Pentax 17 Field guide

Section 04

Loading film

Eight steps from a fresh roll to your first exposure. Take your time — the Pentax 17 is a half‑frame, so each cartridge gets you about 48 frames from a 24‑exposure roll, or 72 from a 36.

Pentax 17 camera, top-and-back view showing controls
The back‑door latch sits on the left edge.

Before you start

  • You need a working CR2 battery in the camera.
  • Half‑frame doubles your shot count — a 36 exp. roll → ~72 frames.
  • Load in shade, never direct sun.
  • You can mid‑roll rewind via the bottom button — you don’t have to finish a roll to swap.

  1. Find shade and a fresh battery

    Load out of direct sun. The Pentax 17 takes a single CR2 lithium cell. Make sure one is in (under the bottom hatch) before you start — you’ll need it to wind to frame zero.

    CR2 · shaded spot · clean hands

  2. Open the back

    Slide the back‑door latch on the left side of the body downward. The door springs open. There is no rewind crank to lift — Pentax kept the loading deliberately simple.

    Latch on the left edge

  3. Drop the cartridge in

    Place the 35 mm cartridge into the left chamber, flat side down, with the leader pointing right toward the take‑up side. The spool sits naturally — no need to force it.

    Left chamber · leader points right

  4. Pull the leader to the orange mark

    Draw the film leader across the film gate until its tip lines up with the leader index mark on the right side of the take‑up area. Keep the film flat and uncreased.

    Leader tip = orange index

  5. Close the back firmly

    Snap the back closed. Make sure it clicks shut — a partially‑closed back will fog the roll. The first wind happens automatically as you take blank frames.

    Listen for the click

  6. Wind to frame “0”

    Use the thumb winder on the top plate to advance the film. Press the shutter, wind, repeat — typically two or three blank exposures — until the frame counter reads 0. Now you’re live.

    Wind · shoot · repeat → frame 0

  7. Set the ISO dial

    On the top plate, rotate the ISO dial to match your film: 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, or 3200. There is no DX code reader — if you skip this, exposures will be off.

    Match ISO to box speed

  8. Pick a mode and a focus zone

    P + group focus (3 m) is a perfect starting point for daylight. Adjust as the scene changes. See the modes and focus pages for more.

    Default: P · 3 m · ISO 400

Rewinding at the end of a roll

When the counter approaches the end and the wind starts to feel resistant, do not force it. Press the rewind release button on the bottom plate, unfold the rewind crank (also on the bottom), and turn until tension drops and you hear the leader free of the take‑up spool. Then open the back.

You can also rewind any time mid‑roll using the same procedure — useful for switching film stocks for a specific scene.