Pentax 17vs FX3
Pentax
Pentax 17 (2024)
Starting from £400 new
Best for Film photography enthusiasts & diptych storytelling
View Pentax 17
VS
Sony
FX3 (2021)
Starting from £3799 new
Best for Professional video, documentary & cinematic filmmaking
View FX3
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, Documentary & Cinematic Filmmaking — FX3 (2021): The definitive run-and-gun cinema camera — A7S III sensor quality in a body built specifically for video professionals.
Who should buy what
FX3 (2021)
- Professional videographers and filmmakers who need cinema-quality colour science in a compact body
- Documentary and run-and-gun shooters who need 4K/120p and built-in XLR audio
- Sony A7S III owners who want a purpose-built video body alongside their stills camera
- Gimbal and drone operators who need a compact full-frame cinema camera
Quick take: The pentax 17 is the most affordable; only the fx3 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Pentax 17 (2024) | FX3 (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £400 | £3,799 |
| Sensor | 35mm half-frame (18 × 24mm) | 12.1MP full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS (same as A7S III) |
| Resolution | — | 12.1MP |
| Video | N/A — film camera | 4K/120p, 4K/60p 10-bit, 12-bit RAW output, S-Log3, S-Cinetone |
| Autofocus | Zone focus (0.35m / 1m / 3m / ∞) | Real-time tracking with subject recognition (human, animal) |
| Stabilisation | N/A — film camera | 5-axis IBIS — 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | Manual wind-on | 10fps mechanical, 10fps electronic |
| Battery Life | 2× CR2 lithium batteries | ~640 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | ~165g (without batteries) | 715g body only (with XLR handle) |
| Dimensions | 113 × 66 × 44mm | 129.7 × 78.0 × 84.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical viewfinder with half-frame framelines | None — monitor/external EVF use only |
| Screen | N/A | 3.0" touchscreen, fully articulating |
| 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 CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | N/A | USB-C (10Gbps), full-size HDMI, XLR via handle, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Pentax 17 | FX3 |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Everyday | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Low Light | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Wedding | — |
More comparisons with Pentax 17
Camera family history