Clicky

Leica M9-P vs Sony A7S II

Portability
78
Imaging
64
Features
30
Overall
50
Leica M9-P front
 
Sony Alpha A7S II front
Portability
68
Imaging
62
Features
76
Overall
67

Leica M9-P vs Sony A7S II Key Specs

Leica M9-P
(Full Review)
  • 18MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 2500
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • No Video
  • Leica M Mount
  • 600g - 139 x 80 x 37mm
  • Launched June 2011
  • Earlier Model is Leica M9
Sony A7S II
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 102400 (Increase to 409600)
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 627g - 127 x 96 x 60mm
  • Introduced October 2015
  • Succeeded the Sony A7S
  • Replacement is Sony A7S III
Google AI Gemini Could Enhance iPhone Experience, Talks Suggest

Leica M9-P vs Sony A7S II Overview

Here is a in-depth assessment of the Leica M9-P vs Sony A7S II, both Pro Mirrorless cameras by competitors Leica and Sony. There is a large difference among the resolutions of the M9-P (18MP) and A7S II (12MP) but both cameras offer the same sensor measurements (Full frame).

Leica struggles with L-Mount camera sales, tougher than Q or M

The M9-P was unveiled 5 years prior to the A7S II and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Leica M9-P being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A7S II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go straight to a detailed comparison, here is a concise overview of how the M9-P grades vs the A7S II with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Peek Behind the Lens of 'Photographer' and Their Go-To Cameras
	
	

Reasons to pick Leica M9-P over the Sony A7S II

 M9-P A7S II 

Reasons to pick Sony A7S II over the Leica M9-P

 A7S II M9-P 
IntroducedOctober 2015June 2011Fresher by 52 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen dimensions3"2.5"Bigger screen (+0.5")
Screen resolution1229k230kSharper screen (+999k dot)

Common features in the Leica M9-P and Sony A7S II

 M9-P A7S II 
Manually focus Dial exact focus
Selfie screen No selfie screen
Touch screen Neither has Touch screen

Leica M9-P vs Sony A7S II Physical Comparison

When you are aiming to carry your camera, you will need to take into account its weight and size. The Leica M9-P has outside dimensions of 139mm x 80mm x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 600 grams (1.32 lbs) whilst the Sony A7S II has specifications of 127mm x 96mm x 60mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.4") with a weight of 627 grams (1.38 lbs).

Check the Leica M9-P vs Sony A7S II in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have attached at the time. Below is a front view size comparison of the M9-P vs the A7S II.

Leica M9-P vs Sony A7S II size comparison

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the M9-P and A7S II is 78 and 68 respectively.

Leica M9-P vs Sony A7S II top view buttons comparison

Leica M9-P vs Sony A7S II Sensor Comparison

Often, it's difficult to envision the contrast in sensor sizing simply by looking through technical specs. The visual here may give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the M9-P and A7S II.

As you can tell, both cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same resolution. You can count on the Leica M9-P to result in more detail having an extra 6MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop shots more aggressively. The older M9-P will be behind in sensor tech.

Leica M9-P vs Sony A7S II sensor size comparison

Leica M9-P vs Sony A7S II Screen and ViewFinder

Leica M9-P vs Sony A7S II Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Nikon Coolpix camera search on Google skyrockets by 8,500%

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Leica M9-P Portrait photography information
Sony A7S II Portrait photography information
70
focusing manually
decent megapixels (18MP)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
saves RAW files
does not have liveview
69
has manual focus
sensor size is big (Full frame)
includes face detection focus
saves RAW formats
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
Europe Approves Revolutionary AI Legislation

Street Comparison

Leica M9-P Street photography info
Sony A7S II Street photography info
64
sensor size is big (Full frame)
saves RAW files
no articulating screen
does not have image stabilization
78
has a tilting screen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
saves RAW formats
environment proofing
good high ISO (102,400)
AI-Powered Photo Editing Tools Could Be Added to WhatsApp

