GFX 50Svs Pentax 17
Fujifilm
GFX 50S (2017)
Starting from £1499 new
Best for Studio, portrait & landscape photography
View GFX 50S
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 & Landscape Photography — GFX 50S (2017): The camera that launched Fujifilm's medium-format revolution — 51MP at a price that made serious large-format imaging possible for the first time.
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 (2017)
- Photographers who want to enter the GFX system at the lowest possible price
- Studio and portrait photographers who want medium-format tonal quality on a budget
- Landscape photographers who work from a tripod and don't need IBIS
- GFX system historians who want the camera that started it all
Quick take: The pentax 17 is the most affordable; only the gfx 50s is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | GFX 50S (2017) | Pentax 17 (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,499 | £400 |
| Sensor | 51.4MP Medium Format BSI CMOS (43.8 × 32.9mm) | 35mm half-frame (18 × 24mm) |
| Resolution | 51.4MP | — |
| Video | 1080p/30p | N/A — film camera |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF, face detection | Zone focus (0.35m / 1m / 3m / ∞) |
| Stabilisation | None | N/A — film camera |
| Burst Rate | 3fps | Manual wind-on |
| Battery Life | ~400 shots (CIPA) | 2× CR2 lithium batteries |
| Weight | 825g (with battery and card) | ~165g (without batteries) |
| Dimensions | 147.5 × 94.2 × 91.4mm | 113 × 66 × 44mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | Detachable EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.85× magnification | Optical viewfinder with half-frame framelines |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen + rear sub-LCD | N/A |
| Mount | Fujifilm GFX (G-mount) | 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, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | N/A |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | GFX 50S | Pentax 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Architecture | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Everyday | — | |
| Low Light | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with GFX 50S
Camera family history