UPDATE: Ricoh Pentax just issued the statement on the Pentax EU website.

“We found information on several websites regarding our film camera development. This included two compact film cameras for Spring 2024 as mentioned by a colleague working for Ricoh Imaging Europe. This is not our official remark, nor is it based on any fixed information. We are indeed challenging the development of a compact film camera; however, we have not yet decided whether or when we will launch such a product.”

There are several takeaways from this. It could be a simple mismatch between western and Japanese communication/culture. You NEVER talk optimistically about whether something will happen or be successful in Japan in the workplace, especially if customers are involved.

It could be that Pentax just doesn't want to share the information until things are  ready and they have the marketing campaign in place, to create a hype around the product. We hope it is the latter and looking forward to hearing the news from Ricoh Pentax soon.

Original Article:

There will be 4 Pentax Film cameras released in 2024, including 2 compact cameras and 2 SLRs.

Back in December 2022 Ricoh announced a Film Project - a plan to develop a new series of Pentax Film Cameras. We finally have a bit more information on types of cameras being created as well as their release dates.

During the conversation on Faut Pas Pousser Les ISO podcast (in French), Yazid Belmadi (Professional Press Manager & Pro Range Manager at RICOH IMAGING EUROPE) announced that the release of the first 2 cameras from Film Project will happen in Spring 2024. There will be 2 compact cameras. No news on their specifications as of yet but Mr. Belmadi said that they will have high end specs without the high price tag.

Compact cameras have become increasingly popular in recent years, and for good reason. These small, portable devices offer a range of benefits that make them a great choice for both amateur and professional photographers alike. However due to their size they are quite delicate and very difficult to repair. So Pentax potential future release of new cameras in this space is a big deal as there cameras will be repairable, serviceable with spare parts being available for a long time.

However, the 2 compact cameras are just a beginning and Ricoh owned Pentax is also planning to release 2 SLRs by the end of 2024. No specific release date as of yet, with more information to follow.

Ricoh is closely following feedback from film photographers, consumers and film manufacturers. The company positioned itself as being a "niche" camera manufacturer in the "digital camera" space and doesn't rely on mass production with it's finances structured this way. So it is planning to do the same for film camera production while staying financially healthy.

We are excited about upcoming Pentax cameras and think if they prove to be successful the other manufacturers will follow suit.