Fujifilm X-M5 vs Ricoh GR IIIx

The Fujifilm X-M5 and the Ricoh GR IIIx are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in October 2025 and September 2021. The X-M5 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, while the GR IIIx is a fixed lens compact. Both cameras are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The Fujifilm has a resolution of 26 megapixels, whereas the Ricoh provides 24 MP.

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

Headline Specifications

Fujifilm X-M5		Ricoh GR IIIx
Mirrorless system camera		Fixed lens compact camera
Fujifilm X mount lenses		40mm f/2.8
26 MP – APS-C sensor		24 MP – APS-C sensor
4K/60p Video		1080/60p Video
ISO 160-12,800 (80 - 51,200)		ISO 100-102,400
No viewfinder, LCD framing		Viewfinder optional
3.0" LCD – 1040k dots		3.0" LCD – 1037k dots
Swivel touchscreen		Fixed touchscreen
8 shutter flaps per second		4 shutter flaps per second
Lens stabilization only		In-body stabilization
330 shots per battery charge		200 shots per battery charge
112 x 67 x 38 mm, 355 g		109 x 62 x 35 mm, 262 g

Check X-M5 price at
amazon.com
Check GR IIIx price at
amazon.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Fujifilm X-M5 and the Ricoh GR IIIx? 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

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Fujifilm X-M5 and the Ricoh GR IIIx is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The X-M5 can be obtained in two different colors (black, silver), while the GR IIIx 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 IIIx is notably smaller (10 percent) than the Fujifilm X-M5. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the X-M5 nor the GR IIIx 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 X-M5 is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup. You can compare the optics available for the X-M5 and their specifications in the Fujinon X Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the X-M5 gets 330 shots out of its Fujifilm NP-W126S battery, while the GR IIIx can take 200 images on a single charge of its Ricoh DB-110 power pack. 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.		Fujifilm X-M5	112 mm	67 mm	38 mm	355 g	330	n	Oct 2025	EUR 899	amazon.com
2.		Ricoh GR IIIx	109 mm	62 mm	35 mm	262 g	200	n	Sep 2021	EUR 999	amazon.com
3.		Fujifilm X-A3	117 mm	67 mm	40 mm	339 g	410	n	Aug 2016	EUR 449	ebay.com
4.		Fujifilm X-A5	117 mm	68 mm	40 mm	361 g	450	n	Jan 2018	EUR 449	ebay.com
5.		Fujifilm X-E2S	129 mm	75 mm	37 mm	350 g	350	n	Jan 2016	EUR 699	ebay.com
6.		Fujifilm X-E3	121 mm	74 mm	43 mm	337 g	350	n	Sep 2017	EUR 899	ebay.com
7.		Fujifilm X-E4	121 mm	73 mm	33 mm	364 g	380	n	Jan 2021	EUR 899	ebay.com
8.		Fujifilm X-M1	117 mm	67 mm	39 mm	330 g	350	n	Jun 2013	EUR 679	ebay.com
9.		Fujifilm X-T20	118 mm	83 mm	41 mm	383 g	350	n	Jan 2017	EUR 799	ebay.com
10.		Fujifilm X-T30	118 mm	83 mm	47 mm	383 g	380	n	Feb 2019	EUR 999	ebay.com
11.		Fujifilm X-T30 II	118 mm	83 mm	47 mm	383 g	380	n	Sep 2021	EUR 899	ebay.com
12.		Fujifilm X-T200	121 mm	84 mm	55 mm	370 g	270	n	Jan 2020	EUR 749	ebay.com
13.		Panasonic TZ100	111 mm	65 mm	44 mm	312 g	300	n	Jan 2016	EUR 699	ebay.com
14.		Ricoh GR II	117 mm	63 mm	35 mm	251 g	320	n	Jun 2015	EUR 799	ebay.com
15.		Ricoh GR III	109 mm	62 mm	33 mm	257 g	200	n	Feb 2019	EUR 899	amazon.com
16.		Sony RX100 IV	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	298 g	280	n	Jun 2015	EUR 1 149	ebay.com
17.		Sony RX100 V	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	299 g	220	n	Oct 2016	EUR 1 199	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.

