M11-Dvs A9
Leica
M11-D (2024)
Starting from £8195 new
Best for Street, documentary & photographic purists
View M11-D
Sony
A9 (2017)
Starting from £1999 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & action photography
View A9
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 Sports, Wildlife & Action Photography — A9 (2017): The camera that changed professional photography — the A9's 20fps blackout-free burst and silent shutter proved mirrorless had definitively surpassed the DSLR.
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
A9 (2017)
- Sports photographers who want the original 20fps mirrorless at a lower used price than the A9 II
- Wildlife photographers who need blackout-free burst with fast, reliable tracking
- Sony FE system users who want a professional sports body
- Photographers interested in the camera that changed the industry
Quick take: The m11-d has the highest resolution at 60mp; the a9 is the most affordable; only the a9 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | M11-D (2024) | A9 (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £8,195 | £1,999 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS — 64GB internal storage | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | None — this is a stills-only camera | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Manual focus only — rangefinder coupled focusing | 693 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking |
| Stabilisation | None — manual rangefinder camera | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 4.5fps | 20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE) |
| Battery Life | ~700 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 530g body only | 673g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 138.9 × 80.0 × 38.5mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 63.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder viewfinder — 0.73× magnification | EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification, 60fps refresh (blackout-free) |
| Screen | None — no rear LCD by design | 3.0" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Leica M-mount — compatible with all M lenses | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | 64GB internal + SD UHS-II slot | Dual SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | M11-D | A9 |
|---|---|---|
| Street | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Travel | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with M11-D
Camera family history