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Leica C-Lux vs Ricoh GR III Comparison

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Leica C-Lux

20 MP | 1 CMOS Sensor

Leica C-Lux
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Ricoh GR III

24 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

Ricoh GR III
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Leica C-Lux vs Ricoh GR III Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing C-Lux and GR III, two Compact cameras from Leica and Ricoh. Leica C-Lux is a Large sensor compact class camera and Ricoh GR III is a Large Sensor Compact class camera.

Leica C-Lux was introduced to market in June 2018 and Ricoh GR III was launched in September 2018. There is only 4 months difference between C-Lux and GR III so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Leica C-Lux and Ricoh GR III before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Leica C-Lux Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2018-06-10
  • 20MP - CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 125 - 12800 ( expands to 80 - 25600)
  • 24-360 mm F3.3-6.4 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 2330k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 10.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 340g. 113 x 67 x 46 mm

Ricoh GR III Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2018-09-25
  • 24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 102400
  • 28 mm f2.80 Prime Lens
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 257g. 109 x 62 x 33 mm
  • Replaced Ricoh GR III Compare

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Leica C-Lux and Ricoh GR III compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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Reasons to choose Leica C-Lux over Ricoh GR III
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Viewfinder
Electronic vs Optical (Optional) Better framing and control
LCD Screen Resolution
1.240k dots vs 1.037k dots 19% higher resolution screen
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Focal Length - Wide
24mm vs 28mm 4 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele
360mm vs 28mm 332 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
15x vs more flexible focal coverage
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
CHECK C-Lux PRICE


Reasons to choose Ricoh GR III over Leica C-Lux
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Max Sensor Resolution
24 MP vs 20 MP 19% more pixels
Max ISO
102.400 vs 12.800 700% higher Max ISO
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Weight
257 g vs 340 g 83 g lighter
Max Aperture - Wide
2.80 vs 3.30 faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele
2.80 vs 6.40 faster lens at tele
Sensor Pixel Area
15.28µm2 vs 5.82µm2 162% larger pixel area
Built-in ND Filter
2.0-stops vs No Use larger aperture under strong light
UHS Card Support
UHS-I vs none Read/Write in High Speeds
CHECK GR III PRICE

Common Strengths of Leica C-Lux and Ricoh GR III
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Image Stabilization
Optical vs Sensor-shift Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Touch Screen
Yes vs Yes Easy control of camera functions
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution
20 MP vs 24 MP Bigger prints and more details
Manual Focusing
Yes vs Yes both have manual focusing modes
Manual Exposure
Yes vs Yes better exposure control
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Common Weaknesses of Leica C-Lux and Ricoh GR III
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No No flexible viewing angles
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Leica C-Lux vs Ricoh GR III: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Leica C-Lux and Ricoh GR III side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Leica C-Lux has external dimensions of 113 x 67 x 46 mm (4.45 x 2.64 x 1.81″) and weighs 340 g (0.75 lb / 11.99 oz) (including batteries). Ricoh GR III has external dimensions of 109 x 62 x 33 mm (4.29 x 2.44 x 1.3″) and weighs 257 g (0.57 lb / 9.07 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Leica C-Lux and Ricoh GR III. Ricoh GR III is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 4mm narrower, 5mm shorter and 13mm thinner than Leica C-Lux.

Leica C-Lux vs Ricoh GR III Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Leica C-Lux and Ricoh GR III Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Leica C-Lux and Ricoh GR III.

Leica C-Lux vs Ricoh GR III Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Leica C-Lux and Ricoh GR III Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Leica C-Lux and Ricoh GR III.
Leica C-Lux vs Ricoh GR III Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Leica C-Lux and Ricoh GR III Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Ricoh GR III is significantly lighter (83g ) than the Leica C-Lux which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

C-Lux
GR III
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

C-Lux
GR III
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Leica C-Lux nor Ricoh GR III provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Leica C-Lux and Ricoh GR III's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.
Leica C-Lux vs Ricoh GR III: Sensor Comparison

Leica C-Lux has a 20.0MP (1 ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Ricoh GR III has a 24.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

One other difference between these two cameras that is worth mentioning is that Ricoh GR III's sensor doesn't have an anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the C-Lux and GR III sensor size comparison.

