Molto bello il video. Mi è piaciuto molto il commento sul fatto che si scatta troppo senza un ragionamento a priori. Quando lo scatto era a pagamento si scattava di meno e si pensava di piu'. Ma io che sono a digiuno di digitale, una fotocamera monochrome mi agevola oppure no nel b/n,? In sostanza quale è il valore aggiunto rispetto ad una tradizionale?

If I just want to take snaps without being too much involved, I use my mirrorless cameras ( not many left). If I want to really enjoy the process of shooting, I take my SLRs and DSLRs. I have sold all my Fujifilm equipment to switch back to OVF. I only have Sony A7S and a couple MFT camers for portability.

I just bought the Z-1. With power zoom lens this thing is so loud, but other then this it looks like pretty nice camera. Plastic, but it feels solid, there is no weird "rubber" surfaces, LED is solid, viewfinder is great. I feel as if this is more solid then some of new digital cameras, as everything works and it is more or less 30 years old camera. Made from plastic. It is really fantastic tool. No wonder that it was pro camera in Pentax lineup. Bit heavy, and ergonomics compared to modern DSLRs is kinda weird and bulky but I suppose it is matter of getting used to it. I doubt it will replace K2 full time, but it will be nice side camera just to have and use something different. BTW - I just realized that I have more film cameras and film lenses then I have digital ones.

Luigi, (hello again), go read the article PetaPixel has posted on Pentax / Ricoh. It is good, it is positive and I think you will appreciate it. If the link below does not work (copy/paste), simply go to the PetaPixel website and search for : " Ricoh Imaging Enjoys Increased Sales and Profits Thanks to Unusual Strategy " petapixel.com/2024/08/06/ricoh-imaging-enjoys-increased-sales-and-profits-thanks-to-unusual-strategy/

Ciao Luigi, buongiorno. Apprezzo molto il tuo approccio pragmatico al discorso. Chi fa le foto è il fotografo non lo strumento, che poi lo strumento abbia i suoi pro e contro è un dato di fatto, ma come giustamente dici tu, ogni uno di noi è diverso, ogni uno ha un approccio mentale differente, ma quello che conta è il risultato. Ho cominciato tardi a fotografare, a quasi 50 anni e con sistemi mirrorless, nello specifico una Olympus e-m10 IV ed una Nikon Zfc. Ricordo ancora papà che a metà anni 70 aveva Pentax e Nikon e la sua camera oscura in casa, dove all'ombra della luce rossa sviluppava e stampava le sue foto. Di recente, ad un mercatino, ho trovata una Pentax K1000. Sono affascinato dalle macchine fotografiche di un tempo. Le mie mirrorless infatti hanno un design "vecchio stampo", adoro le ghiere sul corpo macchina, adoro la ghiera a scatti dei diaframmi sulla lente. Se c'è una cosa che ho capito prima da musicista e informatico nella vita, poi appassionato di fotografia è il confronto sano ed intelligente, dove contano più i perché dei come e che non siamo tutti uguali. Per quello che mi piace fotografare, basta una qualsiasi fotocamera tra i 1000 e 2000€, non faccio avifauna, ma qualche volatile l'ho fotografato, non faccio fotografia sportiva o estremamente dinamica, ma qualcosa che si muove l'ho fotografato. Il messaggio finale è quello di avere il controllo dei propri mezzi, sia fisici che mentali. Siamo noi che controlliamo ed usiamo la tecnologia, anche se il marketing e le tendenze vorrebbero il contrario..... grazie.

Hello Luigi, I also believe this is a problem. Too many put the effort on the camera body and having the best and latest spec sheet and technology. But to be honest, technology is usually there to make things easier, not necessarily "better". I think you mention the important points. Mirrorless has great advantages for those who want to have an easier time with very specific types of photography, like wildlife photography for example; with advances in sensors that can lock focus on the eyes, or the speed of the ssensor to catch focus. But these are, just like you said, a tool for a very specific case. It is like everything I guess. I have many friends/family that will only buy an iPhone. But they do not even know how to use it to its potential. They take pictures with it, but do not even know how to change the lens they use. So they buy the BEST, but use it the same way as if they had the cheapest phone on the market. I think it is like anything, some people prefer to follow a trend or feel like they are modern and they keep up. To me, photography is not a job. I do not make money, so it is for fun, a hobby, a passion. For me, I prefer to give myself more trouble and make it more complicated. Because, this way, I feel more involved. Like using a prime lens, the limitations help to open the creativity, because you must take time to think. I have recently decided to go back to film photography more seriously and have even started developing my own film. Even if I am not the greatest photographer, it does not matter. I enjoy the process, I enjoy the time I take to think and wonder about things. The time I spend to learn something and to do something is valuable. When we get lazy and let machines do everything, we are not developing our minds, we are becoming a slave to the technology and the marketing of the companies is proof that it works. Anyways, happy photography!

