EOS Mvs Pentax 17
Canon
EOS M (2012)
Starting from £80 new
Best for Canon mirrorless history & EF-M collectors
View EOS M
Pentax
Pentax 17 (2024)
Starting from £400 new
Best for Film photography enthusiasts & diptych storytelling
View Pentax 17
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Canon Mirrorless History & Ef-M Collectors — EOS M (2012): Canon's first mirrorless — a historic body that broke new ground with touch-AF and EF-M, but its sluggish contrast-detect system quickly became its Achilles heel.
Film Photography Enthusiasts & Diptych Storytelling — Pentax 17 (2024): The best new film camera of the decade — manual controls, a sharp lens, and a half-frame format that doubles your roll and forces a new way of seeing.
Who should buy what
EOS M (2012)
- Canon shooters who want the camera that started Canon's mirrorless story
- Budget first-time mirrorless buyers who already own EF/EF-S glass
- Collectors of significant digital camera milestones
Quick take: The eos m is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS M (2012) | Pentax 17 (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £400 |
| Sensor | 18MP APS-C CMOS | 35mm half-frame (18 × 24mm) |
| Resolution | 18.0MP | — |
| Video | 1080p 30fps | N/A — film camera |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF only — notoriously slow | Zone focus (0.35m / 1m / 3m / ∞) |
| Stabilisation | — | N/A — film camera |
| Burst Rate | 4fps | Manual wind-on |
| Battery Life | ~230 shots (CIPA) | 2× CR2 lithium batteries |
| Weight | 262g (body only) | ~165g (without batteries) |
| Dimensions | 108.6 × 66.5 × 32.3mm | 113 × 66 × 44mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No |
| Viewfinder | None (optional EVF accessory) | Optical viewfinder with half-frame framelines |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | N/A |
| Mount | Canon EF-M mount | 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 via DX coding + manual dial) |
| Memory Cards | 1× SD/SDHC/SDXC | 35mm 135-format film cartridge |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0 | N/A |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS M | Pentax 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Casual | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Everyday | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Low Light | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history