Canon M50 Mark II vs Ricoh GR III

The Canon EOS M50 Mark II and the Ricoh GR III are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in October 2020 and February 2019. The M50 Mark II is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, while the GR III is a fixed lens compact. Both cameras are equipped with an APS-C sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 24 megapixels.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Canon M50 Mark II		Ricoh GR III
Mirrorless system camera		Fixed lens compact camera
Canon EF-M mount lenses		28mm f/2.8
24 MP – APS-C sensor		24 MP – APS-C sensor
4K/24p Video		1080/60p Video
ISO 100-25,600 (100 - 51,200)		ISO 100-102,400
Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots)		Viewfinder optional
3.0" LCD – 1040k dots		3.0" LCD – 1037k dots
Swivel touchscreen		Fixed touchscreen
10 shutter flaps per second		4 shutter flaps per second
Lens stabilization only		In-body stabilization
305 shots per battery charge		200 shots per battery charge
116 x 88 x 59 mm, 387 g		109 x 62 x 33 mm, 257 g

Check M50 Mark II offers at
ebay.com
Check GR III price at
amazon.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS M50 Mark II and the Ricoh GR III? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Canon M50 Mark II and the Ricoh GR III. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The M50 Mark II can be obtained in two different colors (black, white), while the GR III is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Ricoh GR III is considerably smaller (34 percent) than the Canon M50 Mark II. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the M50 Mark II nor the GR III are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the GR III has a lens built in, whereas the M50 Mark II is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup.

Concerning battery life, the M50 Mark II gets 305 shots out of its Canon LP-E12 battery, while the GR III can take 200 images on a single charge of its Ricoh DB-110 power pack. The power pack in the GR III can be charged via the USB port, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

Body Specifications

#		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Canon M50 Mark II	116 mm	88 mm	59 mm	387 g	305	n	Oct 2020	599	ebay.com
2.		Ricoh GR III	109 mm	62 mm	33 mm	257 g	200	n	Feb 2019	899	amazon.com
3.		Canon M200	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	299 g	315	n	Sep 2019	549	ebay.com
4.		Canon 250D	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	449 g	1070	n	Apr 2019	599	amazon.com
5.		Canon G5 X Mark II	111 mm	61 mm	46 mm	340 g	230	n	Jul 2019	899	ebay.com
6.		Canon G7 X Mark III	105 mm	61 mm	41 mm	304 g	235	n	Jul 2019	749	amazon.com
7.		Canon M6 Mark II	120 mm	70 mm	49 mm	408 g	305	n	Aug 2019	849	ebay.com
8.		Canon M50	116 mm	88 mm	59 mm	390 g	235	n	Feb 2018	779	ebay.com
9.		Canon 200D	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	453 g	650	n	Jun 2017	549	ebay.com
10.		Canon M6	112 mm	68 mm	45 mm	390 g	295	n	Feb 2017	779	ebay.com
11.		Canon M3	111 mm	68 mm	44 mm	366 g	250	n	Feb 2015	679	ebay.com
12.		Fujifilm X-T200	121 mm	84 mm	55 mm	370 g	270	n	Jan 2020	699	ebay.com
13.		Fujifilm X-A7	119 mm	68 mm	41 mm	320 g	440	n	Sep 2019	499	ebay.com
14.		Panasonic TZ200	111 mm	65 mm	45 mm	340 g	370	n	Feb 2018	799	amazon.com
15.		Ricoh GR IIIx	109 mm	62 mm	35 mm	262 g	200	n	Sep 2021	999	amazon.com
16.		Ricoh GR II	117 mm	63 mm	35 mm	251 g	320	n	Jun 2015	699	ebay.com
17.		Sony ZV-1	105 mm	60 mm	44 mm	294 g	260	n	May 2020	799	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the GR III is 11 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have format factors, respectively, of 1.6 (M50 Mark II) and 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Even though the GR III has a larger sensor, both cameras offer the same resolution of 24 megapixels. This implies that the GR III has a lower pixel density and larger individual pixels (with a pixel pitch of 3.91μm versus 3.72μm for the M50 Mark II), which gives it a potential advantage in terms of light gathering capacity. It should, however, be noted that the M50 Mark II is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year and 7 months) than the GR III, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that at least partly compensate for the smaller pixel size. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the GR III has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The Canon EOS M50 Mark II has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 100-51200. The corresponding ISO settings for the Ricoh GR III are ISO 100 to ISO 102400 (no boost).

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

#		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon M50 Mark II	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	24.0	13.6	1939	83
2.		Ricoh GR III	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	13.5	1897	83
3.		Canon M200	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4k/25p	24.0	13.5	1836	82
4.		Canon 250D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/25p	23.9	13.4	1791	82
5.		Canon G5 X Mark II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.4	583	65
6.		Canon G7 X Mark III	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.4	583	65
7.		Canon M6 Mark II	APS-C	32.3	6960	4640	4K/30p	24.0	13.5	1848	83
8.		Canon M50	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	23.8	13.3	1684	81
9.		Canon 200D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.4	1041	79
10.		Canon M6	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.4	12.6	1317	78
11.		Canon M3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.8	11.8	1169	72
12.		Fujifilm X-T200	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.1	13.6	1991	84
13.		Fujifilm X-A7	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.1	13.6	1955	84
14.		Panasonic TZ200	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.0	12.2	449	64
15.		Ricoh GR IIIx	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.2	13.8	2146	85
16.		Ricoh GR II	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/30p	23.6	13.7	1078	80
17.		Sony ZV-1	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.6	669	66
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the M50 Mark II provides a higher video resolution than the GR III. It can shoot video footage at 4K/24p, while the Ricoh is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the M50 Mark II has an electronic viewfinder (2360k dots), which can be very helpful when shooting in bright sunlight. In contrast, the GR III relies on live view and the rear LCD for framing. That said, the GR III can be equipped with an optional viewfinder – the GV-1. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Canon M50 Mark II and Ricoh GR III in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

