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Leica M-Monochrom vs Sony a5100

Portability
78
Imaging
65
Features
23
Overall
48
Leica M-Monochrom front
 
Sony Alpha a5100 front
Portability
89
Imaging
66
Features
74
Overall
69

Leica M-Monochrom vs Sony a5100 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
  • Introduced May 2012
Sony a5100
(Full Review)
  • 24MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 283g - 110 x 63 x 36mm
  • Launched August 2014
  • Old Model is Sony a5000
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Leica M-Monochrom vs Sony a5100 Overview

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.

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Reasons to pick Leica M-Monochrom over the Sony a5100

 M-Monochrom a5100 

Reasons to pick Sony a5100 over the Leica M-Monochrom

 a5100 M-Monochrom 
LaunchedAugust 2014May 2012More modern by 27 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen sizing3"2.5"Bigger screen (+0.5")
Screen resolution922k230kSharper screen (+692k dot)
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Common features in the Leica M-Monochrom and Sony a5100

 M-Monochrom a5100 
Focus manually More exact focus
Selfie screen Neither provides selfie screen

Leica M-Monochrom vs Sony a5100 Physical Comparison

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. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

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.

Leica M-Monochrom vs Sony a5100 size comparison

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

Leica M-Monochrom vs Sony a5100 top view buttons comparison

Leica M-Monochrom vs Sony a5100 Sensor Comparison

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.

Leica M-Monochrom vs Sony a5100 sensor size comparison

Leica M-Monochrom vs Sony a5100 Screen and ViewFinder

Leica M-Monochrom vs Sony a5100 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Photography Glossary

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Leica M-Monochrom Portrait photography information
Sony a5100 Portrait photography information
71
focusing manually
sensor resolution is decent (18 megapixels)
sensor size is great (Full frame)
supports RAW formats
no liveview feature
72
has manual focus
resolution is good (24MP)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
provides face detection focus
saves RAW formats
cannot use external flash
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Street Comparison

Leica M-Monochrom Street photography info
Sony a5100 Street photography info
65
sensor size is great (Full frame)
supports RAW formats
screen is fixed
no image stabilization
82
tilting screen
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
has focus by touch
great ISO range (25,600)
does not have image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Leica M-Monochrom as a Sports photography camera
Sony a5100 as a Sports photography camera
45
sensor resolution is decent (18MP)
sensor size is great (Full frame)
no liveview feature
max fps very slow (2.0 fps)
no shutter priority mode
no image stabilization
not so great battery pack (350 shots)
no phase detect AF
68
resolution is good (24 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
provides tracking autofocus
good battery (400 per charge)
has phase detect auto focus
max fps low (6.0 frames/s)
does not have image stabilization
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Leica M-Monochrom
Travel photography with Sony a5100
54
sensor resolution is decent (18 megapixels)
doesn't have Time Lapse mode
not so great battery pack (350 per charge)
does not contain selfie friendly screen
80
good battery (400 CIPA)
has focus by touch
resolution is good (24MP)
built-in flash
display is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Leica M-Monochrom
Landscape photography with Sony a5100
58
focusing manually
change lenses (Leica M mount)
sensor resolution is decent (18 megapixels)
sensor size is great (Full frame)
supports RAW formats
small screen (2.5 inch)
no liveview feature
no image stabilization
not so great battery pack (350 shots)
doesn't have Time Lapse mode
79
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Sony E mount)
screen size is good (3 inches)
resolution is good (24MP)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
great ISO range (25,600)
saves RAW formats
good battery (400 CIPA)
does not have image stabilization
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Leica M-Monochrom
Vlogging with Sony a5100
9
no video recording
34
touchscreen enabled
provides face detection focus
great video quality (1920 x 1080 pixels)
display is not selfie friendly
does not have image stabilization
lack of external mic support
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Leica M-Monochrom vs Sony a5100 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Leica M-Monochrom and Sony a5100
 Leica M-MonochromSony Alpha a5100
General Information
Make Leica Sony
Model type Leica M-Monochrom Sony Alpha a5100
Type Pro Mirrorless Entry-Level Mirrorless
Introduced 2012-05-10 2014-08-17
Physical type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Chip - Bionz X
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size Full frame APS-C
Sensor dimensions 36 x 24mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor area 864.0mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 18MP 24MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution 5212 x 3472 6000 x 4000
Highest native ISO 10000 25600
Minimum native ISO 160 100
RAW files
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Continuous AF
AF single
Tracking AF
Selective AF
AF center weighted
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Total focus points - 179
Lens
Lens support Leica M Sony E
Amount of lenses 59 121
Crop factor 1 1.5
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Tilting
Display diagonal 2.5 inches 3 inches
Resolution of display 230 thousand dots 922 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Display technology TFT color LCD with a sapphire glass LCD cover -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (rangefinder) None
Viewfinder magnification 0.68x -
Features
Slowest shutter speed 32 secs 30 secs
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shooting rate 2.0 frames per second 6.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 4.00 m (at ISO 100)
Flash settings Front Curtain, Rear Curtain, Slow sync Flash off, auto, fill-flaw, slow sync, redeye reduction
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Maximum flash synchronize 1/180 secs -
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions - 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p, 25p), 1280 x 720 (120p), 640 x 480 (30p, 25p)
Highest video resolution None 1920x1080
Video format - MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 600 grams (1.32 lbs) 283 grams (0.62 lbs)
Dimensions 139 x 80 x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") 110 x 63 x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested 80
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 23.8
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 12.7
DXO Low light rating not tested 1347
Other
Battery life 350 pictures 400 pictures
Style of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID - NP-FW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, continuous (3-5 shot))
Time lapse feature With downloadable app
Type of storage SD/SDHC card SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots Single Single
Cost at launch $7,950 $448