Upgrade Guide
Pentax Pentax 17→Pentax WG-8
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
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Worthwhile
Clear improvements over the Pentax 17. Whether it justifies the cost depends on which upgrades matter most to your shooting.
What's new in the WG-8
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Weather sealingAdded — fully sealed body
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Battery life340 shots (CIPA) vs 2× CR2 lithium batteries
Suitability by genre
Base scores — computed from verified specs for an enthusiast shooting photo and video. The Upgrade Checker adjusts them for your skill level.
| Genre | Pentax 17 | WG-8 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Street | +1.4 | ||
| Travel | -3.0 | ||
| Portrait | -3.8 | ||
| Casual | -3.6 | ||
| Landscape | -3.0 | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | ||
| Filmmaking | — | ||
| Documentary | — | ||
| Food | — | ||
| Macro | — | ||
| Architecture | — | ||
| Astrophotography | — | ||
| Underwater | — | ||
| Fun & simple | — |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | Pentax 17 | WG-8 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £400 | £479 | |
| Released | 2024 | 2022 | ↓ |
| Sensor | 35mm half-frame (18 × 24mm) | 20MP 1/2.3-inch BSI CMOS | |
| Resolution | — | 20MP | |
| Video | N/A — film camera | 4K | |
| Autofocus | Zone focus (0.35m / 1m / 3m / ∞) | Contrast-detect AF | |
| Stabilisation | N/A — film camera | No stabilisation | |
| Burst Rate | Manual wind-on | 1fps | |
| Battery Life | 2× CR2 lithium batteries | 340 shots (CIPA) | ↑ |
| Weight | ~165g (without batteries) | 242g (with battery and card) | ↓ |
| Weather Sealed | Not weather sealed | Yes | ↑ |
| Viewfinder | Optical viewfinder with half-frame framelines | None (screen only) | |
| Screen | No screen | Fixed screen, no touch | |
| Mount | 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 via DX coding + manual dial) | Fixed zoom lens | |
| Memory Cards | 35mm 135-format film cartridge | Single SD (FlashAir compatible) + 27MB internal buffer |
Compare side-by-side
⚖️ Compare these cameras
See Pentax 17 and WG-8 next to each other with our interactive comparison tool.
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