D850vs Ricoh GR IIIx
Nikon
D850 (2017)
Starting from £2199 new
Best for Landscape, wildlife & professional studio photography
View D850
Ricoh
Ricoh GR IIIx (2021)
Starting from £999 new
Best for Street portraits & reportage
View Ricoh GR IIIx
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Landscape, Wildlife & Professional Studio Photography — D850 (2017): The finest DSLR ever made — 45MP, 9fps, and nearly 2000 shots per charge in a body that still outperforms most mirrorless cameras for battery life.
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.
Who should buy what
D850 (2017)
- Nikon F-mount lens owners who want the highest resolution DSLR before switching to mirrorless
- Landscape and wildlife photographers who value the optical viewfinder and outstanding battery life
- Professional photographers who need 45MP resolution without the price of a medium format system
- Photojournalists and event photographers with a large F-mount lens investment
Ricoh GR IIIx (2021)
- Street photographers who want the most pocketable APS-C camera available
- Ricoh GR III owners who prefer a 40mm equivalent over 28mm
- Travel photographers who want one discreet camera that fits anywhere
- Photographers who want a pocketable backup to a larger mirrorless system
Quick take: The d850 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the ricoh gr iiix is the most affordable; only the d850 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D850 (2017) | Ricoh GR IIIx (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,199 | £999 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI-CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 4K UHD/30p, 1080p/120p | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | 153-point AF system (99 cross-type) — Multi-CAM 20K | Hybrid contrast/phase-detect AF with subject detection |
| Stabilisation | None (relies on VR lenses) | 4-stop IBIS (Shake Reduction) |
| Burst Rate | 9fps (7fps with tilt screen AF) | 4fps |
| Battery Life | ~1840 shots (CIPA) — outstanding | 200 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 915g body only | 262g |
| Dimensions | 146 × 124 × 78.5mm | 111.2 × 61.4 × 33.2mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | Optical pentaprism — 0.75× magnification, 100% coverage | None |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.0" fixed touchscreen |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | Fixed 40mm-equiv f/2.8 lens |
| Memory Cards | Dual slots — XQD and SD UHS-II | Single SD UHS-I |
| Connectivity | USB 3.0, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic & headphone jacks | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D850 | Ricoh GR IIIx |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Travel | ||
| Street | — | |
| Documentary | — |
More comparisons with D850
Camera family history