Sports Comparison

Leica M9-P Sports photography info
Sony A7S II Sports photography info
44
decent megapixels (18 megapixels)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
does not have liveview
slow fps (2.0 fps)
no shutter priority
does not have image stabilization
terrible battery (350 per charge)
lack of phase detect AF
58
max shutter speed is good (1/8,000 seconds)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
includes tracking autofocus
environment proofing
painfully slow continuous shooting (5.0 frames/s)
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
low battery (370 shots)
has no phase detect auto focus
TikTok Developing Photo App to Challenge Instagram's Dominance

Travel Comparison

Leica M9-P as a Travel photography camera
Sony A7S II as a Travel photography camera
54
decent megapixels (18 megapixels)
lack of Time Lapse function
terrible battery (350 shots)
screen isn't selfie friendly
49
environment proofing
low battery (370 shots)
sensor resolution low (12MP)
doesn't have selfie friendly display
Apple patent reveals improved iPhone camera durability

Landscape Comparison

Leica M9-P Landscape photography factors
Sony A7S II Landscape photography factors
60
focusing manually
swap lenses (Leica M mount)
decent megapixels (18 megapixels)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
no anti-alias filter
saves RAW files
tiny screen (2.5 inches)
does not have liveview
does not have image stabilization
terrible battery (350 per charge)
lack of Time Lapse function
71
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Sony E mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
good high ISO (102,400)
saves RAW formats
environment proofing
sensor resolution low (12MP)
low battery (370 CIPA)
Ulanzi's Tripod Ensures Ultra Smooth Filming

Vlogging Comparison

Leica M9-P Vlogging factors
Sony A7S II Vlogging factors
9
no video
35
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
includes face detection focus
high res video (3840 x 2160 pxls)
has external microphone jack
doesn't have selfie friendly display
Fujifilm accuses Eastman Kodak of patent violation in new lawsuit

Leica M9-P vs Sony A7S II Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Leica M9-P and Sony A7S II
 Leica M9-PSony Alpha A7S II
General Information
Brand Leica Sony
Model type Leica M9-P Sony Alpha A7S II
Category Pro Mirrorless Pro Mirrorless
Launched 2011-06-21 2015-10-12
Body design Rangefinder-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Chip - Bionz X
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size Full frame Full frame
Sensor measurements 36 x 24mm 35.6 x 23.8mm
Sensor area 864.0mm² 847.3mm²
Sensor resolution 18 megapixels 12 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution 5212 x 3472 4240 x 2832
Highest native ISO 2500 102400
Highest boosted ISO - 409600
Minimum native ISO 80 100
RAW data
Minimum boosted ISO - 50
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
Continuous AF
AF single
AF tracking
Selective AF
AF center weighted
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Total focus points - 169
Lens
Lens mount type Leica M Sony E
Amount of lenses 59 121
Focal length multiplier 1 1
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Tilting
Display diagonal 2.5" 3"
Resolution of display 230k dot 1,229k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Display tech TFT color LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Optical (rangefinder) Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 2,359k dot
Viewfinder coverage - 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification 0.68x 0.78x
Features
Slowest shutter speed 4 secs 30 secs
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/8000 secs
Continuous shooting speed 2.0 frames per second 5.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance no built-in flash no built-in flash
Flash settings Front Curtain, Rear Curtain, Slow sync no built-in flash
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions - 4K (3840 x 2160 @ 30p/24p [60-100Mbps]), Full HD (1920 x 1080 @ 120p/60p/60i/30p/24p [50-100Mbps]), 720p (30p [16Mbps])
Highest video resolution None 3840x2160
Video format - MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 600 gr (1.32 pounds) 627 gr (1.38 pounds)
Physical dimensions 139 x 80 x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") 127 x 96 x 60mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.4")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 68 85
DXO Color Depth rating 22.5 23.6
DXO Dynamic range rating 11.6 13.3
DXO Low light rating 854 2993
Other
Battery life 350 pictures 370 pictures
Battery format Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID - NP-FW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec; continuous (3 or 5 exposures))
Time lapse recording With downloadable app
Storage media SD/SDHC card SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots 1 1
Retail price $7,995 $2,767