Leica SL3vs A1
Leica
Leica SL3 (2024)
Starting from £6499 new
Best for Professional & luxury hybrid shooters
View Leica SL3
VS
Sony
A1 (2021)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
View A1
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Professional & Luxury Hybrid Shooters — Leica SL3 (2024): Leica's most capable mirrorless — 60MP, 30fps burst, 8K ProRes, and 7.5-stop IBIS with L-mount's growing lens ecosystem.
Professional Sport, Wildlife, Portrait & Hybrid Shooting — A1 (2021): 50MP, 30fps, 8K — the Sony A1 is the most complete professional camera ever made.
Who should buy what
Leica SL3 (2024)
- Leica photographers who want autofocus full-frame in the L-mount system
- SL2 owners upgrading to 60MP and improved autofocus performance
- Professionals who want Leica build quality with L-mount lens versatility
- Photographers who want to share lenses across Leica, Sigma, and Lumix bodies
A1 (2021)
- Professional photographers who need resolution and speed without compromise
- Sports and wildlife photographers demanding the absolute fastest Sony
- Studio and fashion photographers who also shoot sport or events
- A9 III or A7R V owners who want a single body that does everything
Quick take: The leica sl3 has the highest resolution at 60mp; the a1 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Leica SL3 (2024) | A1 (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,499 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | 50.1MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p, Apple ProRes | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with subject/face/eye detection | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points |
| Stabilisation | 7.5-stop IBIS | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic | 30fps electronic with full AF/AE |
| Battery Life | 410 shots (CIPA) | ~430 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 875g body only | 737g (with battery) |
| Dimensions | 146.0 × 104.0 × 42.0mm | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.78" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps |
| Screen | 3.2" fixed touchscreen | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Leica L-mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD UHS-II | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.1, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Leica SL3 | A1 |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding | — |
More comparisons with Leica SL3
Camera family history