M11 Monochromvs Pentax 17
Leica
M11 Monochrom (2023)
Starting from £8300 new
Best for Black & White Photography
View M11 Monochrom
Pentax
Pentax 17 (2024)
Starting from £400 new
Best for Film photography enthusiasts & diptych storytelling
View Pentax 17
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Black & White Photography — M11 Monochrom (2023): The M11 Monochrom is the finest black-and-white camera in the world. A 60MP sensor with no colour filter array produces sharpness and tonal depth no colour camera can match — combined with extended high-ISO performance. Manual focus, no video, and an extraordinary price make it a specialist instrument, but for dedicated B&W photographers it is unmatched.
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
M11 Monochrom (2023)
- Dedicated black-and-white photographers who demand the finest possible monochrome files
- Fine art and documentary photographers who work exclusively in B&W
- Leica M system users who want maximum monochrome image quality
- Astrophotographers — monochrome sensors excel at capturing fine star detail
Quick take: The pentax 17 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | M11 Monochrom (2023) | Pentax 17 (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £8,300 | £400 |
| Sensor | 60.3MP Full-Frame Monochrome BSI CMOS (no colour filter array) | 35mm half-frame (18 × 24mm) |
| Resolution | 60.3MP | — |
| Video | — | N/A — film camera |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder (no autofocus) | Zone focus (0.35m / 1m / 3m / ∞) |
| Stabilisation | — | N/A — film camera |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | Manual wind-on |
| Battery Life | ~700 shots (CIPA) | 2× CR2 lithium batteries |
| Weight | 530g (body only) | ~165g (without batteries) |
| Dimensions | 138.6 × 80.0 × 38.5mm | 113 × 66 × 44mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.73× magnification | Optical viewfinder with half-frame framelines |
| Screen | 2.3" touchscreen LCD, 2.33M dots | N/A |
| Mount | Leica M-mount | 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 via DX coding + manual dial) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II slot + 64GB internal storage | 35mm 135-format film cartridge |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | N/A |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | M11 Monochrom | Pentax 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Astrophotography | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Casual | — | |
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Everyday | — | |
| 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