Decision tools · Compare
M11 Monochrom vs A1
Quick take: The M11 Monochrom has the highest resolution at 60MP; the A1 is the most affordable.
Where the M11 Monochrom wins
- Resolution: 60.3MP
- Battery Life: ~700 shots (CIPA)
- Weight: 530g (body only)
Where the A1 wins
- Cheaper new: £4,199 vs £8,500
- Burst Rate: 30fps electronic with full AF/AE
- Portrait: 8.2 vs 3.2
- Travel: 5.9 vs 3.6
- Wedding & Events: 7.9 vs 2.0
16 specs side by side·14 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video, Clifton Cameras, MPB, eBay and Amazon UK
How to read this page. Highlighted cells win that row on the spec alone. Genre scores are the engine's base scores (enthusiast, photo and video); Camera Match re-weights them for your level and priorities. Price buttons are affiliate links; the price you pay is the same.
Sony
A1 2021
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
£4199
new today at Wex Photo Video
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Size comparedbody only, no lens · drawn to one scale
- M11 Monochrom 139 × 80 × 38 mm · 530 g
- A1 129 × 97 × 81 mm · 737 g
The M11 Monochrom is 10 mm wider, 17 mm shorter, 43 mm slimmer and 207 g lighter than the A1.
Drawn to scale from the makers' dimensions (W × H × D). Front shown, depth on the slanted edge.
Verdictwhich should you buy?
M11 Monochrom — Black & White Photography: 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.
A1 — Professional Sport, Wildlife, Portrait & Hybrid Shooting: 50MP, 30fps, 8K — the Sony A1 is the most complete professional camera ever made.
Who should buy what
M11 Monochrom (2023)
is the right camera for you if…
- 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
A1 (2021)
is the right camera for you if…
- 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
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | M11 MonochromLeica · 2023 | A1Sony · 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £8,500 | £4,199Best |
| Sensor | 60.3MP Full-Frame Monochrome BSI CMOS (no colour filter array) | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 60.3MPBest | 50.1MP |
| Video | No video | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder (no autofocus) | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points |
| Stabilisation | — | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 30fps electronic with full AF/AEBest |
| Battery Life | ~700 shots (CIPA)Best | ~430 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 530g (body only)Best | 737g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 138.6 × 80.0 × 38.5mm | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.73× magnification | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps |
| Screen | 2.3" touchscreen LCD, 2.33M dots | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Leica M-mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II slot + 64GB internal storage | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI |
Wins the row — price, resolution, burst, battery, weight and sealing are compared; text specs aren't ranked.
How they score by genreengine base scores out of 10
Genre
M11 Monochrom
A1
Portrait
3.2/10
8.2/10
Street
6.2/10
6.1/10
Travel
3.6/10
5.9/10
Wedding & Events
2.0/10
7.9/10
Documentary
2.9/10
7.6/10
Sports & Action
2.4/10
8.8/10
Landscape
7.2/10
7.6/10
Wildlife
1.5/10
8.7/10
Casual
1.6/10
4.8/10
Food
3.0/10
7.4/10
Macro
3.8/10
7.3/10
Architecture
6.7/10
7.9/10
Astrophotography
5.9/10
6.8/10
Filmmaking
—
7.8/10
Scores come from the same engine as Camera Match: verified specifications weighted by what each genre needs, with documented adjustments. The product page and this table show the enthusiast base score. See how scores are calculated →
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