Clicky

Leica M9 vs Sony A7 III

Portability
79
Imaging
63
Features
30
Overall
49
Leica M9 front
 
Sony Alpha A7 III front
Portability
63
Imaging
74
Features
92
Overall
81

Leica M9 vs Sony A7 III Key Specs

Leica M9
(Full Review)
  • 18MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 2500
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • No Video
  • Leica M Mount
  • 585g - 139 x 80 x 37mm
  • Announced September 2009
  • Successor is Leica M9-P
Sony A7 III
(Full Review)
  • 24MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 100 - 51200 (Bump to 204800)
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 650g - 127 x 96 x 74mm
  • Released February 2018
  • Old Model is Sony A7 II
  • Newer Model is Sony A7 IV
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Leica M9 vs Sony A7 III Overview

Following is a thorough review of the Leica M9 versus Sony A7 III, both Pro Mirrorless cameras by manufacturers Leica and Sony. There is a big difference among the image resolutions of the M9 (18MP) and A7 III (24MP) but both cameras boast the same sensor measurements (Full frame).

Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

The M9 was released 9 years earlier than the A7 III which is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Leica M9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A7 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the M9 matches up vs the A7 III for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms
	
	

Reasons to pick Leica M9 over the Sony A7 III

 M9 A7 III 

Reasons to pick Sony A7 III over the Leica M9

 A7 III M9 
ReleasedFebruary 2018September 2009More modern by 103 months
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display dimensions3"2.5"Larger display (+0.5")
Display resolution922k230kSharper display (+692k dot)
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Common features in the Leica M9 and Sony A7 III

 M9 A7 III 
Manually focus Dial exact focusing
Selfie screen Neither provides selfie screen

Leica M9 vs Sony A7 III Physical Comparison

If you're going to carry around your camera, you are going to need to take into account its weight and size. The Leica M9 provides outside measurements of 139mm x 80mm x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 585 grams (1.29 lbs) while the Sony A7 III has specifications of 127mm x 96mm x 74mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.9") along with a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).

Contrast the Leica M9 versus Sony A7 III in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are employing at that moment. Following is a front view size comparison of the M9 vs the A7 III.

Leica M9 vs Sony A7 III size comparison

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the M9 and A7 III is 79 and 63 respectively.

Leica M9 vs Sony A7 III top view buttons comparison

Leica M9 vs Sony A7 III Sensor Comparison

Generally, its difficult to see the gap in sensor sizes simply by seeing specs. The image below might give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the M9 and A7 III.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras have the same sensor dimensions but not the same MP. You should anticipate the Sony A7 III to provide more detail as a result of its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more aged M9 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.

Leica M9 vs Sony A7 III sensor size comparison

Leica M9 vs Sony A7 III Screen and ViewFinder

Leica M9 vs Sony A7 III Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Body cameras now worn by bakery staff to deter stealing

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Leica M9
Portrait photography with Sony A7 III
69
manual focus
good MP (18MP)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
delivers RAW files
no liveview
84
has manual focus
sensor resolution is decent (24 megapixels)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
includes face detect focusing
supports RAW formats
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Street Comparison

Leica M9 Street photography factors
Sony A7 III Street photography factors
65
sensor size is large (Full frame)
delivers RAW files
no articulating screen
no image stabilization
78
has a tilting screen
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
supports RAW formats
provides touch focus
weather sealing
very good high ISO (51,200)
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Sports Comparison

Leica M9 as a Sports photography camera
Sony A7 III as a Sports photography camera
44
good MP (18MP)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
no liveview
max frames per second low (2.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority mode
no image stabilization
terrible battery life (350 CIPA)
doesn't have phase detect autofocus
87
high shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor resolution is decent (24 megapixels)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
includes tracking focus
weather sealing
great battery pack (610 shots)
comes with phase detect AF
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Leica M9
Travel photography with Sony A7 III
54
good MP (18MP)
no Time Lapse recording
terrible battery life (350 shots)
display isn't selfie friendly
73
great battery pack (610 per charge)
weather sealing
has bluetooth
provides touch focus
sensor resolution is decent (24MP)
does not contain selfie friendly screen
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Landscape Comparison

Leica M9 as a Landscape photography camera
Sony A7 III as a Landscape photography camera
60
manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Leica M mount)
good MP (18MP)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
doesnt have low pass filter
delivers RAW files
tiny screen (2.5 inch)
no liveview
no image stabilization
terrible battery life (350 per charge)
no Time Lapse recording
85
has manual focus
change lenses (Sony E mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor resolution is decent (24 megapixels)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
very good high ISO (51,200)
supports RAW formats
weather sealing
great battery pack (610 CIPA)
has double storage slots
Photography Glossary

Vlogging Comparison

Leica M9 Vlogging advice
Sony A7 III Vlogging advice
9
lack of video recording
36
touch screen
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
includes face detect focusing
video res high (3840 x 2160 resolution)
does have mic port
does not contain selfie friendly screen
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Leica M9 vs Sony A7 III Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Leica M9 and Sony A7 III
 Leica M9Sony Alpha A7 III
General Information
Manufacturer Leica Sony
Model type Leica M9 Sony Alpha A7 III
Class Pro Mirrorless Pro Mirrorless
Announced 2009-09-09 2018-02-27
Body design Rangefinder-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor - Bionz X
Sensor type CCD BSI-CMOS
Sensor size Full frame Full frame
Sensor dimensions 36 x 24mm 35.8 x 23.8mm
Sensor surface area 864.0mm² 852.0mm²
Sensor resolution 18MP 24MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution 5212 x 3472 6000 x 4000
Max native ISO 2500 51200
Max enhanced ISO - 204800
Min native ISO 80 100
RAW pictures
Min enhanced ISO - 50
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Total focus points - 693
Lens
Lens mount type Leica M Sony E
Available lenses 59 121
Crop factor 1 1
Screen
Range of screen Fixed Type Tilting
Screen sizing 2.5 inch 3 inch
Resolution of screen 230 thousand dot 922 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Screen technology TFT color LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (rangefinder) Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 2,359 thousand dot
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification 0.68x 0.78x
Features
Min shutter speed 4 seconds 30 seconds
Max shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/8000 seconds
Continuous shutter speed 2.0fps 10.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance no built-in flash no built-in flash
Flash modes Front Curtain, Rear Curtain, Slow sync no built-in flash
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Max flash sync 1/180 seconds -
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions - 3840 x 2160 (30p, 24p) 1920 x 1080 (120p, 60p, 60i, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p)
Max video resolution None 3840x2160
Video file format - MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S, H.264
Mic jack
Headphone jack
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 seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 585 grams (1.29 lbs) 650 grams (1.43 lbs)
Physical dimensions 139 x 80 x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") 127 x 96 x 74mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.9")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating 69 96
DXO Color Depth rating 22.5 25.0
DXO Dynamic range rating 11.7 14.7
DXO Low light rating 884 3730
Other
Battery life 350 photographs 610 photographs
Form of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID - NP-FZ100
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec; continuous (3 or 5 exposures))
Time lapse feature
Storage media SD/SDHC card SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots Single Two
Pricing at release $2,750 $1,998