#		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Canon M50 Mark II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
2.		Ricoh GR III	optional	n	3.0 / 1037	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.0/s	n	Y
3.		Canon M200	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.1/s	Y	n
4.		Canon 250D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
5.		Canon G5 X Mark II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	30/s	Y	Y
6.		Canon G7 X Mark III	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	30/s	Y	Y
7.		Canon M6 Mark II	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	14.0/s	Y	n
8.		Canon M50	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
9.		Canon 200D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
10.		Canon M6	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	n
11.		Canon M3	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	4.2/s	Y	n
12.		Fujifilm X-T200	2360	n	3.5 / 2780	swivel	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	n
13.		Fujifilm X-A7	none	n	3.5 / 2760	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
14.		Panasonic TZ200	2330	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
15.		Ricoh GR IIIx	optional	n	3.0 / 1037	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.0/s	n	Y
16.		Ricoh GR II	optional	n	3.0 / 1230	fixed	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
17.		Sony ZV-1	none	n	3.0 / 922	swivel	Y	1/2000s	24.0/s	n	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The M50 Mark II has one, while the GR III does not. While the built-in flash of the M50 Mark II is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the M50 Mark II is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Canon M50 Mark II and the Ricoh GR III both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the M50 Mark II and the GR III write their files to SDXC cards. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS M50 Mark II and Ricoh GR III and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

#		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Canon M50 Mark II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
2.		Ricoh GR III	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	3.0	Y	-	Y
3.		Canon M200	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
4.		Canon 250D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
5.		Canon G5 X Mark II	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
6.		Canon G7 X Mark III	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
7.		Canon M6 Mark II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
8.		Canon M50	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
9.		Canon 200D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
10.		Canon M6	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
11.		Canon M3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
12.		Fujifilm X-T200	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
13.		Fujifilm X-A7	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
14.		Panasonic TZ200	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
15.		Ricoh GR IIIx	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	3.0	Y	-	Y
16.		Ricoh GR II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
17.		Sony ZV-1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y

It is notable that the M50 Mark II has a microphone port, which is missing on the GR III. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

The GR III is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Ricoh. In contrast, the M50 Mark II has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). There has not been a direct replacement model for the M50 Mark II from Canon. Further information on the features and operation of the M50 Mark II and GR III can be found, respectively, in the Canon M50 Mark II Manual (free pdf) or the online Ricoh GR III Manual.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Which of the two cameras – the Canon M50 Mark II or the Ricoh GR III – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Advantages of the Canon EOS M50 Mark II:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/24p vs 1080/60p).
• Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
• Easier framing: Has an electronic viewfinder for image composition and settings control.
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (10 vs 4 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• More flexible: Accepts interchangeable lenses, so that lens characteristics can be altered.
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (305 versus 200) on a single battery charge.
• Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
• More modern: Is somewhat more recent (announced 1 year and 7 months after the GR III).

Reasons to prefer the Ricoh GR III:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• Ready to shoot: Has an integrated lens, whereas the M50 Mark II necessitates an extra lens.
• More compact: Is smaller (109x62mm vs 116x88mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight even though it has a lens built in (unlike the M50 Mark II).
• Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• Faster data transfer: Supports a more advanced USB protocol (3.0 vs 2.0).
• More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in February 2019).

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the M50 Mark II is the clear winner of the match-up (12 : 8 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Canon M50 Mark II and the Ricoh GR III place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera and Best Prime Lens Compact Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the M50 Mark II and the GR III in practical situations. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews

This is where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

#		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Canon M50 Mark II	4/5	..	4/5	..	4.5/5	3.5/5	Oct 2020	599	ebay.com
2.		Ricoh GR III	4/5	..	3.5/5	81/100	4/5	..	Feb 2019	899	amazon.com
3.		Canon M200	..	+	3/5	79/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2019	549	ebay.com
4.		Canon 250D	4/5	o	4.5/5	79/100	4/5	4/5	Apr 2019	599	amazon.com
5.		Canon G5 X Mark II	4/5	+	4/5	82/100	..	4/5	Jul 2019	899	ebay.com
6.		Canon G7 X Mark III	..	+ +	4/5	81/100	4/5	..	Jul 2019	749	amazon.com
7.		Canon M6 Mark II	..	+	4.5/5	85/100	4/5	4/5	Aug 2019	849	ebay.com
8.		Canon M50	..	+	4/5	79/100	..	3.5/5	Feb 2018	779	ebay.com
9.		Canon 200D	4/5	+ +	4/5	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2017	549	ebay.com
10.		Canon M6	..	..	..	80/100	4/5	4/5	Feb 2017	779	ebay.com
11.		Canon M3	4/5	o	..	75/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2015	679	ebay.com
12.		Fujifilm X-T200	3.5/5	..	4/5	82/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jan 2020	699	ebay.com
13.		Fujifilm X-A7	3/5	..	3.5/5	81/100	4/5	3.5/5	Sep 2019	499	ebay.com
14.		Panasonic TZ200	..	+ +	4.5/5	81/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2018	799	amazon.com
15.		Ricoh GR IIIx	..	..	4.5/5	..	..	..	Sep 2021	999	amazon.com
16.		Ricoh GR II	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2015	699	ebay.com
17.		Sony ZV-1	4/5	+	4/5	85/100	4/5	4.5/5	May 2020	799	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Check M50 Mark II offers at
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Check GR III price at
amazon.com

Other camera comparisons

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