Leica SL3vs Sony A9 III
Leica
Leica SL3 (2024)
Starting from £6499 new
Best for Professional & luxury hybrid shooters
View Leica SL3
Sony
Sony A9 III (2023)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Sports & action professionals
View Sony A9 III
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.
Sports & Action Professionals — Sony A9 III (2023): A paradigm-shifting camera — the global shutter eliminates every rolling shutter limitation that has constrained action photography for years.
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
Sony A9 III (2023)
- Professional sports photographers who need zero blackout and 120fps burst
- Wildlife photographers who demand the most advanced Sony AF available
- Photojournalists who need flash sync at any shutter speed
- A9 II owners upgrading to the world's first full-frame global shutter
Quick take: The leica sl3 has the highest resolution at 60mp; the sony a9 iii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Leica SL3 (2024) | Sony A9 III (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,499 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.6MP full-frame Exmor RS CMOS (global shutter) |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | 24.6MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p, Apple ProRes | 4K/120p, 4K/60p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with subject/face/eye detection | AI subject recognition AF, 759-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | 7.5-stop IBIS | 8-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic | 120fps blackout-free electronic |
| Battery Life | 410 shots (CIPA) | 530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 875g body only | 703g body only |
| Dimensions | 146.0 × 104.0 × 42.0mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.78" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots | 0.64" Quad-XGA OLED EVF, 9.44M dots |
| Screen | 3.2" fixed touchscreen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Leica L-mount | Sony FE (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 3.2, HDMI A, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Leica SL3 | Sony A9 III |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wedding & Events | ||
| Travel | ||
| Wildlife | — |
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