MP 0.72vs FX3
Leica
MP 0.72 (2003)
Starting from £4850 new
Best for Street, Documentary & Reportage Film Photography
View MP 0.72
VS
Sony
FX3 (2021)
Starting from £3799 new
Best for Professional video, documentary & cinematic filmmaking
View FX3
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.
Professional Video, Documentary & Cinematic Filmmaking — FX3 (2021): The definitive run-and-gun cinema camera — A7S III sensor quality in a body built specifically for video professionals.
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
FX3 (2021)
- Professional videographers and filmmakers who need cinema-quality colour science in a compact body
- Documentary and run-and-gun shooters who need 4K/120p and built-in XLR audio
- Sony A7S III owners who want a purpose-built video body alongside their stills camera
- Gimbal and drone operators who need a compact full-frame cinema camera
Quick take: The fx3 is the most affordable; only the fx3 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | MP 0.72 (2003) | FX3 (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £4,850 | £3,799 |
| Sensor | 35mm film | 12.1MP full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS (same as A7S III) |
| Resolution | — | 12.1MP |
| Video | — | 4K/120p, 4K/60p 10-bit, 12-bit RAW output, S-Log3, S-Cinetone |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder — coupled 0.72× viewfinder | Real-time tracking with subject recognition (human, animal) |
| Stabilisation | — | 5-axis IBIS — 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | ~1fps (manual film advance) | 10fps mechanical, 10fps electronic |
| Battery Life | Effectively unlimited — battery powers meter only | ~640 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 600g (body only) | 715g body only (with XLR handle) |
| Dimensions | 138 × 77 × 38mm | 129.7 × 78.0 × 84.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.72× magnification, 28–135mm framelines | None — monitor/external EVF use only |
| Screen | None | 3.0" touchscreen, fully articulating |
| Mount | Leica M-mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 recommended) | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | None | USB-C (10Gbps), full-size HDMI, XLR via handle, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | MP 0.72 | FX3 |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Low Light | — | |
| Wedding | — |
More comparisons with MP 0.72
Camera family history