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M11 Monochromvs A9

GearFrame · Updated March 2026

Leica M11 Monochrom Leica M11 Monochrom (2023) Starting from £8300 new Best for Black & White Photography View M11 Monochrom
VS
Sony A9 Sony A9 (2017) Starting from £1999 new Best for Professional sports, wildlife & action photography View A9

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 Sports, Wildlife & Action Photography — A9 (2017): The camera that changed professional photography — the A9's 20fps blackout-free burst and silent shutter proved mirrorless had definitively surpassed the DSLR.

↓ Full specifications below

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

A9 (2017)

  • Sports photographers who want the original 20fps mirrorless at a lower used price than the A9 II
  • Wildlife photographers who need blackout-free burst with fast, reliable tracking
  • Sony FE system users who want a professional sports body
  • Photographers interested in the camera that changed the industry

Quick take: The m11 monochrom has the highest resolution at 60mp; the a9 is the most affordable; only the a9 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification M11 Monochrom (2023)A9 (2017)
Price £8,300 £1,999
Sensor 60.3MP Full-Frame Monochrome BSI CMOS (no colour filter array) 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS
Resolution 60.3MP 24.2MP
Video 4K/30p, 1080p/120p
Autofocus Manual focus rangefinder (no autofocus) 693 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking
Stabilisation IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops
Burst Rate 5fps 20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE)
Battery Life ~700 shots (CIPA) ~650 shots (CIPA)
Weight 530g (body only) 673g (with battery and card)
Dimensions 138.6 × 80.0 × 38.5mm 126.9 × 95.6 × 63.0mm
Weather Sealed No Yes
Viewfinder Optical rangefinder, 0.73× magnification EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification, 60fps refresh (blackout-free)
Screen 2.3" touchscreen LCD, 2.33M dots 3.0" tilting touchscreen
Mount Leica M-mount Sony FE (full-frame E-mount)
Memory Cards Single SD UHS-II slot + 64GB internal storage Dual SD UHS-II slots
Connectivity USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth USB, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, HDMI
Genre M11 MonochromA9
Street
9.5
Portrait
9.5
9.0
Landscape
9.5
Astrophotography
9.0
Travel
8.5
7.0
Casual
7.5
Sports & Action
3.0
9.0
Vlogging & Video
1.0
4.0
Wildlife
9.0
Wedding & Events
9.0

GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →

⚡ Compare specs side by side M11 Monochrom prices → A9 prices →

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