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Leica M-E Typ 220 vs Sony NEX-5

Portability
79
Imaging
65
Features
28
Overall
50
Leica M-E Typ 220 front
 
Sony Alpha NEX-5 front
Portability
89
Imaging
54
Features
58
Overall
55

Leica M-E Typ 220 vs Sony NEX-5 Key Specs

Leica M-E Typ 220
(Full Review)
  • 18MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 2500
  • No Video
  • Leica M Mount
  • 585g - 139 x 80 x 37mm
  • Introduced September 2012
Sony NEX-5
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 200 - 12800
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 287g - 111 x 59 x 38mm
  • Introduced June 2010
  • Updated by Sony NEX-5N
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Leica M-E Typ 220 vs Sony NEX-5 Overview

On this page, we will be looking at the Leica M-E Typ 220 vs Sony NEX-5, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Leica and Sony. There is a substantial difference among the image resolutions of the M-E Typ 220 (18MP) and NEX-5 (14MP) and the M-E Typ 220 (Full frame) and NEX-5 (APS-C) provide different sensor dimensions.

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The M-E Typ 220 was brought out 2 years after the NEX-5 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before we go into a complete comparison, here is a brief overview of how the M-E Typ 220 scores against the NEX-5 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Leica M-E Typ 220 over the Sony NEX-5

 M-E Typ 220 NEX-5 
IntroducedSeptember 2012June 2010More modern by 28 months

Reasons to pick Sony NEX-5 over the Leica M-E Typ 220

 NEX-5 M-E Typ 220 
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen dimensions3"2.5"Bigger screen (+0.5")
Screen resolution920k230kCrisper screen (+690k dot)

Common features in the Leica M-E Typ 220 and Sony NEX-5

 M-E Typ 220 NEX-5 
Focus manually Dial accurate focusing
Selfie screen Neither contains selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Neither contains Touch friendly screen

Leica M-E Typ 220 vs Sony NEX-5 Physical Comparison

If you're aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you should think about its weight and volume. The Leica M-E Typ 220 has got physical measurements of 139mm x 80mm x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") along with a weight of 585 grams (1.29 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5 has sizing of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") with a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Check out the Leica M-E Typ 220 vs Sony NEX-5 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you choose during that time. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the M-E Typ 220 vs the NEX-5.

Leica M-E Typ 220 vs Sony NEX-5 size comparison

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the M-E Typ 220 and NEX-5 is 79 and 89 respectively.

Leica M-E Typ 220 vs Sony NEX-5 top view buttons comparison

Leica M-E Typ 220 vs Sony NEX-5 Sensor Comparison

Generally, it's difficult to visualize the gap in sensor sizes purely by going through a spec sheet. The image below will help give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the M-E Typ 220 and NEX-5.

As you can see, both of these cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The M-E Typ 220 because of its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF less difficult and the Leica M-E Typ 220 will show more detail having its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more recent M-E Typ 220 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.

Leica M-E Typ 220 vs Sony NEX-5 sensor size comparison

Leica M-E Typ 220 vs Sony NEX-5 Screen and ViewFinder

Leica M-E Typ 220 vs Sony NEX-5 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Leica M-E Typ 220 as a Portrait photography camera
Sony NEX-5 as a Portrait photography camera
71
focusing manually
MP count decent (18MP)
large sensor size (Full frame)
supports RAW formats
does not have liveview
72
focusing manually
decent sensor resolution (14 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
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Street Comparison

Leica M-E Typ 220 Street photography features
Sony NEX-5 Street photography features
65
large sensor size (Full frame)
supports RAW formats
screen does not articulate
lack of image stabilization
76
tilting screen
good sensor size (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
does not have image stabilization
Photography Glossary

Sports Comparison

Leica M-E Typ 220 Sports photography information
Sony NEX-5 Sports photography information
46
MP count decent (18 megapixels)
large sensor size (Full frame)
does not have liveview
slow continuous shooting (2.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority mode
lack of image stabilization
does not have phase detect auto focus
52
decent sensor resolution (14MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
does not have image stabilization
lack of phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Leica M-E Typ 220
Travel photography with Sony NEX-5
57
MP count decent (18 megapixels)
no Timelapse mode
does not feature selfie friendly screen
59
decent sensor resolution (14MP)
lack of Timelapse mode
does not contain selfie friendly screen
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Landscape Comparison

Leica M-E Typ 220 Landscape photography advice
Sony NEX-5 Landscape photography advice
61
focusing manually
swap lenses (Leica M mount)
MP count decent (18MP)
large sensor size (Full frame)
supports RAW formats
screen is small (2.5 inches)
does not have liveview
lack of image stabilization
no Timelapse mode
68
focusing manually
change lenses (Sony E mount)
screen is a decent size (3 inch)
decent sensor resolution (14 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
does not have image stabilization
lack of Timelapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Leica M-E Typ 220 as a Vlogging camera
Sony NEX-5 as a Vlogging camera
9
can't record video
28
great video quality (1920 x 1080 pxls)
does not contain selfie friendly screen
does not have image stabilization
lack of external microphone jack
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Leica M-E Typ 220 vs Sony NEX-5 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Leica M-E Typ 220 and Sony NEX-5
 Leica M-E Typ 220Sony Alpha NEX-5
General Information
Company Leica Sony
Model Leica M-E Typ 220 Sony Alpha NEX-5
Category Pro Mirrorless Entry-Level Mirrorless
Introduced 2012-09-17 2010-06-07
Body design Rangefinder-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Chip - Bionz
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size Full frame APS-C
Sensor measurements 36 x 24mm 23.4 x 15.6mm
Sensor area 864.0mm² 365.0mm²
Sensor resolution 18MP 14MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution 5212 x 3472 4592 x 3056
Maximum native ISO 2500 12800
Min native ISO 80 200
RAW pictures
Autofocusing
Manual focus
AF touch
Continuous AF
AF single
AF tracking
Selective AF
AF center weighted
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Number of focus points - 25
Lens
Lens mounting type Leica M Sony E
Amount of lenses 59 121
Focal length multiplier 1 1.5
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Tilting
Screen diagonal 2.5" 3"
Screen resolution 230k dot 920k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Screen tech TFT color LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (rangefinder) None
Viewfinder magnification 0.68x -
Features
Minimum shutter speed 4 seconds 30 seconds
Fastest shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shutter speed 2.0fps 7.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range no built-in flash 12.00 m
Flash options Front Curtain, Rear Curtain, Slow sync Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash sync 1/180 seconds 1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions - 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution None 1920x1080
Video format - AVCHD
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB none USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 585 gr (1.29 lb) 287 gr (0.63 lb)
Physical dimensions 139 x 80 x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") 111 x 59 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score 69 69
DXO Color Depth score 22.7 22.2
DXO Dynamic range score 11.7 12.2
DXO Low light score 787 796
Other
Battery life - 330 photographs
Battery format - Battery Pack
Battery model - NPFW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images))
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SD/SDHC card SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots Single Single
Launch pricing $0 $599