Leica M Typ 240 vs Samsung NX500: A Deep Dive Into Two Distinct Mirrorless Worlds

In the ever-evolving landscape of mirrorless cameras, two models stand out not because they’re direct competitors, but because they embody fundamentally different philosophies and eras in digital photography. The Leica M Typ 240, announced in 2012, carries the heritage and craftsmanship of a rangefinder-style mirrorless camera aimed at discerning professionals and enthusiasts who prize manual control, image quality, and an artistic approach. The Samsung NX500, introduced in 2015, represents a more tech-forward, entry-level APS-C mirrorless camera designed to deliver high resolution, fast autofocus, and versatility with a relatively compact footprint.

I have spent considerable time hands-on with both cameras - testing them side-by-side across a variety of photographic disciplines, from portraits and landscapes to wildlife, street, and video work. This article synthesizes my findings with technical analysis, real-world performance, and a nuanced value assessment meant to empower you in making an informed purchase decision.

Before we jump in, here’s a quick glance at some physical and design differences:

Design and Ergonomics: Old-World Craft vs. Modern Compactness

Leica’s M Typ 240 sticks to the classic rangefinder design - a form factor that appeals to those who prefer manual focusing and a tactile shooting experience over high-tech automation. Measuring 139x80x42 mm and weighing 680g, it is noticeably larger and heavier than the Samsung NX500, which clocks in at 120x64x43 mm and a lightweight 287g. For me, the solidity of the Leica is immediately apparent in hand, thanks to its metal body with precision-machined controls.

The NX500's design is distinctly modern and minimalist, reflecting its entry-level orientation and young target demographic. It sports a rangefinder-style mirrorless layout but with a plainer plastic body that doesn't feel as luxurious but compensates with smaller size and lighter weight - an advantage for travel and street photographers valuing discretion and ease of carry.

Looking at the top controls, Leica’s layout is refreshingly simple: shutter speed dial, ISO dial on the back, and aperture control primarily on the lens. No touchscreen interface or programmable buttons interrupt the tactile experience. Samsung, on the other hand, integrates touchscreen controls, mode dials, and customizable buttons that offer a quicker route to modern shooting modes, including electronic shutter and exposure modes. This contributes to a more versatile and responsive interface but may feel less “pure” to rangefinder purists.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: Full-Frame Depth vs. APS-C Resolution Punch

The Leica M Typ 240 boasts a 24MP full-frame CMOS sensor, layered with an anti-aliasing filter, which slightly tempers discrete edge sharpness for the benefit of reducing moiré patterns - a classic Leica compromise. The sensor measures a generous 36x24 mm, translating into a surface area of 864 mm². In terms of image quality, this setup is tailored for excellent color depth (24 gradations) and a solid dynamic range of 13.3 EV, both impressive numbers.

Conversely, Samsung’s NX500 sports a 28MP APS-C BSI-CMOS sensor (23.5x15.7mm) with a larger pixel count crammed into a 368.95 mm² area. It’s notable that Samsung opted out of an anti-alias filter, resulting in sharper images at the potential cost of moiré artifacts in some scenes. The NX500 outperforms Leica slightly in dynamic range (13.9 EV) and has a color depth of 24.8 bits, marginally higher due to its sensor design and processing.

While neither camera offers in-body image stabilization, the sensor technologies differ significantly in their application: Leica leans on the full-frame advantage to deliver gentle bokeh and superior tonal gradations, suitable for portraits and landscapes; Samsung maximizes resolution with APS-C, optimizing for fast, sharp images and versatility.

Autofocus and Focusing Experience: Manual Elegance Meets Modern Hybrid AF

This is where these two cameras dramatically diverge. Leica M Typ 240 has no autofocus system at all, relying solely on manual focus. It’s a deliberate carryover from the film rangefinder days, appealing only to photographers who appreciate focus precision through distance scales, zone focusing, and live view magnification. Its optical rangefinder offers 1x magnification and 1:1 viewfinder coverage but no electronic aids or focus peaking.

By contrast, the Samsung NX500 is an autofocus dynamo, equipped with a hybrid PDAF and contrast detection system harnessing 209 focus points over the frame and advanced face detection capabilities. It offers AF modes including continuous tracking, single AF, and selective AF areas, which makes it versatile for sports, wildlife, and street photography. The autofocus system can track moving subjects accurately and achieve lock quickly in good light.

