Pentax 17vs A1 II
Pentax
Pentax 17 (2024)
Starting from £400 new
Best for Film photography enthusiasts & diptych storytelling
View Pentax 17
Sony
A1 II (2025)
Starting from £6500 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & high-resolution studio work
View A1 II
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.
Professional Sports, Wildlife & High-Resolution Studio Work — A1 II (2025): The most complete camera ever made — 50MP, 30fps, 8K, and the world's best EVF in a single flagship body.
Who should buy what
A1 II (2025)
- Professional sports and wildlife photographers who need 30fps, 50MP, and the best AF available
- Commercial and advertising photographers who demand 50MP resolution alongside pro video specs
- Photojournalists who need a single body capable of handling every assignment
- Sony system shooters ready to invest in the absolute best
Quick take: The pentax 17 is the most affordable; only the a1 ii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Pentax 17 (2024) | A1 II (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £400 | £6,500 |
| Sensor | 35mm half-frame (18 × 24mm) | 50.1MP full-frame stacked BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | — | 50.1MP |
| Video | N/A — film camera | 8K/30p, 4K/120p 10-bit, 4K/240p super slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Zone focus (0.35m / 1m / 3m / ∞) | AI subject recognition — human, animal, bird, insect, vehicle, aircraft, train |
| Stabilisation | N/A — film camera | 8.5-stop IBIS (with in-lens OSS) |
| Burst Rate | Manual wind-on | 30fps electronic (with full AF/AE), 10fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | 2× CR2 lithium batteries | ~530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | ~165g (without batteries) | 743g body only |
| Dimensions | 113 × 66 × 44mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical viewfinder with half-frame framelines | EVF 0.9× 9.44M-dot — the highest resolution EVF available |
| Screen | N/A | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 2.1M dots |
| Mount | 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 via DX coding + manual dial) | Sony E-mount (full-frame) |
| Memory Cards | 35mm 135-format film cartridge | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | N/A | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, HDMI full-size |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Pentax 17 | A1 II |
|---|---|---|
| Street | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Everyday | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Low Light | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history