Compare Leica SL3 and Sony A9 Mark III

Compare Leica SL3 vs Sony A9 Mark III to see which is better. Check what is the strength and weakness (pros and cons) of Leica SL3 and Sony A9 Mark III.


Compare Leica SL3 VS Sony A9 Mark III to see which is better
Sony A9 Mark III

Leica SL3 is a powerful mirrorless camera designed for professional photographers and enthusiasts. Its high-resolution 60MP image sensor, combined with the Maestro IV Image Processor and advanced hybrid autofocus system, offers exceptional image quality and performance.

Leica SL3 Key Features:

  • Full-frame BSI CMOS Sensor with Triple Resolution Technology (60MP / 36MP / 18MP)
  • Maestro IV Image Processor, 8GB Buffer
  • 5-Axis Sensor-Shift In-Body Image Stabilization (IBIS)
  • Hybrid Autofocus System (Phase Detection AF + Contrast AF + Object Detection AF + AI)
  • 5.67M dots OLED viewfinder and tiltable
  • 3.2" display with 2.3M dots
  • Up to 8K-Video and multiple video formats, including .h265 and ProRes
  • CFexpress Type B & SD UHS-II Card Slots

Sony Alpha 9 III (α9 III) features the world's first full-frame image sensor with a global shutter. It also has some remarkable features like 120fps Continuous Shooting, 1/80,000s shutter speed, a 24.6 MP Stacked CMOS Sensor, an Improved BIONZ XR Image Processing Engine, etc...

Sony Alpha 9 III (α9 III) Key features:

  • Global shutter system: The α9 III, powered by the new Exmor RS, boasts the world's first full-frame image sensor with a global shutter system. 
  • Blackout-Free, 120fps Continuous Shooting: The camera's speed and accuracy allow it to shoot continuous bursts at up to 120 frames per second (fps)
  • It features a maximum shutter speed of 1/80,000 seconds, which allows compatible flash to be synchronized at the same rate.
  • 24.6 MP Stacked CMOS Sensor
  • Evolved BIONZ XR Image Processing Engine with AI recognition and advanced AF capabilities.
  • 759-point phase-detect autofocus system for reliable tracking, making it ideal for sports, wildlife
  • 4K 120p Video
  • In-Body Image Stabilization: 8-stop 5-axis in-body image stabilization
  • 9.44-million-dot electronic viewfinder with a refresh rate of 240 fps.

Reasons To Buy Leica SL3 Mirrorless Camera

Is Leica SL3 is better than Sony A9 Mark III? Here are some the features of Leica SL3 more promising and recommended compared to Sony A9 Mark III.


Released On
Leica SL3
2024-03-07 vs 2024-02-24
Sony A9 Mark III
Sensor Resolution (Effective Pixels)
Leica SL3
60.3 Megapixel vs 24.6 Megapixels
Sony A9 Mark III
Image Resolution Max
Leica SL3
9520 x 6336 vs 6000 x 4000
Sony A9 Mark III
Video Resolution Max
Leica SL3
8192 x 4320 vs 3840 x 2160
Sony A9 Mark III
Has Rolling Electronic Shutter
Leica SL3
Yes vs No
Sony A9 Mark III
Has Mechanical Shutter
Leica SL3
Yes vs No
Sony A9 Mark III
Shutter Speed Min
Leica SL3
3600s vs 30s
Sony A9 Mark III
Mechanical Shutter Speed Max
Leica SL3
1/8000 Seconds vs NA
Sony A9 Mark III
Continuous Shooting Max (Mechanical Shutter)
Leica SL3
7 fps vs NA
Sony A9 Mark III
Screen Resolution
Leica SL3
2300K dots vs 2095K dots
Sony A9 Mark III
Standard ISO Min
Leica SL3
100 vs 250
Sony A9 Mark III
Standard ISO Max
Leica SL3
100000 vs 25600
Sony A9 Mark III
Expandable ISO Min
Leica SL3
50 vs 125
Sony A9 Mark III
Expandable ISO Max
Leica SL3
100000 vs 51200
Sony A9 Mark III
Video Recording Limit
Leica SL3
No Limit vs 13 hours
Sony A9 Mark III


Reasons To Buy Sony A9 Mark III Mirrorless Camera

Is Sony A9 Mark III is better than Leica SL3? Here are some the features of Sony A9 Mark III more promising and recommended compared to Leica SL3.


Indicative Price

The price displayed below is only for the reference. It may vary among different retailers and shops.

