I am all for resolution and every time someone asks me what to get after having a Canon AE1, I always say go medium format. Be it square or 6 by 7, that larger negative gives a closer depiction of what the eyes see. So I have not once considered a half frame camera because what’s the use of these tiny frames?
Sometime last year Jing inherited his grandfather’s Olympus Pen EE, gave it an overhaul to bring it back to life. It’s pretty amazing to not require a battery to power that thing. Vertical photos are perfect for Instagram and with film prices going out of control, I see the appeal of such cameras but I still wasn’t interested (don’t tell him).
PRO
Image quality
Reliable
Half frame fun
CON
Ease of use
SPECIFICATION
24×17mm half frame
1/350 to 4 seconds, Bulb
290 grams
From A$899
Moving onto the Pentax 17, I participated in an event by FilmNeverDie and as usual Gary Wong and his team are excellent hosts. It isn’t exclusively to that one event because my love for film photography gets reinforced every time with their community events. The crowd that they draw are genuine photography loving people who aren’t just there to mansplain their pricey new toy.
Auto exposure, maximum aperture of f/3.5 and built-in flash are amazing features to have in a half frame camera perfect for those who have always wanted to dip their toes into film photography. Instead of whipping out an iPhone, give this a go and it will bring colour into your desk diving life. The Pentax 17 isn’t the prettiest camera but I got asked what this camera is by someone who shoots film too, I was largely to be thanked here as she mistaken me for Kai Man Wong.
No complaints on image quality as there is glass and a healthy amount of elements to beat vintage counterparts. I don’t doubt that and the images taken with Kodak Colorplus are pleasant but those taken on this roll of Ilford Color 400 Plus is harder to tell. It is nice to have multiple modes but the Pentax 17 can be made simpler by giving it a fixed focus option which is better even for someone seasoned because it is not always about micro contrast and perfect composition.
Ultimately would I buy a Pentax 17? A new camera made today is a gift from the film gods and for the peace of mind where it will function properly, get one because there’s no alternative in this space. Image quality is more than fine for a half frame camera and is decently easy to use. The Pentax 17 takes selfies, just remember to select the right focus options which can be confusing. That aside, this is a great first film camera and it won’t be your last.
If you are a stock investor, consider an Olympus Pen EE from the secondary market. Even less for one that hasn’t been film tested but that comes with a lot of excitement because at a quarter of the price, is a lot of fun to find out if you will be getting any of the 72 memorable pictures.
Luckily the one we had with us was properly serviced and despite not having the quality that I am looking for, it is a lot of fun. It captures the in-between events kind of photographs. The best part has to be not having to be bothered with focusing which is the very reason why I would have the Olympus Pen EE over a Pentax 17. I am now convinced and would say a half frame camera does deserve a place in every film camera collection.