Leica SL3vs Pentax 17
Leica
Leica SL3 (2024)
Starting from £6499 new
Best for Professional & luxury hybrid shooters
View Leica SL3
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?
Professional & Luxury Hybrid Shooters — Leica SL3 (2024): Leica's most capable mirrorless — 60MP, 30fps burst, 8K ProRes, and 7.5-stop IBIS with L-mount's growing lens ecosystem.
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 SL3 (2024)
- Leica photographers who want autofocus full-frame in the L-mount system
- SL2 owners upgrading to 60MP and improved autofocus performance
- Professionals who want Leica build quality with L-mount lens versatility
- Photographers who want to share lenses across Leica, Sigma, and Lumix bodies
Quick take: The pentax 17 is the most affordable; only the leica sl3 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Leica SL3 (2024) | Pentax 17 (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,499 | £400 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 35mm half-frame (18 × 24mm) |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | — |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p, Apple ProRes | N/A — film camera |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with subject/face/eye detection | Zone focus (0.35m / 1m / 3m / ∞) |
| Stabilisation | 7.5-stop IBIS | N/A — film camera |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic | Manual wind-on |
| Battery Life | 410 shots (CIPA) | 2× CR2 lithium batteries |
| Weight | 875g body only | ~165g (without batteries) |
| Dimensions | 146.0 × 104.0 × 42.0mm | 113 × 66 × 44mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | 0.78" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots | Optical viewfinder with half-frame framelines |
| Screen | 3.2" fixed touchscreen | N/A |
| Mount | Leica L-mount | 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 via DX coding + manual dial) |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD UHS-II | 35mm 135-format film cartridge |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.1, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | N/A |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Leica SL3 | Pentax 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Street | — | |
| Everyday | — | |
| Low Light | — |
More comparisons with Leica SL3
Camera family history