Pentax 17vs A7S III
Pentax
Pentax 17 (2024)
Starting from £400 new
Best for Film photography enthusiasts & diptych storytelling
View Pentax 17
Sony
A7S III (2020)
Starting from £2999 new
Best for Professional video & low-light filmmaking
View A7S 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.
Professional Video & Low-Light Filmmaking — A7S III (2020): If video is your primary discipline, the A7S III is the camera. 4K/120p at 10-bit in a weather-sealed body with a 9.44M dot EVF is an extraordinary package. The 12MP sensor isn't limiting for video — and it's usable at ISO 409,600 in a pinch.
Who should buy what
A7S III (2020)
- Filmmakers and videographers who need 4K/120p at 10-bit
- Event videographers who shoot in dark venues regularly
- Documentary filmmakers who need reliable AF and weather sealing
- Hybrid shooters where video is primary and stills are secondary
Quick take: The pentax 17 is the most affordable; only the a7s iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Pentax 17 (2024) | A7S III (2020) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £400 | £2,999 |
| Sensor | 35mm half-frame (18 × 24mm) | 12.1MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS (12-bit, back-illuminated) |
| Resolution | — | 12.1MP |
| Video | N/A — film camera | 4K/120p 10-bit, 4K/60p 10-bit S-Cinetone/S-Log3, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Zone focus (0.35m / 1m / 3m / ∞) | Phase-detect, 759 points, real-time Eye AF (human & animal), subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | N/A — film camera | 5.5-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | Manual wind-on | 10fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | 2× CR2 lithium batteries | ~600 shots (CIPA) / ~70min continuous 4K recording |
| Weight | ~165g (without batteries) | 699g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 113 × 66 × 44mm | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical viewfinder with half-frame framelines | OLED EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification — best EVF Sony has made |
| Screen | N/A | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 1.44M dots |
| Mount | 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 via DX coding + manual dial) | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | 35mm 135-format film cartridge | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II (both slots) |
| Connectivity | N/A | USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), full-size HDMI, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Pentax 17 | A7S III |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Everyday | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Low Light | — | |
| Video | — | |
| Wildlife | — |
More comparisons with Pentax 17
Camera family history