M11 Monochromvs Z7 II
Leica
M11 Monochrom (2023)
Starting from £8300 new
Best for Black & White Photography
View M11 Monochrom
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Black & White Photography — M11 Monochrom (2023): The M11 Monochrom is the finest black-and-white camera in the world. A 60MP sensor with no colour filter array produces sharpness and tonal depth no colour camera can match — combined with extended high-ISO performance. Manual focus, no video, and an extraordinary price make it a specialist instrument, but for dedicated B&W photographers it is unmatched.
Landscape & Studio / High-Resolution — Z7 II (2020): The Z7 II is a landscape and studio camera first, everything else second. 45.7MP with weather sealing and dual card slots is a compelling package. If you need resolution, it delivers. If you don't, the Z6 II is the smarter buy.
Who should buy what
M11 Monochrom (2023)
- Dedicated black-and-white photographers who demand the finest possible monochrome files
- Fine art and documentary photographers who work exclusively in B&W
- Leica M system users who want maximum monochrome image quality
- Astrophotographers — monochrome sensors excel at capturing fine star detail
Z7 II (2020)
- Landscape photographers who print large or need to crop significantly
- Studio and commercial photographers requiring maximum resolution
- Architecture photographers where detail is non-negotiable
- Fine-art photographers who shoot primarily from a tripod
Quick take: The m11 monochrom has the highest resolution at 60mp; the z7 ii is the most affordable; only the z7 ii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | M11 Monochrom (2023) | Z7 II (2020) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £8,300 | £2,699 |
| Sensor | 60.3MP Full-Frame Monochrome BSI CMOS (no colour filter array) | 45.7MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 60.3MP | 45.7MP |
| Video | — | 4K/60p, 4K/30p (oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder (no autofocus) | Phase-detect, 493 points, Eye AF, subject tracking |
| Stabilisation | — | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops (up to 6 stops with VR lenses) |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 10fps mechanical, 10fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~700 shots (CIPA) | ~420 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 530g (body only) | 705g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 138.6 × 80.0 × 38.5mm | 134.0 × 100.5 × 69.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.73× magnification | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.80× magnification |
| Screen | 2.3" touchscreen LCD, 2.33M dots | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.1M dots |
| Mount | Leica M-mount | Nikon Z-mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II slot + 64GB internal storage | Dual card: 1× CFexpress Type B / XQD + 1× SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | M11 Monochrom | Z7 II |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Astrophotography | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Casual | — | |
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Video | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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