Leica T vs Sony NEX-F3 — Which Is Better?

The Leica T and Sony NEX-F3 are both mirrorless cameras built around APS-C CMOS sensors, separated mainly by their native lens systems. The T, announced in 2014, uses the Leica T mount, while the NEX-F3 from 2012 uses Sony E mount, so your lens choices follow the brand you pick. Neither camera has a built-in viewfinder, so both are composed on the rear screen.

The Sony is the lighter camera at 314 g, against 384 g for the Leica, a 70 g difference. Body shapes differ as well. The T measures 134 x 69 x 33 mm, while the NEX-F3 is shorter and narrower at 117 x 67 x 42 mm. The Sony saves length and height, while the Leica is the thinner body front to back.

The NEX-F3 is the stronger choice for tracking a moving subject, because it offers 25 autofocus points against a single point on the T. That gives the Sony far more freedom to place focus off-centre, which matters for children, pets and street scenes. The Leica's solitary point makes framing around your subject a slower, recompose-and-shoot exercise.

Resolution is effectively a tie: 16 MP on the T against 16.1 MP on the NEX-F3, both on APS-C CMOS sensors, so neither gives a cropping advantage. The Sony reaches 16000 ISO against the Leica's 12500 ISO, and the Leica's 100 ISO standard base suits wide apertures in daylight, where the Sony starts at 200 ISO. Burst rates are close at 5 fps versus 5.5 fps, and both share a 1/4000 second shutter limit.

The Leica T is the better pick if video quality matters, recording Full HD where the NEX-F3 tops out at Standard HD. For family clips or web use, the extra resolution gives sharper footage on modern displays and more latitude if you crop in editing. Both cameras record MP4 files.

Frame rate is a shared limit, with both cameras reaching 30 fps, so neither offers slow-motion capture. Neither has a built-in timelapse function, so interval work means an external trigger or manual shooting for both.

The Leica T offers touch control and built-in Wi-Fi, and the NEX-F3 has neither. Tapping to set the focus point or swipe through images is quicker than button navigation, and Wi-Fi sends photos straight to a phone for sharing. The Sony's advantage is its flip screen, which tilts for waist-level and overhead angles, while the Leica's screen is fixed.

The T's screen is also the larger, sharper display, at 3.7 inches with 1,300,000 dots against 3 inches and 920,000 dots on the Sony, which helps when checking critical focus after a shot. Both cameras have a built-in flash and an external flash shoe, and neither is weather sealed.

The NEX-F3 is the better camera for a long day out, rated for 470 shots against 400 on the T under their standard test conditions. The T uses a BP-DC13 battery and the Sony an NP-FW50, and neither camera supports USB charging.

The Sony accepts SD, SDHC and SDXC cards plus Memory Stick Pro Duo and Pro-HG Duo media, while the Leica takes only the SD family. If you already own Memory Stick cards from older Sony gear, the NEX-F3 keeps them usable. Both cameras have a single card slot.