MP 0.72vs Pentax 17
Leica
MP 0.72 (2003)
Starting from £4850 new
Best for Street, Documentary & Reportage Film Photography
View MP 0.72
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?
Street, Documentary & Reportage Film Photography — MP 0.72 (2003): The purist's Leica — a fully mechanical 35mm rangefinder with no electronics bar the meter. Still built by hand in Wetzlar. The most honest camera ever made.
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
MP 0.72 (2003)
- Serious film photographers who want the finest rangefinder ever made
- Street and documentary photographers who shoot Kodak Tri-X or HP5
- Leica M-mount collectors and long-term lens owners
- Photographers who value mechanical precision over electronic convenience
Quick take: The pentax 17 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | MP 0.72 (2003) | Pentax 17 (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £4,850 | £400 |
| Sensor | 35mm film | 35mm half-frame (18 × 24mm) |
| Video | — | N/A — film camera |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder — coupled 0.72× viewfinder | Zone focus (0.35m / 1m / 3m / ∞) |
| Stabilisation | — | N/A — film camera |
| Burst Rate | ~1fps (manual film advance) | Manual wind-on |
| Battery Life | Effectively unlimited — battery powers meter only | 2× CR2 lithium batteries |
| Weight | 600g (body only) | ~165g (without batteries) |
| Dimensions | 138 × 77 × 38mm | 113 × 66 × 44mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.72× magnification, 28–135mm framelines | Optical viewfinder with half-frame framelines |
| Screen | None | N/A |
| Mount | Leica M-mount | 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 via DX coding + manual dial) |
| Memory Cards | 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 recommended) | 35mm 135-format film cartridge |
| Connectivity | None | N/A |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | MP 0.72 | Pentax 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Everyday | — | |
| Low Light | — |
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