Ricoh GR III vs Samsung MV800: A Deep Dive into Two Compact Worlds

Choosing a compact camera can be a surprisingly complex decision, especially when models come from different eras and design philosophies. Today, we’re putting the Ricoh GR III, a 2018 large sensor compact, side-by-side with the 2011 Samsung MV800, a small sensor pocket shooter. Both cameras appeal to photographers seeking convenience without the bulk of DSLRs or mirrorless setups, yet they serve very different creative intents and technical demands.

Drawing from years of camera testing and thousands of shooting hours across lighting, subject matter, and technical conditions, I’ll help you navigate their key differences and real-world performance. Whether your focus is street photography, travel, or casual everyday shooting, we’ll uncover which camera fits your needs best.

How They Feel In Your Hands: Build, Size & Ergonomics

When evaluating cameras, physical handling is as crucial as specs on paper. The tactile experience influences how instinctive and enjoyable your shooting sessions will be.

• Ricoh GR III: Compact yet robust, the GR III measures 109x62x33 mm and weighs 257 g. Its slightly larger body hosts a textured grip that fits well for steady handling - ideal for street and travel shooters needing reliability on the move. Controls are thoughtfully placed for quick access.
• Samsung MV800: At 92x56x10 mm and only 121 g, the MV800 is ultra-portable, slipping easily into a jacket pocket or purse. The slim profile means easy carry but - with a flatter body - you’ll want to be mindful about grip stability during longer sessions.

Ergonomic takeaway:

• If you prioritize pocketability and ultra-lightweight gear, MV800 excels.
• For a balance of size with professional-style ergonomics and control, GR III is more satisfying.

Top Control Layout: Navigating Shooting Modes and Menus

User interface and physical control design affect how quickly you can adapt to shooting scenarios.

• Ricoh GR III: Features physical dials for aperture, shutter speed, and exposure compensation, appealing to enthusiasts who desire precision and manual control on the fly. The touchscreen LCD complements these controls, allowing smooth menu navigation and setting adjustments.
• Samsung MV800: Minimal physical buttons; relies heavily on touchscreen navigation. Control is intuitive for casual shooters but lacks dedicated manual controls for more advanced exposure adjustments.

What this means for you:

• GR III suits photographers who want fast manual adjustments without diving into menus.
• MV800 fits beginners or those wanting straightforward point-and-shoot simplicity.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: The Heart of the Camera

Now, the crux of image quality - sensor size, resolution, and sensor type define your photos’ potential detail, low light performance, and dynamic range.

Technical insight: The GR III’s APS-C sensor offers significantly greater surface area (~13x bigger), allowing larger photodiodes that gather more light. This translates into:

• Superior low light capability with cleaner high ISO images
• Outstanding dynamic range preserving highlight and shadow details
• Higher resolution enabling cropping and large prints without losing quality
• RAW format support for extensive post-processing flexibility

The MV800’s smaller 1/2.3" CCD sensor is typical of compact cameras from its era. While its 16 MP resolution is decent for prints and social media, noise increases markedly at higher ISOs, and dynamic range suffers compared to APS-C. The presence of an anti-aliasing filter slightly softens fine details to prevent moiré but impacts ultimate sharpness.

LCD Screen and Viewfinding: Composing Your Shots

The ability to frame subjects comfortably and preview images affects your overall shooting experience.

• GR III: Equipped with a fixed 3-inch touchscreen LCD with approx. 1.03M dots - detailed and responsive. It lacks a built-in viewfinder but supports an optional optical accessory.
• MV800: Has a 3-inch tilting touchscreen panel, albeit at a lower resolution (~460k dots). The tilt improves composing at awkward angles. It features no viewfinder.

Summary:

• GR III’s high-res fixed screen is great for sharp image preview and menu operation.
• MV800’s tilt-screen is a bonus for selfies or low-angle shots but falls short in clarity.

