Ricoh GR IIIvs A1 II
Ricoh
Ricoh GR III (2019)
Starting from £899 new
Best for Street photography & urban reportage
View Ricoh GR III
Sony
A1 II (2025)
Starting from £6500 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & high-resolution studio work
View A1 II
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
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.
Professional Sports, Wildlife & High-Resolution Studio Work — A1 II (2025): The most complete camera ever made — 50MP, 30fps, 8K, and the world's best EVF in a single flagship body.
Who should buy what
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
A1 II (2025)
- Professional sports and wildlife photographers who need 30fps, 50MP, and the best AF available
- Commercial and advertising photographers who demand 50MP resolution alongside pro video specs
- Photojournalists who need a single body capable of handling every assignment
- Sony system shooters ready to invest in the absolute best
Quick take: The a1 ii has the highest resolution at 50mp; the ricoh gr iii is the most affordable; only the a1 ii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Ricoh GR III (2019) | A1 II (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £899 | £6,500 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS | 50.1MP full-frame stacked BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 50.1MP |
| Video | 1080p/60p | 8K/30p, 4K/120p 10-bit, 4K/240p super slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Hybrid contrast/phase-detect AF with subject detection | AI subject recognition — human, animal, bird, insect, vehicle, aircraft, train |
| Stabilisation | 4-stop IBIS (Shake Reduction) | 8.5-stop IBIS (with in-lens OSS) |
| Burst Rate | 4fps | 30fps electronic (with full AF/AE), 10fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | 200 shots (CIPA) | ~530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 257g | 743g body only |
| Dimensions | 109.4 × 61.9 × 33.2mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None | EVF 0.9× 9.44M-dot — the highest resolution EVF available |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 2.1M dots |
| Mount | Fixed 28mm-equiv f/2.8 lens | Sony E-mount (full-frame) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, HDMI full-size |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Ricoh GR III | A1 II |
|---|---|---|
| Street | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Documentary | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | — |
More comparisons with Ricoh GR III
Camera family history