Japan brand launches first film camera in 20 years

A new Pentax film camera will be launched for the first time in two decades as demand for retro photography rises among young people, its Japanese manufacturer said on Tuesday.

"The popularity of film cameras has grown rapidly in recent years especially among young photographers who have experienced this type of camera for the first time," Ricoh Imaging Company said in a press release.

Film snaps have a "distinctive, somewhat nostalgic ambience" different to digital camera photos, it said.

The Pentax 17 will be launched in the US and Europe this month, and Japan next month, according to Ricoh.

Most Japanese camera makers stopped producing analogue film models in the 2000s as digital ones became dominant, according to local media.

But as the trend for sharing photos with an old-style feel on social media grows, instant and disposable film cameras made by Pentax's rival Fujifilm have also become popular.

The Pentax 17 is the brand's "first film camera in about two decades", product designer Takeo Suzuki said in a company video.

The camera has a classic black design, with an original modern feature: each frame is split into two vertical photos.

That means a 24-exposure film contains 48 shots, and vertical snaps can be taken without flipping the camera.