Leica M8 vs Samsung CL5

Below is a extended review of the Leica M8 versus Samsung CL5, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Ultracompact by rivals Leica and Samsung. The resolution of the M8 (10MP) and the CL5 (9MP) is fairly close but the M8 (APS-H) and CL5 (1/2.5") boast totally different sensor size.

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The M8 was released 19 months earlier than the CL5 making them a generation apart from each other. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Leica M8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Samsung CL5 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before going right into a thorough comparison, here is a simple synopsis of how the M8 scores versus the CL5 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Leica M8 & Samsung CL5. The complete galleries are viewable at Leica M8 Gallery & Samsung CL5 Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Leica M8 comes with external dimensions of 139mm x 80mm x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") and a weight of 591 grams (1.30 lbs) and the Samsung CL5 has dimensions of 93mm x 60mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.7") and a weight of 141 grams (0.31 lbs).

Check the Leica M8 versus Samsung CL5 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are working with at that time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the M8 and the CL5.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the M8 and CL5 is 79 and 95 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is hard to envision the difference in sensor measurements only by looking through specs. The graphic here might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the M8 and CL5.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The M8 featuring a larger sensor will make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Leica M8 will render extra detail as a result of its extra 1MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos more aggressively. The older M8 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.