Pentax 17vs A7R III
Pentax
Pentax 17 (2024)
Starting from £400 new
Best for Film photography enthusiasts & diptych storytelling
View Pentax 17
VS
Sony
A7R III (2017)
Starting from £1799 new
Best for Landscape, studio & commercial photography
View A7R 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.
Landscape, Studio & Commercial Photography — A7R III (2017): The camera that converted professionals to mirrorless — 42MP, IBIS, and 10fps in a body that still competes today.
Who should buy what
A7R III (2017)
- Landscape and studio photographers who need 42MP resolution at a used-price discount vs A7R IV
- Canon/Nikon DSLR professionals considering a mirrorless switch at a lower investment
- Commercial and product photographers who want full-frame resolution with IBIS for handheld work
- Portrait photographers who want the sharpest possible full-frame files for large print work
Quick take: The pentax 17 is the most affordable; only the a7r iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Pentax 17 (2024) | A7R III (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £400 | £1,799 |
| Sensor | 35mm half-frame (18 × 24mm) | 42.4MP full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS |
| Resolution | — | 42.4MP |
| Video | N/A — film camera | 4K/30p (full-frame readout), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Zone focus (0.35m / 1m / 3m / ∞) | 399 phase-detect + 425 contrast AF points — real-time Eye AF |
| Stabilisation | N/A — film camera | 5-axis IBIS — 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | Manual wind-on | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | 2× CR2 lithium batteries | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | ~165g (without batteries) | 650g body only |
| Dimensions | 113 × 66 × 44mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical viewfinder with half-frame framelines | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | N/A | 3.0" touchscreen, tilting |
| Mount | 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 via DX coding + manual dial) | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | 35mm 135-format film cartridge | Dual SD slots (one UHS-II) |
| Connectivity | N/A | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic jack |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Pentax 17 | A7R III |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Travel | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Everyday | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Low Light | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Wedding | — | |
| Sports | — |
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