Ricoh GR IIIxvs A7R III
Ricoh
Ricoh GR IIIx (2021)
Starting from £999 new
Best for Street portraits & reportage
View Ricoh GR IIIx
Sony
A7R III (2017)
Starting from £1799 new
Best for Landscape, studio & commercial photography
View A7R III
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Street Portraits & Reportage — Ricoh GR IIIx (2021): APS-C in a shirt pocket with a 40mm perspective — the GR IIIx is the ideal street portrait compact for photographers who want a slightly tighter frame.
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 IIIx (2021)
- Street photographers who want the most pocketable APS-C camera available
- Ricoh GR III owners who prefer a 40mm equivalent over 28mm
- Travel photographers who want one discreet camera that fits anywhere
- Photographers who want a pocketable backup to a larger mirrorless system
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 iiix is the most affordable; only the a7r iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Ricoh GR IIIx (2021) | 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 | 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 | 262g | 650g body only |
| Dimensions | 111.2 × 61.4 × 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 40mm-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 IIIx | A7R III |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Travel | — | |
| Documentary | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Wedding | — | |
| Sports | — |
More comparisons with Ricoh GR IIIx
Camera family history