M11-Dvs A7S III
Leica
M11-D (2024)
Starting from £8195 new
Best for Street, documentary & photographic purists
View M11-D
Sony
A7S III (2020)
Starting from £2999 new
Best for Professional video & low-light filmmaking
View A7S III
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Street, Documentary & Photographic Purists — M11-D (2024): A rangefinder with no screen — 60MP, manual focus, total presence. The most focused camera ever made.
Professional Video & Low-Light Filmmaking — A7S III (2020): If video is your primary discipline, the A7S III is the camera. 4K/120p at 10-bit in a weather-sealed body with a 9.44M dot EVF is an extraordinary package. The 12MP sensor isn't limiting for video — and it's usable at ISO 409,600 in a pinch.
Who should buy what
M11-D (2024)
- Experienced rangefinder photographers who want to eliminate chimping and be fully present
- M11 users who want to deepen their relationship with the photographic process
- Documentary and street photographers who believe the screen distracts from the moment
- Collectors and Leica enthusiasts who value the philosophy as much as the output
A7S III (2020)
- Filmmakers and videographers who need 4K/120p at 10-bit
- Event videographers who shoot in dark venues regularly
- Documentary filmmakers who need reliable AF and weather sealing
- Hybrid shooters where video is primary and stills are secondary
Quick take: The m11-d has the highest resolution at 60mp; the a7s iii is the most affordable; only the a7s iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | M11-D (2024) | A7S III (2020) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £8,195 | £2,999 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS — 64GB internal storage | 12.1MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS (12-bit, back-illuminated) |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | 12.1MP |
| Video | None — this is a stills-only camera | 4K/120p 10-bit, 4K/60p 10-bit S-Cinetone/S-Log3, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Manual focus only — rangefinder coupled focusing | Phase-detect, 759 points, real-time Eye AF (human & animal), subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | None — manual rangefinder camera | 5.5-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 4.5fps | 10fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | ~700 shots (CIPA) | ~600 shots (CIPA) / ~70min continuous 4K recording |
| Weight | 530g body only | 699g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 138.9 × 80.0 × 38.5mm | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder viewfinder — 0.73× magnification | OLED EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification — best EVF Sony has made |
| Screen | None — no rear LCD by design | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 1.44M dots |
| Mount | Leica M-mount — compatible with all M lenses | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | 64GB internal + SD UHS-II slot | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II (both slots) |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), full-size HDMI, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | M11-D | A7S III |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Travel | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Video | — | |
| Wildlife | — |
More comparisons with M11-D
Camera family history