Leica C-Lux vs Ricoh GR III Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Leica C-Lux and Ricoh GR III Cameras


As seen above, Ricoh GR III has a 0.0x Larger sensor area than Leica C-Lux. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

Leica C-Lux vs Ricoh GR III Lens Specs Comparison

Leica C-Lux features a 24-360 mm F3.3-6.4 15x zoom lens whereas Ricoh GR III features a 28 mm F2.8 Prime lens.

It is not easy to compare a prime lens with a zoom lens. Leica C-Lux's zoom lens provides a great flexibility compared to Ricoh GR III's 28mm fixed focal length lens. On the other hand, GR III's prime lens makes it a specialized camera. You compromise the flexibility of a zoom in order to enjoy the high image quality and unique rendering of this fast lens. On the tele end, Leica C-Lux has 332mm longer reach than the Ricoh GR III. However, with a max aperture of f2.80, Ricoh GR III is faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

C-Lux
GR III
Widest - Canon G1 X II
Average
Telezoom

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

C-Lux
GR III
Longest - Panasonic ZS200
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

C-Lux
GR III
Fastest - Leica X (Typ 113)
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

C-Lux
GR III
Fastest - Panasonic LX10
Average
What types of Photography are Leica C-Lux and Ricoh GR III Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Leica C-Lux and Ricoh GR III for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Leica C-Lux for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Ricoh GR III for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Small 1 sensor
No External Flash Shoe
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Optional External Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Leica C-Lux for Street Photography

GOOD

Ricoh GR III for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1 sensor
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Optional External Viewfinder
Read the details

Leica C-Lux for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Ricoh GR III for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
49 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
360 mm Tele Lens
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No External Flash Shoe
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Slow Lens at Tele: f6.40
Read the details
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
Wireless Connection
Optional External Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
28 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Leica C-Lux for Daily Photography

GOOD

Ricoh GR III for Daily Photography

GOOD
RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
15.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1 sensor
340g
Body Thickness 46mm
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
257g
Read the details

Leica C-Lux for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Ricoh GR III for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1 sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Leica C-Lux vs Ricoh GR III: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Leica C-Lux and Ricoh GR III, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Leica C-Lux and Ricoh GR III scores compare:

Leica C-Lux
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #22 out of 61 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked #225 out of 1243 in all Cameras
Ricoh GR III
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #38 out of 61 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked #344 out of 1243 in all Cameras

Leica C-Lux is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Ricoh GR III in all criteria except one: Portability. But the size difference between these cameras are negligible in real world so it is not a big disadvantage for Leica C-Lux.

Leica C-Lux
Leica C-Lux
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Ricoh GR III
Ricoh GR III
CHECK PRICE

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Ricoh GR III vs Leica C-Lux Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Leica C-Lux Ricoh GR III
Brand Leica Ricoh
Announced 2018-06-10 2018-09-25
Body Type Large sensor compact Large sensor compact
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size APS-C
Dimensions 1 23.5 x 15.6 mm
Area 0.00mm2 366.60mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 24 megapixels
Max Resolution 5472 x 3648 6000 x 4000
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 102,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 25600 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 125 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 80 ISO -
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 49 n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens Focal Range 24-360 mm (15x) 28 mm ()
Max Aperture F3.3-6.4 F2.8
Macro Focus Range 5cm 6cm
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,240k dots 1,037k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Optical (optional)
Viewfinder Resolution 2,330k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/2000s 1/4000s
Max Electronic Shutter 1/16000s n/a
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Optical Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 6.80 m (at Auto ISO) no built-in flash
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps n/a
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 340g 257g
Dimensions 113 x 67 x 46mm 109 x 62 x 33mm
Battery Life 370 shots n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
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