The Pentax 17 is a half-frame camera with a non-interchangeable 3-element lens sold for €550.

And honestly, I could stop right there.

A Deal-Breaking Flaw For Me

If 35mm full-frame is the most common film format, there is a reason for it: it offers the perfect balance between image quality and compactness.

Cut that full-frame format in half and you end up with half-frame photography, meaning images with insufficient resolution, at least in my opinion.

I simply do not see the point of spending €550 on a camera that will inherently produce lower-quality images.

That said, Pentax may very well find its audience among enthusiasts of grainy – or “vintage”, as the target audience would probably call it – imagery with this half-frame camera marking the brand’s return to film photography.

Because even if I cannot help rolling my eyes at the technical specifications of this thing sold for €550 (half-frame format, a triplet lens design, and a maximum shutter speed of 1/350s), I do not doubt the build quality of the camera, nor that it is a beautifully designed object.

You Can Find Better for Literally Ten Times Less on the Used Market

If you are looking for this kind of rendering, you will easily find what you need on the used market. A 35mm SLR with a good lens will deliver the images you expect for a much lower price.