Ricoh GR IIIvs A6500
Ricoh
Ricoh GR III (2019)
Starting from £899 new
Best for Street photography & urban reportage
View Ricoh GR III
Sony
A6500 (2016)
Starting from £649 new
Best for Travel, street & versatile everyday photography
View A6500
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.
Travel, Street & Versatile Everyday Photography — A6500 (2016): The first Sony APS-C with IBIS — the A6500 added in-body stabilisation, touch AF, and a far deeper buffer to the A6300's already strong formula.
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
A6500 (2016)
- Travel photographers who want IBIS in a compact weather-sealed E-mount body
- A6300 owners who need the stabilisation or touch AF the A6300 lacked
- Street and documentary photographers who want a capable compact with weather sealing
- Sony E-mount shooters looking for a capable used body at an accessible price
Quick take: The a6500 is the most affordable; only the a6500 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Ricoh GR III (2019) | A6500 (2016) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £899 | £649 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 1080p/60p | 4K/30p (full pixel readout), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Hybrid contrast/phase-detect AF with subject detection | 425 phase-detect + 169 contrast-detect AF points, face/eye detection |
| Stabilisation | 4-stop IBIS (Shake Reduction) | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops (first Sony APS-C with IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 4fps | 11fps |
| Battery Life | 200 shots (CIPA) | ~310 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 257g | 453g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 109.4 × 61.9 × 33.2mm | 120.0 × 66.9 × 53.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Fixed 28mm-equiv f/2.8 lens | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Ricoh GR III | A6500 |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Travel | ||
| Documentary | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history