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Sony A7R II vs Leica Q Typ 116

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Sony A7R II

42 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Sony A7R II
$2,398.00
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Leica Q

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

Leica Q
$4,300.00
Sony A7R II vs Leica Q Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Sony A7R II is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 42.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Leica Q is a Large Sensor Compact camera with a 24.0MP Full frame sensor.
Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison. Fortunately, you can't go wrong with any of these cameras as we rank them amongst Top 10 cameras in their classes. Sony A7R II is ranked #3 out of 30 Pro Mirrorless cameras with an overall score of 96 whereas Leica Q is ranked #2 out of 46 Large Sensor Compact cameras with an overall score of 85.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Sony A7R II and Leica Q before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A7R II Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2015-06-10
  • 42MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 25600 ( expands to 50-102400)
  • Sony E Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3″ Tilting Screen
  • 2359k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 5.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 625g. 127 x 96 x 60 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Sony Alpha 7R Compare

Leica Q Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2015-06-10
  • 24MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 50000
  • 28 mm f1.70 Prime Lens
  • Yes Image Stabilization
  • 3″ Fixed Type Screen
  • 3680k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 10.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 640g. 130 x 80 x 93 mm
  • Also known as Typ 116

Sony A7R II was replaced by Sony Alpha A7R III. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha A7R III vs Sony Alpha A7R II
Sony Alpha A7R III vs Leica Q (Typ 116)

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7R II over Leica Q
Articulating Screen Yes vs No Flexible shooting positions
Max Sensor Resolution 42 MP vs 24 MP 75% more pixels
LCD Screen Resolution 1.229k dots vs 1.040k dots 18% higher resolution screen
Weight 625 g vs 640 g 15 g lighter
Microphone Port Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Color Depth 26.0 vs 24.3 higher color depth
Dynamic Range 13.9 vs 12.7 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO 3434 vs 2221 better High ISO performance
Price $2,398 vs $4,300 $1,902 cheaper
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
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
Support for UHS Memory Cards UHS-I vs none Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Reasons to choose Leica Q over Sony Alpha A7R II
Touch Screen Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Max ISO 50.000 vs 25.600 95% higher Max ISO
Max Shutter Speed 1/16000s vs 1/8000s faster shutter speed
Continuous Shooting 10.0fps vs 5.0fps 5 fps faster
Timelapse Recording Yes vs With optional app creative shooting
Viewfinder Resolution 3680k dot vs 2359k dot 55% higher resolution
Sensor Pixel Area 36.00µm2 vs 20.33µm2 77% larger pixel area
Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7R II and Leica Q
Wireless Connection Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift vs Yes All the lenses are stabilized
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 42 MP vs 24 MP Bigger prints and more details
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 A7R II and Leica Q
Built-in Flash No vs No Require external flash
Sony A7R II vs Leica Q: Physical Specs Comparison

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7R II and Leica Q. Sony A7R II is 3mm narrower and 33mm thinner than Leica Q but it is also 16mm taller. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Leica Q has a built-in lens but Sony A7R II doesn't. Once you put a lens on A7R II, its thickness will increase significantly.

Sony A7R II vs Leica Q Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7R II and Leica Q.
Sony A7R II vs Leica Q Camera Size Comparison - Top View

Sony A7R II vs Leica Q Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A7R II is 15g lighter than the Leica Q but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on A7R II, the total kit will weigh much higher.
Sony A7R II vs Leica Q: Sensor Comparison

Sony A7R II has a 42.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor. On the other hand, Leica Q has a 24.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Maestro II processor.

Sony A7R II's sensor provides 18MP more than Leica Q's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Another difference between these two cameras is that Sony A7R II'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 A7R II and Q Typ 116 sensor size comparison.

Sony A7R II vs Leica Q Sensor Size Comparison


Sony A7R II and Leica Q 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 A7R II and Leica Q Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7R II and Leica Q 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 A7R II for Portrait Photography

EXCELLENT

Leica Q for Portrait Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
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
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Sony A7R II for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Leica Q for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 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
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f1.70
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Read the details

Sony A7R II for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Leica Q for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
399 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
Poor Battery Life: 290 shots
Read the details
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/16000s
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
28 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Sony A7R II for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Leica Q for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
625g
Body Thickness 60mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Compact Body
640g
Body Thickness 93mm
Read the details

Sony A7R II for Landscape Photography

EXCELLENT

Leica Q for Landscape Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details


Sony A7R II vs Leica Q: 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 A7R II and Leica Q, 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 A7R II and Leica Q scores compare:

Sony A7R II
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #2 out of 49 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #5 out of 1131 in all Cameras
Leica Q
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #2 out of 44 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked #29 out of 1131 in all Cameras

Sony A7R II is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Leica Q in all criterias. It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Sony A7R II
Sony A7R II
$2,398.00

Leica Q
Leica Q
$4,300.00

Leica Q vs Sony A7R II Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7R II Leica Q
Brand Sony Leica
Announced 2015-06-10 2015-06-10
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless Large sensor compact
Price $2,398.00 $4,300.00
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame Full frame
Dimensions 35.9 x 24 mm 36 x 24 mm
Area 861.60mm2 864.00mm2
Megapixels 42 megapixels 24 megapixels
Max Resolution 7974 x 5316 6000 x 4000
Max Native Light sensitivity 25,600 ISO 50,000 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 102400 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 100 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 399 n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E fixed lens
Number of Available Lenses 83 n/a
Lens Focal Range no lens 28 mm (1×)
Max Aperture no lens F1.7
Macro Focus Range no lens 17cm
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
Size 3″ 3″
Resolution 1,229k dots 1,040k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 2,359k dots 3,680k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78 n/a
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000s 1/16000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Yes
Built-in Flash
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps 10.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 1920 x 1080
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 625g 640g
Dimensions 127 x 96 x 60mm 130 x 80 x 93mm
Battery Life 290 shots n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 98 85
DxO Color Depth 26.0 24.3
DxO Dynamic Range 13.9 12.7
DxO Low Light ISO 3434 2221
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