GFX 50S IIvs Pentax 17
Fujifilm
GFX 50S II (2021)
Starting from £2999 new
Best for Studio & portrait specialists
View GFX 50S II
VS
Pentax
Pentax 17 (2024)
Starting from £400 new
Best for Film photography enthusiasts & diptych storytelling
View Pentax 17
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Studio & Portrait Specialists — GFX 50S II (2021): Medium format quality at the most accessible price ever — 51MP detail and tonal richness no APS-C or full-frame body can replicate.
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
GFX 50S II (2021)
- Photographers stepping into medium format for the first time
- Landscape and commercial shooters who want 51MP at an accessible medium-format price
- Studio photographers upgrading from full-frame who want a resolution jump
- GFX system buyers who want IBIS and medium-format quality without GFX 100S II pricing
Quick take: The pentax 17 is the most affordable; only the gfx 50s ii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | GFX 50S II (2021) | Pentax 17 (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,999 | £400 |
| Sensor | 51.4MP Medium Format GFX 44×33mm BSI CMOS | 35mm half-frame (18 × 24mm) |
| Resolution | 51.4MP | — |
| Video | 4K/30p (cropped) | N/A — film camera |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect, 425 points | Zone focus (0.35m / 1m / 3m / ∞) |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS, 6.5 stops | N/A — film camera |
| Burst Rate | 3fps | Manual wind-on |
| Battery Life | ~440 shots (CIPA) | 2× CR2 lithium batteries |
| Weight | 900g body only | ~165g (without batteries) |
| Dimensions | 150.0 × 104.2 × 87.2mm | 113 × 66 × 44mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.77× magnification | Optical viewfinder with half-frame framelines |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen | N/A |
| Mount | Fujifilm G-mount (medium format) | 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 via DX coding + manual dial) |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD UHS-II slots | 35mm 135-format film cartridge |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | N/A |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | GFX 50S II | Pentax 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Studio Portraits | — | |
| Commercial | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Travel | ||
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Everyday | — | |
| Low Light | — |
More comparisons with GFX 50S II
Camera family history