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Leica M-Monochrom vs Olympus FE-5020

Portability
78
Imaging
65
Features
23
Overall
48
Leica M-Monochrom front
 
Olympus FE-5020 front
Portability
95
Imaging
35
Features
20
Overall
29

Leica M-Monochrom vs Olympus FE-5020 Key Specs

Leica M-Monochrom
(Full Review)
  • 18MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Display
  • ISO 160 - 10000
  • No Video
  • Leica M Mount
  • 600g - 139 x 80 x 37mm
  • Released May 2012
Olympus FE-5020
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 64 - 1600
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 24-120mm (F3.3-5.8) lens
  • 137g - 93 x 56 x 25mm
  • Released July 2009
  • Other Name is X-935
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Leica M-Monochrom vs Olympus FE-5020 Overview

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Leica M-Monochrom and Olympus FE-5020, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Leica and Olympus. There exists a substantial gap between the resolutions of the M-Monochrom (18MP) and FE-5020 (12MP) and the M-Monochrom (Full frame) and FE-5020 (1/2.3") feature different sensor dimensions.

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The M-Monochrom was released 2 years after the FE-5020 which is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Leica M-Monochrom being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus FE-5020 being a Compact camera.

Before getting in to a in-depth comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the M-Monochrom grades against the FE-5020 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Leica M-Monochrom over the Olympus FE-5020

 M-Monochrom FE-5020 
ReleasedMay 2012July 2009More modern by 35 months
Focus manually Very accurate focusing

Reasons to pick Olympus FE-5020 over the Leica M-Monochrom

 FE-5020 M-Monochrom 
Screen dimension2.7"2.5"Bigger screen (+0.2")

Common features in the Leica M-Monochrom and Olympus FE-5020

 M-Monochrom FE-5020 
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Screen resolution230k230kThe same screen resolution
Selfie screen Neither provides selfie screen
Touch screen Absent Touch screen

Leica M-Monochrom vs Olympus FE-5020 Physical Comparison

When you are looking to carry around your camera regularly, you'll have to consider its weight and measurements. The Leica M-Monochrom provides external dimensions of 139mm x 80mm x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") having a weight of 600 grams (1.32 lbs) whilst the Olympus FE-5020 has proportions of 93mm x 56mm x 25mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 1.0") and a weight of 137 grams (0.30 lbs).

Take a look at the Leica M-Monochrom and Olympus FE-5020 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are working with during that time. Below is the front view measurements comparison of the M-Monochrom versus the FE-5020.

Leica M-Monochrom vs Olympus FE-5020 size comparison

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the M-Monochrom and FE-5020 is 78 and 95 respectively.

Leica M-Monochrom vs Olympus FE-5020 top view buttons comparison

Leica M-Monochrom vs Olympus FE-5020 Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, it's tough to picture the difference between sensor sizes just by reading through technical specs. The pic below should provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the M-Monochrom and FE-5020.

As you have seen, both of those cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The M-Monochrom featuring a bigger sensor is going to make shooting bokeh less difficult and the Leica M-Monochrom will give you extra detail as a result of its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots much more aggressively. The newer M-Monochrom should have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.

Leica M-Monochrom vs Olympus FE-5020 sensor size comparison

Leica M-Monochrom vs Olympus FE-5020 Screen and ViewFinder

Leica M-Monochrom vs Olympus FE-5020 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Leica M-Monochrom Portrait photography information
Olympus FE-5020 Portrait photography information
71
manual focus
sensor resolution is decent (18MP)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
saves RAW formats
no liveview
21
focusing manually not possible
manual exposure not possible
can't use external flash
low MP (12 megapixels)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Leica M-Monochrom
Street photography with Olympus FE-5020
65
sensor size is large (Full frame)
saves RAW formats
screen is fixed
lack of image stabilization
60
environment proofing
lighter than others in class (137g)
fixed screen
lack of image stabilization
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Leica M-Monochrom Sports photography factors
Olympus FE-5020 Sports photography factors
45
sensor resolution is decent (18MP)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
no liveview
low frames per second (2.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority mode
lack of image stabilization
terrible battery (350 CIPA)
doesn't have phase detect auto focus
24
environment proofing
low max shutter speed (1/500s)
lack of shutter priority mode
lack of image stabilization
low MP (12 megapixels)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Leica M-Monochrom Travel photography info
Olympus FE-5020 Travel photography info
54
sensor resolution is decent (18MP)
no Timelapse recording
terrible battery (350 CIPA)
screen is not selfie friendly
65
lighter than others in class (137g)
environment proofing
built-in flash
quite wide (24mm)
doesn't have Time Lapse recording
low MP (12 megapixels)
doesn't contain selfie friendly display
slow max aperture (f3.3)
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Landscape Comparison

Leica M-Monochrom Landscape photography features
Olympus FE-5020 Landscape photography features
58
manual focus
change lenses (Leica M mount)
sensor resolution is decent (18MP)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
saves RAW formats
tiny screen (2.5")
no liveview
lack of image stabilization
terrible battery (350 CIPA)
no Timelapse recording
31
quite wide (24mm)
environment proofing
focusing manually not possible
can't switch lens (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f3.3)
tiny screen (2.7 inches)
manual exposure not possible
lack of image stabilization
low MP (12MP)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
doesn't have Time Lapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Leica M-Monochrom Vlogging information
Olympus FE-5020 Vlogging information
9
no video shooting
28
quite wide (24mm)
lighter than others in class (137g)
slow max aperture (f3.3)
doesn't contain selfie friendly display
lack of image stabilization
low video resolution (640 x 480 pixels)
doesn't have mic port
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Leica M-Monochrom vs Olympus FE-5020 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Leica M-Monochrom and Olympus FE-5020
 Leica M-MonochromOlympus FE-5020
General Information
Make Leica Olympus
Model type Leica M-Monochrom Olympus FE-5020
Also Known as - X-935
Category Pro Mirrorless Small Sensor Compact
Released 2012-05-10 2009-07-22
Body design Rangefinder-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Processor - TruePic III
Sensor type CCD CCD
Sensor size Full frame 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 36 x 24mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area 864.0mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 18MP 12MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 4:3
Highest resolution 5212 x 3472 3968 x 2976
Highest native ISO 10000 1600
Lowest native ISO 160 64
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
AF continuous
Single AF
AF tracking
AF selectice
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Lens
Lens mount type Leica M fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 24-120mm (5.0x)
Highest aperture - f/3.3-5.8
Macro focusing distance - 1cm
Available lenses 59 -
Focal length multiplier 1 5.8
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display sizing 2.5 inch 2.7 inch
Resolution of display 230 thousand dot 230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Display technology TFT color LCD with a sapphire glass LCD cover -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Optical (rangefinder) None
Viewfinder magnification 0.68x -
Features
Slowest shutter speed 32s 4s
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000s 1/500s
Continuous shooting speed 2.0 frames per sec -
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Change WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 4.10 m
Flash modes Front Curtain, Rear Curtain, Slow sync Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Fill-in
Hot shoe
AEB
WB bracketing
Maximum flash sync 1/180s -
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions - 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps)
Highest video resolution None 640x480
Video format - Motion JPEG
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 600g (1.32 pounds) 137g (0.30 pounds)
Dimensions 139 x 80 x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") 93 x 56 x 25mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 1.0")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 350 photos -
Type of battery Battery Pack -
Battery ID - LI-42B
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (12 seconds)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage SD/SDHC card xD-Picture Card, microSD
Storage slots One One
Cost at launch $7,950 $160