D850vs Pentax 17
Nikon
D850 (2017)
Starting from £2199 new
Best for Landscape, wildlife & professional studio photography
View D850
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?
Landscape, Wildlife & Professional Studio Photography — D850 (2017): The finest DSLR ever made — 45MP, 9fps, and nearly 2000 shots per charge in a body that still outperforms most mirrorless cameras for battery life.
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
D850 (2017)
- Nikon F-mount lens owners who want the highest resolution DSLR before switching to mirrorless
- Landscape and wildlife photographers who value the optical viewfinder and outstanding battery life
- Professional photographers who need 45MP resolution without the price of a medium format system
- Photojournalists and event photographers with a large F-mount lens investment
Quick take: The pentax 17 is the most affordable; only the d850 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D850 (2017) | Pentax 17 (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,199 | £400 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI-CMOS | 35mm half-frame (18 × 24mm) |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | — |
| Video | 4K UHD/30p, 1080p/120p | N/A — film camera |
| Autofocus | 153-point AF system (99 cross-type) — Multi-CAM 20K | Zone focus (0.35m / 1m / 3m / ∞) |
| Stabilisation | None (relies on VR lenses) | N/A — film camera |
| Burst Rate | 9fps (7fps with tilt screen AF) | Manual wind-on |
| Battery Life | ~1840 shots (CIPA) — outstanding | 2× CR2 lithium batteries |
| Weight | 915g body only | ~165g (without batteries) |
| Dimensions | 146 × 124 × 78.5mm | 113 × 66 × 44mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | Optical pentaprism — 0.75× magnification, 100% coverage | Optical viewfinder with half-frame framelines |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | N/A |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 via DX coding + manual dial) |
| Memory Cards | Dual slots — XQD and SD UHS-II | 35mm 135-format film cartridge |
| Connectivity | USB 3.0, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic & headphone jacks | N/A |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D850 | Pentax 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Street | — | |
| Everyday | — | |
| Low Light | — |
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