Sto valutanto la Pentax KF con un paio di lenti. Per il prezzo che ha la teovo incredibile e penso che la prenderò l'anno prossimo. Al momento scatto principalmente con Olympus/OM-System e mi trovo benissimo, ma mi manca l'immediatezza della pellicola o almeno delle reflex. Mi ritrovo molto in quello che hai detto sulle mirrorless, è una cosa di cui mi sono reso conto ed è stata abbastanza traumatica. Cinsono veramente tanti parametri. Sono sempre stato un estimatore di Pentax che è anche il marchio che mi ha trasportato nel digotale, e mi manca, sia per una questione di affetto che per i colori e il feeling delle immagini Pentax. Penso proprio che farò l'acquisto al massimo l'anno prossimo. Grazie per i tuoi ottimi video.

Tech geeks are everywhere. And I suppose amateurs have little choice currently. Mirrorless is everywhere and last remaining SLR manufacturer, so Pentax is hard to find in shops, even online it is somewhere in side menu. Nikon and Canon still sell DSLRs but those are "old" cameras so customers shy away from them in fear of not being supported, ease of repair etc. I use SLR (both film and digital) cause I want to get away from screens in my life. I work in IT so screens follow me for most of my day, I at least want my hobby to be as screen free as possible. I shot action (kinda: I am photographing airplanes and trains) and do it with reflex cameras. 100% doable, again both with film Pentax K2 and digital Pentax K-3 Mk III. I am getting photos I love to watch, print and hang on my wall. If someone want mirrorless then by all means go for it, they are great cameras, technical masterpieces. There is Nikon, there is Canon, there is Fuji, there are medium format cameras. Just leave Pentax alone so that I have an option to buy DSLR cameras and lenses for them.

36:26 It's a very dark film. I saw "Fat Man and Little Boy" in the early 90s. It's a much different film than "Oppenheimer." I'm sure it was shot on film, as well. The names of the buildings in Oak Ridge, TN ... "K-25," (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-25), "Y-12," (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y-12_National_Security_Complex), and such were chosen according to the coordinates on the grid of a map and obscured to protect them in the event of a Japanese bombing attempt. The young women who operated the "Calutrons" (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y-12_National_Security_Complex#/media/File:Y12_Calutron_Operators.jpg) to isolate and concentrate U235; as well as. nearly all of the workers at Oak Ridge were completely unaware of the nature of the work they were doing. I feel that the "Oppenheimer" film is very prescient given the political struggle for global dominance that seems to be at a greater risk of escalating into nuclear conflict than; perhaps, any time since the initial advent of nuclear weapons. Just this summer, the Russian's surfaced a "boomer" (English slang for nuclear missile submarines) off the coast of Florida. And this past week, I heard that Ukrainians destroyed a Russian nuclear bomber with a drone launched from Finland.

In reality, film is ultimately digital in the sense that there are a finite number of molecules on the celluloid strip to react when exposed to light. It's just that they are many more molecules on film than pixels that can be packed onto a digital sensor that we are able to design and manufacture.

I remember my father's Decca recordings of classical music from the 60's, they were beautiful. I also learned photography from my father who worked in a studio and knew how to get the best from film, I have his camera too. Your video os very interesting, I have watched in three sections to listen with enough attention. I knew many of the tings you covered yet had not put them together as a whole which you have done. My passion is still with film, I currently have 10 film cameras loaded and in use. I use films which suit the lenses and how the cameras feel in use. WHen photographing on digital I watch histograms and use exposure compensation to keep the highlight detail, it is rather like phographing on Kodachrome. I got to know Kodachrome well I could visually assess the tonal range of a scene or subject and instinctively dial in compensation to suit. I also like the old school Pentax cameras which have meters set up for the minimum necessary exposure for slide film and compensating for print film is easy, as long as a light metere is consistent I can learn it and expose accordingly.

Whatever we think about Mr. Trump, these pictures deserve the badge _The best of century/millennium/ever_ choose what you like.

Thought this was going to be a “gear” talk, but I got a lesson on how focusing mattes and being obsessively concerned with focus impedes creativity in one’s composition efforts. Lol. Pleasantly surprised!

Per un appassionato di fotografia sarebbe stato il minimo mettere a fuoco il soggetto...ossia te nel video 😢

Interesting food for thought, thank you. I am personally convinced that to photograph you have to know about science, music, literature, etc. That's how you build a thought, a personal critical view... and a photo. Thanks again.

That was great, thank you

Interesting commentary on inflation and buying power. Yes, our wages are higher but we are taxed more. One thing to think about is “productivity”. We are much more productive, so prices should come down because things are easier to make ?

“The reality is that there are more good people than bad people”. Yes, I’ve always felt this.

