M11 Monochromvs A7R II
Leica
M11 Monochrom (2023)
Starting from £8300 new
Best for Black & White Photography
View M11 Monochrom
Sony
A7R II (2015)
Starting from £799 new
Best for Portrait, landscape & studio photography
View A7R II
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, Landscape & Studio Photography — A7R II (2015): The A7R II transformed the A7R series — adding IBIS, 4K video, BSI sensor tech, and phase-detect AF in one generation. A landmark Sony camera.
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
A7R II (2015)
- Landscape and architecture photographers who want 42MP with IBIS for handheld shooting
- Portrait and studio photographers who need high resolution with improved AF reliability
- Sony FE system users who want a capable high-resolution body at a used price
- A7R I owners who need the stabilisation, 4K, and improved AF the original lacked
Quick take: The m11 monochrom has the highest resolution at 60mp; the a7r ii is the most affordable; only the a7r ii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | M11 Monochrom (2023) | A7R II (2015) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £8,300 | £799 |
| Sensor | 60.3MP Full-Frame Monochrome BSI CMOS (no colour filter array) | 42.4MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS Exmor R |
| Resolution | 60.3MP | 42.4MP |
| Video | — | 4K/30p (S35 or full-frame), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder (no autofocus) | 399 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points, face detection |
| Stabilisation | — | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 4.5 stops (first A7R with IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 5fps |
| Battery Life | ~700 shots (CIPA) | ~290 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 530g (body only) | 625g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 138.6 × 80.0 × 38.5mm | 126.9 × 95.7 × 60.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.73× magnification | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 2.3" touchscreen LCD, 2.33M dots | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots (no touch) |
| Mount | Leica M-mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II slot + 64GB internal storage | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | M11 Monochrom | A7R II |
|---|---|---|
| Street | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Astrophotography | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Casual | — | |
| Sports & Action | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Architecture | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history