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 tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.5. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the X-M5 offers a slightly higher resolution of 26 megapixels, compared with 24 MP of the GR IIIx. This megapixels advantage translates into a 4 percent gain in linear resolution. On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the X-M5 has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 3.76μm versus 3.91μm for the GR IIIx). In this context, it should be noted, however, that the X-M5 is much more recent (by 4 years and 1 month) than the GR IIIx, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that compensate for the smaller pixel size. 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 Fujifilm X-M5 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 160 to ISO 12800, which can be extended to ISO 80-51200. The corresponding ISO settings for the Ricoh GR IIIx are ISO 100 to ISO 102400 (no boost).

In terms of underlying technology, the X-M5 is build around a BSI-CMOS sensor, while the GR IIIx uses a CMOS imager. The X-M5 uses Fujifilm's X-Trans layout of photosites, while the GR IIIx employs the more common Bayer array.

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.		Fujifilm X-M5	APS-C	26.0	6240	4160	4K/60p	24.3	14.2	2558	86
2.		Ricoh GR IIIx	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.2	13.8	2146	85
3.		Fujifilm X-A3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.8	13.1	1663	81
4.		Fujifilm X-A5	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/15p	24.0	13.3	1800	82
5.		Fujifilm X-E2S	APS-C	16.0	4896	3264	1080/60p	23.7	13.0	1608	80
6.		Fujifilm X-E3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	23.9	13.3	1764	82
7.		Fujifilm X-E4	APS-C	26.0	6240	4160	4K/30p	24.2	13.7	2085	85
8.		Fujifilm X-M1	APS-C	16.0	4896	3264	1080/30p	23.4	12.6	1371	76
9.		Fujifilm X-T20	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	23.9	13.2	1704	81
10.		Fujifilm X-T30	APS-C	26.0	6240	4160	4K/30p	24.1	13.5	1895	83
11.		Fujifilm X-T30 II	APS-C	26.0	6240	4160	4K/30p	24.2	13.8	2144	85
12.		Fujifilm X-T200	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.1	13.6	1991	84
13.		Panasonic TZ100	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.8	12.5	559	70
14.		Ricoh GR II	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/30p	23.6	13.7	1078	80
15.		Ricoh GR III	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	13.5	1897	83
16.		Sony RX100 IV	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.8	12.6	591	70
17.		Sony RX100 V	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.8	12.4	586	70
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 have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the X-M5 provides a higher video resolution than the GR IIIx. It can shoot video footage at 4K/60p, 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. The X-M5 and the GR IIIx 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 table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Fujifilm X-M5 and Ricoh GR IIIx 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.		Fujifilm X-M5	none	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	n
2.		Ricoh GR IIIx	optional	n	3.0 / 1037	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.0/s	n	Y
3.		Fujifilm X-A3	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
4.		Fujifilm X-A5	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
5.		Fujifilm X-E2S	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	n	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	n
6.		Fujifilm X-E3	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	n	n
7.		Fujifilm X-E4	2360	n	3.0 / 1620	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	n	n
8.		Fujifilm X-M1	none	n	3.0 / 920	tilting	n	1/4000s	5.6/s	Y	n
9.		Fujifilm X-T20	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	n
10.		Fujifilm X-T30	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	n
11.		Fujifilm X-T30 II	2360	n	3.0 / 1620	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	n
12.		Fujifilm X-T200	2360	n	3.5 / 2780	swivel	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	n
13.		Panasonic TZ100	1166	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
14.		Ricoh GR II	optional	n	3.0 / 1230	fixed	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
15.		Ricoh GR III	optional	n	3.0 / 1037	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.0/s	n	Y
16.		Sony RX100 IV	2359	n	3.0 / 1228	tilting	n	1/2000s	16.0/s	Y	Y
17.		Sony RX100 V	2359	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/2000s	24.0/s	Y	Y
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 X-M5 has one, while the GR IIIx does not. While the built-in flash of the X-M5 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 X-M5 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 Ricoh GR IIIx has 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 X-M5 and the GR IIIx 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 Fujifilm X-M5 and Ricoh GR IIIx 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.		Fujifilm X-M5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
2.		Ricoh GR IIIx	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	3.0	Y	-	Y
3.		Fujifilm X-A3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
4.		Fujifilm X-A5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
5.		Fujifilm X-E2S	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
6.		Fujifilm X-E3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
7.		Fujifilm X-E4	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
8.		Fujifilm X-M1	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
9.		Fujifilm X-T20	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
10.		Fujifilm X-T30	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
11.		Fujifilm X-T30 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
12.		Fujifilm X-T200	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
13.		Panasonic TZ100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
14.		Ricoh GR II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
15.		Ricoh GR III	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	3.0	Y	-	Y
16.		Sony RX100 IV	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
17.		Sony RX100 V	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-

