From Digital Camera World · · 2m
Pentax 6x7: 60-Year Camera Obsession
The Pentax 6x7 camera, launched 60 years ago, changed medium format photography and remains a photographer's obsession.
In brief
The Pentax 6x7 camera, launched 60 years ago, changed medium format photography and remains a photographer's obsession. The Pentax 6x7 camera, introduced in 1964, revolutionized medium format photography with its 6x7cm film format and 105mm f/2.4 lens, still sought after by photographers today. Originally reported by…
Pentax 6x7 camera launch
The Pentax 6x7 (later simplified to the Pentax 67) was one of the great medium format cameras, combining 35mm SLR handling with 120 roll film image quality.
Ideal balance for photographers
For many photographers, it offered the perfect balance of portability, simplicity, reliability, and exceptional image quality, still sought after almost 60 years later.
Development began in 1960s
Development started in the mid-1960s as Asahi Optical (now Pentax, a brand owned by Ricoh) wanted a medium format SLR familiar to 35mm SLR users.
6x7cm format chosen
Pentax chose the 6x7cm format, producing negatives approximately 56x70mm, about 4.5 times the area of a 35mm frame and a 4:5 image ratio for 8x10-inch prints.
First prototype in 1966
It was first shown as a prototype at the Photokina trade show in Cologne, Germany, in 1966, but called the Pentax 220 to emphasize Kodak's 220 film.
Oversized 35mm SLR design
Unlike most medium format cameras, the Pentax 6x7 was intentionally designed to resemble an oversized 35mm SLR with a right-hand shutter release, film-wind lever, and focal-plane shutter.
105mm f/2.4 lens
The Pentax 67's standard 105mm f/2.4 lens became famous for its sharpness, affordability, and ability to provide a flattering perspective for portraits.
Super Multi-Coat technology
Asahi developed an industrial process to apply up to seven ultra-thin layers of multi-layer coatings to lenses, creating the Super Multi-Coat (SMC) standard in 1971.
105mm lens design rationale
The 105mm lens was chosen for its slightly narrower field of view than a 90mm lens, providing a more flattering perspective for portraits while maintaining a large f/2.4 aperture.
40-year production run
The first production Asahi Pentax 6x7 appeared in 1969, while the final version, the Pentax 67II, remained in production until 2009, giving the system a 40-year life.
Digital era resurgence
In the digital era, the Pentax 67 has enjoyed a resurgence among portrait, landscape, and fine-art photographers for its large negatives that scan exceptionally well.
The big picture
The Pentax 6x7 camera, introduced in 1964, revolutionized medium format photography with its 6x7cm film format and 105mm f/2.4 lens, still sought after by photographers today.
