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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
02-02-2024, 06:09 AM
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You used the word manufacture. But I'm not sure if you just mean "sell" film as in they can buy other stocks and sell them through their website to get some revenue, or you mean full scale R&D, Design, Test, Manufacture, Package, and ship film. If you watch the SmarterEveryDay video touring the Kodak facility, I think you'll see it's not a small operation.
I don't think a previously used space can just all of a sudden accommodate such an operation. Now Kodak, does sell their film substrate to other film houses to then put their own emulsion on. But even that part is a huge task. I personally don't see the feasibility in that from Ricoh/Pentax. Unless they bought an entirely new facility (or previously shut down film factory). Even then, it would probably take years to go through the trial and error of dialing in a consistent emulsive layer, color or monochrome rendition, and proper development process.
Would it be cool? Sure! So would one-hour photo booths making a resurgence. But I don't see either happening. Just my 0.5 cents (inflation, y'know...).
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
01-17-2024, 05:31 AM
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Yes. I saw in the earlier posts/MiNT blog update. I just shot a little higher judging by the pricing of their other (non-autofocus SKUs).
Remember, he Cybertruck was announced as starting at $39,990.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
01-16-2024, 08:52 AM
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Yes. Couldn't agree more.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
01-16-2024, 05:49 AM
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I can't say whether or not they make their own lenses. But they currently already produce and distribute:
Instakon SF70 (Square Instax Film. Rangefinder Instant Camera, shape like a Fuji G690) = "Multi-Coated 3-element lens with glass, aspherical lenses" 40mm equivalent FL $899
Instakon R70 (Wide Instax Film. Rangefinder Instant Camera, shape like a Fuji G690) = "Multi-Coated 3-element lens with glass, aspherical lenses" 40mm equivalent FL $899
InstantFlex TL70 2.0 (Instax Mini. TLR Camera. Shape inspired by touring defunct Rolleiflex factory) = Fresnel VF w/ Magnifier. "3-elements, aspherical lenses" (no mention of glass) 38mm equivalent FL $399
InstantFlex TL70 Plus (Instax Square. TLR Camera. Shape inspired by touring defunct Rolleiflex factory) = AR Coated Fresnel VF w/ OLED EXP Display "Multi-Coated 3-element lens with glass, aspherical lenses" 33mm equivalent FL $699
It's not clear where they get the lenses from. But they definitely have experience designing and setting lenses to different camera types. Maybe the same lens set each time though. Judging by design and pricing, it would be safe to guess the new AF will be around 700-900 depending on how mechanical it is and if the lens is unique to previous models.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
01-11-2024, 06:21 AM
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I wish I could be more care-free in that sense. I don't sit down and go through the numbers. I see the price of film, then, without thought divide the price by exposure. Even if I don't want to. Then rinse and repeat for when I scan. And add the numbers together. I'm not even great at manual, head math. My brain just HAS to know per unit cost I guess.
I'd love to try. The new Easy35 from Valoi looks like a simple promising set up.
Wouldn't have it any other way.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
01-11-2024, 06:11 AM
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I wholeheartedly agree. Outlier consumers do not equal profit for a company. Speaking on kids, I am a young (I tell myself) 30 year old. I received the Pentax ME-F when I was 14. Phones already had acceptable enough memory recorders. Not at the point of wanting to print them out. (side note, I did have friends in the early late 00's and early 2010's who would print 4x6 photos for scrap books and what not. But let me tell you, those early phone photos looked awful in the physical realm).
But I was immediately smitten with the tactility, mechanical whizbangery, shutter sound, mirror slap, advance lever, rewind grind, matte focus screen and split prism. There is certainly an intangible essence to the process of shooting a manual mechanical machine. With the heft of the brass, and lovely light sculpting engineering of the large glass lens. (compared to a phone or compact). 15 years later and every time I pick up a lens, I will just stare at the glass elements. The perfectly smooth surface, multicolored reflections from the coatings, opening and closing the aperture blades, spinning the focus and aperture rings, myyy precious.
Never had any of those feelings on my phone.
Maybe I'm just at the generational edge of a more analog era. Even though a phone can capture a well exposed, color corrected image in an instant and fit in my pocket wherever I go. I've never been fully satisfied with the end product. Post on the internet? Sure. Never printed a phone photo. Rarely do I take them off device, into dedicated software, and edit. Never felt worth the time. Who knows, maybe I'm wrong.
But alas, we are the few, the proud, the empty wallet emulsion brigade. 100 units sold to us fanatics will certainly not offset the cost of R&D, machining tools for production, marketing, distribution, and material sourcing.
A boy can dream.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
01-10-2024, 08:16 AM
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Dang, I am definitely doing something wrong :p. I recently went on holiday with the family and shot 3 disposable BW cameras. (bought them for a previous holiday and attempted to hand them out as a fun "treat" for others to try and shoot some film, but alas, I am the only one interested in photography in my family. The disposables went unused). Shot through 3 rolls of film as well. 2 were C-41 and 1 was ECN-2.
