MP 0.72vs A7 IV
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.
Portrait & Wedding Photography — A7 IV (2021): The full-frame portrait benchmark — 33MP, AI Eye AF, and exceptional skin-tone rendering in a pro-grade hybrid body.
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
A7 IV (2021)
- Working photographers who want a reliable full-frame all-rounder
- Portrait, wedding, and event photographers needing 33MP and fast AF
- A7 III owners ready for a major upgrade in resolution, AF, and video
- Hybrid shooters who want 4K/60p and 33MP stills in one dependable body
Quick take: The a7 iv is the most affordable; only the a7 iv is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | MP 0.72 (2003) | A7 IV (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £4,850 | £2,299 |
| Sensor | 35mm film | 33MP Full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS |
| Resolution | — | 33.0MP |
| Video | — | 4K/60p oversampled, 10-bit internal, S-Log3, S-Cinetone |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder — coupled 0.72× viewfinder | 759-point phase-detect, AI subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | — | 5-axis IBIS, 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | ~1fps (manual film advance) | 10fps mechanical, 30fps electronic |
| Battery Life | Effectively unlimited — battery powers meter only | ~580 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 600g (body only) | 659g body only |
| Dimensions | 138 × 77 × 38mm | 131.3 × 96.4 × 79.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.72× magnification, 28–135mm framelines | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | None | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen |
| Mount | Leica M-mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 recommended) | Dual slots: CFexpress Type A + SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | None | USB-C (3.2 Gen 2), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | MP 0.72 | A7 IV |
|---|---|---|
| Street | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Portrait | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Studio Portraits | — | |
| Outdoor Portraits | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| 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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Camera family history