GFX 50S IIvs Ricoh GR IIIvs A7C
Which should you buy?
Studio & Portrait Specialists — GFX 50S II (2021): Medium format quality at the most accessible price ever — 51MP detail and tonal richness no APS-C or full-frame body can replicate.
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.
Compact Travel & Content Creation — A7C (2020): The A7C proves full-frame doesn't have to be bulky. Excellent battery life, reliable Eye AF and a vari-angle screen in a pocketable body is a compelling combination for travel and content creators. The A7C II improved on it, but the original remains a strong value buy.
Who should buy what
GFX 50S II (2021)
- You want to experience medium format without a five-figure investment
- You shoot landscape, architecture, or portraits where resolution and tonal depth matter
- You're in the Fujifilm ecosystem and want to step up to a larger sensor
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
A7C (2020)
- Travel photographers who want full-frame in the smallest possible body
- Content creators who need a flip screen and reliable Eye AF
- Photographers upgrading from APS-C who want to keep a compact kit
- Vloggers who need 4K and great battery life on the road
Quick take: The gfx 50s ii has the highest resolution at 51mp; the ricoh gr iii is the most affordable; only the gfx 50s ii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | GFX 50S II (2021) | Ricoh GR III (2019) | A7C (2020) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,999 | £899 | £1,299 |
| Sensor | 51.4MP Medium Format GFX 44×33mm BSI CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 51.4MP | 24.2MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (cropped) | 1080p/60p | 4K/30p (oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion, S-Log2/S-Log3 |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect, 425 points | Hybrid contrast/phase-detect AF with subject detection | Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS, 6.5 stops | 4-stop IBIS (Shake Reduction) | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 3fps | 4fps | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | ~440 shots (CIPA) | 200 shots (CIPA) | ~740 shots (CIPA) — outstanding for a Sony mirrorless |
| Weight | 900g body only | 257g | 509g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 150.0 × 104.2 × 87.2mm | 109.4 × 61.9 × 33.2mm | 124.0 × 71.1 × 59.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No | No |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.77× magnification | None | None built-in — use rear screen or accessory EVF |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Fujifilm G-mount (medium format) | Fixed 28mm-equiv f/2.8 lens | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD UHS-II slots | Single SD UHS-I | Single SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC |
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