M11 Monochromvs A7 IV
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.
Portrait & Wedding Photography — A7 IV (2021): The full-frame portrait benchmark — 33MP, AI Eye AF, and exceptional skin-tone rendering in a pro-grade hybrid body.
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
A7 IV (2021)
- Working photographers who want a reliable full-frame all-rounder
- Portrait, wedding, and event photographers needing 33MP and fast AF
- A7 III owners ready for a major upgrade in resolution, AF, and video
- Hybrid shooters who want 4K/60p and 33MP stills in one dependable body
Quick take: The m11 monochrom has the highest resolution at 60mp; the a7 iv is the most affordable; only the a7 iv is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | M11 Monochrom (2023) | A7 IV (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £8,300 | £2,299 |
| Sensor | 60.3MP Full-Frame Monochrome BSI CMOS (no colour filter array) | 33MP Full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS |
| Resolution | 60.3MP | 33.0MP |
| Video | — | 4K/60p oversampled, 10-bit internal, S-Log3, S-Cinetone |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder (no autofocus) | 759-point phase-detect, AI subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | — | 5-axis IBIS, 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 10fps mechanical, 30fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~700 shots (CIPA) | ~580 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 530g (body only) | 659g body only |
| Dimensions | 138.6 × 80.0 × 38.5mm | 131.3 × 96.4 × 79.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.73× magnification | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 2.3" touchscreen LCD, 2.33M dots | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen |
| Mount | Leica M-mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II slot + 64GB internal storage | Dual slots: CFexpress Type A + SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C (3.2 Gen 2), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | M11 Monochrom | A7 IV |
|---|---|---|
| Street | — | |
| Portrait | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Astrophotography | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Casual | — | |
| Sports & Action | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Studio Portraits | — | |
| Outdoor Portraits | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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