GFX 50S IIvs Ricoh GR IIIxvs A7 III
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 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
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 IIIx (2021)
- You want the GR experience with a slightly tighter, more versatile field of view
- You shoot portraits, food, or street scenes where 40mm suits better than 28mm wide
- You want a premium compact that fits in a shirt pocket with better tonal rendering than a phone
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 gfx 50s ii has the highest resolution at 51mp; the ricoh gr iiix is the most affordable; only the gfx 50s ii, a7 iii are weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | GFX 50S II (2021) | Ricoh GR IIIx (2021) | A7 III (2018) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,999 | £999 | £1,699 |
| 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 (6K oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| 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) | ~710 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 900g body only | 262g | 565g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 150.0 × 104.2 × 87.2mm | 111.2 × 61.4 × 33.2mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.77× magnification | None | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Fujifilm G-mount (medium format) | Fixed 40mm-equiv f/2.8 lens | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD UHS-II slots | 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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