Leica M-Monochrom vs Sony a5100

Following is a in depth assessment of the Leica M-Monochrom vs Sony a5100, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Leica and Sony. There is a large difference among the image resolutions of the M-Monochrom (18MP) and a5100 (24MP) and the M-Monochrom (Full frame) and a5100 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor dimensions.

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The M-Monochrom was revealed 3 years before the a5100 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before getting in to a more detailed comparison, below is a concise view of how the M-Monochrom matches up versus the a5100 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Leica M-Monochrom & Sony Alpha a5100. The full galleries are viewable at Leica M-Monochrom Gallery & Sony a5100 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you will have to factor its weight and volume. The Leica M-Monochrom provides external dimensions of 139mm x 80mm x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") with a weight of 600 grams (1.32 lbs) whilst the Sony a5100 has sizing of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") having a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs).

Analyze the Leica M-Monochrom vs Sony a5100 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are working with at that moment. Underneath is the front view measurement comparison of the M-Monochrom against the a5100.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the M-Monochrom and a5100 is 78 and 89 respectively.

Generally, it is very difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizes just by viewing specs. The image here might offer you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the M-Monochrom and a5100.

All in all, each of the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The M-Monochrom with its bigger sensor will make getting shallower depth of field simpler and the Sony a5100 will render extra detail because of its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures far more aggressively. The more aged M-Monochrom will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.