MP 0.72vs A7C
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.
Compact Travel & Content Creation — A7C (2020): The A7C proves full-frame doesn't have to be bulky. Excellent battery life, reliable Eye AF and a vari-angle screen in a pocketable body is a compelling combination for travel and content creators. The A7C II improved on it, but the original remains a strong value 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
A7C (2020)
- Travel photographers who want full-frame in the smallest possible body
- Content creators who need a flip screen and reliable Eye AF
- Photographers upgrading from APS-C who want to keep a compact kit
- Vloggers who need 4K and great battery life on the road
Quick take: The a7c is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | MP 0.72 (2003) | A7C (2020) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £4,850 | £1,299 |
| Sensor | 35mm film | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | — | 24.2MP |
| Video | — | 4K/30p (oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion, S-Log2/S-Log3 |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder — coupled 0.72× viewfinder | Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF |
| Stabilisation | — | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | ~1fps (manual film advance) | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | Effectively unlimited — battery powers meter only | ~740 shots (CIPA) — outstanding for a Sony mirrorless |
| Weight | 600g (body only) | 509g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 138 × 77 × 38mm | 124.0 × 71.1 × 59.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.72× magnification, 28–135mm framelines | None built-in — use rear screen or accessory EVF |
| Screen | None | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Leica M-mount | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 recommended) | Single SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | None | USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | MP 0.72 | A7C |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Video | — | |
| Wildlife | — |
More comparisons with MP 0.72
Camera family history