Great statement Luigi! Mass media being dishonest or even deceiving the public is a huge problem these days.

Oh wow, so you believe in the Big Lie, when every court has dismissed it. You believe in Putin's war and genocide, even though he invaded Ukraine to confort his legacy. So you must also be a racist, misogynist, probably not opposed to neo-na$iz and you're probably naive enough to believe in every conspiracy theory invented by the MAGA/Q people to make you feel smarter than everyone else. If you were not, you wouldn't support Trump, who is all those things. How disappointing.

What a beautiful call for show the truth

Thanks, Luigi! Very inspiring as usual. Reminds me of this quote: “The world is going to pieces and people like Adams and Weston are photographing rocks!” - Henri Cartier-Bresson. Also, have you seen "Minamata" with Johnny Depp?

While I am not on same political page as you (I am centrist, so neither left or right does attract me), I totally agree about our photographs having power to show reality and expose the lies. Sadly we rarely use it. Very good video.

Fantastic reminder Luigi.

Full support Luigi; we need to start speaking louder for what we believe and not be repressed by virtue signaling warmongers.

Thank you for this excellent analysis, and great photos of Trump!

Great video. I want to add a nuance to this topic: Photography, especially iconic photography always relies on a medium or media that publishes it to the masses. In dictatorships of course those photographs were staged (Communist flag raising over Berlin) or edited to support their narrative. In a democracy we (seemingly) have a free press. Free markets (should) ensure that iconic photographs will be made public for all to view. But legacy media always had other interests in mind than informing the masses. One example is that Life or another publication bought the Zapruder film of JFKs assasination. Yet, very unlike a commercial enterprise would, they just kept it hidden away, only publishing select frames. (the story of that film is too long to write it here, but it went on being shady). You mentioned X and I also went on X and got the infos. I don't think Elon Musk is some kind of hero but at least for something as big as this his claim of X being a "free speech" platform came true. It could be seen on mainstream media immediately: Trump "fell", Trump was brought of stage because "noises" irritated him. Even photos with blood on his face had text beneath saying "we don't know if he was hurt." They did what they always do: Distort the truth. They don't even care if what a video or photo clearly shows contradicts them. The point I want to make: If it weren't for X or basically a free internet where you as a citizen can choose where you want to get your information from, we'd rely on mass media and what they are willing to put on their websites and tv stations. I don't know how photo distribution works, but the most iconic photos were shot by a New York Times photographer and an AP photographer. I assume they were immediately put out in a media data base for everyone to access and purchase (just how I imagine it). Because I didn't see those pictures on NYT or AP accounts, I saw them from individuals spreading them. I am not sure if, in the old pre-internet days, such hostile media organizations would've published those photos. I think they would have kept them under seal. I can only applaud the photographers here and especially for them to work on instinct to get the "best" photos and that they didn't try to only take pictures that fit the agenda of their employer. Another point that came to my mind last night: How important photography still is in an age of countless live stream. Even if they stream at 4k the ability to capture a moment on a photo is what gave us the defining media of this attempted assassination. Even scrolling through HD live streams won't get you something as powerful as this.

Good advice. Thank you.

It is priced to sell and it justifies its existence with real image quality and proper quality of design and construction from scratch. It is a bargain offer for what has happened to bring it to market. I think it will appear as a full frame variant judging by its size. There will be four cameras in production eventually so let’s see what happens next.

Il manuale si scarica in PDF sul cellulare e si ha sempre dietro. A cosa serve il cartaceo??? Io su drive ho tutti i manuali delle mie pentax e quando serve li consulto senza portarmi ulteriori pesi dietro

I'm always interested to hear what different people have to say and which tips they give. I sadly didn't quite catch the name of the trilogy you mentioned in the beginning, could you write it please?

Great advises! Thank you!

Per un uso generico sono indeciso tra k70 col 18-135 e pana g80 col 14-140

It is my dream camera. Almost impossible to get here in Poland in good shape, but I hope. With it's advanced lightmeter it should be a dream to use for slides without hauling external lightmeter. Or maybe Pentax will release new SLR that is LX-like ;)

I have it. And while I like design I hate how it ages. Rings after almost 50 years are hard to move, there are no clicks (at least not on all settings) so it is easy to move ISO setting from one to another without noticing at some film speeds and so on. I would like to have brand new K2, but old is a bit of pain to operate. Still makes great photos. BTW - there was a version with aperture view, was called K2 DMD.