Autofocus Systems: Speed, Accuracy, and Tracking

Autofocus is vital across many photography genres - from capturing fleeting moments to precise macro focus.

The GR III’s hybrid AF system delivers faster lock times and improved tracking for moving subjects, which is essential for street and casual sports shots. The MV800’s contrast-detection AF is slower, with occasional focus hunting, particularly in low light.

Lenses: Fixed vs Zoom and What You Can Expect

Lens versatility shapes your creative possibilities.

• Ricoh GR III: Fixed 28mm equivalent lens (fixed focal length), bright f/2.8 aperture, and close focusing to 6 cm - excellent for sharp street, travel, and environmental portrait work. The prime lens ensures superb optical quality with minimal distortion.
• Samsung MV800: 26-130mm (5x zoom) lens with aperture ranging f/3.3–5.9. Provides greater framing flexibility but with a narrower aperture, limiting low light and depth-of-field control.

What this means to you:

• GR III’s prime lens encourages deliberate compositions and offers a natural, wide-angle perspective.
• MV800’s zoom allows quick framing adjustments but sacrifices brightness and potentially image quality.

Shutter Speeds and Exposure Modes

• Ricoh GR III supports shutter speeds from 30 seconds to 1/4000 sec and offers aperture priority, shutter priority, and full manual modes.
• Samsung MV800 has a more limited shutter speed range of 8 sec to 1/2000 sec, with more automated exposure control, lacking advanced manual modes.

This flexibility in the GR III benefits creative photographers who want full exposure control. The MV800 is better for casual users preferring automation.

Stabilization: Keeping Images Sharp when Handholding

Lens or sensor-shift stabilization helps reduce blur at slower shutter speeds.

• Ricoh GR III features built-in sensor-shift image stabilization.
• Samsung MV800 integrates optical image stabilization within its lens.

Both systems assist handheld shooting, but sensor-shift (GR III) tends to perform better with wider focal lengths and for video.

Video Capabilities: Recording Quality and Features

Videographers will notice clear differences:

The GR III supports full HD at a smoother 60 frames per second, offering sharper, more professional footage options. MV800 is limited to HD 720p max, suitable for casual videos only.

Battery Life and Storage Options

Neither camera specifies official battery life ratings. However:

• Ricoh GR III uses a relatively small battery with around 200-230 shots per charge, depending on usage. It relies on a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.
• Samsung MV800 uses a BP70 battery typically delivering ~250 shots. It uses microSD cards, which are smaller and more portable but potentially slower and less robust.

Connectivity: Wireless and Wired Features

Connectivity can enhance workflow dramatically.

• Ricoh GR III boasts built-in Wi-Fi for easy image transfer and remote control via smartphone apps, plus USB connectivity.
• Samsung MV800 lacks wireless features; it offers HDMI output and USB 2.0 for file transfer.

If instant sharing or remote DSLR-style control is important, GR III is advantageous.

Durability, Weather Resistance & Build Quality

Neither camera offers weather sealing or ruggedized build suitable for harsh environments. The GR III's magnesium alloy body feels sturdier, whereas the MV800’s plastic shell is lighter but less durable.

Practical Shooting Scenarios and Photography Genres

Understanding how each camera performs in different photography disciplines provides actionable insight.

Portrait Photography

• Ricoh GR III: The APS-C sensor and prime 28mm (approx. 43mm full-frame equivalent) deliver sharp images and pleasing skin tone rendition. The F2.8 aperture enables nice background separation, though the wide-ish angle may require careful composition for flattering portraits. The hybrid AF with face detection also assists in locking sharp eyes.
• Samsung MV800: Smaller sensor limits bokeh effect; aperture maxes out at f/3.3, so backgrounds remain busier and less creamy. AF face detection helps but less reliable than GR III.

Winner for portraiture: Ricoh GR III gives professionals and enthusiasts better control and image quality.