During real-world tests, I found manual focus on the Leica a contemplative and rewarding process for still scenes, especially portraits and landscapes, but impractical for wildlife or fast action. The NX500’s autofocus proved to be agile and reliable in tracking moving subjects, although it struggled occasionally under low light due to sensor size constraints.

Display and Interface: Minimalist vs. Touchscreen Interactivity

Leica’s 3" fixed TFT LCD display offers 920k dots resolution and is devoid of touchscreen capabilities. The lack of articulating or tilting screen forces you to rely predominantly on the optical rangefinder or live view, the latter being less responsive in certain shooting conditions. Importantly, the Leica does not feature an electronic viewfinder - a design choice consistent with its rangefinder heritage.

Samsung steps ahead here with a 3" tilting, touchscreen LCD featuring a higher resolution (1036k dots). This facilitates live view focusing aids, touch-to-shoot, and quick menu navigation - a feature useful for beginner and enthusiast photographers alike. However, no built-in EVF exists, which might be a drawback in bright outdoor use.

Shooting Performance: Burst, Speed and Beyond

The Leica shoots at a modest 3 FPS continuous rate with a mechanical shutter speed topping out at 1/4000s. Its shutter sound is a refined mechanical click - quiet but tactile. The max native ISO caps at 6400, which may limit low-light performance versus more modern offerings.

Samsung’s NX500 is a sprinter, capable of 9 FPS mechanical burst shooting, pairing a max shutter speed of 1/6000s and sporting electronic shutter options as well. ISO performance extends up to 25600 native and can be boosted to 51200, though noise becomes noticeable at those levels. This speed and sensitivity advantage suits action photography, indoor events, and low-light conditions.

Build Quality and Environmental Resistance

Leica’s M Typ 240 is built to endure, with a weather-resistant full metal body designed for professional use in challenging outdoor environments. It’s splash- and dust-resistant but not waterproof or shockproof. The robust chassis offers confidence to shooters traveling to varied climates.

Samsung NX500 uses a lighter polycarbonate body with no weather sealing, which constrains its use in harsh weather or dusty conditions. Its construction is solid for its class but clearly aimed at casual or enthusiast photographers.

Lens Ecosystem and Compatibility

The M Typ 240 adheres to the Leica M-mount, a system revered for its lineup of 59 manual focus lenses ranging from wide-angle to long primes, renowned for optical excellence and build quality. These lenses often emphasize beautifully out-of-focus backgrounds (bokeh) and distinctive rendering, a boon for portrait and artistic photographers. The manual focus nature aligns perfectly with the camera's tactile controls and viewfinder system.

Samsung NX500 uses the Samsung NX mount, with a smaller available lens pool of 32 autofocus lenses, including some third-party options. The lenses range widely in focal length and price, providing reasonable versatility. While not comparable in prestige or optical pedigree to Leica’s offerings, Samsung’s native lenses are lightweight and practical.

Battery Life and Storage

The Leica M Typ 240 achieves approximately 500 shots per charge using its proprietary battery pack - impressive for a camera without power-hungry autofocus or video components. Meanwhile, the NX500’s battery delivers roughly 370 shots, which is decent for an entry-level mirrorless but lesser than the Leica.

Both cameras store images via a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot, standard for the market, with compatibility for high-capacity cards.

Connectivity and Video Capabilities

Leica M Typ 240 is sparse on connectivity: no wireless features, no HDMI out, no microphone or headphone ports, and only USB 2.0. Video is limited to Full HD (1080p) at 24/25 fps, encoded in Motion JPEG, not ideal by today’s standards.

Samsung NX500 packs considerably more connectivity: built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, and HDMI out. It supports UHD 4K video (3840x2160) at 30p and DCI 4K (4096x2160) at 24p with H.265 encoding and Full HD at up to 60p. Despite lacking microphone or headphone jacks, this makes it a more capable machine for multimedia enthusiasts and casual videographers.

Hands-On Across Photography Genres

Portraits: Leica’s Bokeh and Skin Tones vs. Samsung’s Speed

In portrait sessions, Leica’s full-frame sensor combined with M-mount lenses produces impeccable skin tones and creamy, artistic bokeh that shapes subject separation beautifully. Manual focus encourages a pace conducive to thoughtful composition and lighting setups. Eye detection autofocus is absent on Leica, naturally.

