MP 0.72vs Ricoh GR III
Leica
MP 0.72 (2003)
Starting from £4850 new
Best for Street, Documentary & Reportage Film Photography
View MP 0.72
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?
Street, Documentary & Reportage Film Photography — MP 0.72 (2003): The purist's Leica — a fully mechanical 35mm rangefinder with no electronics bar the meter. Still built by hand in Wetzlar. The most honest camera ever made.
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
MP 0.72 (2003)
- Serious film photographers who want the finest rangefinder ever made
- Street and documentary photographers who shoot Kodak Tri-X or HP5
- Leica M-mount collectors and long-term lens owners
- Photographers who value mechanical precision over electronic convenience
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 ricoh gr iii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | MP 0.72 (2003) | Ricoh GR III (2019) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £4,850 | £899 |
| Sensor | 35mm film | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS |
| Resolution | — | 24.2MP |
| Video | — | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder — coupled 0.72× viewfinder | Hybrid contrast/phase-detect AF with subject detection |
| Stabilisation | — | 4-stop IBIS (Shake Reduction) |
| Burst Rate | ~1fps (manual film advance) | 4fps |
| Battery Life | Effectively unlimited — battery powers meter only | 200 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 600g (body only) | 257g |
| Dimensions | 138 × 77 × 38mm | 109.4 × 61.9 × 33.2mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.72× magnification, 28–135mm framelines | None |
| Screen | None | 3.0" fixed touchscreen |
| Mount | Leica M-mount | Fixed 28mm-equiv f/2.8 lens |
| Memory Cards | 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 recommended) | Single SD UHS-I |
| Connectivity | None | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | MP 0.72 | Ricoh GR III |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Documentary | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — |
More comparisons with MP 0.72
Camera family history