M11 Monochromvs GR IIIx HDF
Leica
M11 Monochrom (2023)
Starting from £8300 new
Best for Black & White Photography
View M11 Monochrom
Ricoh
GR IIIx HDF (2024)
Starting from £999 new
Best for Street & documentary photography with a distinctive aesthetic
View GR IIIx HDF
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.
Street & Documentary Photography With A Distinctive Aesthetic — GR IIIx HDF (2024): The GR IIIx with a built-in dream filter — for photographers who want the GR's legendary APS-C quality with an added layer of analogue magic.
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
GR IIIx HDF (2024)
- GR IIIx fans who want the HDF bloom effect without using post-processing
- Street photographers who want a distinctive, instantly recognisable aesthetic
- Film photography enthusiasts who want to replicate analogue optical character digitally
- GR III owners ready to upgrade to the 40mm equivalent perspective
Quick take: The m11 monochrom has the highest resolution at 60mp; the gr iiix hdf is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | M11 Monochrom (2023) | GR IIIx HDF (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £8,300 | £999 |
| Sensor | 60.3MP Full-Frame Monochrome BSI CMOS (no colour filter array) | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS |
| Resolution | 60.3MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | — | 1920 × 1080 / 60fps |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder (no autofocus) | Phase/contrast hybrid CDAF with Snap Focus |
| Stabilisation | — | 3-axis Shake Reduction (SR) — 4 stops |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 4fps continuous |
| Battery Life | ~700 shots (CIPA) | ~200 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 530g (body only) | 262g body only |
| Dimensions | 138.6 × 80.0 × 38.5mm | 122.5 × 69.5 × 35.2mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.73× magnification | None — rear LCD only |
| Screen | 2.3" touchscreen LCD, 2.33M dots | 3.0" fixed LCD touchscreen, 1.037M dots |
| Mount | Leica M-mount | Fixed GR Lens 26.1mm f/2.8 (40mm equivalent) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II slot + 64GB internal storage | Single SD/SDHC/SDXC slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | M11 Monochrom | GR IIIx HDF |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Astrophotography | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Casual | — | |
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with M11 Monochrom
Camera family history