MP 0.72vs A7R III
Leica
MP 0.72 (2003)
Starting from £4850 new
Best for Street, Documentary & Reportage Film Photography
View MP 0.72
Sony
A7R III (2017)
Starting from £1799 new
Best for Landscape, studio & commercial photography
View A7R III
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 & Commercial Photography — A7R III (2017): The camera that converted professionals to mirrorless — 42MP, IBIS, and 10fps in a body that still competes today.
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
A7R III (2017)
- Landscape and studio photographers who need 42MP resolution at a used-price discount vs A7R IV
- Canon/Nikon DSLR professionals considering a mirrorless switch at a lower investment
- Commercial and product photographers who want full-frame resolution with IBIS for handheld work
- Portrait photographers who want the sharpest possible full-frame files for large print work
Quick take: The a7r iii is the most affordable; only the a7r iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | MP 0.72 (2003) | A7R III (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £4,850 | £1,799 |
| Sensor | 35mm film | 42.4MP full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS |
| Resolution | — | 42.4MP |
| Video | — | 4K/30p (full-frame readout), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder — coupled 0.72× viewfinder | 399 phase-detect + 425 contrast AF points — real-time Eye AF |
| Stabilisation | — | 5-axis IBIS — 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | ~1fps (manual film advance) | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | Effectively unlimited — battery powers meter only | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 600g (body only) | 650g body only |
| Dimensions | 138 × 77 × 38mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.72× magnification, 28–135mm framelines | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | None | 3.0" touchscreen, tilting |
| Mount | Leica M-mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 recommended) | Dual SD slots (one UHS-II) |
| Connectivity | None | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic jack |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | MP 0.72 | A7R III |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Travel | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Wedding | — | |
| Sports | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with MP 0.72
Camera family history