I don't develop or scan my own film, but keep telling myself I'll try one day. Nerves I guess. But, I digress. I bought the rolls years ago, so let's avg out and say they were $10 a piece. $15 for the disposables. $75. I just ordered for their scan/development and that came out to $130. We are over $200 for roughly 177 exposures. (27 exp for the disposables, 2x36 exp, 1x24 exp roll).
I am not complaining. I knew what I was getting into. Just surprised at the variance between your home development and my lab experience. Your work comes out to roughly $21 USD per roll, where over here with labs, comes to about $35 USD per roll. Or $1 USD for every press of the shutter if only shooting 36 exp color film. I used to complain about Polaroid being $1 every shot, and now that is closer to $2.50 USD.
Are we all mad for having this hobby? :lol:
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
01-10-2024, 07:43 AM
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My first camera was an inherited ME-F, once my abuelo stopped using it. I personally love that camera. So much so, I bought a second black one so I could shoot color in the silver, black and white in the black. An SMC 50mm 1.2 on one and a Pentax-A 50mm 1.4 on the other. Obviously the K-1000, LX, and MX come up the most. But I think the mid tier design on this camera would work perfectly.
Yes, the EV displayed in the viewfinder is LCD, but I find it perfectly practical, and amazingly accurate. As mentioned before the needle meter would be seemingly more complex and expensive. It has enough of what is necessary; manually set ISO, exposure compensation, lock mode to restrain meter from wasting energy, dedicated 1/125 flash and bulb mode (due to no shutter speed dial), and a self timer. Obviously no shutter speed dial is an automatic no from many, I find setting the shutter speed with the UP and DOWN buttons easy enough.
Not suggesting this exact model to be the mold, but if any of those features make it easier to produce I am fine with it.
For the semi automated SLR, I have an SFXn. Now that one, is admittedly, much more fiddly in controls. Quite a strange design design of buttons, side swiping switches, and modes that require a button held with one finger and a switch moved with your thumb. Ergonomics aside, the SFXn auto focuses fairly well, and has never let me down with exposure.
Also, I probably shoot most with a red Pentax P35AF. And man, from the metal construction, to the spring assisted lens cover and flash. That thing is a joy-and-a-half to use. Yet again, exposure and focus has never let me down. Even with only 3 focus distances and a single +1.5 exposure comp for backlit scenarios. If the half-frame camera mimicked this design, I'll ship my cash directly to Akira Oyama himself.
I say all this, essentially to say, I would LOVE to get a new compact camera, half-frame, and any SLR from Pentax. Even if priced above $1k, if I could save up for it (manual SLR), I would probably get it merely as a token of appreciation and a collectors item. But to be convincing, solely on the front of usability and quality engineering, they would really have to bring their A-game. The three styles of Pentax cameras I already have, don't let me down, are portable enough, have sentimental history, and are beautiful to my eyes (sans the SFXn of course, still love her though).
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
07-12-2021, 10:00 AM
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Give me that sweet, sweet glass.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-12-2021, 09:57 AM
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-12-2021, 09:57 AM
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The flow of the dress is exceptional craftsmanship.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-12-2021, 09:56 AM
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If the fence could talk. It would probably be itchy.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-12-2021, 09:56 AM
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Nicely done. Quite sharp. The bee itself and the photo!
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-12-2021, 09:55 AM
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I don't always mind a bit of light spill over the first few frames. I generally "waste" 3 or 4 frames before dedicating the rest of the roll to important shots.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-12-2021, 09:24 AM
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Thank you Chas!
I like the double green as well!
---------- Post added 07-12-21 at 09:25 AM ----------
No toy or painting. It is a motorcycle helmet, on and old weathered yellow wall.
Look up Hoi An, Vietnam. Basically the entire town is painted yellow.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-10-2021, 08:30 AM
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A lonely helmet found nowhere near its owner. Still don't know which composition I prefer...
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
07-10-2021, 08:22 AM
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Has anyone seen my banana?
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-10-2021, 08:22 AM
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Very moody. Intense, brooding. This image has a solid feel to it.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-10-2021, 08:20 AM
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Hard to get those crisp shots through aquarium glass. But the contrast/darkness in this image adds a nice tone.
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Forum: Photo Critique
07-10-2021, 08:19 AM
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Well, hello Amelia. Nice softness for this portrait.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-10-2021, 08:18 AM
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Cute little bird. Munching on the fuzzy little 'pillar
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-10-2021, 08:18 AM
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-10-2021, 08:17 AM
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The "cleanup" made for a fantastic composition and contrast.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-10-2021, 08:16 AM
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Truly a magical place.
Wonderful capture.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
07-09-2021, 09:01 AM
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