Leica SL3vs A9
Leica
Leica SL3 (2024)
Starting from £6499 new
Best for Professional & luxury hybrid shooters
View Leica SL3
Sony
A9 (2017)
Starting from £1999 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & action photography
View A9
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 Sports, Wildlife & Action Photography — A9 (2017): The camera that changed professional photography — the A9's 20fps blackout-free burst and silent shutter proved mirrorless had definitively surpassed the DSLR.
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
A9 (2017)
- Sports photographers who want the original 20fps mirrorless at a lower used price than the A9 II
- Wildlife photographers who need blackout-free burst with fast, reliable tracking
- Sony FE system users who want a professional sports body
- Photographers interested in the camera that changed the industry
Quick take: The leica sl3 has the highest resolution at 60mp; the a9 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Leica SL3 (2024) | A9 (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,499 | £1,999 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p, Apple ProRes | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with subject/face/eye detection | 693 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking |
| Stabilisation | 7.5-stop IBIS | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic | 20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE) |
| Battery Life | 410 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 875g body only | 673g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 146.0 × 104.0 × 42.0mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 63.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.78" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots | EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification, 60fps refresh (blackout-free) |
| Screen | 3.2" fixed touchscreen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Leica L-mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD UHS-II | Dual SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.1, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Leica SL3 | A9 |
|---|---|---|
| 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