[Belnan]

I own a Pentax SLR but havnt developed a roll of film in a long long time, but I realize many of you do.

Since Pentax may be the last company to make a SLR seems only fitting they should make another film camera. What do people think, I actually think yes even though I would likely not buy one, but think it is a smart marketing move. But they need to keep it light weight, ideally with modern autofocus and metering... no live view

[LittleSkink]

there are plenty of film camera choices out there, including Pentax brand - I cant see enough business / cashflow to justify going there, its a niche for sure (looking at you Lomo et al), but not a Pentax niche IMO

you think it is a smart marketing move for Pentax, interested to hear why

[EssJayEff]

No . . . not at all. (No was too short an answer. You need to have five characters.)

[aslyfox]

stick with the classics

a new SLR would probably be too expensive

[sergysergy]

It would be interesting but unfortunately it will never happen

[ffking]

If and only if they could make something with a high profit margin that was well made but didn't cost a lot - there is a market for retro, bu it needs to be a real alternative to old cameras which are available on the second hand market and modern high tech high cost digital. To me that puts it back in the manual bracket - no AF or film transport, only metering. People who shoot film tend to want to go the whole hog - there;s not much nostalgia for AF SLRs - but you want it to be weather sealed -people expect that now. Sounds like a recipe for an LX, but that was/would be too expensive - so I think I'm arguing myself out of it - I'll say no.

[NoobOnTour]

I do not use a film camera myself but I understand there are some fine cameras already out there for a relatively cheap price. A new development would be to costly.
Some would love a new slr but its with anything were just a few are interested in...

[Vendee]

there are plenty of film camera choices out there, including Pentax brand - I cant see enough business / cashflow to justify going there, its a niche for sure (looking at you Lomo et al), but not a Pentax niche IMO

you think it is a smart marketing move for Pentax, interested to hear why

The only problem is if the trend for film photography continues upwards. If it does, there will be an increased demand for all those old film bodies that we know and love. Those old mechanical film bodies are getting fewer and fewer. The later film bodies which use electronics are almost impossible to repair/overhaul. That will drive up the prices of the older film bodies that are still working. If users are prepared to pay the higher prices for old bodies then the business case for producing a new film body might make more sense.

I think it would cost too much to produce a brand new film body but putting an older mechanical body back into production might work. Just out of interest, how much would people on this forum be prepared to pay for something like a brand new Pentax MX ?

[jon.partsch]

This would be cool, but it would be a terrible business decision. I'm more concerned that Ricoh make good business decisions with regard to the Pentax brand so that the Pentax brand can survive.

[lsimpkins]

No. I would not want to see any Ricoh/Pentax development resources assigned to such an effort. I still have two good film bodies, film, and the equipment to develop and print both negatives and slides. But I haven't used any film in over a decade.

[BarneyL]

New 67 would be quite a treat, with mirror mech from K-1 and shutter trigger from K-3 iii...

[gatorguy]

I would not be totally surprised if Pentax chooses to bring out one throw-back film camera as a one-off project. It would fit well with their message of deep roots in photography and their respect for where they came from.

[jimfellows]

Looking at the Turntable market, there are lots of old ones that can be gotten for short money, a few cheap new modals and some really pricey audiophile ones. But the high end ones are precision machines with minimal features, I think that would be the market for Pentax if they really wanted to jump in to it. I could see a jewel like MX, matched up with the limited primes that still have the aperture control on the lens. If you are going to make a camera, you are going to want to sell the glass the works on it, so maybe they add aperture control to the body.

Jim Fellows

[Russell W. Barnes]

So by extension, then, does this mean that the film manufacturing industry and associated photographic chemical producers will be governed by the life-span of existing film cameras and the repair network currently available? Or does the likes of Lomography do enough to encourage the take-up of cheap 'n' cheerful film cameras to sustain the continued manufacture of film?

I'd like to think there's life in my collection of film cameras yet, but there'll eventually come a point of 'beyond economic repair', leaving only the most expensive cameras to dictate the price of film. It's no good having an intricate, complex thing of beauty if you can't get film for it as it then becomes nothing more than a fancy ornament.
--

R.

[LesDMess]

... no live view

Does this mean no viewfinder at all . . .