Ricoh GR IIIx vs Samsung NX500

The Ricoh GR IIIx and the Samsung NX500 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in September 2021 and February 2015. The GR IIIx is a fixed lens compact, while the NX500 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. Both cameras are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The Ricoh has a resolution of 24 megapixels, whereas the Samsung provides 28 MP.

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

Headline Specifications

Ricoh GR IIIx		Samsung NX500
Fixed lens compact camera		Mirrorless system camera
40mm f/2.8		Samsung NX mount lenses
24 MP – APS-C sensor		28 MP – APS-C sensor
1080/60p Video		4K/30p Video
ISO 100-102,400		ISO 100-25,600 (100 - 51,200)
Viewfinder optional		No viewfinder, LCD framing
3.0" LCD – 1037k dots		3.0" LCD – 1036k dots
Fixed touchscreen		Tilting touchscreen
4 shutter flaps per second		9 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization		Lens stabilization only
200 shots per battery charge		370 shots per battery charge
109 x 62 x 35 mm, 262 g		120 x 64 x 43 mm, 287 g

Check GR IIIx price at
amazon.com
Check NX500 offers at
ebay.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Ricoh GR IIIx and the Samsung NX500? 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 physical size and weight of the Ricoh GR IIIx and the Samsung NX500 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Samsung NX500 is notably larger (14 percent) than the Ricoh GR IIIx. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the GR IIIx nor the NX500 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the GR IIIx has a lens built in, whereas the NX500 is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup.

The battery packs of both cameras can be charged via USB, 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	Street Price
1.		Ricoh GR IIIx	109 mm	62 mm	35 mm	262 g	200	n	Sep 2021	US$ 999	amazon.com
2.		Samsung NX500	120 mm	64 mm	43 mm	287 g	370	n	Feb 2015	US$ 799	ebay.com
3.		Fujifilm X-E4	121 mm	73 mm	33 mm	364 g	380	n	Jan 2021	US$ 849	amazon.com
4.		Fujifilm X-S10	126 mm	85 mm	65 mm	465 g	325	n	Oct 2020	US$ 999	amazon.com
5.		Fujifilm XF10	113 mm	64 mm	41 mm	279 g	330	n	Jul 2018	US$ 499	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D5500	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	470 g	820	n	Jan 2015	US$ 899	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D5600	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	465 g	970	n	Nov 2016	US$ 699	ebay.com
8.		Nikon Z fc	135 mm	94 mm	44 mm	445 g	300	n	Jun 2021	US$ 959	amazon.com
9.		Ricoh GR II	117 mm	63 mm	35 mm	251 g	320	n	Jun 2015	US$ 699	ebay.com
10.		Ricoh GR III	109 mm	62 mm	33 mm	257 g	200	n	Feb 2019	US$ 899	amazon.com
11.		Sony A5100	110 mm	63 mm	36 mm	283 g	400	n	Aug 2014	US$ 549	ebay.com
12.		Sony A6000	120 mm	67 mm	45 mm	344 g	360	n	Feb 2014	US$ 599	ebay.com
13.		Sony RX100 V	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	299 g	220	n	Oct 2016	US$ 999	ebay.com
14.		Sony RX100 VI	102 mm	58 mm	43 mm	301 g	240	n	Jun 2018	US$ 1 199	ebay.com
15.		Sony RX100 VII	102 mm	58 mm	43 mm	302 g	260	n	Jul 2019	US$ 1 199	amazon.com
16.		Sony ZV-1	105 mm	60 mm	44 mm	294 g	260	n	May 2020	US$ 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 listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. 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. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

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. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its 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 NX500 is 1 percent bigger. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

With 28MP, the NX500 offers a higher resolution than the GR IIIx (24MP), but the NX500 has smaller individual pixels (pixel pitch of 3.63μm versus 3.91μm for the GR IIIx). Yet, the GR IIIx is a much more recent model (by 6 years and 7 months) than the NX500, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that neither of the two cameras has an anti-alias filter installed, so they are able to capture all the detail the sensor resolves.

