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Ricoh GR IIIvs A9

GearFrame · Updated March 2026

Ricoh Ricoh GR III Ricoh Ricoh GR III (2019) Starting from £899 new Best for Street photography & urban reportage View Ricoh GR III
VS
Sony A9 Sony A9 (2017) Starting from £1999 new Best for Professional sports, wildlife & action photography View A9

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 & Action Photography — A9 (2017): The camera that changed professional photography — the A9's 20fps blackout-free burst and silent shutter proved mirrorless had definitively surpassed the DSLR.

↓ Full specifications below

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

A9 (2017)

  • Sports photographers who want the original 20fps mirrorless at a lower used price than the A9 II
  • Wildlife photographers who need blackout-free burst with fast, reliable tracking
  • Sony FE system users who want a professional sports body
  • Photographers interested in the camera that changed the industry

Quick take: The ricoh gr iii is the most affordable; only the a9 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification Ricoh GR III (2019)A9 (2017)
Price £899 £1,999
Sensor 24.2MP APS-C CMOS 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS
Resolution 24.2MP 24.2MP
Video 1080p/60p 4K/30p, 1080p/120p
Autofocus Hybrid contrast/phase-detect AF with subject detection 693 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking
Stabilisation 4-stop IBIS (Shake Reduction) IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops
Burst Rate 4fps 20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE)
Battery Life 200 shots (CIPA) ~650 shots (CIPA)
Weight 257g 673g (with battery and card)
Dimensions 109.4 × 61.9 × 33.2mm 126.9 × 95.6 × 63.0mm
Weather Sealed No Yes
Viewfinder None EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification, 60fps refresh (blackout-free)
Screen 3.0" fixed touchscreen 3.0" tilting touchscreen
Mount Fixed 28mm-equiv f/2.8 lens Sony FE (full-frame E-mount)
Memory Cards Single SD UHS-I Dual SD UHS-II slots
Connectivity USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth USB, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, HDMI
Genre Ricoh GR IIIA9
Street
9.0
Travel
9.0
7.0
Documentary
9.0
Portrait
7.0
9.0
Landscape
7.0
Vlogging & Video
4.0
4.0
Sports & Action
9.0
Wildlife
9.0
Wedding & Events
9.0

GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →

⚡ Compare specs side by side Ricoh GR III prices → A9 prices →

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