Finally, a New Film Camera

[Ed Gordon]

Pentax has created a new half frame 35mm camera. It would be nice if they did the same for Super 8. Regardless, film is not dead!

[Steve Klare]

Interesting you should mention that, Ed!

-a couple of weeks ago I went to the Dentist for my annual checkup (-no cavities!). They did X-rays. They stuck that nasty gougey-thing in there. They tell you it's supposed to hold the film in place, but I think it's really there to poke its corners into the soft flesh of your mouth and make your eyes water!

I figured this really had to be some Kodak product, so asked the Dentist about it and he told me that they haven't used conventional film in years. Now dental X-rays are exposed onto phosphor plates, they are then scanned into digital image files, erased, sterilized and re-used several hundred times.

So, no, film isn't dead, it's just become more and more a creative choice...with alternatives!

For myself, I still have about 10 cartridges of Super-8 in the 'fridge and I'd love to shoot some slides. The last round I did were Agfa Scala black and white, all shot horizontal format for my movie screen.

[Douglas Meltzer]

I think it's cool. Interesting choices by Pentax to make it half frame 35mm with a vertical bias. Many smart phone users shoot vertically anyway so it makes sense. It's pricey, but I can see digital users wanting to give it (& film) a try.

[Ed Gordon]

Steve, that's a good example of where digital works better than film. For things like photos/movies film still has advantages that digital can't replace (not yet anyway).

Doug, I would be happy with half frame 35mm. I certainly don't need a larger format for photos. Although I have fond memories of shooting 4x5 film.

[Brian Fretwell]

With the improved grain of newer emulsions half frame should give very good results now. I never had one, but still remember the Olympus Pen-F series of Half Frame cameras and lenses.