Landscape Photography

• Ricoh GR III’s 24MP APS-C sensor captures tremendous detail, ideal for expansive landscapes. Lack of weather sealing is a weakness, but the camera’s compactness aids portability. Sensor-shift stabilization helps when shooting handheld.
• Samsung MV800’s smaller sensor struggles to capture dynamic range and color depth required for serious landscape shots. The 5x zoom lens can offer some compositional flexibility but aperture limitations hinder low light landscape work.

Wildlife & Sports Photography

• Ricoh GR III’s hybrid autofocus and faster shutter speed cap at 1/4000 sec provide better chances of freezing action. However, fixed wide lens limits reach. Burst mode is modest.
• Samsung MV800’s variable zoom extends reach, but slower contrast AF and 1/2000 sec max shutter limit fast action capture. Continuous shooting lacks sophistication.

For wildlife and fast action, neither camera is ideal, but the Ricoh’s AF system and shutter speed edge it out.

Street Photography

This genre highly values discretion, speed, and portability.

• The Ricoh GR III is a standout here, designed with street shooters in mind - quiet operation, fast AF, excellent image quality, and compact body.
• The MV800 is smaller and lighter, but slower autofocus and weaker low-light performance hamper urban candid shots.

Macro Photography

• The GR III allows focusing as close as 6 cm, excellent for detailed close-ups with high resolution.
• MV800 does not have a defined macro mode or close focus specification.

Night and Astro Photography

• GR III’s high ISO capabilities and long exposures (up to 30 seconds) enable astrophotography and dimly lit scenes.
• The MV800 maxes out at ISO 3200, struggles with noise, and max shutter of 8 seconds limits long-exposure options.

Video Use

Both cameras are limited for modern video, but the Ricoh GR III offers better full HD quality, double the frame rate, and clearer output.

Travel Photography

• The Ricoh GR III hits a sweet spot: Imagining a professional traveling strapped only with a powerful compact prime contributes to effortless exploration.
• The MV800 appeals to casual travelers wanting lightweight gear with some zoom capability.

Professional Usage

For professional workflows:

• The Ricoh GR III’s RAW support, manual controls, and superior sensor align more with professional standards.
• The MV800 remains a compact snapshot camera, suitable as a secondary or backup camera at best.

Image Samples: What to Expect in the Field

Ricoh GR III front Ricoh GR III screen back Samsung MV800 screen back

The Ricoh GR III yields images with rich details, vibrant yet natural colors, and excellent control over depth of field. Samsung MV800 photos look softer with less detail, favoring convenience over quality.

Overall Camera Performance Ratings

This chart summarizes the scores we assigned following standards from ISO noise analysis, dynamic range tests, to autofocus speed and image sharpness.

Photography Genre-Specific Scores

The Ricoh GR III consistently ranks higher in demanding genres such as street, landscape, and portrait compared to the MV800, which scores better purely for travel convenience.

Price and Value Analysis

• Ricoh GR III typically retails between $900-$950, reflecting its advanced large sensor compact category.
• Samsung MV800 is found around $499, aimed at budget-conscious consumers wanting simple functionality.

While pricier, the GR III represents very strong value for those seeking image quality and control. The MV800 appeals to casual shooters prioritizing portability and zoom versatility.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Getting Hands-On and Further Exploration

You can’t replace the tactile feel and personal preference, so check out these cameras in-store if possible. Handling them will highlight how their control layouts and sizes suit your style. Also consider pairing each with appropriate accessories - like dedicated cases for the GR III or extra storage for the MV800.

Summary

While both cameras serve the compact niche, the Ricoh GR III is a powerhouse for image quality and control, designed to satisfy demanding photographers. The Samsung MV800 offers an accessible, easy-to-use zoom camera for casual users wanting a lightweight travel companion.

Your choice depends on what you value most - stunning image quality and creative control or simplicity and pocket-friendly zoom versatility. Either way, these cameras mark important milestones in compact camera evolution and cater to diverse photographic journeys.

Feel free to explore more reviews and sample photos to deepen your understanding. Happy shooting!