M11 Monochromvs A7C 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.
Full-Frame Hybrid — A7C II (2023): Full-frame AI autofocus in the most compact body available — the best camera under £1,500 for hybrid shooters.
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
A7C II (2023)
- Travel photographers who want full-frame quality in the most compact body
- Hybrid shooters who need full-frame video and IBIS in a small package
- A7C owners looking for a significant AF and video upgrade
- Portrait and wedding photographers who want a discreet full-frame backup
Quick take: The m11 monochrom has the highest resolution at 60mp; the a7c ii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | M11 Monochrom (2023) | A7C II (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £8,300 | £1,499 |
| Sensor | 60.3MP Full-Frame Monochrome BSI CMOS (no colour filter array) | 33MP Full-frame Exmor R BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 60.3MP | 33.0MP |
| Video | — | 4K/60p oversampled, S-Log3, 10-bit internal |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder (no autofocus) | 759-point phase-detect, AI subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | — | 5-axis IBIS, 7.0 stops |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 10fps mechanical, 30fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~700 shots (CIPA) | ~530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 530g (body only) | 514g body only |
| Dimensions | 138.6 × 80.0 × 38.5mm | 124.0 × 71.1 × 63.4mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.73× magnification | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.70× 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: SD UHS-II + CFexpress Type A |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C (3.2), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | M11 Monochrom | A7C II |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Astrophotography | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Casual | — | |
| Sports & Action | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Wedding & Events | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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