Upgrade Guide
Pentax WG-8→Pentax Pentax 17
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
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Situational
One clear hardware improvement over the WG-8. Worth it if that specific upgrade aligns with what you shoot.
What's new in the Pentax 17
-
Generation2 years newer (2024 vs 2022)
Unchanged or similar
-
Weather sealingNot present in new body
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 | WG-8 | Pentax 17 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | +3.8 | ||
| Street | -1.4 | ||
| Travel | +3.0 | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | ||
| Filmmaking | — | ||
| Documentary | — | ||
| Landscape | +3.0 | ||
| Casual | +3.6 | ||
| Food | — | ||
| Macro | — | ||
| Architecture | — | ||
| Astrophotography | — | ||
| Underwater | — | ||
| Fun & simple | — |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | WG-8 | Pentax 17 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £479 | £400 | |
| Released | 2022 | 2024 | ↑ |
| Sensor | 20MP 1/2.3-inch BSI CMOS | 35mm half-frame (18 × 24mm) | |
| Resolution | 20MP | — | |
| Video | 4K | N/A — film camera | |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF | Zone focus (0.35m / 1m / 3m / ∞) | |
| Stabilisation | No stabilisation | N/A — film camera | |
| Burst Rate | 1fps | Manual wind-on | |
| Battery Life | 340 shots (CIPA) | 2× CR2 lithium batteries | ↓ |
| Weight | 242g (with battery and card) | ~165g (without batteries) | ↑ |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Not weather sealed | ↓ |
| Viewfinder | None (screen only) | Optical viewfinder with half-frame framelines | |
| Screen | Fixed screen, no touch | No screen | |
| Mount | Fixed zoom lens | 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 via DX coding + manual dial) | |
| Memory Cards | Single SD (FlashAir compatible) + 27MB internal buffer | 35mm 135-format film cartridge |
Compare side-by-side
⚖️ Compare these cameras
See WG-8 and Pentax 17 next to each other with our interactive comparison tool.
Get a personalised upgrade score
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Tell us what you shoot and we'll score the Pentax 17 against your specific genres — not just specs.
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