GR IIIx HDFvs A9
Ricoh
GR IIIx HDF (2024)
Starting from £999 new
Best for Street & documentary photography with a distinctive aesthetic
View GR IIIx HDF
Sony
A9 (2017)
Starting from £1999 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & action photography
View A9
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.
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.
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
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 gr iiix hdf is the most affordable; only the a9 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | GR IIIx HDF (2024) | A9 (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £999 | £1,999 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 1920 × 1080 / 60fps | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Phase/contrast hybrid CDAF with Snap Focus | 693 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking |
| Stabilisation | 3-axis Shake Reduction (SR) — 4 stops | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 4fps continuous | 20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE) |
| Battery Life | ~200 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 262g body only | 673g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 122.5 × 69.5 × 35.2mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 63.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None — rear LCD only | EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification, 60fps refresh (blackout-free) |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed LCD touchscreen, 1.037M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Fixed GR Lens 26.1mm f/2.8 (40mm equivalent) | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD/SDHC/SDXC slot | Dual SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | GR IIIx HDF | A9 |
|---|---|---|
| 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