I have decided against the purchase of the new Pentax 17 (analog) half format camera.
The reason is simple - my goal to decrease my credit card, weights much higher. Due to that i punched it heavily since the purchase of the Fujifilm GFX 50s II medium format camera last year, plus several lenses... i feel that i really want to bring the credit card down (with substantial about of money every month, something like 1000 €) which makes things move down considerably as well speedy (which is fun to see the numbers melt).
This feels much more important to me. (The Pentax 17 was never my goal, but i got really both surprised as well incredibly charmed by the design of that camera, and the fact that it is a half-format, taking vertical images by default, while being small and weights little. And has a sharp glass lens. Perfect for many snapshots at any time - resulting into a whopping 72 negatives from a single film roll.
What is there not to like.
But - instead buying "just another camera" - i feel that my primary goal with the credit card is getting watered out. And that I don't want. If the desire for this unique half format camera stays true - well then I might buy it next summer instead (if those are still made in 2025).
Anyway; what's the rush !?
Konica Hexar AF
In the mean time, I use my Konica HEXAR AF camera from 1993 instead. It is the closest thing I have to an automatic "snap shot camera" - albeit fullframe (24x36) and with AF, yet also with manual settings if or when desired.
There is even a small flash belonging to this camera - but i have never become good friends with it. (Instead I'll read the manual again, in order to use it properly. It is one of the things i wish to do; to use simple flash and just "shoot away".
The Konica Hexar AF isn't small or light of course - but could fit into my little backpack i take with me every day to work together with the Fujifilm GFX camera. It is quite the camera by the way - a little bit of a legend in fact. Like an automatic AF Leica M6, with a sharp 35 mm f 2.0 lens, especially stopped down.
Time to dig it out again
Out & about early mornings
- on my way home after work
Always with my big Fujifilm GFX camera - noticing that when using the Sigma ART MACRO 70mm f 2.8 in manual focus mode (with the Fringer Pro adapter) - it is just absolutely fantastic in terms of sharpness as well micro sharpness. AF doesn't work well, and really not good when you go "macro". But manually it is a star of quality. (Macro often works better with manual focus anyway).
Sigma ART 70mm f 2.8 MACRO lens
with a Fujifilm GFX camera
I tried different approaches with getting closer with other lenses, together with achromat close-up lens. Which works pretty well, but may not always result into truly crisp fine details. (Plus that when i do that work hand held without tripod, or the flowers are moving - well it degrades sharpness in the fine details of course).
But the true champion is in fact the Sigma ART 70 mm ƒ2.8 Macro lens. Just wow in every way - yet covering the larger Fujifilm GFX sensor. (Sometimes you may want to take off the lens-hood as it can ever so slightly give somewhat darker corners when you use it at infinity stopped down).
The lens works admirably well on the Fujifilm GFX.
Given that it is a macro lens - which corresponds to a 55 mm lens focal length due to the larger sensor - it is an unusual flexible lens for the Fujifilm GFX mediumformat camera. Even at wide open aperture you get very crisp micro details. Not many third party lenses can pull that off on a Fuji GFX camera.
Truly fantastic !
See for yourself... |