Clicky

Leica M10 vs Sony NEX-5N

Portability
75
Imaging
73
Features
45
Overall
61
Leica M10 front
 
Sony Alpha NEX-5N front
Portability
89
Imaging
57
Features
69
Overall
61

Leica M10 vs Sony NEX-5N Key Specs

Leica M10
(Full Review)
  • 24MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 50000
  • No Video
  • Leica M Mount
  • 660g - 139 x 80 x 39mm
  • Introduced January 2017
  • Refreshed by Leica M11
Sony NEX-5N
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 269g - 111 x 59 x 38mm
  • Introduced October 2011
  • Old Model is Sony NEX-5
  • Newer Model is Sony NEX-5R
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Leica M10 vs Sony NEX-5N Overview

Below, we are looking at the Leica M10 and Sony NEX-5N, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Leica and Sony. There exists a noticeable gap between the sensor resolutions of the M10 (24MP) and NEX-5N (16MP) and the M10 (Full frame) and NEX-5N (APS-C) feature totally different sensor measurements.

Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

The M10 was released 5 years after the NEX-5N which is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before delving in to a in depth comparison, below is a simple summary of how the M10 matches up against the NEX-5N when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video
	
	

Reasons to pick Leica M10 over the Sony NEX-5N

 M10 NEX-5N 
IntroducedJanuary 2017October 2011More modern by 65 months
Display resolution1037k920kSharper display (+117k dot)

Reasons to pick Sony NEX-5N over the Leica M10

 NEX-5N M10 
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Common features in the Leica M10 and Sony NEX-5N

 M10 NEX-5N 
Manually focus More exact focusing
Display dimension3"3"Identical display measurements
Selfie screen Neither provides selfie screen

Leica M10 vs Sony NEX-5N Physical Comparison

For anybody who is looking to carry around your camera often, you will want to consider its weight and size. The Leica M10 provides exterior measurements of 139mm x 80mm x 39mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") and a weight of 660 grams (1.46 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5N has specifications of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Analyze the Leica M10 and Sony NEX-5N in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the M10 and the NEX-5N.

Leica M10 vs Sony NEX-5N size comparison

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the M10 and NEX-5N is 75 and 89 respectively.

Leica M10 vs Sony NEX-5N top view buttons comparison

Leica M10 vs Sony NEX-5N Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, it is difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor sizes merely by reading through specs. The pic here will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the M10 and NEX-5N.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The M10 due to its larger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF less difficult and the Leica M10 will give extra detail as a result of its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The newer M10 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor technology.

Leica M10 vs Sony NEX-5N sensor size comparison

Leica M10 vs Sony NEX-5N Screen and ViewFinder

Leica M10 vs Sony NEX-5N Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Cutting-edge AI developed by Apple deciphers subtle nuances in pixels

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Leica M10 Portrait photography features
Sony NEX-5N Portrait photography features
83
focusing manually
sensor resolution is decent (24 megapixels)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
saves RAW files
74
you can focus manually
decent MP (16MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
has face detection focus
delivers RAW formats
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Street Comparison

Leica M10 Street photography info
Sony NEX-5N Street photography info
69
sensor size is big (Full frame)
saves RAW files
very good ISO range (50,000)
no articulating screen
lack of image stabilization
80
screen tilts up and down
good sensor size (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
offers touch to focus
great ISO range (25,600)
no image stabilization
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Sports Comparison

Leica M10 Sports photography features
Sony NEX-5N Sports photography features
53
sensor resolution is decent (24 megapixels)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
slow continuous shooting (5.0 frames/s)
lack of image stabilization
terrible battery (210 CIPA)
lack of phase detect auto focus
58
decent MP (16 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
good battery life (460 shots)
no image stabilization
doesn't have phase detect auto focus
Body cameras now worn by bakery staff to deter stealing

Travel Comparison

Leica M10 Travel photography details
Sony NEX-5N Travel photography details
57
sensor resolution is decent (24 megapixels)
terrible battery (210 per charge)
doesn't feature selfie friendly screen
71
good battery life (460 shots)
offers touch to focus
decent MP (16MP)
lack of Time Lapse mode
does not have a selfie friendly screen
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Landscape Comparison

Leica M10 as a Landscape photography camera
Sony NEX-5N as a Landscape photography camera
75
focusing manually
change lenses (Leica M mount)
decent sized screen (3")
sensor resolution is decent (24 megapixels)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
very good ISO range (50,000)
saves RAW files
lack of image stabilization
terrible battery (210 per charge)
71
you can focus manually
swap lenses (Sony E mount)
decent sized screen (3")
decent MP (16 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
great ISO range (25,600)
delivers RAW formats
good battery life (460 shots)
no image stabilization
lack of Time Lapse mode
Photography Glossary

Vlogging Comparison

Leica M10 as a Vlogging camera
Sony NEX-5N as a Vlogging camera
9
lack of video recording
33
screen is touchscreen
has face detection focus
high res video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
does not have a selfie friendly screen
no image stabilization
lack of external mic support
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Leica M10 vs Sony NEX-5N Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Leica M10 and Sony NEX-5N
 Leica M10Sony Alpha NEX-5N
General Information
Brand Leica Sony
Model type Leica M10 Sony Alpha NEX-5N
Type Pro Mirrorless Entry-Level Mirrorless
Introduced 2017-01-18 2011-10-03
Physical type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Chip Maestro II Bionz
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Full frame APS-C
Sensor dimensions 35.8 x 23.9mm 23.4 x 15.6mm
Sensor area 855.6mm² 365.0mm²
Sensor resolution 24 megapixels 16 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 5952 x 3992 4912 x 3264
Highest native ISO 50000 25600
Minimum native ISO 100 100
RAW files
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch to focus
AF continuous
AF single
AF tracking
Selective AF
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Total focus points - 25
Lens
Lens mount type Leica M Sony E
Amount of lenses 59 121
Focal length multiplier 1 1.5
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Tilting
Screen sizing 3 inches 3 inches
Resolution of screen 1,037 thousand dots 920 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Screen technology - Tilt Up 80°, Down 45° TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Optical (rangefinder) Electronic (optional)
Viewfinder coverage 100% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.73x -
Features
Minimum shutter speed 8 seconds 30 seconds
Fastest shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shutter rate 5.0 frames/s 10.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 12.00 m
Flash settings no built-in flash Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in
External flash
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize - 1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions - 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution None 1920x1080
Video file format - AVCHD
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB none USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS Optional None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 660 gr (1.46 lbs) 269 gr (0.59 lbs)
Dimensions 139 x 80 x 39mm (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 rating 86 77
DXO Color Depth rating 24.4 23.6
DXO Dynamic range rating 13.3 12.7
DXO Low light rating 2133 1079
Other
Battery life 210 pictures 460 pictures
Battery style Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID - NPFW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs) Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images))
Time lapse feature
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots 1 1
Launch cost $7,595 $550