M11 Monochromvs FX3
Leica
M11 Monochrom (2023)
Starting from £8300 new
Best for Black & White Photography
View M11 Monochrom
Sony
FX3 (2021)
Starting from £3799 new
Best for Professional video, documentary & cinematic filmmaking
View FX3
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, Documentary & Cinematic Filmmaking — FX3 (2021): The definitive run-and-gun cinema camera — A7S III sensor quality in a body built specifically for video professionals.
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
FX3 (2021)
- Professional videographers and filmmakers who need cinema-quality colour science in a compact body
- Documentary and run-and-gun shooters who need 4K/120p and built-in XLR audio
- Sony A7S III owners who want a purpose-built video body alongside their stills camera
- Gimbal and drone operators who need a compact full-frame cinema camera
Quick take: The m11 monochrom has the highest resolution at 60mp; the fx3 is the most affordable; only the fx3 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | M11 Monochrom (2023) | FX3 (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £8,300 | £3,799 |
| Sensor | 60.3MP Full-Frame Monochrome BSI CMOS (no colour filter array) | 12.1MP full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS (same as A7S III) |
| Resolution | 60.3MP | 12.1MP |
| Video | — | 4K/120p, 4K/60p 10-bit, 12-bit RAW output, S-Log3, S-Cinetone |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder (no autofocus) | Real-time tracking with subject recognition (human, animal) |
| Stabilisation | — | 5-axis IBIS — 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 10fps mechanical, 10fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~700 shots (CIPA) | ~640 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 530g (body only) | 715g body only (with XLR handle) |
| Dimensions | 138.6 × 80.0 × 38.5mm | 129.7 × 78.0 × 84.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.73× magnification | None — monitor/external EVF use only |
| Screen | 2.3" touchscreen LCD, 2.33M dots | 3.0" touchscreen, fully articulating |
| Mount | Leica M-mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II slot + 64GB internal storage | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C (10Gbps), full-size HDMI, XLR via handle, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | M11 Monochrom | FX3 |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Astrophotography | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Casual | — | |
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Low Light | — | |
| Wedding | — |
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