Sony A9 Mark III
$5999 vs $6995
Leica SL3
Has Global Shutter
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs No
Leica SL3
Electronic Shutter Speed Max
Sony A9 Mark III
1/80000s vs 1/16000 Seconds
Leica SL3
Continuous Shooting Max (Electronic Shutter)
Sony A9 Mark III
120 fps vs 15 fps
Leica SL3
Viewfinder Resolution
Sony A9 Mark III
9440K dots vs 5760K dots
Leica SL3
Viewfinder Magnification
Sony A9 Mark III
Approx. 0.90x vs Approx. 0.78x
Leica SL3
Display Type
Sony A9 Mark III
Fully Articulated vs Tilting
Leica SL3
Viewfinder Refresh Rate
Sony A9 Mark III
240fps vs 120 fps
Leica SL3
Focus Points (Image)
Sony A9 Mark III
759 Points vs 315 Points
Leica SL3
Weight
Sony A9 Mark III
617g Body Only vs 769.7g Body Only
Leica SL3
Battery Life (Image)
Sony A9 Mark III
~530 shots (LCD monitor) vs ~260 shots
Leica SL3
LAN Terminal
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs No
Leica SL3
PC (Flash) Sync Port
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs No
Leica SL3
Optical Low-Pass (Anti-Alias) Filter
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs No
Leica SL3
Image Stabilisation Compensation
Sony A9 Mark III
8.0 stops vs 5-stops
Leica SL3
Anti-dust Shutter Curtain
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs No
Leica SL3
Flash Sync Speed
Sony A9 Mark III
1/80000s vs 1/200s
Leica SL3
Insect Autofocus
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs No
Leica SL3
Vehicle Tracking Autofocus
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs No
Leica SL3
Stacked Sensor
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs No
Leica SL3


Common Strength And Weakness Of Leica SL3 and Sony A9 Mark III


Sensor Size
Leica SL3
Full Frame vs Full Frame
Sony A9 Mark III
Sensor Cleaning
Leica SL3
Yes vs Yes
Sony A9 Mark III
Video Frame Rate
Leica SL3
8K @ 30p vs 4K @ 120p
Sony A9 Mark III
Display Size
Leica SL3
3.20 inches vs 3.20 inches
Sony A9 Mark III
Has Touch Screen
Leica SL3
Yes vs Yes
Sony A9 Mark III
Built-In Wi-Fi
Leica SL3
Yes vs Yes
Sony A9 Mark III
Built-In Bluetooth
Leica SL3
Bluetooth 5.0 vs Yes
Sony A9 Mark III
HDMI Port
Leica SL3
Type-A HDMI vs Type-A HDMI
Sony A9 Mark III
Type C USB Port
Leica SL3
Yes vs Yes
Sony A9 Mark III
External Microphone
Leica SL3
Yes vs Yes
Sony A9 Mark III
Headphone socket
Leica SL3
Yes vs Yes
Sony A9 Mark III
Memory Card Slots
Leica SL3
2 vs 2
Sony A9 Mark III
AF Joystick
Leica SL3
Yes vs Yes
Sony A9 Mark III
Slow Motion Video
Leica SL3
Yes vs Yes
Sony A9 Mark III
Autofocus Tracking
Leica SL3
Yes vs Yes
Sony A9 Mark III
AF Assist Illuminator
Leica SL3
Yes vs Yes
Sony A9 Mark III
In-body Image Stabilization (IBIS)
Leica SL3
Yes vs Yes
Sony A9 Mark III
NFC
Leica SL3
No vs No
Sony A9 Mark III
Built-in Flash
Leica SL3
No vs No
Sony A9 Mark III
External Flash
Leica SL3
Yes vs Yes
Sony A9 Mark III
Face (Human) Detection Autofocus
Leica SL3
Yes vs Yes
Sony A9 Mark III
Animal/Bird Autofocus
Leica SL3
Yes vs Yes
Sony A9 Mark III
Pixel Shift Multi Shoot
Leica SL3
No vs No
Sony A9 Mark III
Image Color Dept (Bit Dept) Max.
Leica SL3
DNG: 14bit vs 14-bit RAW
Sony A9 Mark III
Image Color Dept (Bit Dept) Max.
Leica SL3
DNG: 14bit vs 14-bit RAW
Sony A9 Mark III


