MP 0.72vs A5100
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.
Casual & Travel — A5100 (2014): The A5100 is one of the smallest APS-C mirrorless cameras ever made. Its 24MP sensor, phase-detect AF, and selfie-friendly flip screen pack remarkable capability into a shirt-pocket-sized body. No EVF or hot shoe limits it for serious use, but as a compact travel camera or beginner's first mirrorless, it punches well above its price on the used market.
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
A5100 (2014)
- Beginners stepping up from a smartphone
- Compact travel photographers
- Casual vloggers who want APS-C quality
Quick take: The a5100 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | MP 0.72 (2003) | A5100 (2014) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £4,850 | £200 |
| Sensor | 35mm film | 24.3MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | — | 24.3MP |
| Video | — | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder — coupled 0.72× viewfinder | Hybrid phase-detect / contrast-detect AF, face detection |
| Stabilisation | — | None |
| Burst Rate | ~1fps (manual film advance) | 6fps |
| Battery Life | Effectively unlimited — battery powers meter only | ~400 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 600g (body only) | 224g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 138 × 77 × 38mm | 109.6 × 62.8 × 35.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.72× magnification, 28–135mm framelines | None |
| Screen | None | 3.0" flip-up touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Leica M-mount | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 recommended) | Single SD / MemoryStick PRO Duo slot |
| Connectivity | None | Micro USB, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | MP 0.72 | A5100 |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Casual | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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