Instax Mini 12vs Ricoh GR III
Fujifilm
Instax Mini 12 (2023)
Starting from £80 new
Best for Beginners, parties & gifting
View Instax Mini 12
VS
Ricoh
Ricoh GR III (2019)
Starting from £899 new
Best for Street photography & urban reportage
View Ricoh GR III
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Beginners, Parties & Gifting — Instax Mini 12 (2023): The perfect starter instant camera — effortless to use, great colours, and comes in beautiful pastel shades.
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.
Who should buy what
Instax Mini 12 (2023)
- Complete beginners wanting their first instant camera
- Anyone buying an instant camera as a gift
- Party hosts who want to hand out physical prints on the night
- Kids and teenagers who want a fun, colourful camera
Ricoh GR III (2019)
- Street photographers who want a classic 28mm perspective in a pocketable body
- Documentary photographers who want a discreet, fast APS-C compact
- GR IIIx buyers who prefer the wider 28mm field of view
- Anyone who wants serious APS-C image quality without carrying a bag
Quick take: The instax mini 12 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Instax Mini 12 (2023) | Ricoh GR III (2019) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £899 |
| Sensor | Instax Mini film (62 × 46mm image area) | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS |
| Resolution | — | 24.2MP |
| Video | N/A — instant film camera | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (0.3m–∞ standard; 0.3–0.5m in close-up mode) | Hybrid contrast/phase-detect AF with subject detection |
| Stabilisation | N/A | 4-stop IBIS (Shake Reduction) |
| Burst Rate | N/A | 4fps |
| Battery Life | 2× AA alkaline batteries (~100 shots) | 200 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | ~293g (with batteries, without film) | 257g |
| Dimensions | 107.6 × 121.7 × 67.3mm | 109.4 × 61.9 × 33.2mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No |
| Viewfinder | Real-image optical viewfinder (0.37×) | None |
| Screen | N/A | 3.0" fixed touchscreen |
| Mount | Instax Mini film pack (10 shots per pack) | Fixed 28mm-equiv f/2.8 lens |
| Memory Cards | N/A — instant film only | Single SD UHS-I |
| Connectivity | N/A | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Instax Mini 12 | Ricoh GR III |
|---|---|---|
| Parties & Events | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Everyday | — | |
| Low Light | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Street | — | |
| Documentary | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — |
More comparisons with Instax Mini 12
Camera family history