Leica SL3 vs Sony A9 Mark III Specs


Leica SL3
Sony A9 Mark III
General
Released On
2024-03-07
2024-02-24
Model Number
SL3
Alpha A9 III
Indicative Price
$6995
$5999
Lens Mount
Leica L-Mount
Sony E
Sensor
Sensor Type
Full-frame BSI CMOS sensor
Exmor RS CMOS sensor
Sensor Size
Full Frame
Full Frame
Sensor Resolution (Effective Pixels)
60.3 Megapixel
24.6 Megapixels
Sensor Dimension
35.6 x 23.8 mm
35 mm full frame
Sensor Cleaning
Yes
Yes
Anti Dust System
Stacked Sensor
No
Yes
Has 24.6MP stacked CMOS image sensor
Images
Image Resolution Max
9520 x 6336
6000 x 4000
Image Recording Format
DNG (raw data)
JPG
JPEG
HEIF
RAW (Sony arw 5.0 format compliant)
Pixel Shift Multi Shoot
No
No
Image Processor
Maestro IV Processor
BIONZ XR
Image Color Dept (Bit Dept) Max.
DNG: 14bit
JPG: 8bit
14-bit RAW
Image Color Dept (Bit Dept) Max.
DNG: 14bit
JPG: 8bit
14-bit RAW
Videos
Video Resolution Max
8192 x 4320
3840 x 2160
Video Frame Rate
8K @ 30p
4K @ 60p
FullHD @120p
4K @ 120p
FullHD @120p
Slow Motion Video
Yes
Yes
Time Lapse Video
Yes
Has Built-In Intervalometer
Video Recording Limit
No Limit
However limit is dependent upon factors like memory
power
and internal camera temperature.
13 hours
Video Formats
MP4 (h.265; h.264; AAC Audio)
MOV (h.265; h.264; ProRes; LPCM Audio)
XAVC S: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264
XAVC HS: MPEG-H HEVC/H.265
Video Color Dept (Bit Dept) Max.
Unknown
10 Bit
Shutter
Shutter Type
Mechanical Focal Plane Shutter
Electronic Rolling Shutter
Global Electronic Shutter
Has Global Shutter
No
Yes
Has Rolling Electronic Shutter
Yes
No
Has Mechanical Shutter
Yes
No
Shutter Speed Min
3600s
Mechanical Shutter: 3600 Seconds (60 Minutes)
Electronic Shutter: 60 Seconds
30s
Electronic Shutter Speed Max
1/16000 Seconds
1/80000s
Mechanical Shutter Speed Max
1/8000 Seconds
NA
Continuous Shooting Max (Mechanical Shutter)
7 fps
NA
Continuous Shooting Max (Electronic Shutter)
15 fps
120 fps
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Type
Electronic Viewfinder
Electronic Viewfinder
Viewfinder Resolution
5760K dots
9440K dots
Viewfinder Magnification
Approx. 0.78x
Approx. 0.90x
Viewfinder Refresh Rate
120 fps
240fps
Display
Display Type
Tilting
Fully Articulated
Display Size
3.20 inches
3.20 inches
Screen Resolution
2300K dots
2095K dots
Has Touch Screen
Yes
Yes
Focus Features
Focus Points (Image)
315 Points
759 Points
Focus Points (Video)
627 Points
Autofocus Tracking
Yes
Yes
AF Assist Illuminator
Yes
With Built-in LED
Yes
With Built-in LED
In-body Image Stabilization (IBIS)
Yes
5-axis image stabilization
Yes
Sensor-shift mechanism with five-axis compensation
Image Stabilisation Compensation
5-stops
8.0 stops
Face (Human) Detection Autofocus
Yes
Yes
Animal/Bird Autofocus
Yes
Only Animal Detection
Yes
Insect Autofocus
No
Yes
Vehicle Tracking Autofocus
No
Yes
Exposure
Standard ISO Min
100
250
Standard ISO Max
100000
25600
Expandable ISO Min
50
125
Expandable ISO Max
100000
51200
Design
Weight
769.7g Body Only
~853g With Battery
617g Body Only
702g With Battery
Dimensions
Height: 108mm
Width: 141.2mm
Depth: 84.6mm
Height: 96.9mm
Width: 136.1mm
Depth: 82.9mm
Memory Card Slots
2
2
Storage Type
Slot 1: CFexpress Type B
Slot 2: SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II)
Slot1: SDHC and SXDC (UHS-I/II compliant) / CFexpress (Type A)
Slot2: SDHC and SXDC (UHS-I/II compliant) / CFexpress (Type A)
Optical Low-Pass (Anti-Alias) Filter
No
Yes
AF Joystick
Yes
Yes
Anti-dust Shutter Curtain
No
Yes
Power
Battery Type
Leica BP-SCL6 Lithium-ion battery
Rechargeable Battery NP-FZ100
Battery Life (Image)
~260 shots
~530 shots (LCD monitor)
~400 shots (Viewfinder)
Battery Life (Video)
~95min (LCD monitor)
~90min (Viewfinder)
Connectivity
Built-In Wi-Fi
Yes
IEEE802.11b/g/n
Yes
IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz band/5 GHz band)
Built-In Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.0
Yes
Bluetooth V5
HDMI Port
Type-A HDMI
Type-A HDMI
Type C USB Port
Yes
Yes
Micro USB Port
No
Yes
External Microphone
Yes
3.5 mm stereo jack
Yes
3.5 mm Stereo mini jack
Headphone socket
Yes
3.5 mm stereo jack
Yes
3.5 mm Stereo mini jack
LAN Terminal
No
Yes
PC (Flash) Sync Port
No
Yes
NFC
No
No
Flash
Built-in Flash
No
No
External Flash
Yes
Yes
Flash Sync Speed
1/200s
1/80000s
DXOMARK Sensor Scores
DXOMARK Overall Sensor Score
NA
DXOMARK Color Depth (Portrait)
NA
DXOMARK Dynamic Range (Landscape)
NA
DXOMARK Low-Light ISO (Sports)
NA