Ricoh has published another video with an update about the status of the Pentax Film Project. We get to know more and more about this new camera and it seems the release date is getting closer as Ricoh is testing the camera already!
What we learned from the video about the current status of the Pentax Film Project is the following.
Vertical image orientation
The camera generates vertical images by default. The idea is that the target audience of the camera are young people, who are used to using a smart phone in a vertical orientation as well. This means that the transition to film is easier for them.
The vertical orientation is achieved by using the 35mm half frame format, which means you get 72 images from a 36 roll as an added bonus.
Automatic and manual mode
Furthermore, the camera will allow both a fully automatic mode where it chooses aperture and shutter speed automatically based on the ISO of the film. It will also allow the user to manually dial in aperture and / or shutter speed.
Pentax Film Project: Zone focus
Ricoh is also planning to enable the user to use zone focusing, where the user sets the desired distance that needs to be in focus.
Manual rewind
Moreover, the camera will allow the user to rewind the film manually using a rewind crank. This will stress the analog nature of the camera.
Lens of the Pentax Film Project
Lastly, Ricoh indicates that the lens of the camera is inspired on the lens used in the Pentax Espio Mini camera, which is known for its sharp lens.
You can watch the full video below. Ricoh claims a prototype is available and that they are testing it. As for now, no release date is known.
Please watch this space for more news on this camera!
Header picture by Bubba73 (Jud McCranie) – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37907279
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