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MP 0.72 vs A1

Quick take: The MP 0.72 is the most affordable; only the A1 is weather sealed.

16 specs side by side·14 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video and Clifton Cameras

How to read this page. Highlighted cells win that row on the spec alone. Genre scores are the engine's base scores (enthusiast, photo and video); Camera Match re-weights them for your level and priorities. Price buttons are affiliate links; the price you pay is the same.

Price buttons are affiliate links — GearFrame may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects a score. Learn more

Verdictwhich should you buy?

MP 0.72 — Street, Documentary & Reportage Film Photography: 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.

A1 — Professional Sport, Wildlife, Portrait & Hybrid Shooting: 50MP, 30fps, 8K — the Sony A1 is the most complete professional camera ever made.

Who should buy what
MP 0.72 (2003)
is the right camera for you if…
  • 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
A1 (2021)
is the right camera for you if…
  • Professional photographers who need resolution and speed without compromise
  • Sports and wildlife photographers demanding the absolute fastest Sony
  • Studio and fashion photographers who also shoot sport or events
  • A9 III or A7R V owners who want a single body that does everything
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
Specification MP 0.72Leica · 2003A1Sony · 2021
Price £5,080£4,799Best
Sensor 35mm film50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS
Resolution —50.1MP
Video —8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p
Autofocus Manual focus rangefinder — coupled 0.72× viewfinderReal-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points
Stabilisation —IBIS — up to 5.5 stops
Burst Rate ~1fps (manual film advance)30fps electronic with full AF/AEBest
Battery Life Effectively unlimited — battery powers meter only~430 shots (CIPA)
Weight 600g (body only)Best737g (with battery and card)
Dimensions 138 × 77 × 38mm128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm
Weather Sealed Not weather sealedYesBest
Viewfinder Optical rangefinder, 0.72× magnification, 28–135mm framelinesEVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps
Screen No screen3.0" fully tilting touchscreen
Mount Leica M-mountSony FE mount (full-frame E-mount)
Memory Cards 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 recommended)Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II
Connectivity No wireless connectivityUSB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI

Wins the row — price, resolution, burst, battery, weight and sealing are compared; text specs aren't ranked.

How they score by genreengine base scores out of 10
Genre
MP 0.72
A1
Street
9.0/10
6.1/10
Travel
8.0/10
6.0/10
Portrait
8.0/10
8.2/10
Landscape
7.0/10
7.6/10
Wedding & Events
—
7.9/10
Filmmaking
—
7.8/10
Documentary
—
7.6/10
Sports & Action
—
8.8/10
Wildlife
—
8.7/10
Casual
—
4.8/10
Food
—
7.4/10
Macro
—
7.3/10
Architecture
—
7.9/10
Astrophotography
—
6.8/10

Scores come from the same engine as Camera Match: verified specifications weighted by what each genre needs, with documented adjustments. The product page and this table show the enthusiast base score. See how scores are calculated →

Next
Open in the compare tool → MP 0.72 pricesA1 prices
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