EOS R8vs Ricoh GR IIIvs A7 III
Which should you buy?
Full-Frame Entry — EOS R8 (2023): Canon's most affordable full-frame mirrorless — 4K/60p 10-bit and class-leading Dual Pixel AF at an accessible entry price.
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.
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 R8 (2023)
- You want full-frame image quality on a tight budget
- You shoot mainly in good light and can live without built-in stabilisation
- You primarily shoot stills with occasional video
Ricoh GR III (2019)
- You shoot street, travel, or documentary and want APS-C quality in a coat or shirt pocket
- You want a camera you'll genuinely always carry without thinking about it
- You appreciate sharp, characterful images from a fixed 28mm equivalent focal length
A7 III (2018)
- Enthusiast photographers upgrading from APS-C for the first time
- Working photographers who need reliable AF and weather sealing
- Anyone who shoots in low light regularly
- Hybrid shooters needing both stills and video performance
Quick take: The ricoh gr iii is the most affordable; only the a7 iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS R8 (2023) | Ricoh GR III (2019) | A7 III (2018) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,099 | £899 | £1,699 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP Full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 24.2MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 4K/60p oversampled 10-bit, FHD/180p | 1080p/60p | 4K/30p (6K oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, 1053 zones, eye/face/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 | 6fps mechanical, 40fps electronic | 4fps | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | ~220 shots (CIPA) | 200 shots (CIPA) | ~710 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 461g body only | 257g | 565g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 132.5 × 86.1 × 70.0mm | 109.4 × 61.9 × 33.2mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.59× | None | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Canon RF mount (full-frame) | Fixed 28mm-equiv f/2.8 lens | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II slot | Single SD UHS-I | Dual SD (UHS-II slot 1, UHS-I slot 2) |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C (USB 3.2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC |
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