Ricoh GR Digital III vs Sony NEX-7

Here, we will be reviewing the Ricoh GR Digital III vs Sony NEX-7, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by rivals Ricoh and Sony. There exists a considerable gap among the image resolutions of the GR Digital III (10MP) and NEX-7 (24MP) and the GR Digital III (1/1.7") and NEX-7 (APS-C) boast different sensor dimensions.

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The GR Digital III was announced 3 years prior to the NEX-7 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Ricoh GR Digital III being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight to a complete comparison, here is a quick view of how the GR Digital III grades against the NEX-7 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Ricoh GR Digital III & Sony Alpha NEX-7. The whole galleries are viewable at Ricoh GR Digital III Gallery & Sony NEX-7 Gallery.

For those who are planning to travel with your camera often, you should think about its weight and volume. The Ricoh GR Digital III features outside measurements of 109mm x 59mm x 26mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0") having a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs) and the Sony NEX-7 has sizing of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 400 grams (0.88 lbs).

Take a look at the Ricoh GR Digital III vs Sony NEX-7 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you choose at that moment. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the GR Digital III compared to the NEX-7.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the GR Digital III and NEX-7 is 92 and 84 respectively.

Normally, it's tough to picture the gap in sensor dimensions simply by looking through a spec sheet. The picture below will help give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the GR Digital III and NEX-7.

As you can see, the 2 cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The GR Digital III having a smaller sensor is going to make achieving bokeh tougher and the Sony NEX-7 will result in greater detail with its extra 14 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The more aged GR Digital III will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.