of them to return to making film P&S's and SLR's.

“Foreboding” means “with a sense of dread”. I used my {film} “Super Program” just a couple of days ago; that certainly doesn’t describe me. Curious to see what develops, perhaps, but I will wait. I will continue to photograph, without spending money on Pentax, as I wait.

[angerdan]

I was so excited when they announced the new film camera project back in Dec last year. This March, They seemed to confirm it's hand-winding. Is there other info about this project? My wallet is ready

No, nothing did change since the threads about the idea of developing a film camera from March 2023:
Interview with Ricoh Imaging president Noboru Akahane - PentaxForums.com
Really? A new hand-winding film camera from Pentax? - PentaxForums.com
Pentax is developing new hand-wound film cameras - Pentax Announcements | PentaxForums.com

[Mingji]

I have a guess, that it will be a new lx model, cuz they've done that several times, use customized lx for special occasions. Also, films are getting so expensive nowadays, going with high end makes sense. However, I wish not, because I'm not motivated enough to spend too much on it, even though I'm excited about it. I think I've read somewhere, that it will be a new line of film camera, not just one, so hopefully there will be a mid range model as well. As a 1995 born, I basically missed the whole film era. Though I've bought classic cameras before, having a new model in my own time is just so romantic~~

[Lord Lucan]

Expect to wait several months. This is Pentax we're talking about

And for the benefit of the OP, I assume you meant wait several months to get an update, not to get the camera. As you say, this is Pentax.

I have a guess, that it will be a new lx model .... I think I've read somewhere, that it will be a new line of film camera, not just one, so hopefully there will be a mid range model as well.

That's hopeful. What I understand is that a new film camera would be a point-and-shoot, to test the market. Depending on the market's reaction they might then produce an interchangeable lens SLR, but that would be a long time ahead. Don't expect an LX anyway, the vast majority of film SLR comeback fans (not necessarily on this forum) are asking for a basic camera, more like a K1000 - which Pentax must have noticed command silly high prices in the used market so they would probably want to cash in on that.

[Mingji]

And for the benefit of the OP, I assume you meant wait several months to get an update, not to get the camera. As you say, this is Pentax.


That's hopeful. What I understand is that a new film camera would be a point-and-shoot, to test the market. Depending on the market's reaction they might then produce an interchangeable lens SLR, but that would be a long time ahead. Don't expect an LX anyway, the vast majority of film SLR comeback fans (not necessarily on this forum) are asking for a basic camera, more like a K1000 - which Pentax must have noticed command silly high prices in the used market so they would probably want to cash in on that.

Dude, that can't be. How can a hand-winding camera be point-and-shoot? A K1000 makes sense on its own, but the fact film photography has become almost a luxury today, does a low end camera really align with the whole picture? For that reason, if pentax makes something like Fuji Instax, it's just wrong. The quality of that lens determines the photo you get from it definitely isn't worth the time and effort you put in. Unless, idk, if it's really instant, then maybe it could work. Either way, neither Lx or K1000 will bring in many new customers, I believe the whole project is about revitalizing the existing fans.

[reh321]

Dude, that can't be. How can a hand-winding camera be point-and-shoot?

Back in the film era, most of the film cameras I had were hand-winding. Yes, I had an Olympus “Infinity” that began by {power} winding the film out of the can, but I also had numerous other P&S cameras {including a Kodak Instamatic 100} that were hand-wound. Research has shown that the Minox “35” was hand-wound, and users here suggested the Pentax “PC35AF” as an example. Yes, my daughters had power-wound P&S cameras, but that was towards the end of that era. In whole, hand-winding was more typical for P&S cameras than power-winding was.

[Mingji]

Back in the film era, most of the film cameras I had were hand-winding. Yes, I had an Olympus “Infinity” that began by {power} winding the film out of the can, but I also had numerous other P&S cameras {including a Kodak Instamatic 100} that were hand-wound. Research has shown that the Minox “35” was hand-wound, and users here suggested the Pentax “PC35AF” as an example. Yes, my daughters had power-wound P&S cameras, but that was towards the end of that era. In whole, hand-winding was more typical for P&S cameras than power-winding was.

