Instax Mini 12vs Pentax 17
Fujifilm
Instax Mini 12 (2023)
Starting from £80 new
Best for Beginners, parties & gifting
View Instax Mini 12
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?
Beginners, Parties & Gifting — Instax Mini 12 (2023): The perfect starter instant camera — effortless to use, great colours, and comes in beautiful pastel shades.
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
Instax Mini 12 (2023)
- Complete beginners wanting their first instant camera
- Anyone buying an instant camera as a gift
- Party hosts who want to hand out physical prints on the night
- Kids and teenagers who want a fun, colourful camera
Quick take: The instax mini 12 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Instax Mini 12 (2023) | Pentax 17 (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £400 |
| Sensor | Instax Mini film (62 × 46mm image area) | 35mm half-frame (18 × 24mm) |
| Video | N/A — instant film camera | N/A — film camera |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (0.3m–∞ standard; 0.3–0.5m in close-up mode) | Zone focus (0.35m / 1m / 3m / ∞) |
| Stabilisation | N/A | N/A — film camera |
| Burst Rate | N/A | Manual wind-on |
| Battery Life | 2× AA alkaline batteries (~100 shots) | 2× CR2 lithium batteries |
| Weight | ~293g (with batteries, without film) | ~165g (without batteries) |
| Dimensions | 107.6 × 121.7 × 67.3mm | 113 × 66 × 44mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No |
| Viewfinder | Real-image optical viewfinder (0.37×) | Optical viewfinder with half-frame framelines |
| Screen | N/A | N/A |
| Mount | Instax Mini film pack (10 shots per pack) | 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 via DX coding + manual dial) |
| Memory Cards | N/A — instant film only | 35mm 135-format film cartridge |
| Connectivity | N/A | N/A |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Instax Mini 12 | Pentax 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Parties & Events | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Everyday | ||
| Low Light | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Street | — |
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