Pentax ended a more than two decade hiatus in new film cameras when it launched the Pentax 17 in 2024. But the camera’s mix of retro and modern raised some eyebrows as the camera brand created a film camera not necessarily for serious film buffs, but for a new emerging generation of film photographers. That risk, however, may be proving worthwhile: the Pentax 17 just earned a iF Design Award for 2025 for the product design category.
Ricoh says that the Pentax 17 was developed with both longstanding experts as well as younger engineers, a multi-generational effort that resulted in a camera that feels both old and new. The camera uses 35mm film, but as a half frame camera takes vertical images that better fit the devices that many consume photography on on a daily basis, i.e., the smartphone. The camera has a manual rewind crank, yet a battery from the flash and metering.
The Pentax 17 isn’t just a mishmash of old and new – the camera also blends features for beginners with some adjustable controls. The lens is manual focus, but uses the zone focusing technique to allow for more room for error. Serious photographers will need to look elsewhere if they want full manual controls, but beginners can gradually flex their skills with the options for bulb mode and programed auto.
When I tried out the Pentax 17, I loved the photos that I was able to snap with the compact film camera. But for me the biggest reason I loved the Pentax 17 is that it gave me the jump start I needed in learning film – I was able to pick up an old Pentax K1000, which has full manual controls, with renewed confidence. I could easily see why film newbies and photographers that haven’t yet mastered manual mode would love the camera.
The iF Design Award, hosted by the iF International Forum Design in Germany recognizes products across multiple categories for excellence in design. While the Pentax 17 earned an award for the product design category, the contest also looks at multiple areas of design, from packaging to user experience design.
The Pentax 17 joins the 2025 award list with several other cameras, including the Sony a9 III, Fujifilm X-M5, Canon EOS R1, Nikon Z6 III, and Panasonic Lumix S1R II among others.
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