I understand your point, however I believe hand-wound models are considered relatively high end among non-interchangable-lens cameras, minox 35 even have a real lens. The point-and-shoot reminds me more of the 90s cheap, disposable film cameras, with some plastic pieces as lens. If the new pentax doesn't look good, look like a real slr, then I doubt the market will respond well. In recent years, Pentax has been impressing the amrket as a stubburn company who focuses solely on SLR. The last time it attempts something else was the K-01 mirrorless. So, I wouldn't expect anything other than a SLR from Pentax, I could be wrong of course

[reh321]

I understand your point, however I believe hand-wound models are considered relatively high end among non-interchangable-lens cameras, minox 35 even have a real lens. The point-and-shoot reminds me more of the 90s cheap, disposable film cameras, with some plastic pieces as lens. If the new pentax doesn't look good, look like a real slr, then I doubt the market will respond well. In recent years, Pentax has been impressing the amrket as a stubburn company who focuses solely on SLR. The last time it attempts something else was the K-01 mirrorless. So, I wouldn't expect anything other than a SLR from Pentax, I could be wrong of course

Here is a picture of one of the few film cameras I still have - a Vivitar 110 camera. It is not high-end - focus is fixed and shutter speed without flash is fixed at 1/250 {if I read the embossed writing correctly, it has a 24mm fixed @ F/7 lens just to the right of the nameplate; viewfinder is at the far right end}. It cost me $25 back in 1976. It has a battery compartment on the left {I've lost the cover} and a hand-winding plunger on the right. This was typical of the time.

[kypfer]

I've had a brief thought about the concept of a "new" 35mm film p&s … yes, it's very retro and fashionable to use a 20-year-old film camera, but will a new design be welcomed by the current trend or will it just be rejected as "someone jumping on the band-wagon"?
Pentax could so very easily be left with egg on their faces if the fashion isn't so much about using film but about using an old camera!
Hopefully they'll have done their market research thoroughly, or a new film SLR just ain't gonna happen!

[Mistral75]

I have a guess, that it will be a new lx model, cuz they've done that several times, use customized lx for special occasions. Also, films are getting so expensive nowadays, going with high end makes sense. However, I wish not, because I'm not motivated enough to spend too much on it, even though I'm excited about it. I think I've read somewhere, that it will be a new line of film camera, not just one, so hopefully there will be a mid range model as well. As a 1995 born, I basically missed the whole film era. Though I've bought classic cameras before, having a new model in my own time is just so romantic~~

That's hopeful. What I understand is that a new film camera would be a point-and-shoot, to test the market. Depending on the market's reaction they might then produce an interchangeable lens SLR, but that would be a long time ahead. Don't expect an LX anyway, the vast majority of film SLR comeback fans (not necessarily on this forum) are asking for a basic camera, more like a K1000 - which Pentax must have noticed command silly high prices in the used market so they would probably want to cash in on that.

Let's summarise what we know so far concerning the Pentax film projet:

1. From the December 2022 video

They plan to successively launch four cameras:

1. Compact camera
2. High-end compact model
3. SLR model
4. Fully mechanical SLR camera

Nothing is set in stone at this stage, not even the effective launch of a camera.

Source:

Youtu.be

Youtu.be

2. From the March 2023 Barfout article

• They won't replicate a past camera such as the Pentax LX: "from the start, we never thought that we would make efforts to recreate one of our products, or something modelled after one of our great cameras from the past."
  ---
• To attract young users with an easy-to-use camera but, at the same time, make them experience and enjoy the act of winding a camera manually, a special act that is unique to film, they are considering to begin with developing a brand-new, manual winding compact camera.

Source: Short series PENTAX Film Project Club House Diary vol. 1 Guest: Keisuke Nagoshi x Yasushi Nishimura （Prism Lab KICHIJOJI） ｜ BARFOUT!

So far, that's all. Vol. 3 of the Barfout series of articles should be published around the 17th of May.