Pentax
Pentax 17 2024
Best for Film photography enthusiasts & diptych storytelling
£489
new today at Wex Photo Video
Decision tools · Compare
Pentax 17 vs A1
Quick take: The Pentax 17 is the most affordable; only the A1 is weather sealed.
Different kinds of camera — their specs aren't comparable, so read the rows as facts, not a contest.
16 specs side by side·15 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video and Clifton Cameras
How to read this page. Highlighted cells win that row on the spec alone. Genre scores are the engine's base scores (enthusiast, photo and video); Camera Match re-weights them for your level and priorities. Price buttons are affiliate links; the price you pay is the same.
Sony
A1 2021
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
£4199
new today at Wex Photo Video
Price buttons are affiliate links — GearFrame may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects a score. Learn more
Verdictwhich should you buy?
Pentax 17 — Film Photography Enthusiasts & Diptych Storytelling: 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.
A1 — Professional Sport, Wildlife, Portrait & Hybrid Shooting: 50MP, 30fps, 8K — the Sony A1 is the most complete professional camera ever made.
Who should buy what
Pentax 17 (2024)
is the right camera for you if…
- Experienced film shooters who want a brand new camera with real manual controls
- Street photographers attracted to the compact half-frame format
- Digital shooters curious about film who want more than a point-and-shoot
- Anyone who finds disposables too limiting but isn't ready for a full SLR
A1 (2021)
is the right camera for you if…
- Professional photographers who need resolution and speed without compromise
- Sports and wildlife photographers demanding the absolute fastest Sony
- Studio and fashion photographers who also shoot sport or events
- A9 III or A7R V owners who want a single body that does everything
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | Pentax 17Pentax · 2024 | A1Sony · 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £489Best | £4,199 |
| Sensor | 35mm half-frame (18 × 24mm) | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | — | 50.1MP |
| Video | N/A — film camera | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Zone focus (0.35m / 1m / 3m / ∞) | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points |
| Stabilisation | N/A — film camera | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | Manual wind-on | 30fps electronic with full AF/AE |
| Battery Life | 2× CR2 lithium batteries | ~430 shots (CIPA)Best |
| Weight | ~165g (without batteries)Best | 737g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 113 × 66 × 44mm | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Not weather sealed | YesBest |
| Viewfinder | Optical viewfinder with half-frame framelines | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps |
| Screen | No screen | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Fixed lens | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | 35mm 135-format film cartridge | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | No wireless connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI |
Wins the row — price, resolution, burst, battery, weight and sealing are compared; text specs aren't ranked.
How they score by genreengine base scores out of 10
Genre
Pentax 17
A1
Fun & simple
7.3/10
—
Portrait
—
8.2/10
Street
—
6.1/10
Travel
—
5.9/10
Wedding & Events
—
7.9/10
Filmmaking
—
7.8/10
Documentary
—
7.6/10
Sports & Action
—
8.8/10
Landscape
—
7.6/10
Wildlife
—
8.7/10
Casual
—
4.8/10
Food
—
7.4/10
Macro
—
7.3/10
Architecture
—
7.9/10
Astrophotography
—
6.8/10
Scores come from the same engine as Camera Match: verified specifications weighted by what each genre needs, with documented adjustments. The product page and this table show the enthusiast base score. See how scores are calculated →
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