Davide Caniatti

Point and shoot are always a polarizing topic among photographers. It is often difficult to define a hierarchy of their essential attributes. Someone will prefer compactness, while for someone else the design will be decisive, for others, finally, the image quality will be fundamental. Within the category, we can find two extremes: ultra-compact cameras, for example, the excellent Minox, and super-luxury point & shoot cameras. Among the latter, we will conveniently place the various Contax T, Nikon 35, and Rollei 35, machines capable of rivaling in quality and style with the best SLRs of their time.

Exactly one year ago, the first lockdown weekend began in Italy. 52 weeks later, many things have changed, while the virus is unfortunately still a constant presence. Partly out of curiosity, partly out of boredom, I then promised myself to take a camera with me every time I left the house. Looking back at these shots a year later, they appear incredibly distant, almost historical. I am happy to have grouped them for several months already because this time, of which we are now tired, will be one not too distant day seen as a unique moment in history.

The Pentax 6x7 lens series has been the flagship of the Japanese house for over 50 years. The first company to invest in 6x7, a format that combined the aspect ratio of the optical bench and the portability of the medium format, the 45mm is the widest-angle lens ever produced for it. Actually, there would also be a 35mm, but it is a fisheye, which, therefore, we are not going to analyze.

If analog photography in 2021 may seem prehistoric to some, the technology in 2002 was decidedly antediluvian compared to the one we use today. Digital sensors were already rapidly establishing themselves, the previous year the Nikon D1x was released, the first authentic DSLR designed for a large market. At the same time, however, the iPhone was still 5 years away, the most popular social network was Friendster and Wall-Mart was the biggest company in the world.

In recent years we have witnessed an authentic resurrection of the 6x7 format. Not that this format, to be honest, ever went away. At the same time, the prices of some of its cameras have gone up more than any other system. This interest is justified, despite the increases in recent years, since the prices compared to the 90s are negligible. With less than $1500, it is now possible to build a kit that at the time was the prerogative only of renowned studios and established professionals.