The resolution advantage of the Samsung NX500 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the NX500 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 32.4 x 21.6 inches or 82.3 x 54.9 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 25.9 x 17.3 inches or 65.8 x 43.9 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 21.6 x 14.4 inches or 54.9 x 36.6 cm. The corresponding values for the Ricoh GR IIIx are 30 x 20 inches or 76.2 x 50.8 cm for good quality, 24 x 16 inches or 61 x 40.6 cm for very good quality, and 20 x 13.3 inches or 50.8 x 33.9 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Ricoh GR IIIx has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 102400. The corresponding ISO settings for the Samsung NX500 are ISO 100 to ISO 25600, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-51200.

In terms of underlying technology, the GR IIIx is build around a CMOS sensor, while the NX500 uses a BSI-CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Ricoh GR IIIx	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.2	13.8	2146	85
2.		Samsung NX500	APS-C	28.0	6480	4320	4K/30p	24.8	13.9	1379	87
3.		Fujifilm X-E4	APS-C	26.0	6240	4160	4K/30p	24.2	13.7	2085	85
4.		Fujifilm X-S10	APS-C	26.0	6240	4160	4K/30p	24.2	13.7	2057	85
5.		Fujifilm XF10	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/15p	24.0	13.4	1844	83
6.		Nikon D5500	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	14.0	1438	84
7.		Nikon D5600	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	14.0	1306	84
8.		Nikon Z fc	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.2	13.8	2131	85
9.		Ricoh GR II	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/30p	23.6	13.7	1078	80
10.		Ricoh GR III	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	13.5	1897	83
11.		Sony A5100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.8	12.7	1347	80
12.		Sony A6000	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	13.1	1347	82
13.		Sony RX100 V	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.8	12.4	586	70
14.		Sony RX100 VI	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.1	12.3	478	64
15.		Sony RX100 VII	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	21.8	12.4	418	63
16.		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 can also record movies. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the NX500 provides a better video resolution than the GR IIIx. It can shoot movie footage at 4K/30p, while the Ricoh is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The GR IIIx and the NX500 are similar in the sense that neither of the two has a viewfinder. The images are, thus, framed using live view on the rear LCD. That said, the GR IIIx can be equipped with an optional viewfinder – the GV-3. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Ricoh GR IIIx, the Samsung NX500, and comparable 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.		Ricoh GR IIIx	optional	n	3.0 / 1037	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.0/s	n	Y
2.		Samsung NX500	none	n	3.0 / 1036	tilting	Y	1/6000s	9.0/s	Y	n
3.		Fujifilm X-E4	2360	n	3.0 / 1620	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	n	n
4.		Fujifilm X-S10	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
5.		Fujifilm XF10	none	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
6.		Nikon D5500	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
7.		Nikon D5600	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
8.		Nikon Z fc	2360	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	n
9.		Ricoh GR II	optional	n	3.0 / 1230	fixed	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
10.		Ricoh GR III	optional	n	3.0 / 1037	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.0/s	n	Y
11.		Sony A5100	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
12.		Sony A6000	1440	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
13.		Sony RX100 V	2359	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/2000s	24.0/s	Y	Y
14.		Sony RX100 VI	2359	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	Y	1/2000s	24.0/s	Y	Y
15.		Sony RX100 VII	2359	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	Y	1/2000s	90.0/s	Y	Y
16.		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 NX500 has one, while the GR IIIx does not. While the built-in flash of the NX500 is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

