Leica M9 vs Sony NEX-5N
79 Imaging
61 Features
30 Overall
48
89 Imaging
55 Features
69 Overall
60
Leica M9 vs Sony NEX-5N Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 18MP - Full frame Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 2500
- No Anti-Alias Filter
- No Video
- Leica M Mount
- 585g - 139 x 80 x 37mm
- Revealed September 2009
- Later Model is Leica M9-P
(Full Review)
- 16MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 25600
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 269g - 111 x 59 x 38mm
- Announced October 2011
- Superseded the Sony NEX-5
- Refreshed by Sony NEX-5R
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On this page, we will be looking at the Leica M9 versus Sony NEX-5N, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Leica and Sony. The resolution of the M9 (18MP) and the NEX-5N (16MP) is relatively close but the M9 (Full frame) and NEX-5N (APS-C) boast totally different sensor dimensions.
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhoneThe M9 was launched 3 years before the NEX-5N which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).
Before we go straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the M9 scores versus the NEX-5N when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
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Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Leica M9 & Sony Alpha NEX-5N. The complete galleries are available at Leica M9 Gallery & Sony NEX-5N Gallery.
Reasons to pick Leica M9 over the Sony NEX-5N
| M9 | NEX-5N |
|---|
Reasons to pick Sony NEX-5N over the Leica M9
| NEX-5N | M9 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Announced | October 2011 |  | September 2009 | More modern by 25 months |
| Screen type | Tilting |  | Fixed | Tilting screen |
| Screen dimensions | 3" |  | 2.5" | Bigger screen (+0.5") |
| Screen resolution | 920k |  | 230k | Clearer screen (+690k dot) |
| Touch friendly screen |  | Quickly navigate |
Common features in the Leica M9 and Sony NEX-5N
| M9 | NEX-5N | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus |  | Dial accurate focusing | ||
| Selfie screen |  | Neither features selfie screen |
Leica M9 vs Sony NEX-5N Physical Comparison
If you're aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you should consider its weight and volume. The Leica M9 enjoys external dimensions of 139mm x 80mm x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") along with a weight of 585 grams (1.29 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5N has sizing of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).
See the Leica M9 versus Sony NEX-5N in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you select at the time. Following is a front view proportions comparison of the M9 against the NEX-5N.
Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the M9 and NEX-5N is 79 and 89 respectively.
Leica M9 vs Sony NEX-5N Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, it can be tough to see the gap in sensor sizes just by researching a spec sheet. The image here may offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the M9 and NEX-5N.
Clearly, both the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The M9 due to its bigger sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field simpler and the Leica M9 will render greater detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The more aged M9 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.
Leica M9 vs Sony NEX-5N Screen and ViewFinder
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Leica M9 vs Sony NEX-5N Specifications
| Leica M9 | Sony Alpha NEX-5N | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand | Leica | Sony |
| Model | Leica M9 | Sony Alpha NEX-5N |
| Category | Pro Mirrorless | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
| Revealed | 2009-09-09 | 2011-10-03 |
| Body design | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor | - | Bionz |
| Sensor type | CCD | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Full frame | APS-C |
| Sensor dimensions | 36 x 24mm | 23.4 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor surface area | 864.0mm² | 365.0mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 18 megapixels | 16 megapixels |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Highest resolution | 5212 x 3472 | 4912 x 3264 |
| Highest native ISO | 2500 | 25600 |
| Lowest native ISO | 80 | 100 |
| RAW files | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Autofocus touch | ||
| Continuous autofocus | ||
| Single autofocus | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Autofocus center weighted | ||
| Autofocus multi area | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detection focus | ||
| Contract detection focus | ||
| Phase detection focus | ||
| Number of focus points | - | 25 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mounting type | Leica M | Sony E |
| Available lenses | 59 | 121 |
| Focal length multiplier | 1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Screen type | Fixed Type | Tilting |
| Screen diagonal | 2.5 inches | 3 inches |
| Screen resolution | 230 thousand dot | 920 thousand dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch function | ||
| Screen technology | TFT color LCD | Tilt Up 80°, Down 45° TFT LCD |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Optical (rangefinder) | Electronic (optional) |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.68x | - |
| Features | ||
| Lowest shutter speed | 4 seconds | 30 seconds |
| Highest shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
| Continuous shooting speed | 2.0 frames/s | 10.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Change white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash range | no built-in flash | 12.00 m |
| Flash modes | Front Curtain, Rear Curtain, Slow sync | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in |
| Hot shoe | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Highest flash sync | 1/180 seconds | 1/160 seconds |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | - | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Highest video resolution | None | 1920x1080 |
| Video format | - | AVCHD |
| Mic input | ||
| Headphone input | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | Eye-Fi Connected |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental seal | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 585g (1.29 pounds) | 269g (0.59 pounds) |
| Physical dimensions | 139 x 80 x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") | 111 x 59 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around score | 69 | 77 |
| DXO Color Depth score | 22.5 | 23.6 |
| DXO Dynamic range score | 11.7 | 12.7 |
| DXO Low light score | 884 | 1079 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 350 photos | 460 photos |
| Battery format | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | - | NPFW50 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images)) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC card | SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
| Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
| Price at launch | $2,750 | $550 |