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Sony A7 II vs Leica SL

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Sony A7 II

24 MP | Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony A7 II
$1,398.00
10%
off
Change

Leica SL

24 MP | Full frame (36 x 24 mm) CMOS Sensor

Leica SL
$7,450.00
Sony A7 II vs Leica SL Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Pro Mirrorless cameras. Both Sony A7 II and Leica SL cameras have 24.0MP Full frame sensors. We can expect this to be a close match up because both models are ranked amongst the best in Pro Mirrorless cameras. Out of 30 cameras in this class, Sony A7 II is ranked #8 with an overall score of 89 and Leica SL is ranked #6 with an overall score of 90.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Sony A7 II and Leica SL before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A7 II Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-11-20
  • 24MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Sony E (NEX) Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3″ Tilting Screen
  • 2359k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 5.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 599g. 127 x 96 x 60 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Sony Alpha 7 Compare

Leica SL Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2015-10-21
  • 24MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 50 - 50000
  • Leica T Mount
  • 3″ Fixed Type Screen
  • 4400k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 11.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 4096 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • Built-in GPS
  • 847g. 147 x 104 x 39 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Also known as Typ 601

Sony A7 II was replaced by Sony Alpha A7 III. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha A7 III vs Sony Alpha A7 II
Sony Alpha A7 III vs Leica SL (Typ 601)

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7 II over Leica SL
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift vs None All the lenses are stabilized
Articulating Screen Yes vs No Flexible shooting positions
Number of Focus Points 117 vs 49 68 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution 1.230k dots vs 1.040k dots 18% higher resolution screen
Weight 599 g vs 847 g 248 g lighter
Dynamic Range 13.6 vs 13.4 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO 2449 vs 1821 better High ISO performance
Price $1,398 vs $7,450 $6,052 cheaper
AE Bracketing Range ±5 EV vs ±3 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
NFC Connection Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Reasons to choose Leica SL over Sony Alpha A7 II
Touch Screen Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
GPS BuiltIn vs None track your location
Max ISO 50.000 vs 25.600 95% higher Max ISO
Continuous Shooting 11.0fps vs 5.0fps 6 fps faster
Battery Life 400 shots vs 350 shots 50 more frames with a single charge
Timelapse Recording Yes vs With optional app creative shooting
Viewfinder Resolution 4400k dot vs 2359k dot 86% higher resolution
Color Depth 25.0 vs 24.9 higher color depth
Max Video Resolution 4096 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
Top LCD Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
Flash Sync Port Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
Storage Slot 2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Support for UHS Memory Cards UHS-II vs none Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7 II and Leica SL
Wireless Connection Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
External Flash Shoe Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic) Better framing and control
RAW Support Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution 24 MP vs 24 MP Bigger prints and more details
Microphone Port Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port Yes vs Yes better video control
Environmental Sealing Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
AE Bracketing Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Smartphone Remote Control Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7 II and Leica SL
Built-in Flash No vs No Require external flash
Sony A7 II vs Leica SL: Physical Specs Comparison

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7 II and Leica SL. Sony A7 II is 20mm narrower and 8mm shorter than Leica SL but it is also 21mm thicker.

Sony A7 II vs Leica SL Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7 II and Leica SL.
Sony A7 II vs Leica SL Camera Size Comparison - Top View

Sony A7 II vs Leica SL Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A7 II is significantly lighter (248g ) than the Leica SL which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since both Sony A7 II and Leica SL have the same Full frame sized sensor, their lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will be similar in size and weight.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7 II
SL
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7 II
SL
Min
Average
Max
Sony A7 II vs Leica SL: Sensor Comparison

Both Sony A7 II and Leica SL have Full frame sized 24.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.

Another difference between these two cameras is that Leica SL's sensor lacks anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the A7 II and SL sensor size comparison.

Sony A7 II vs Leica SL Sensor Size Comparison


Sony A7 II and Leica SL have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Sony A7 II and Leica SL Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7 II and Leica SL for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Sony A7 II for Portrait Photography

EXCELLENT

Leica SL for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A7 II for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Leica SL for Street Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A7 II for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Leica SL for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
117 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
Read the details
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 11.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
49 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A7 II for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Leica SL for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
599g
Body Thickness 60mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
847g
Read the details

Sony A7 II for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Leica SL for Landscape Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Built-in GPS
Read the details


Leica SL vs Sony A7 II Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Sony A7 II has an advantage over Leica SL. There are 83 lenses for Sony A7 II's Sony E (NEX) mount, on the other hand there are only 3 lenses for Leica SL's Leica T lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Sony A7 II has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. On the other hand, Leica SL doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 0 lenses for Leica T mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Sony A7 II Lenses # of Leica SL Lenses
Standard Zoom 9 (7 Full Frame) 1 (0 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 13 (5 Full Frame) 1 (0 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 4 (3 Full Frame) n/a
Wideangle Prime 27 (14 Full Frame) 1 (0 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 6 (5 Full Frame) n/a
Telephoto Prime 10 (7 Full Frame) n/a
SuperZoom 8 (1 Full Frame) n/a
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 1 (0 Full Frame) n/a
Macro Prime 4 (3 Full Frame) n/a
Perspective Control Prime 1 (1 Full Frame) n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 83 (46 Full Frame) 3 (0 Full Frame)
Sony A7 II vs Leica SL: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Sony A7 II and Leica SL, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Sony A7 II and Leica SL scores compare:

Sony A7 II
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #8 out of 49 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #17 out of 1131 in all Cameras
Leica SL
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #5 out of 49 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #11 out of 1131 in all Cameras

Leica SL has a higher Overall Score than the Sony A7 II and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Sony A7 II
Sony A7 II
$1,398.00
10%
off

Leica SL
Leica SL
$7,450.00

Leica SL vs Sony A7 II Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7 II Leica SL
Brand Sony Leica
Announced 2014-11-20 2015-10-21
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Price $1,398.00 $7,450.00
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame Full frame
Dimensions 35.8 x 23.9 mm 36 x 24 mm
Area 855.62mm2 864.00mm2
Megapixels 24 megapixels 24 megapixels
Max Resolution 6000 x 4000 6000 x 4000
Max Native Light sensitivity 25,600 ISO 50,000 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 51200 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 50 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 50 ISO -
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 117 49
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E (NEX) Leica T
Number of Available Lenses 83 3
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
Size 3″ 3″
Resolution 1,230k dots 1,040k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 2,359k dots 4,400k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.71 0.8
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps 11.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 4096 x 2160
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S MPEG-4
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 599g 847g
Dimensions 127 x 96 x 60mm 147 x 104 x 39mm
Battery Life 350 shots 400 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App
GPS None BuiltIn
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 90 88
DxO Color Depth 24.9 25.0
DxO Dynamic Range 13.6 13.4
DxO Low Light ISO 2449 1821
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