Like cassettes and vinyl information (and even dumb telephones), movie images is having a resurgence. Nevertheless, getting your arms on a brand new turntable or cassette deck is simpler than a brand new 35mm movie digicam except you need a toy digicam or a $5,600 Leica Rangefinder. The brand new Pentax 17 I just lately shot with fills that want with a fantastic mix of handbook operation and point-and-shoot efficiency in a compact design.
Whereas it is easy sufficient to discover a used digicam, the concept for the $500 Pentax 17 is to offer these new to capturing movie an choice with out worrying in regards to the situation of the digicam or lens. The digicam’s options are a step above the $400 Lomo LC-Huge and nicely past the bare-bones $45 Kodak Ektar H35. It is a half-frame 35mm digicam, so that you get two 24-by-17mm footage for every 35mm body. Movie costs are fairly excessive, as is creating, so getting 72 pictures from a roll of 36 definitely helps. Plus, the vertical frames are extra consistent with cellphone images.
The Pentax 17 is a half-frame digicam, so that you get two pictures for each 35mm movie body.
The Pentax 17 makes use of an Albada bright-frame viewfinder with composition frames for regular and close-distance pictures. It has an f3.5 37mm lens (35mm equal) based mostly on optics from the Pentax Espio Mini, which is redesigned for the half-frame format. In truth, a number of of the design options are borrowed from previous Pentax cameras, together with the handbook movie advance lever and shutter launch, the handbook movie rewind meeting and the built-in flash.
The digicam makes use of a zone-focus system from 0.8-foot to infinity.
As a substitute of full handbook or autofocus, the digicam makes use of a zone-focus system with six zones: 0.8, 1.7, 4, 5.6, 10 ft and infinity (0.25, 0.5, 1.2, 1.7, 3 meters and infinity). Simply twist the dial across the lens to the pictograph representing what you are capturing, and also you’re carried out. If you cannot keep in mind the topic distance for every zone, they’re marked beneath the lens, and you’ll see the pictograph by the viewfinder to double-check the setting.
Focal zone distances are listed beneath the lens.
Shutter speeds vary from 1/350th to 4 seconds. There’s additionally a Bulb setting and an elective cable change offered individually so you do not inadvertently shake the digicam whereas holding the shutter open. There are two units of capturing modes — with flash and with out — and in between them on the dial is a Full Auto mode that makes use of the built-in metering to set off the flash.
Along with Full Auto, there’s a normal Program, Gradual-speed Shutter and Bokeh (most aperture precedence) with out flash. With the flash, there is a Program (daylight sync) and a Gradual-speed Program. There’s additionally a ±2EV publicity compensation dial on the other facet of the viewfinder from the mode dial.
The mode dial is cut up into modes with flash and with out, with a Full Auto mode in between.
The handbook controls — from loading the movie to advancing frames — give it the tactility that is lacking from easy point-and-shoot movie cameras just like the Kodak I discussed earlier. And it is undoubtedly lacking from the cellphone images expertise. The physique is comparatively light-weight at 10.2 ounces (290 grams), and though it isn’t slim (partly due to the right-hand grip that holds the only CR2 lithium battery), holding it in a backpack or jacket pocket is not a difficulty. The Pentax 17 is usually plastic, however the high and backside are magnesium alloy, which provides it a nicer feel and appear. I want steel have been used for the dials, movie advance lever and shutter launch, however balancing prices (and weight, for that matter) cannot be simple.
Pentax included a notice holder on the again to carry the tab from the top of the movie package deal.
The digicam helps 9 ISO speeds: 50, 100, 125, 160, 200, 400, 800, 1600 and 3200. A handbook winder on high pops open the again, letting you drop a roll in rapidly. With about 4 or 5 cranks of the advance lever, you are prepared to begin capturing. A notice holder on the again cowl offers you a spot to tear off the tab from the movie package deal, so you realize what movie you are capturing.
I have never shot movie in a few decade, aside from with an on the spot digicam. I am excited to see the outcomes from the roll I shot with the Pentax 17. (Effectively, aside from the primary few pictures the place I forgot to take the lens cap off; there’s a warning gentle to the fitting of the viewfinder to assist stop that, too.) Just like the imperfections of information and cassettes, movie pictures appear extra actual than digital pictures. Holding a print that I shot with out with the ability to magically take away the issues is one thing particular. And whereas the digicam, movie and processing aren’t low-cost, capturing movie can change how you consider images and capturing your mates, household and experiences.
