GR IIIx HDFvs Sony A9 III
Ricoh
GR IIIx HDF (2024)
Starting from £999 new
Best for Street & documentary photography with a distinctive aesthetic
View GR IIIx HDF
Sony
Sony A9 III (2023)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Sports & action professionals
View Sony A9 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.
Sports & Action Professionals — Sony A9 III (2023): A paradigm-shifting camera — the global shutter eliminates every rolling shutter limitation that has constrained action photography for years.
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
Sony A9 III (2023)
- Professional sports photographers who need zero blackout and 120fps burst
- Wildlife photographers who demand the most advanced Sony AF available
- Photojournalists who need flash sync at any shutter speed
- A9 II owners upgrading to the world's first full-frame global shutter
Quick take: The sony a9 iii has the highest resolution at 25mp; the gr iiix hdf is the most affordable; only the sony a9 iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | GR IIIx HDF (2024) | Sony A9 III (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £999 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS | 24.6MP full-frame Exmor RS CMOS (global shutter) |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 24.6MP |
| Video | 1920 × 1080 / 60fps | 4K/120p, 4K/60p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Phase/contrast hybrid CDAF with Snap Focus | AI subject recognition AF, 759-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | 3-axis Shake Reduction (SR) — 4 stops | 8-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 4fps continuous | 120fps blackout-free electronic |
| Battery Life | ~200 shots (CIPA) | 530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 262g body only | 703g body only |
| Dimensions | 122.5 × 69.5 × 35.2mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None — rear LCD only | 0.64" Quad-XGA OLED EVF, 9.44M dots |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed LCD touchscreen, 1.037M dots | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Fixed GR Lens 26.1mm f/2.8 (40mm equivalent) | Sony FE (E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD/SDHC/SDXC slot | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C 3.2, HDMI A, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | GR IIIx HDF | Sony A9 III |
|---|---|---|
| Street | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — |
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