M11 Monochromvs A7S III
Leica
M11 Monochrom (2023)
Starting from £8300 new
Best for Black & White Photography
View M11 Monochrom
Sony
A7S III (2020)
Starting from £2999 new
Best for Professional video & low-light filmmaking
View A7S III
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.
Professional Video & Low-Light Filmmaking — A7S III (2020): If video is your primary discipline, the A7S III is the camera. 4K/120p at 10-bit in a weather-sealed body with a 9.44M dot EVF is an extraordinary package. The 12MP sensor isn't limiting for video — and it's usable at ISO 409,600 in a pinch.
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
A7S III (2020)
- Filmmakers and videographers who need 4K/120p at 10-bit
- Event videographers who shoot in dark venues regularly
- Documentary filmmakers who need reliable AF and weather sealing
- Hybrid shooters where video is primary and stills are secondary
Quick take: The m11 monochrom has the highest resolution at 60mp; the a7s iii is the most affordable; only the a7s iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | M11 Monochrom (2023) | A7S III (2020) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £8,300 | £2,999 |
| Sensor | 60.3MP Full-Frame Monochrome BSI CMOS (no colour filter array) | 12.1MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS (12-bit, back-illuminated) |
| Resolution | 60.3MP | 12.1MP |
| Video | — | 4K/120p 10-bit, 4K/60p 10-bit S-Cinetone/S-Log3, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder (no autofocus) | Phase-detect, 759 points, real-time Eye AF (human & animal), subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | — | 5.5-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 10fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | ~700 shots (CIPA) | ~600 shots (CIPA) / ~70min continuous 4K recording |
| Weight | 530g (body only) | 699g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 138.6 × 80.0 × 38.5mm | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.73× magnification | OLED EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification — best EVF Sony has made |
| Screen | 2.3" touchscreen LCD, 2.33M dots | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 1.44M dots |
| Mount | Leica M-mount | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II slot + 64GB internal storage | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II (both slots) |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), full-size HDMI, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | M11 Monochrom | A7S III |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Astrophotography | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Casual | — | |
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Video | — | |
| Wildlife | — |
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