D6vs Pentax 17
Nikon
D6 (2020)
Starting from £3200 new
Best for Professional Sports, Press & Wildlife Photography
View D6
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 Sports, Press & Wildlife Photography — D6 (2020): Nikon's final and finest DSLR — the D6 brought 105 all-cross-type AF points, 14fps, and built-in LAN to the F mount. The last word in optical viewfinder photography.
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
D6 (2020)
- Sports, wildlife, and press photographers who prefer an optical viewfinder
- Professional Nikon shooters with a substantial F-mount lens collection
- Photojournalists who need built-in LAN for wire transmission
- Nikon system professionals seeking a used flagship at under-new-price value
Quick take: The pentax 17 is the most affordable; only the d6 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D6 (2020) | Pentax 17 (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,200 | £400 |
| Sensor | 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 35mm half-frame (18 × 24mm) |
| Resolution | 20.8MP | — |
| Video | 4K UHD 30fps | N/A — film camera |
| Autofocus | Multi-CAM 3500FX III — 105 AF points, all cross-type | Zone focus (0.35m / 1m / 3m / ∞) |
| Stabilisation | — | N/A — film camera |
| Burst Rate | 14fps mechanical | Manual wind-on |
| Battery Life | ~3580 shots (CIPA) | 2× CR2 lithium batteries |
| Weight | 1450g (body only) | ~165g (without batteries) |
| Dimensions | 160 × 163.5 × 92mm | 113 × 66 × 44mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverage | Optical viewfinder with half-frame framelines |
| Screen | 3.2" fixed touchscreen, 2.36M dots | N/A |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 via DX coding + manual dial) |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B / XQD slots | 35mm 135-format film cartridge |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, Ethernet (built-in), USB 3.1 | N/A |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D6 | Pentax 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Travel | — | |
| Everyday | — | |
| Low Light | — |
More comparisons with D6
Camera family history