It is notable that the X-M5 has a microphone port, which is missing on the GR IIIx. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Both the X-M5 and the GR IIIx are recent models that are part of the current product line-up. The GR IIIx replaced the earlier Ricoh GR II, while the X-M5 followed on from the Fujifilm X-M1. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official Fujifilm and Ricoh websites.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Which of the two cameras – the Fujifilm X-M5 or the Ricoh GR IIIx – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Reasons to prefer the Fujifilm X-M5:

• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/60p vs 1080/60p).
• Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
• Better sound control: Has a headphone port that enables audio monitoring while recording.
• 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 (8 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 (330 versus 200) on a single battery charge.
• Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
• More modern: Reflects 4 years and 1 month of technical progress since the GR IIIx launch.

Advantages of the Ricoh GR IIIx:

• More framing options: Can be equipped with a hotshoe-mounted accessory-viewfinder.
• Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
• Ready to shoot: Has an integrated lens, whereas the X-M5 necessitates an extra lens.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight even though it has a lens built in (unlike the X-M5).
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in September 2021).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the X-M5 is the clear winner of the match-up (11 : 6 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports 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 Fujifilm X-M5 and the Ricoh GR IIIx 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 X-M5 and the GR IIIx 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 why expert reviews are important. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major 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.		Fujifilm X-M5	..	..	..	84/100	..	..	Oct 2025	EUR 899	amazon.com
2.		Ricoh GR IIIx	..	..	4.5/5	..	..	..	Sep 2021	EUR 999	amazon.com
3.		Fujifilm X-A3	..	..	..	74/100	4.5/5	4/5	Aug 2016	EUR 449	ebay.com
4.		Fujifilm X-A5	..	+	4.1/5	..	4/5	3.5/5	Jan 2018	EUR 449	ebay.com
5.		Fujifilm X-E2S	4.5/5	..	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2016	EUR 699	ebay.com
6.		Fujifilm X-E3	4.5/5	+	4.5/5	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2017	EUR 899	ebay.com
7.		Fujifilm X-E4	4/5	..	4/5	..	4.5/5	4/5	Jan 2021	EUR 899	ebay.com
8.		Fujifilm X-M1	3/5	+	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2013	EUR 679	ebay.com
9.		Fujifilm X-T20	5/5	+ +	5/5	82/100	5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	EUR 799	ebay.com
10.		Fujifilm X-T30	5/5	+ +	5/5	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2019	EUR 999	ebay.com
11.		Fujifilm X-T30 II	5/5	..	4/5	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2021	EUR 899	ebay.com
12.		Fujifilm X-T200	3.5/5	..	4/5	82/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jan 2020	EUR 749	ebay.com
13.		Panasonic TZ100	4.5/5	+ +	..	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2016	EUR 699	ebay.com
14.		Ricoh GR II	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2015	EUR 799	ebay.com
15.		Ricoh GR III	4/5	..	3.5/5	81/100	4/5	..	Feb 2019	EUR 899	amazon.com
16.		Sony RX100 IV	4.5/5	+ +	..	85/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2015	EUR 1 149	ebay.com
17.		Sony RX100 V	4.5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4/5	4.5/5	Oct 2016	EUR 1 199	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Check X-M5 price at
amazon.com
Check GR IIIx price at
amazon.com

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make your choice using the following search menu. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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Check X-M5 price at
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amazon.com

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