GFX 50S IIvs Ricoh GR IIIxvs Sony A9 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.
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
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
Sony A9 III (2023)
- You shoot professional sport, motorsport, or action and need zero rolling shutter distortion
- You need reliable high-speed flash sync for studio or on-location action work
- You want the absolute pinnacle of Sony's action and sports camera technology
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, sony a9 iii are weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | GFX 50S II (2021) | Ricoh GR IIIx (2021) | Sony A9 III (2023) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,999 | £999 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 51.4MP Medium Format GFX 44×33mm BSI CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS | 24.6MP full-frame Exmor RS CMOS (global shutter) |
| Resolution | 51.4MP | 24.2MP | 24.6MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (cropped) | 1080p/60p | 4K/120p, 4K/60p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect, 425 points | Hybrid contrast/phase-detect AF with subject detection | AI subject recognition AF, 759-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS, 6.5 stops | 4-stop IBIS (Shake Reduction) | 8-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 3fps | 4fps | 120fps blackout-free electronic |
| Battery Life | ~440 shots (CIPA) | 200 shots (CIPA) | 530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 900g body only | 262g | 703g body only |
| Dimensions | 150.0 × 104.2 × 87.2mm | 111.2 × 61.4 × 33.2mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.77× magnification | None | 0.64" Quad-XGA OLED EVF, 9.44M dots |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Fujifilm G-mount (medium format) | Fixed 40mm-equiv f/2.8 lens | Sony FE (E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD UHS-II slots | Single SD UHS-I | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C 3.2, HDMI A, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 |
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