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Ricoh GR vs Sony A7S III

Portability
90
Imaging
58
Features
54
Overall
56
Ricoh GR front
 
Sony Alpha A7S III front
Portability
61
Imaging
65
Features
92
Overall
75

Ricoh GR vs Sony A7S III Key Specs

Ricoh GR
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 28mm (F2.8) lens
  • 245g - 117 x 61 x 35mm
  • Launched April 2013
  • Newer Model is Ricoh GR II
Sony A7S III
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 80 - 102400 (Push to 409600)
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 699g - 129 x 97 x 81mm
  • Announced July 2020
  • Old Model is Sony A7S II
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Ricoh GR vs Sony A7S III Overview

Let's take a more detailed look at the Ricoh GR and Sony A7S III, one is a Large Sensor Compact and the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by manufacturers Ricoh and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap between the resolutions of the GR (16MP) and A7S III (12MP) and the GR (APS-C) and A7S III (Full frame) posses totally different sensor size.

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The GR was unveiled 8 years before the A7S III which is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Ricoh GR being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony A7S III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick summary of how the GR matches up vs the A7S III with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Ricoh GR over the Sony A7S III

 GR A7S III 

Reasons to pick Sony A7S III over the Ricoh GR

 A7S III GR 
AnnouncedJuly 2020April 2013More modern by 88 months
Screen typeFully articulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Screen resolution1440k1230kSharper screen (+210k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Common features in the Ricoh GR and Sony A7S III

 GR A7S III 
Focus manually More precise focus
Screen size3"3"Same screen size

Ricoh GR vs Sony A7S III Physical Comparison

In case you're planning to carry around your camera often, you'll need to consider its weight and measurements. The Ricoh GR provides outer dimensions of 117mm x 61mm x 35mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.4") and a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs) and the Sony A7S III has proportions of 129mm x 97mm x 81mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 699 grams (1.54 lbs).

Take a look at the Ricoh GR and Sony A7S III in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you choose at that time. Underneath is a front view sizing comparison of the GR against the A7S III.

Ricoh GR vs Sony A7S III size comparison

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the GR and A7S III is 90 and 61 respectively.

Ricoh GR vs Sony A7S III top view buttons comparison

Ricoh GR vs Sony A7S III Sensor Comparison

Quite often, its tough to visualise the gap between sensor sizes purely by going over a spec sheet. The pic here might give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the GR and A7S III.

Clearly, both the cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The GR with its tinier sensor will make achieving bokeh harder and the Ricoh GR will deliver extra detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The more aged GR is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.

Ricoh GR vs Sony A7S III sensor size comparison

Ricoh GR vs Sony A7S III Screen and ViewFinder

Ricoh GR vs Sony A7S III Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Ricoh GR as a Portrait photography camera
Sony A7S III as a Portrait photography camera
74
manual focus
high flash sync speed (1/4,000 seconds)
good MP (16 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
exports RAW files
71
manual focus
sensor size is big (Full frame)
has face detect focus
supports RAW formats
resolution not great (12 megapixels)
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Street Comparison

Ricoh GR Street photography highlights
Sony A7S III Street photography highlights
74
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
exports RAW files
lighter than average (245 grams)
great high ISO (25,600)
no moving screen
no image stabilization
76
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
supports RAW formats
offers focus via touch
environment proofing
great high ISO (102,400)
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Sports Comparison

Ricoh GR as a Sports photography camera
Sony A7S III as a Sports photography camera
45
good MP (16MP)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
fixed focal length (28mm)
slow fps (4.0 fps)
no image stabilization
doesn't have phase detect autofocus
76
great max shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
has tracking focus
environment proofing
good battery pack (600 per charge)
sensor has phase detect auto focus
resolution not great (12MP)
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Travel Comparison

Ricoh GR Travel photography advice
Sony A7S III Travel photography advice
71
lighter than average (245g)
good MP (16 megapixels)
flash built-in
doesn't offer selfie friendly display
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.8)
70
good battery pack (600 shots)
environment proofing
has bluetooth
offers focus via touch
display is selfie friendly
resolution not great (12MP)
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Ricoh GR
Landscape photography with Sony A7S III
62
manual focus
good sized screen (3 inches)
good MP (16MP)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
great high ISO (25,600)
exports RAW files
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
fixed focal length (28mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.8)
no image stabilization
77
manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Sony E mount)
good sized screen (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
great high ISO (102,400)
supports RAW formats
environment proofing
good battery pack (600 shots)
2 card slots
resolution not great (12 megapixels)
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Vlogging Comparison

Ricoh GR Vlogging info
Sony A7S III Vlogging info
30
good video quality (1920 x 1080 pxls)
lighter than average (245g)
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.8)
doesn't offer selfie friendly display
no image stabilization
no external microphone support
77
display is selfie friendly
touchscreen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
has face detect focus
video resolution high (3840 x 2160 pixels)
includes mic support
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Ricoh GR vs Sony A7S III Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Ricoh GR and Sony A7S III
 Ricoh GRSony Alpha A7S III
General Information
Manufacturer Ricoh Sony
Model type Ricoh GR Sony Alpha A7S III
Class Large Sensor Compact Pro Mirrorless
Launched 2013-04-17 2020-07-21
Physical type Large Sensor Compact SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor - Bionz XR
Sensor type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size APS-C Full frame
Sensor dimensions 23.7 x 15.7mm 35.6 x 23.8mm
Sensor surface area 372.1mm² 847.3mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixel 12 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3 and 3:2 3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution 4928 x 3264 4240 x 2832
Maximum native ISO 25600 102400
Maximum enhanced ISO - 409600
Minimum native ISO 100 80
RAW support
Minimum enhanced ISO - 50
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
Continuous AF
Single AF
AF tracking
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points - 759
Cross type focus points - -
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens Sony E
Lens zoom range 28mm (1x) -
Max aperture f/2.8 -
Available lenses - 121
Focal length multiplier 1.5 1
Screen
Type of display Fixed Type Fully articulated
Display diagonal 3" 3"
Display resolution 1,230k dots 1,440k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Display technology TFT LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Optical (optional) Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 9,440k dots
Viewfinder coverage - 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.91x
Features
Min shutter speed 300 secs 30 secs
Max shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/8000 secs
Continuous shutter rate 4.0 frames/s 10.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance 5.40 m (at ISO 100) no built-in flash
Flash settings - no built-in flash
Hot shoe
AEB
White balance bracketing
Max flash synchronize 1/4000 secs -
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30, 25, 24 fps), 1280 x 720 ( 60, 50, 30, 25, 24 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 25, 24 fps) 3840 x 2160 @ 120p / 280 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 100p / 280 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 60p / 200 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 50p / 200 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 140 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 140 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 120p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 100p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 50 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 50p / 50 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 25p / 50 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 24p / 50 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 3840x2160
Video format MPEG-4 MPEG-4, XAVC S, XAVC HS, XAVC S-1, H.264, H.265
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 245g (0.54 lbs) 699g (1.54 lbs)
Physical dimensions 117 x 61 x 35mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.4") 129 x 97 x 81mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 3.2")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating 78 85
DXO Color Depth rating 23.6 23.6
DXO Dynamic range rating 13.5 13.3
DXO Low light rating 972 2993
Other
Battery life 290 photographs 600 photographs
Style of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID DB65 NP-FZ100
Self timer Yes Yes (2 or 10 sec; continuous (3 or 5 exposures))
Time lapse feature With downloadable app
Storage type SD, SDHC, SDXC Dual SD/CFexpress Type A slots
Card slots One 2
Cost at release $971 $3,499