Film cameras back in focus as Ricoh launches its first in 21 years

Japanese company aims to snap up demand from retro-loving Gen Z

20240620 pentax 17

Ricoh hopes its Pentax 17 will be hit with young people looking for a retro experience.  (Photo by Kohei Yamada)

KOHEI YAMADA, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Japanese company Ricoh announced Tuesday that it will launch presales of its first Pentax film camera in over 20 years in some overseas markets in June, aiming to attract Generation Z customers looking for a retro experience that stands in contrast to today's digital world where photos can be snapped with smartphones.

The compact Pentax 17 -- which will be sold in Japan from July 12 at a price of around 88,000 yen ($556) -- is the first film camera under the renowned Pentax brand since a single-lens reflex (SLR) model that hit stores in 2003.

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