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 Portraits & Reportage — Ricoh GR IIIx (2021): APS-C in a shirt pocket with a 40mm perspective — the GR IIIx is the ideal street portrait compact for photographers who want a slightly tighter frame.
All-Round Photography & Video — A7 III (2018): Still one of the best all-round cameras money can buy — particularly strong used. The A7 III proved that full-frame doesn't have to mean compromises, and nothing at this price point has meaningfully beaten it.
Who should buy what
EOS R100 (2023)
Ricoh GR IIIx (2021)
A7 III (2018)
Quick take: The ricoh gr iiix has the highest resolution at 24mp; the eos r100 is the most affordable; only the a7 iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS R100 (2023) | Ricoh GR IIIx (2021) | A7 III (2018) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £529 | £999 | £1,699 |
| Sensor | 24.1MP APS-C CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.1MP | 24.2MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (slight crop), 1080p/60p | 1080p/60p | 4K/30p (6K oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF, face detection, subject tracking | Hybrid contrast/phase-detect AF with subject detection | Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF |
| Stabilisation | None (no IBIS) | 4-stop IBIS (Shake Reduction) | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 6.5fps mechanical | 4fps | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | ~270 shots (CIPA) | 200 shots (CIPA) | ~710 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 356g (body, battery, card) | 262g | 565g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 116.3 × 85.5 × 68.8mm | 111.2 × 61.4 × 33.2mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.59× magnification | None | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" fixed touchscreen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Canon RF-mount | Fixed 40mm-equiv f/2.8 lens | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II | Single SD UHS-I | Dual SD (UHS-II slot 1, UHS-I slot 2) |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C (USB 3.2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC |
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