Leica M9 vs Leica SL

The following is a thorough review of the Leica M9 vs Leica SL, both Pro Mirrorless digital cameras and both of them are built by Leica. There is a considerable difference between the resolutions of the M9 (18MP) and SL (24MP) but they come with the exact same sensor size (Full frame).

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The M9 was manufactured 7 years prior to the SL which is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Leica M9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Leica SL being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting in to a in depth comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the M9 scores versus the SL in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Leica M9 & Leica SL. The entire galleries are available at Leica M9 Gallery & Leica SL Gallery.

When you are looking to travel with your camera, you need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Leica M9 provides outside measurements of 139mm x 80mm x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") and a weight of 585 grams (1.29 lbs) and the Leica SL has dimensions of 147mm x 104mm x 39mm (5.8" x 4.1" x 1.5") having a weight of 847 grams (1.87 lbs).

Take a look at the Leica M9 vs Leica SL in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you select during that time. Following is the front view measurement comparison of the M9 and the SL.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the M9 and SL is 79 and 67 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's tough to visualise the contrast between sensor dimensions just by reading through technical specs. The pic underneath will give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the M9 and SL.

As you have seen, each of these cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements albeit not the same megapixels. You can expect the Leica SL to give you extra detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs much more aggressively. The more aged M9 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.