MP 0.72vs GR IIIx HDF
Leica
MP 0.72 (2003)
Starting from £4850 new
Best for Street, Documentary & Reportage Film Photography
View MP 0.72
Ricoh
GR IIIx HDF (2024)
Starting from £999 new
Best for Street & documentary photography with a distinctive aesthetic
View GR IIIx HDF
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 & Documentary Photography With A Distinctive Aesthetic — GR IIIx HDF (2024): The GR IIIx with a built-in dream filter — for photographers who want the GR's legendary APS-C quality with an added layer of analogue magic.
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
GR IIIx HDF (2024)
- GR IIIx fans who want the HDF bloom effect without using post-processing
- Street photographers who want a distinctive, instantly recognisable aesthetic
- Film photography enthusiasts who want to replicate analogue optical character digitally
- GR III owners ready to upgrade to the 40mm equivalent perspective
Quick take: The gr iiix hdf is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | MP 0.72 (2003) | GR IIIx HDF (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £4,850 | £999 |
| Sensor | 35mm film | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS |
| Resolution | — | 24.2MP |
| Video | — | 1920 × 1080 / 60fps |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder — coupled 0.72× viewfinder | Phase/contrast hybrid CDAF with Snap Focus |
| Stabilisation | — | 3-axis Shake Reduction (SR) — 4 stops |
| Burst Rate | ~1fps (manual film advance) | 4fps continuous |
| Battery Life | Effectively unlimited — battery powers meter only | ~200 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 600g (body only) | 262g body only |
| Dimensions | 138 × 77 × 38mm | 122.5 × 69.5 × 35.2mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.72× magnification, 28–135mm framelines | None — rear LCD only |
| Screen | None | 3.0" fixed LCD touchscreen, 1.037M dots |
| Mount | Leica M-mount | Fixed GR Lens 26.1mm f/2.8 (40mm equivalent) |
| Memory Cards | 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 recommended) | Single SD/SDHC/SDXC slot |
| Connectivity | None | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | MP 0.72 | GR IIIx HDF |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with MP 0.72
Camera family history