Ricoh GR IIIvs A7R II
Ricoh
Ricoh GR III (2019)
Starting from £899 new
Best for Street photography & urban reportage
View Ricoh GR III
Sony
A7R II (2015)
Starting from £799 new
Best for Portrait, landscape & studio photography
View A7R 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.
Portrait, Landscape & Studio Photography — A7R II (2015): The A7R II transformed the A7R series — adding IBIS, 4K video, BSI sensor tech, and phase-detect AF in one generation. A landmark Sony camera.
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
A7R II (2015)
- Landscape and architecture photographers who want 42MP with IBIS for handheld shooting
- Portrait and studio photographers who need high resolution with improved AF reliability
- Sony FE system users who want a capable high-resolution body at a used price
- A7R I owners who need the stabilisation, 4K, and improved AF the original lacked
Quick take: The a7r ii has the highest resolution at 42mp; the a7r ii is the most affordable; only the a7r ii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Ricoh GR III (2019) | A7R II (2015) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £899 | £799 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS | 42.4MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS Exmor R |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 42.4MP |
| Video | 1080p/60p | 4K/30p (S35 or full-frame), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Hybrid contrast/phase-detect AF with subject detection | 399 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points, face detection |
| Stabilisation | 4-stop IBIS (Shake Reduction) | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 4.5 stops (first A7R with IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 4fps | 5fps |
| Battery Life | 200 shots (CIPA) | ~290 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 257g | 625g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 109.4 × 61.9 × 33.2mm | 126.9 × 95.7 × 60.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots (no touch) |
| Mount | Fixed 28mm-equiv f/2.8 lens | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Ricoh GR III | A7R II |
|---|---|---|
| Street | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Documentary | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Architecture | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with Ricoh GR III
Camera family history