M11 Monochromvs Sony RX100 VII
Leica
M11 Monochrom (2023)
Starting from £8300 new
Best for Black & White Photography
View M11 Monochrom
Sony
Sony RX100 VII (2019)
Starting from £1099 new
Best for Travel & versatility
View Sony RX100 VII
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.
Travel & Versatility — Sony RX100 VII (2019): The most versatile compact camera ever made — 24-200mm zoom, 20fps burst, and 960fps slow-motion in a jacket pocket.
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
Sony RX100 VII (2019)
- Travel photographers who want the most capable 1-inch compact available
- Vloggers who need fast AF and a flip screen in a jacket-pocket body
- Photographers who want a high-quality compact backup to a mirrorless system
- Anyone who wants professional AF performance without carrying a large camera
Quick take: The m11 monochrom has the highest resolution at 60mp; the sony rx100 vii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | M11 Monochrom (2023) | Sony RX100 VII (2019) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £8,300 | £1,099 |
| Sensor | 60.3MP Full-Frame Monochrome BSI CMOS (no colour filter array) | 20.1MP 1-inch Exmor RS BSI CMOS (stacked) |
| Resolution | 60.3MP | 20.1MP |
| Video | — | 4K/30p HLG, FHD/960fps super slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder (no autofocus) | 357-point phase-detect + 425 contrast, Eye AF, tracking |
| Stabilisation | — | 3-stop Optical SteadyShot |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 20fps AF/AE tracking (90fps short burst) |
| Battery Life | ~700 shots (CIPA) | ~260 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 530g (body only) | 302g with battery and card |
| Dimensions | 138.6 × 80.0 × 38.5mm | 101.6 × 58.1 × 42.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.73× magnification | Pop-up EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.59× magnification |
| Screen | 2.3" touchscreen LCD, 2.33M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Leica M-mount | Fixed Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 24-200mm f/2.8-4.5 |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II slot + 64GB internal storage | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | M11 Monochrom | Sony RX100 VII |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Astrophotography | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Casual | — | |
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Family & Everyday | — | |
| 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