Samsung’s NX500 handled skin tones well but with less subtlety due to its APS-C sensor and lens character. Its face and eye detection aid fast shooting and candid portraits, making it more suitable for casual and event situations.

Landscape and Travel: Detail, Dynamic Range, and Portability

Leica’s dynamic range and tonal gradation allow rich captures of subtle shadow detail in landscapes. Its environmental sealing makes it ready for rough terrain and varying weather. However, the 24MP resolution, while sufficient, lags behind Samsung’s 28MP sensor.

Samsung’s higher pixel count and marginally better dynamic range advantage favors finely detailed landscapes, and its compact size and lighter weight make it more travel-friendly. That said, lacking weather sealing means caution in challenging environments.

Wildlife and Sports: Autofocus and Burst Rate Battle

The Leica M Typ 240’s manual focus precludes it from practical use in fast wildlife or sports photography. Its 3 FPS burst and limited shutter speeds restrict capturing rapid action.

The Samsung NX500's 9 FPS burst, extensive AF points, continuous tracking, and shutter speed flexibility give it a clear edge in freezing wildlife and sports action. However, lower sensor size can limit subject isolation and bokeh in tight focal lengths.

Street and Low-Light: Discretion and Sensitivity

Leica’s rangefinder form and silent shooting modes offer a discreet presence that street photographers adore. ISO sensitivity tops at 6400, limiting handheld night shots without noise.

Samsung’s NX500 holds an ISO advantage up to 25600 and faster focusing, but the lack of a built-in viewfinder requires reliance on LCD, which can be conspicuous. Its tilt-screen and touchscreen aid awkward angles and rapid capture.

Macro and Night/Astro Photography

Neither camera excels inherently in macro but the Samsung offers more flexibility with compatible lenses and touchscreen focus aids.

In night and astrophotography, Leica’s full-frame sensor with low noise and deep tonal curve yields superior star field rendition and color fidelity, albeit limited by lack of advanced exposure modes or bulb settings. Samsung's higher ISO range helps in low light but noise becomes a factor beyond ISO 3200.

Video Review: Leica’s Modest Offerings vs. Samsung’s 4K

For video creators, Leica provides basic 1080p recording with Motion JPEG - a codec notorious for large file sizes and less efficient compression. Lack of microphone input or stabilization limits its versatility. Samsung’s NX500 impresses with UHD 4K and DCI 4K capture, efficient H.265 compression, and better frame rate options, although stabilization is not available internally.

Neither camera is a cinematic powerhouse, but Samsung’s extra bells and whistles make it more attractive for casual shooting and digital storytelling.

Price and Value Considerations

Leica M Typ 240 comes with a premium price tag of approximately $5,479, reflecting its build quality, craftsmanship, and brand positioning. It targets professionals and serious enthusiasts who prioritize manual control, image quality, and the Leica legacy.

Samsung NX500, retailing around $800, delivers a compelling package of resolution, autofocus, and 4K video for entry-level buyers and enthusiasts on a budget.

Our Summary Ratings

Both cameras excel within their intended niches but cannot be directly judged on the same scale.

Final Thoughts: Matching Cameras to Photographers

Choose the Leica M Typ 240 if:

• You value manual focus craftsmanship and rangefinder aesthetics.
• You are a portrait or landscape photographer who prizes image quality, subtle tonal gradation, and robust build.
• You prefer simplicity and tactile controls over autofocus complexity.
• Your budget accommodates a premium camera and lenses.
• You are a professional or serious amateur committed to Leica’s ecosystem and legacy.

Go with the Samsung NX500 if:

• You want an affordable, high-resolution mirrorless with fast and flexible autofocus.
• Your photography spans wildlife, sports, street, and casual video work.
• You seek 4K video recording with modern wireless connectivity.
• Lightweight, portability, and touchscreen interactivity are high on your priority list.
• You are an enthusiast or hobbyist desiring a versatile everyday camera.

In conclusion, these two cameras illustrate the diverse possibilities within mirrorless technology - one a homage to photographic tradition and manual artistry, the other a tool of speed, connectivity, and modern versatility. Your choice hinges on your shooting priorities, style, and budget. Hopefully, this detailed comparison brings clarity to which system can best serve your photographic journey.

Leica M Typ 240 screen back Samsung NX500 front Samsung NX500 screen back