GR IIIx HDFvs A7R III
Ricoh
GR IIIx HDF (2024)
Starting from £999 new
Best for Street & documentary photography with a distinctive aesthetic
View GR IIIx HDF
Sony
A7R III (2017)
Starting from £1799 new
Best for Landscape, studio & commercial photography
View A7R III
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Street & Documentary Photography With A Distinctive Aesthetic — GR IIIx HDF (2024): The GR IIIx with a built-in dream filter — for photographers who want the GR's legendary APS-C quality with an added layer of analogue magic.
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
GR IIIx HDF (2024)
- GR IIIx fans who want the HDF bloom effect without using post-processing
- Street photographers who want a distinctive, instantly recognisable aesthetic
- Film photography enthusiasts who want to replicate analogue optical character digitally
- GR III owners ready to upgrade to the 40mm equivalent perspective
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 gr iiix hdf is the most affordable; only the a7r iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | GR IIIx HDF (2024) | A7R III (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £999 | £1,799 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS | 42.4MP full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 42.4MP |
| Video | 1920 × 1080 / 60fps | 4K/30p (full-frame readout), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Phase/contrast hybrid CDAF with Snap Focus | 399 phase-detect + 425 contrast AF points — real-time Eye AF |
| Stabilisation | 3-axis Shake Reduction (SR) — 4 stops | 5-axis IBIS — 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 4fps continuous | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | ~200 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 262g body only | 650g body only |
| Dimensions | 122.5 × 69.5 × 35.2mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None — rear LCD only | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed LCD touchscreen, 1.037M dots | 3.0" touchscreen, tilting |
| Mount | Fixed GR Lens 26.1mm f/2.8 (40mm equivalent) | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD/SDHC/SDXC slot | 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 | GR IIIx HDF | A7R III |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Travel | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Sports | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Wedding | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with GR IIIx HDF
Camera family history