Leica M8 vs Olympus E-M1

Lets examine more in depth at the Leica M8 and Olympus E-M1, both Pro Mirrorless cameras by manufacturers Leica and Olympus. There exists a sizable gap among the resolutions of the M8 (10MP) and E-M1 (16MP) and the M8 (APS-H) and E-M1 (Four Thirds) possess different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The M8 was announced 7 years before the E-M1 which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Leica M8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going in to a in-depth comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the M8 grades vs the E-M1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Leica M8 & Olympus OM-D E-M1. The whole galleries are provided at Leica M8 Gallery & Olympus E-M1 Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry around your camera frequently, you will need to think about its weight and volume. The Leica M8 features exterior dimensions of 139mm x 80mm x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 591 grams (1.30 lbs) and the Olympus E-M1 has sizing of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") having a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs).

Check the Leica M8 and Olympus E-M1 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are working with at that time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the M8 against the E-M1.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the M8 and E-M1 is 79 and 71 respectively.

Typically, its tough to imagine the gap in sensor sizes purely by viewing specs. The picture here should give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the M8 and E-M1.

All in all, the two cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The M8 having a larger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-M1 will provide you with extra detail with its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images much more aggressively. The more aged M8 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.