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Leica M-Monochrom vs Sony A7R IV

Portability
78
Imaging
65
Features
23
Overall
48
Leica M-Monochrom front
 
Sony Alpha A7R IV front
Portability
62
Imaging
81
Features
93
Overall
85

Leica M-Monochrom vs Sony A7R IV Key Specs

Leica M-Monochrom
(Full Review)
  • 18MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 160 - 10000
  • No Video
  • Leica M Mount
  • 600g - 139 x 80 x 37mm
  • Announced May 2012
Sony A7R IV
(Full Review)
  • 61MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 32000 (Bump to 102800)
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 665g - 129 x 96 x 78mm
  • Revealed July 2019
  • Replaced the Sony A7R III
  • Newer Model is Sony A7R V
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Leica M-Monochrom vs Sony A7R IV Overview

On this page, we will be looking at the Leica M-Monochrom and Sony A7R IV, both Pro Mirrorless digital cameras by companies Leica and Sony. There is a sizable difference between the resolutions of the M-Monochrom (18MP) and A7R IV (61MP) but both cameras boast the same sensor measurements (Full frame).

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The M-Monochrom was launched 8 years prior to the A7R IV which is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Leica M-Monochrom being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A7R IV being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going right into a in depth comparison, here is a quick view of how the M-Monochrom scores against the A7R IV for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Photography Glossary
	
	

Reasons to pick Leica M-Monochrom over the Sony A7R IV

 M-Monochrom A7R IV 

Reasons to pick Sony A7R IV over the Leica M-Monochrom

 A7R IV M-Monochrom 
RevealedJuly 2019May 2012Newer by 87 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen dimensions3"2.5"Bigger screen (+0.5")
Screen resolution1440k230kClearer screen (+1210k dot)
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Common features in the Leica M-Monochrom and Sony A7R IV

 M-Monochrom A7R IV 
Manual focus Very precise focusing
Selfie screen Missing selfie screen

Leica M-Monochrom vs Sony A7R IV Physical Comparison

If you're looking to travel with your camera often, you will want to consider its weight and size. The Leica M-Monochrom comes with exterior measurements of 139mm x 80mm x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 600 grams (1.32 lbs) and the Sony A7R IV has specifications of 129mm x 96mm x 78mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 3.1") with a weight of 665 grams (1.47 lbs).

Analyze the Leica M-Monochrom and Sony A7R IV in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have attached at that moment. Underneath is a front view over all size comparison of the M-Monochrom versus the A7R IV.

Leica M-Monochrom vs Sony A7R IV size comparison

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the M-Monochrom and A7R IV is 78 and 62 respectively.

Leica M-Monochrom vs Sony A7R IV top view buttons comparison

Leica M-Monochrom vs Sony A7R IV Sensor Comparison

Generally, it can be hard to picture the contrast between sensor dimensions only by checking a spec sheet. The pic here should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the M-Monochrom and A7R IV.

As you can see, both the cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit different MP. You can expect the Sony A7R IV to give you more detail utilizing its extra 43 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs more aggressively. The more aged M-Monochrom is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.

Leica M-Monochrom vs Sony A7R IV sensor size comparison

Leica M-Monochrom vs Sony A7R IV Screen and ViewFinder

Leica M-Monochrom vs Sony A7R IV Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Leica M-Monochrom Portrait photography factors
Sony A7R IV Portrait photography factors
71
focusing manually
sensor resolution is decent (18 megapixels)
large sensor size (Full frame)
supports RAW files
no liveview feature
88
you can focus manually
great MP (61MP)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
includes face detection autofocus
exports RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Leica M-Monochrom
Street photography with Sony A7R IV
65
large sensor size (Full frame)
supports RAW files
no articulating screen
does not have image stabilization
79
has a tilting screen
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
exports RAW formats
features touch focus
weather proof
great high ISO (32,000)
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Sports Comparison

