Sony RX1R II vs Leica Q: The $4,000 Question

On the off chance your great aunt just left you $5,000 and you have a burning desire to have a fixed focal length, full-frame sensor point and shoo...

On the off chance your great aunt just left you $5,000 and you have a burning desire to have a fixed focal length, full-frame sensor point and shoot, you now have two great options: the Sony RX1R II and the Leica Q.

Why would anyone in their right mind spend that kind of cash on a non-zooming, non-interchangeable lens camera? Well, a fixed focal length means you can really optimize the image quality for a given sensor/lens combination. And let’s face it, heavy cameras are hell on your back, and difficult to travel with. #firstworldproblems! Let’s look at the specs!

Sony RX1R II

Leica Q

Price

$3299

$4250

Sensor

42MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS Sensor

24.2 MP Full-Frame CMOS Sensor

Lens

Zeiss Sonnar T* 35mm f/2 Lens

Leica Summilux 28mm f/1.7 ASPH Lens

Viewfinder

0.39″ 2.36M-Dot XGA OLED Tru-Finder EVF

3.68 MP LCOS Electronic Viewfinder

ISO Range

ISO 102400 & Uncompressed 14-Bit RAW

ISO 50,000 & 10 fps Continuous Shooting

Shutter

Mechanical shutter.
Speed: 1/4000 – 30 seconds

Mechanical shutter. Speed: 30 – 1/2000 second
Electronic shutter. Speed: 1/2500 – 1/16000 second

Flash Sync

1/2000

1/500

Size/Weight

113.3 x 65.4 x 72.0 mm; 507g

130.0 x 80.0 x 93.0 mm; 640g

Misc

Built-in WiFi & NFC
Built-in optical low-pass filter
Articulating rear screen

Built-in WiFi
3″ LCD Touchscreen

In reviewing the specs, I’m torn. I love the faster lens of the Leica Q, and the focusing mechanism is reportedly lightning fast.

On the other hand, the Sony RX1R II is smaller, which is arguably one of the most important features of a compact point and shoot. I like the faster flash sync, better ISO range, and I have a suspicion that the articulating screen is going to be more practical than anticipated. But 42MP seems a bit overkill. I have enough trouble handling my 36MP Nikon D800 files.

If you’re in the market for either of these cameras, it’s unlikely that the $1,000 price difference will matter. So which feature(s) will sway you to part with your dear great aunt’s money? And why not one of each?

Updated: Both units support WiFi.