Pentax

Pentax was founded in 1919 as Asahi Kōgaku Kōgyō G.K. (旭光学工業㈾). It was originally an optical company, beginning by making glasses under the Aoco brand (acronym of Asahi Optical Company), and made its first Aoco projection lens in 1923.

The company changed status in 1938, becoming Asahi Kōgaku Kōgyō K.K. (旭光学工業㈱) or Asahi Optical Co. based in Tokyo, Japan.

The first camera produced by Asahi was the Asahiflex, that was also the first Japanese 35mm film SLR, made as a prototype in 1951 and released in 1952. One of the models of the Asahiflex series, the Asahiflex IIb, was the first 35mm SLR to have an instant-return mirror, thus solving the problem of mirror blackout which had plagued SLRs up to that time (early SLRs left the mirror in its "up" position until the camera was wound for the next shot, blacking out the viewfinder).

On November 27, 2019, Pentax celebrated the 100th anniversary of the foundation of Asahi Optical Joint Stock Co., the original manufacturer of PENTAX-branded products.

Featured

The Asahi Pentax Way – Eleventh Edition – by Herbert Keppler

The Asahi Pentax Way

Pentax Photographer's companion by Herbert Keppler

PENTAX Film Project Club House Diary vol. 1

Yasushi Nishimura, Keisuke Nagoshi, Makoto Iikawa, Takeo Suzuki

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18 Mar 2023

PENTAX Film Project Club House Diary vol. 1 – Barfout magazine Tokyo

Pentax Spotmatic black paint

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12 Feb 2023

Pentax Spotmatic black SLR 35mm film camera with Pentacon 3.5/30 lens

www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp

PENTAX launches a new film camera project

Developing new film-based products along with camera fans

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20 Dec 2022

PENTAX launches a new film camera project

Pentax SV

1963

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13 Feb 2022

Pentax SV SLR 35mm film camera made in 1963

The Asahi Pentax Way

Pentax Photographer's companion by Herbert Keppler

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21 Dec 2020

The Asahi Pentax Way – Eleventh Edition – by Herbert Keppler

Ricoh XR Rikenon vs SMC Pentax-M 3.5/28mm

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3 Jul 2020

Ricoh XR Rikenon & SMC Pentax-M 3.5/28mm side view

Ricoh XR Rikenon vs SMC Pentax-M 2.8/35mm

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3 Jul 2020

Ricoh XR Rikenon & SMC Pentax-M 2.8/35mm side

Pentax MX black paint

SMC Pentax-M 2.8/35mm

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2 Jul 2020

Pentax MX black, SMC Pentax-M 2.8/35mm

Pentax SP black

1964, Serial number 1000001

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18 May 2020

Pentax SP black SN 1000001 year 1964

Analog Photography

Reference manual for shooting film by Andrew Bellamy

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1 Oct 2019

Analog Photography Reference Manual Book for Shooting Film by Andrew Bellamy