Fine Art, Portrait & Entry-Level Medium Format — Hasselblad X1D II 50C (2019): The most accessible Hasselblad XCD body — 50MP medium-format quality for those who cannot stretch to the X2D 100C.
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
Hasselblad X1D II 50C (2019)
Ricoh GR IIIx (2021)
A7 III (2018)
Quick take: The hasselblad x1d ii 50c has the highest resolution at 50mp; the ricoh gr iiix is the most affordable; only the a7 iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Hasselblad X1D II 50C (2019) | Ricoh GR IIIx (2021) | A7 III (2018) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,999 | £999 | £1,699 |
| Sensor | 50MP medium-format CMOS (43.8 × 32.9mm) | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 50.0MP | 24.2MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | None | 1080p/60p | 4K/30p (6K oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF | Hybrid contrast/phase-detect AF with subject detection | Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF |
| Stabilisation | None | 4-stop IBIS (Shake Reduction) | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 2.7fps | 4fps | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | 370 shots (CIPA) | 200 shots (CIPA) | ~710 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 766g body only | 262g | 565g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 148.0 × 97.0 × 73.8mm | 111.2 × 61.4 × 33.2mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.87" OLED EVF, 3.69M dots | None | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.6" touchscreen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Hasselblad XCD | Fixed 40mm-equiv f/2.8 lens | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual 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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