Pentax 17vs Ricoh GR III
Pentax
Pentax 17 (2024)
Starting from £400 new
Best for Film photography enthusiasts & diptych storytelling
View Pentax 17
VS
Ricoh
Ricoh GR III (2019)
Starting from £899 new
Best for Street photography & urban reportage
View Ricoh GR III
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
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.
Street Photography & Urban Reportage — Ricoh GR III (2019): The purest street photography compact — APS-C sensor, 28mm perspective, IBIS, and cult-favourite JPEG rendering in a shirt pocket.
Who should buy what
Ricoh GR III (2019)
- Street photographers who want a classic 28mm perspective in a pocketable body
- Documentary photographers who want a discreet, fast APS-C compact
- GR IIIx buyers who prefer the wider 28mm field of view
- Anyone who wants serious APS-C image quality without carrying a bag
Quick take: The pentax 17 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Pentax 17 (2024) | Ricoh GR III (2019) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £400 | £899 |
| Sensor | 35mm half-frame (18 × 24mm) | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS |
| Resolution | — | 24.2MP |
| Video | N/A — film camera | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Zone focus (0.35m / 1m / 3m / ∞) | Hybrid contrast/phase-detect AF with subject detection |
| Stabilisation | N/A — film camera | 4-stop IBIS (Shake Reduction) |
| Burst Rate | Manual wind-on | 4fps |
| Battery Life | 2× CR2 lithium batteries | 200 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | ~165g (without batteries) | 257g |
| Dimensions | 113 × 66 × 44mm | 109.4 × 61.9 × 33.2mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No |
| Viewfinder | Optical viewfinder with half-frame framelines | None |
| Screen | N/A | 3.0" fixed touchscreen |
| Mount | 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 via DX coding + manual dial) | Fixed 28mm-equiv f/2.8 lens |
| Memory Cards | 35mm 135-format film cartridge | Single SD UHS-I |
| Connectivity | N/A | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Pentax 17 | Ricoh GR III |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Everyday | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Low Light | — | |
| Documentary | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — |
More comparisons with Pentax 17
Camera family history