Lomo MC-A, PENTAX 17, and Rollei 35AF — How Each Uses the Same Roll
Load one 36-exposure roll of 35mm film.
The PENTAX 17 makes about 72 frames. The Lomo MC-A and Rollei 35AF make 36. The PENTAX divides the film into 24×17mm frames; the other two use 24×36mm.
Begin here, not with an autofocus or price winner: do you want more area per photograph, or more photographs from the roll? Focus and exposure controls make more sense after that choice.
Scope
I have not owned all three cameras long-term. This comparison uses official pages and manuals checked July 28, 2026. Without matched tests, it does not rank autofocus, lens rendering, winding feel, or durability.
Confirmed differences
| Item | Lomo MC-A | PENTAX 17 | Rollei 35AF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frame | 24×36mm | 24×17mm | 24×36mm |
| Frames from a 36 roll | 36 | About 72 | 36 |
| Lens | 32mm f/2.8 | 25mm f/3.5, 37mm equivalent | 35mm f/2.8 |
| Focus | LiDAR AF, five zones | Six zones | LiDAR AF |
| Minimum setting | 0.4m | 0.25m | 0.7m |
| Exposure | Program, aperture priority, manual | Seven programs, compensation, B | Auto, manual, long exposure |
| Flash | Built in | Built in | Built in |
| Wind and rewind | Manual | Manual | Manual |
| Stated weight | 332g without battery or film | 290g without battery or film | 242g without battery |
Minimum distance alone cannot rank close-up framing because frame and focal length differ. “LiDAR” alone cannot rank AF either; no primary source found here compares target selection, low light, motion, or shooting through glass under matched conditions. The supportable distinction is that MC-A and Rollei can choose distance automatically, while PENTAX 17 asks the photographer to choose one of six zones.
PENTAX 17: smaller frames, more attempts
Its 24×17mm frame is vertical when the camera is held normally. Ricoh says a 36-exposure roll yields 72 frames and a 24-exposure roll yields 48. A roll lasts longer, and pairs or sequences of vertical frames become part of the form.
The smaller negative has less area, but grain and enlargement depend on film, exposure, development, scanning, and output. The specification establishes area, not a universal “worse image.”
Focus zones are 0.25m, 0.5m, 1.2m, 1.7m, 3m, and infinity. Exposure is centered on program AE with compensation and is not full manual. Its fit depends on wanting more frames and a vertical half-frame sequence in exchange for smaller individual frames.
Lomo MC-A: return focus and exposure to your hands
The MC-A combines a 24×36mm frame and 32mm f/2.8 lens. Focus can be left to LiDAR AF or selected at 0.4m, 0.8m, 1.5m, 3m, or infinity. Exposure offers program, aperture priority, and full manual, with multiple exposure, first- or second-curtain sync, and a PC terminal.
More functions are not automatically better. Someone who leaves everything automatic may carry unused options and the highest stated weight here. For someone who wants to move between AF and zones, or program and manual control, those paths remain inside one body. Specifications establish breadth of control, not freedom from mistakes or boredom.
Rollei 35AF: prioritize 35mm and a small body
The Rollei also uses 24×36mm, with a 35mm f/2.8 lens and LiDAR AF. It is listed at 104×75×56mm and 242g without battery—the lowest stated weight and narrowest body of the three. Minimum distance is 0.7m.
It provides auto and manual exposure, normal shutter speeds from 1 to 1/500 second, long exposures to 60 seconds, built-in flash, manual winding, and OLED display.
Exterior photographs and material descriptions cannot establish dial feel or assembly quality. Being new and carrying a two-year warranty does not prove AF or long-term durability. The defensible reasons to choose it are 35mm, small stated dimensions and weight, AF, and manual exposure—provided 0.7m is not too limiting.
Compare prices within one region and warranty system
Official displays checked July 28, 2026 were:
| Camera | Display | Region and condition |
|---|---|---|
| Lomo MC-A | ¥69,880 | Japan official store, tax included |
| PENTAX 17 | ¥107,000 | Japanese suggested price before tax, ¥117,700 equivalent |
| Rollei 35AF | HK$6,240 | Hong Kong dollars; shipping and tax calculated at checkout |
Converting these into a cheapest-to-most-expensive ranking would mix direct and suggested prices, regions, tax, shipping, returns, and repair routes. Compare the checkout total, warranty, and service destination available from your own region.
What specifications cannot decide
Rendering needs the same film, light, development, and scan. AF yield needs matched motion, backlight, darkness, glass, and off-center subjects. Handling needs hands on winding resistance, shutter travel, finder legibility, weight, and thickness.
If possible, test portraits and tabletop distances, the shooting flow in daylight and indoors, finder warnings with your eyesight, and the feel of carrying and winding a full roll. If you cannot handle the camera, do not fill unknowns with optimism; check return and warranty routes first.
Conditions that separate the choice
PENTAX 17 fits when more frames per roll, vertical half-frame sequences, and choosing among six focus zones are the point.
Lomo MC-A fits when you want 24×36mm at 32mm and want to move between AF and zones, or program, aperture priority, and manual. Its extra functions matter only if you will use them.
Rollei 35AF fits when 24×36mm, 35mm, AF, and the smallest and lightest stated dimensions here take priority, 0.7m is acceptable, and regional service is clear.
Another camera fits when interchangeable lenses, TTL viewing, dependable close focus, or accumulated matched long-term evidence matters more than buying new.
There is no single winner. One roll becomes either 72 smaller frames or 36 larger ones; then you decide how much focus and exposure responsibility to hand to the camera.
Sources and update
- Lomo MC-A product page and manual
- PENTAX 17 product page and specifications
- Rollei 35AF product page
Updated July 28, 2026. This removes a cross-region price ranking, untested claims about feel, AF, rendering, and reliability, and the earlier single winner. The comparison now begins with frame area, focus responsibility, and exposure intervention.
See Lowering the Running Cost of Film Photography and Repairable Cameras and Unrepairable Ones.