Leica Q3vs Pentax 17
Leica
Leica Q3 (2023)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Travel, street & premium compact shooters
View Leica Q3
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?
Travel, Street & Premium Compact Shooters — Leica Q3 (2023): 60MP, Summilux 28mm, IBIS, and weather sealing — the Q3 is the ultimate fixed-lens camera for those who can justify the cost.
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
Leica Q3 (2023)
- Photographers who want a fixed-lens full-frame camera with no compromises
- Q2 owners upgrading to articulating screen and improved autofocus
- Travel photographers who want one premium compact that does everything
- Street and documentary photographers who want Leica quality without changing lenses
Quick take: The pentax 17 is the most affordable; only the leica q3 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Leica Q3 (2023) | Pentax 17 (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £400 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 35mm half-frame (18 × 24mm) |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | — |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p, C4K/60p | N/A — film camera |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with subject/face/eye detection | Zone focus (0.35m / 1m / 3m / ∞) |
| Stabilisation | 5.5-stop IBIS | N/A — film camera |
| Burst Rate | 15fps | Manual wind-on |
| Battery Life | 380 shots (CIPA) | 2× CR2 lithium batteries |
| Weight | 743g | ~165g (without batteries) |
| Dimensions | 130.0 × 80.3 × 91.0mm | 113 × 66 × 44mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | 0.787" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots | Optical viewfinder with half-frame framelines |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen | N/A |
| Mount | Fixed Summilux 28mm f/1.7 ASPH | 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 via DX coding + manual dial) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II | 35mm 135-format film cartridge |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.1, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | N/A |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Leica Q3 | Pentax 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Travel | ||
| Street | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Everyday | — | |
| Low Light | — |
More comparisons with Leica Q3
Camera family history