M10vs A1
Sony
A1 (2021)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
View A1
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Street & Documentary — M10 (2017): The M10 returned Leica to its roots — thinner, cleaner, and video-free by design. The 24MP sensor is the perfect resolution for a manual-focus rangefinder. The simplified control layout respects the M tradition without digital clutter. A camera for photographers who want to slow down and engage with every frame. One of the most satisfying cameras to use — assuming you have M-mount glass to pair with it.
Professional Sport, Wildlife, Portrait & Hybrid Shooting — A1 (2021): 50MP, 30fps, 8K — the Sony A1 is the most complete professional camera ever made.
Who should buy what
M10 (2017)
- Serious photographers who want to slow down
- Street and documentary photographers
- Leica M-mount lens owners
A1 (2021)
- Professional photographers who need resolution and speed without compromise
- Sports and wildlife photographers demanding the absolute fastest Sony
- Studio and fashion photographers who also shoot sport or events
- A9 III or A7R V owners who want a single body that does everything
Quick take: The a1 has the highest resolution at 50mp; the m10 is the most affordable; only the a1 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | M10 (2017) | A1 (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £4,000 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 24MP Full-Frame CMOS | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 24.0MP | 50.1MP |
| Video | — | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Manual focus (rangefinder coupled) | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points |
| Stabilisation | None | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 30fps electronic with full AF/AE |
| Battery Life | ~220 shots (CIPA) | ~430 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 660g (with battery) | 737g (with battery) |
| Dimensions | 139 × 80 × 38.5mm | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.73× magnification | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed LCD, 1.04M dots | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Leica M-mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0, Wi-Fi | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | M10 | A1 |
|---|---|---|
| Street | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Travel | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Astrophotography | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Wedding | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with M10
Camera family history