Instax Mini 41vs Pentax 17
Fujifilm
Instax Mini 41 (2025)
Starting from £90 new
Best for Style-conscious shooters & gifting
View Instax Mini 41
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?
Style-Conscious Shooters & Gifting — Instax Mini 41 (2025): A stylish step up from the Mini 12 — the retro design and refined feel make it one of the best-looking instant cameras at this price.
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 41 (2025)
- Photographers who want their camera to look as good as the prints it makes
- Mini 12 owners who want a more premium, retro-styled upgrade
- Anyone buying a stylish instant camera as a gift
- Casual shooters who value aesthetics alongside simplicity
Quick take: The instax mini 41 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Instax Mini 41 (2025) | Pentax 17 (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £90 | £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–∞) | 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 | ~310g (with batteries, without film) | ~165g (without batteries) |
| Dimensions | 112 × 116 × 68mm | 113 × 66 × 44mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No |
| Viewfinder | Real-image optical viewfinder with selfie mirror | 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 41 | Pentax 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Parties & Events | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Travel | ||
| Everyday | ||
| Low Light | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Street | — |
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