Sony A7R vs Leica SL (Typ 601)

Cameras
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Sony A7R vs Leica SL (Typ 601)

35mm 861.6mm²
36.4 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A7R Review.
See real-world photos taken with the A7R.

35mm 864.0mm²
24.2 megapixels
ISO 50 - 50,000

Go in depth with our full Leica SL (Typ 601) Review.
How does it shoot? Leica SL (Typ 601) in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the SL (Typ 601).
What’s the bottom line? Read our Leica SL (Typ 601) conclusion.

Succeeded by the Sony A7R II
Compare A7R vs A7R II

Succeeded by the Leica SL2
Compare SL (Typ 601) vs SL2

Compare SONY A7R II vs LEICA SL2

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Differences

Sony A7R advantages over Leica SL (Typ 601)

Less expensive
$1799 vs $3605
Save money for lenses or accessories
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A7R test data on DxO Mark SL (Typ 601) test data on DxO Mark

2,746 vs 1,821 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
Lighter weight
465g vs 847g
Lighter weight
More pixels
36.4 vs 24.2 megapixels
Higher resolution photos

Leica SL (Typ 601) advantages over Sony A7R

Bigger pixels
~ 6.00 vs 4.88 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Shoot 4K video
4K (DCI) vs 1080p
Make sure you have a fast computer
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Fast startup
~1.10 vs 2.0 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Built-in GPS
GPS vs None
Geotag your photos
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Higher max flash sync
1/250 vs 1/160 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
Less shutter lag
0.18 vs 0.36 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
More viewfinder magnification
0.80x vs 0.71x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Faster JPEG shooting
10.6 fps vs 4.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
Unlimited vs 15 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
10.5 fps vs 4.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
33 vs 15 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Faster shutter
1/16000 vs 1/8000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Similarities

Common Strengths

Focus peaking
Both provide
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
External Mic Jack
Both provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Headphone jack
Both provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Neither provide
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Internal flash
Neither provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash

User reviews

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Review Excerpt

Incredibly small body for a fully-featured, full-frame camera; Resolution that rivals a medium-format camera; Excellent image quality even at very high sensitivities; Decent performance bearing in mind its extremely high resolution; Accepts existing Alpha-mount and E-mount lenses, and can optionally crop to APS-C image circle.
Extreme resolution makes focus and lens quality critical; Modest performance; Loud shutter; Lacks hybrid autofocus of the A7; Mediocre battery life when using electronic viewfinder; Slow X-sync; Limited selection of native Sony FE lenses.
Read our Sony A7R Review

Superb build quality; Amazing EVF; Great image quality from RAW files; Good high ISO performance; Very good dynamic range; Very low shutter lag; Fast AF on stationary objects; Class-leading ~11 fps burst mode; 4K DCI and UHD video; Full HD up to 120p. Built-in Wi-Fi and GPS; Dual card slots; Decent battery life for its class.
Big for a full-frame mirrorless camera; Very slow buffer clearing; Contrast-detect AF system struggles with moving subjects; In-camera JPEGs are muted and dull; Very limited native lens selection (but supports many other Leica lenses via adapters); Expensive.
Read our Leica SL (Typ 601) Review

The Competition

Compared to Sony A7

Sony A7R

Sony A7

$1799
35mm

Higher effective ISO
More pixels

$748
35mm

Less expensive
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony A7R vs Sony A7

Leica SL (Typ 601)

Sony A7

$3802
35mm

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

$748
35mm

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

Compare Leica SL (Typ 601) vs Sony A7

Compared to Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246)

Sony A7R

Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246)

$1799
35mm

Lens selection
Less expensive

$7595
35mm

Bigger pixels
Longer exposure

Compare Sony A7R vs Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246)

Leica SL (Typ 601)

Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246)

$3802
35mm

Less expensive
Shoot 4K video

$7595
35mm

Compare Leica SL (Typ 601) vs Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246)

Compared to Sony A7R II

Sony A7R

Sony A7R II

$1799
35mm

Less expensive
Lighter weight

$2898
35mm

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Shoot 4K video

Compare Sony A7R vs Sony A7R II

Leica SL (Typ 601)

Sony A7R II

$3802
35mm

Bigger pixels
Touchscreen

$2898
35mm

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Leica SL (Typ 601) vs Sony A7R II

Compared to Leica M (Typ 262)

Sony A7R

Leica M (Typ 262)

$1799
35mm

Lens selection
Focus peaking

$4995
35mm

Bigger pixels
Longer exposure

Compare Sony A7R vs Leica M (Typ 262)

Leica SL (Typ 601)

Leica M (Typ 262)

$3802
35mm

Focus peaking
Less expensive

$4995
35mm

Lighter weight

Compare Leica SL (Typ 601) vs Leica M (Typ 262)

Compared to Leica M-D (Typ 262)

Sony A7R

Leica M-D (Typ 262)

$1799
35mm

Rear display
Lens selection

$5995
35mm

Bigger pixels
Longer exposure

Compare Sony A7R vs Leica M-D (Typ 262)

Leica SL (Typ 601)

Leica M-D (Typ 262)

$3802
35mm

Rear display
Focus peaking

$5995
35mm

Compare Leica SL (Typ 601) vs Leica M-D (Typ 262)

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