First Camera / Beginner Photography — EOS R100 (2023): The R100 does the basics well at the lowest possible price point. Its main value is as a gateway into the Canon RF ecosystem — the lenses you buy now will work on any Canon body you upgrade to later. Modest ambitions, reliably met.
Street Photography & Urban Reportage — Ricoh GR III (2019): The purest street photography compact — APS-C sensor, 28mm perspective, IBIS, and cult-favourite JPEG rendering in a shirt pocket.
Sports & Action Professionals — Sony A9 III (2023): A paradigm-shifting camera — the global shutter eliminates every rolling shutter limitation that has constrained action photography for years.
Who should buy what
EOS R100 (2023)
Ricoh GR III (2019)
Sony A9 III (2023)
Quick take: The sony a9 iii has the highest resolution at 25mp; the eos r100 is the most affordable; only the sony a9 iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS R100 (2023) | Ricoh GR III (2019) | Sony A9 III (2023) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £529 | £899 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 24.1MP APS-C CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS | 24.6MP full-frame Exmor RS CMOS (global shutter) |
| Resolution | 24.1MP | 24.2MP | 24.6MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (slight crop), 1080p/60p | 1080p/60p | 4K/120p, 4K/60p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF, face detection, subject tracking | Hybrid contrast/phase-detect AF with subject detection | AI subject recognition AF, 759-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | None (no IBIS) | 4-stop IBIS (Shake Reduction) | 8-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 6.5fps mechanical | 4fps | 120fps blackout-free electronic |
| Battery Life | ~270 shots (CIPA) | 200 shots (CIPA) | 530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 356g (body, battery, card) | 257g | 703g body only |
| Dimensions | 116.3 × 85.5 × 68.8mm | 109.4 × 61.9 × 33.2mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.59× magnification | None | 0.64" Quad-XGA OLED EVF, 9.44M dots |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" fixed touchscreen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon RF-mount | Fixed 28mm-equiv f/2.8 lens | Sony FE (E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II | Single SD UHS-I | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C 3.2, HDMI A, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 |
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