Leica M-Monochrom Sports photography info
Sony A7R IV Sports photography info
45
sensor resolution is decent (18 megapixels)
large sensor size (Full frame)
no liveview feature
slow frames per second (2.0 fps)
no shutter priority mode
does not have image stabilization
terrible battery pack (350 CIPA)
lacks phase detect autofocus
90
max shutter speed is good (1/8,000 seconds)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
great MP (61MP)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
includes tracking autofocus
weather proof
great battery power (670 shots)
supports phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Leica M-Monochrom Travel photography details
Sony A7R IV Travel photography details
54
sensor resolution is decent (18 megapixels)
no Timelapse mode
terrible battery pack (350 per charge)
screen isn't selfie friendly
74
great battery power (670 shots)
weather proof
supports bluetooth
features touch focus
great MP (61MP)
doesn't posses selfie friendly screen
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Landscape Comparison

Leica M-Monochrom Landscape photography features
Sony A7R IV Landscape photography features
58
focusing manually
change lenses (Leica M mount)
sensor resolution is decent (18MP)
large sensor size (Full frame)
supports RAW files
tiny screen (2.5 inch)
no liveview feature
does not have image stabilization
terrible battery pack (350 per charge)
no Timelapse mode
88
you can focus manually
change lenses (Sony E mount)
screen is a decent size (3")
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
great MP (61 megapixels)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
does not have low pass filter
great high ISO (32,000)
exports RAW formats
weather proof
great battery power (670 per charge)
2 card slots
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Leica M-Monochrom
Vlogging with Sony A7R IV
9
no video recording
37
screen is touchscreen
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
includes face detection autofocus
good video quality (3840 x 2160 resolution)
comes with external microphone support
doesn't posses selfie friendly screen
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Leica M-Monochrom vs Sony A7R IV Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Leica M-Monochrom and Sony A7R IV
 Leica M-MonochromSony Alpha A7R IV
General Information
Company Leica Sony
Model type Leica M-Monochrom Sony Alpha A7R IV
Type Pro Mirrorless Pro Mirrorless
Announced 2012-05-10 2019-07-16
Physical type Rangefinder-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Chip - Bionz X
Sensor type CCD BSI-CMOS
Sensor size Full frame Full frame
Sensor measurements 36 x 24mm 35.8 x 23.8mm
Sensor surface area 864.0mm² 852.0mm²
Sensor resolution 18 megapixel 61 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 5212 x 3472 9504 x 6336
Maximum native ISO 10000 32000
Maximum boosted ISO - 102800
Min native ISO 160 100
RAW support
Min boosted ISO - 50
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Total focus points - 567
Lens
Lens mount type Leica M Sony E
Amount of lenses 59 121
Crop factor 1 1
Screen
Type of screen Fixed Type Tilting
Screen size 2.5 inches 3 inches
Resolution of screen 230 thousand dots 1,440 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Screen tech TFT color LCD with a sapphire glass LCD cover -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (rangefinder) Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 5,760 thousand dots
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification 0.68x 0.78x
Features
Lowest shutter speed 32s 30s
Highest shutter speed 1/4000s 1/8000s
Continuous shooting rate 2.0 frames per sec 10.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance no built-in flash no built-in flash
Flash options Front Curtain, Rear Curtain, Slow sync Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync., Red-eye reduction, Wireless, Hi-speed sync.
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Highest flash synchronize 1/180s 1/250s
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions - 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM
Maximum video resolution None 3840x2160
Video format - MPEG-4, XAVC S, H.264
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 3.1 Gen 1(5 GBit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 600 grams (1.32 pounds) 665 grams (1.47 pounds)
Physical dimensions 139 x 80 x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") 129 x 96 x 78mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 3.1")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested 99
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 26.0
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 14.8
DXO Low light rating not tested 3344
Other
Battery life 350 pictures 670 pictures
Battery style Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID - NP-FZ100
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes
Time lapse feature
Storage type SD/SDHC card Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II compatible)
Card slots 1 Two
Price at launch $7,950 $3,498