The Ricoh GR IIIx and the Samsung NX500 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 GR IIIx and the NX500 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 Ricoh GR IIIx and Samsung NX500 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.		Ricoh GR IIIx	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	3.0	Y	-	Y
2.		Samsung NX500	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
3.		Fujifilm X-E4	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
4.		Fujifilm X-S10	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
5.		Fujifilm XF10	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
6.		Nikon D5500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
7.		Nikon D5600	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
8.		Nikon Z fc	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
9.		Ricoh GR II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Ricoh GR III	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	3.0	Y	-	Y
11.		Sony A5100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
12.		Sony A6000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
13.		Sony RX100 V	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
14.		Sony RX100 VI	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
15.		Sony RX100 VII	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
16.		Sony ZV-1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y

The GR IIIx is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Ricoh. In contrast, the NX500 has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). There has not been a direct replacement model for the NX500 from Samsung. Further information on the features and operation of the GR IIIx and NX500 can be found, respectively, in the Ricoh GR IIIx Manual (free pdf) or the online Samsung NX500 Manual.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Is there a clear favorite between the Ricoh GR IIIx and the Samsung NX500? Which camera is better? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Reasons to prefer the Ricoh GR IIIx:

• More framing options: Can be equipped with a hotshoe-mounted accessory-viewfinder.
• Ready to shoot: Has a lens built-in, whereas the NX500 requires a separate lens.
• More compact: Is smaller (109x62mm vs 120x64mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter even though it comes with a built-in lens (unlike the NX500).
• Sharper images: Has hand-shake reducing image stabilization built-in.
• Faster data transfer: Supports a more advanced USB protocol (3.0 vs 2.0).
• More modern: Reflects 6 years and 7 months of technical progress since the NX500 launch.

Arguments in favor of the Samsung NX500:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (28 vs 24MP), which boosts linear resolution by 8%.
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/30p vs 1080/60p).
• More flexible LCD: Has a tilting screen for odd-angle shots in landscape orientation.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/6000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (9 vs 4 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• More flexible: Takes interchangeable lenses and can thus be used with specialty optics.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (370 versus 200) out of a single battery charge.
• Easier fill-in: Has a small integrated flash to brighten shadows of backlit subjects.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in February 2015).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the NX500 is the clear winner of the contest (11 : 7 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. 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 Ricoh GR IIIx and the Samsung NX500 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Prime Lens Compact Camera and Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens 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 remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the GR IIIx or the NX500. 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	Street Price
1.		Ricoh GR IIIx	..	..	4.5/5	..	..	..	Sep 2021	US$ 999	amazon.com
2.		Samsung NX500	4.5/5	..	..	81/100	5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	US$ 799	ebay.com
3.		Fujifilm X-E4	4/5	..	4/5	..	4.5/5	4/5	Jan 2021	US$ 849	amazon.com
4.		Fujifilm X-S10	5/5	..	4.5/5	86/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2020	US$ 999	amazon.com
5.		Fujifilm XF10	..	..	4/5	75/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jul 2018	US$ 499	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D5500	5/5	+	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2015	US$ 899	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D5600	4/5	..	4/5	79/100	4.5/5	4/5	Nov 2016	US$ 699	ebay.com
8.		Nikon Z fc	4/5	..	4.5/5	86/100	5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2021	US$ 959	amazon.com
9.		Ricoh GR II	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2015	US$ 699	ebay.com
10.		Ricoh GR III	4/5	..	3.5/5	81/100	4/5	..	Feb 2019	US$ 899	amazon.com
11.		Sony A5100	4.5/5	+	..	..	4.5/5	5/5	Aug 2014	US$ 549	ebay.com
12.		Sony A6000	5/5	+	4.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	US$ 599	ebay.com
13.		Sony RX100 V	4.5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4/5	4.5/5	Oct 2016	US$ 999	ebay.com
14.		Sony RX100 VI	4.5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2018	US$ 1 199	ebay.com
15.		Sony RX100 VII	4.5/5	..	4/5	..	4/5	5/5	Jul 2019	US$ 1 199	amazon.com
16.		Sony ZV-1	4/5	+	4/5	85/100	4/5	4.5/5	May 2020	US$ 799	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Check GR IIIx price at
amazon.com
Check NX500 offers at
ebay.com

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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