Ricoh GR IIIvs A7R III
Ricoh
Ricoh GR III (2019)
Starting from £899 new
Best for Street photography & urban reportage
View Ricoh GR III
Sony
A7R III (2017)
Starting from £1799 new
Best for Landscape, studio & commercial photography
View A7R III
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.
Landscape, Studio & Commercial Photography — A7R III (2017): The camera that converted professionals to mirrorless — 42MP, IBIS, and 10fps in a body that still competes today.
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 III (2017)
- Landscape and studio photographers who need 42MP resolution at a used-price discount vs A7R IV
- Canon/Nikon DSLR professionals considering a mirrorless switch at a lower investment
- Commercial and product photographers who want full-frame resolution with IBIS for handheld work
- Portrait photographers who want the sharpest possible full-frame files for large print work
Quick take: The a7r iii has the highest resolution at 42mp; the ricoh gr iii is the most affordable; only the a7r iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Ricoh GR III (2019) | A7R III (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £899 | £1,799 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS | 42.4MP full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 42.4MP |
| Video | 1080p/60p | 4K/30p (full-frame readout), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Hybrid contrast/phase-detect AF with subject detection | 399 phase-detect + 425 contrast AF points — real-time Eye AF |
| Stabilisation | 4-stop IBIS (Shake Reduction) | 5-axis IBIS — 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 4fps | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | 200 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 257g | 650g body only |
| Dimensions | 109.4 × 61.9 × 33.2mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen | 3.0" touchscreen, tilting |
| Mount | Fixed 28mm-equiv f/2.8 lens | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I | Dual SD slots (one UHS-II) |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic jack |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Ricoh GR III | A7R III |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Travel | — | |
| Documentary | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Wedding | — | |
| Sports | — |
More comparisons with Ricoh GR III
Camera family history