MP 0.72vs Z7 II
Leica
MP 0.72 (2003)
Starting from £4850 new
Best for Street, Documentary & Reportage Film Photography
View MP 0.72
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Street, Documentary & Reportage Film Photography — MP 0.72 (2003): The purist's Leica — a fully mechanical 35mm rangefinder with no electronics bar the meter. Still built by hand in Wetzlar. The most honest camera ever made.
Landscape & Studio / High-Resolution — Z7 II (2020): The Z7 II is a landscape and studio camera first, everything else second. 45.7MP with weather sealing and dual card slots is a compelling package. If you need resolution, it delivers. If you don't, the Z6 II is the smarter buy.
Who should buy what
MP 0.72 (2003)
- Serious film photographers who want the finest rangefinder ever made
- Street and documentary photographers who shoot Kodak Tri-X or HP5
- Leica M-mount collectors and long-term lens owners
- Photographers who value mechanical precision over electronic convenience
Z7 II (2020)
- Landscape photographers who print large or need to crop significantly
- Studio and commercial photographers requiring maximum resolution
- Architecture photographers where detail is non-negotiable
- Fine-art photographers who shoot primarily from a tripod
Quick take: The z7 ii is the most affordable; only the z7 ii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | MP 0.72 (2003) | Z7 II (2020) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £4,850 | £2,699 |
| Sensor | 35mm film | 45.7MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | — | 45.7MP |
| Video | — | 4K/60p, 4K/30p (oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder — coupled 0.72× viewfinder | Phase-detect, 493 points, Eye AF, subject tracking |
| Stabilisation | — | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops (up to 6 stops with VR lenses) |
| Burst Rate | ~1fps (manual film advance) | 10fps mechanical, 10fps electronic |
| Battery Life | Effectively unlimited — battery powers meter only | ~420 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 600g (body only) | 705g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 138 × 77 × 38mm | 134.0 × 100.5 × 69.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.72× magnification, 28–135mm framelines | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.80× magnification |
| Screen | None | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.1M dots |
| Mount | Leica M-mount | Nikon Z-mount |
| Memory Cards | 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 recommended) | Dual card: 1× CFexpress Type B / XQD + 1× SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | None | USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | MP 0.72 | Z7 II |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Video | — |
More comparisons with MP 0.72
Camera family history