I studied with Dr Arnheim at University of Michigan many years ago. He was giving a lecture on this subject and became so excited, I ran up to him and asked to do an independent study He was a most brilliant, humble and gracious person. HIs work continues to run a thread through my work as an artist and therapist. Thank you for this channel!

i just use manual lenses on my film cameras with focusing screens

That's one way to pt it. Another way to put it is: Pentax 17 - €550 CANON EOS R100 + RF-S 18-45mm IS STM - €589 NIKON D3300 + AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm - €335 SONY A6000 + 16-50mm - €599

That 500$ price can be justified just by comparison of current money value - as your did, Luigi. If we take into account, that Ricoh has hardly any competition on the current market - it looks even better 🤔 I'm already saving for that little beauty, the Pentax 17🥰

As an old head have to say that a decent film camera back in the day was expensive.Considering that Pntax had to design (and not remake) Pentax 17 think that price is about right.Building 1/2 frame from the scratch is engineering wise more espensive then re-using FF stuff from the past.

I’m a long time Pentaxian, and as always Pentax is still offering great brand quality that we all trust and they have built their reputation on. Your summation of this camera is very clear concise and one of the most balanced and informative on KZfaq. Thank you for sharing this with us all Sir.

I have it :D Quality wise it is a bargain. I was surprised, expecting something cheap and plastic but the build quality is really great. Handling is great, viewfinder is nice. Focus zones at first gave me problems, I am so used to autofocus that was forgetting to change when I was really close :) Image quality - don't know yet, but soon I will know. All I know it will be like 1/2 of normal frame, so not bad. I do not think I will be printing posters, maybe I print first roll big to check quality but it will be more snapshot camera then artistic or archival tool so both prints and low resolution prints should be excellent. I think price is pretty personal, one can spent 1000 and not notice, other will turn every euro 3 times around and think if he can afford to spent it. For me 550 euro is good price for this camera. First - it is new, good quality camera. Second - to get same type of camera in same price (so Ricoh Autohalf or Olympus Pen-F) on ebay, used but pristine you need to give 1000 or more euro.

I agree with your point, I got in to film late last year. And I'm honestly exited about the camera, I have gotten burn too many times in my short experience with film photography from unreliable cameras, people bring the point that for 500 dollars you can buy X or Y 20-30+ year old SLR. But this people miss the whole point you can make an excuse for that for any camera on that matter. Why buy a Sony a7 IV when a used a7 iii is a 3rd of the price and probably no one will notice. People buy new because they want to. And the pentax 17 is the first film camera that gives incredible results and you can get new.

There is a point to be made about adjusting for inflation however there is also the fact that at half the cost there are many used full featured film cameras on the market. A person new to film photography (the target market) would be much better served buying something else.

Greetings Luigi! I will be honest; the first time I went to look at the camera, I was a little surprised by the price. But then, when I started looking at how it functions, the quality of the lens, hd coating, the mechanical nature of the camera, the fact this is brand new and with all the R&D they put into it.... I realized that Pentax is asking a very fair price for something I trust will function reliably and have the Pentax quality we all have come to appreciate. This is a HUGE win for photography and a great way to bring new people into it, but also excite some of us who have been doing it for longer. I am buying one. Take care Luigi, looking forward to your next video. -PS- Where did you get your t-shirt? I want one too!

Another interesting video - thanks Luigi. It made me wonder how much my first proper camera (an ME Super with 50mm f1.7 lens) would cost now. I was a teenager at the time and saved up and bought it in 1983. UK inflation since then means that the £120 it cost me at the time would now be roughly £510 - almost identical to the £499 that the Pentax 17 costs here. I was thinking that makes the Pentax 17 rather expensive (a 17 or a full-blown SLR for the same price?). However, then I thought that the ME Super was just churned out by the 1000s and was based on other cameras that Pentax had already released too. It simply would not have been as much effort or expense for Pentax to make it compared with building the Pentax 17 from the ground up in 2024. So, I agree with you, I think the price is reasonable and I really hope Pentax has great success with it.

I am with you, the pricing is fair compared to back in the day. My issue though: Compare it with another zone focus camera from back in the days, say Agfa Optima Sensor models that were built over decades from 70s onwards. It had metal body with sturdy plastic layer above. This camera is indistructable. That is what I expect from a camera that wants 550€ from me in 2024 aswell. Yet, Pentax doesn't deliver on that. Different kinds of plastic, especially cheap, thin plastic on the backside makes me wonder if this will hold up when it falls down. I have a half frame toycamera froim agfaphoto, that has cheap plastic aswell (totally different to the one back in Agfa Optima days). When that falls down, it's broken. But I only lost 40€ and not 550€.

Thank you for a balanced appraisel of price. I like the Pentax 17 and am wondering wether to hang on until there is a full frame version.

Thank you for this excellent analysis of the cost of the new Pentax. So many people give opinions that are not backed up by data. I agree that this excellent new camera is well worth the price. I’m sure that back in the days when all parts of the Pentax cameras were made in Japan it would have cost much more. I think it is quite a good deal for a newly developed and unique camera. I hope to get one, mainly to enjoy, but also to support the risk-takers at Pentax/Ricoh. I always enjoy your content. Thanks！

Hi, which lense did you use please?