I’m a little embarrassed to admit it, but the film SLR that I found at a garage sale sat on a shelf for years before it became more than a paperweight. But the reason that I finally found the courage to load film into the dusty old camera from the 1970s is actually due to another camera: The Pentax 17.
The Pentax 17 launched in 2024 as the brand’s first film camera in more than 20 years. Pentax, however, has a long history of film cameras, including the Pentax K1000 that I picked up at a garage sale for a few bucks before neglecting it for a few years.
But while the Pentax 17 camera came after decades of no new film cameras from the brand, the 2024 announcement disappointed some photographers. The Pentax 17 is a film camera designed for the social media age. It doesn’t have the full manual controls that serious photographers look for, for starters. There’s no interchangeable lens, and focus is a zone-style system.
But while I admittedly was a bit disappointed by the Pentax 17’s lack of advanced controls, the simple camera was exactly what I needed to start my film journey. The Pentax 17 made film feel less daunting. I didn’t have to wonder if something had broken over the last 50 years of use, because it was a new camera. I didn’t have to spend too much time figuring out how to load film inside because it’s a new camera with instructions (and plentiful YouTube videos).
The Pentax 17 helped me learn the basics of film. But there’s also beauty in simplicity, and I found myself loving the simple operation of the camera and the images that I managed to capture with it. I enjoyed taking pictures with an analog camera that didn’t weigh me down.
I needed to ease into film with a simple camera. The Pentax 17 was just what I needed, even though it didn’t have the manual features that I wanted.
Did I immediately go out and buy the Pentax 17 after I had to return the one that I borrowed? No, I didn’t. I may have considered it, but the cost seemed steep when I had an SLR just decorating my office. Instead, I immediately bought more film and finally loaded that old Pentax K1000 that had been sitting on my shelf for years.
Most photographers want to jump right into film with those classic-looking film SLRs, but the easiest way to learn film is with a point-and-shoot, whether that's a compact film camera from 50 years ago or one from 2024. I needed to ease into film with a simple camera. The Pentax 17 was just what I needed, even though it didn’t have the manual features that I wanted. The biggest problem is that once I got my feet wet with film, I was eager to move to interchangeable lenses and manual controls.
I outgrew the Pentax 17 too quickly to make the initial investment worth it, but I am glad that I tried a point-and-shoot film camera before diving into a film SLR. The Pentax 17 is a good launching point – and it has a better lens and more controls than the Kodak Ektar H35.
I didn’t end up adding the Pentax 17 to my collection. But while the new film camera wasn’t the best use of my gear budget, the same may not be true for more casual film photographers and social media creators. The Pentax 17 is simple to use, yet there are at least enough controls to prioritize bokeh or create long exposures. For easing into film, the Pentax 17 is a simple, albeit pricey, launching point.
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