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Leica M9 vs Sony NEX-6

Portability
79
Imaging
63
Features
30
Overall
49
Leica M9 front
 
Sony Alpha NEX-6 front
Portability
85
Imaging
58
Features
76
Overall
65

Leica M9 vs Sony NEX-6 Key Specs

Leica M9
(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
  • Introduced September 2009
  • Renewed by Leica M9-P
Sony NEX-6
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 345g - 120 x 67 x 43mm
  • Released March 2013
  • New Model is Sony A6000
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Leica M9 vs Sony NEX-6 Overview

The following is a in-depth assessment of the Leica M9 vs Sony NEX-6, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by companies Leica and Sony. The resolution of the M9 (18MP) and the NEX-6 (16MP) is relatively similar but the M9 (Full frame) and NEX-6 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor sizing.

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The M9 was introduced 4 years earlier than the NEX-6 which is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before getting straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a short introduction of how the M9 scores vs the NEX-6 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Leica M9 over the Sony NEX-6

 M9 NEX-6 

Reasons to pick Sony NEX-6 over the Leica M9

 NEX-6 M9 
ReleasedMarch 2013September 2009Newer by 43 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen dimension3"2.5"Bigger screen (+0.5")
Screen resolution921k230kCrisper screen (+691k dot)

Common features in the Leica M9 and Sony NEX-6

 M9 NEX-6 
Manual focus Dial accurate focus
Selfie screen No selfie screen
Touch screen No Touch screen

Leica M9 vs Sony NEX-6 Physical Comparison

When you are going to travel with your camera frequently, you will need to factor its weight and measurements. The Leica M9 offers external dimensions of 139mm x 80mm x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") with a weight of 585 grams (1.29 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-6 has proportions of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 345 grams (0.76 lbs).

Analyze the Leica M9 vs Sony NEX-6 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Here is the front view proportions comparison of the M9 against the NEX-6.

Leica M9 vs Sony NEX-6 size comparison

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the M9 and NEX-6 is 79 and 85 respectively.

Leica M9 vs Sony NEX-6 top view buttons comparison

Leica M9 vs Sony NEX-6 Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, it's tough to visualise the gap between sensor dimensions simply by going over technical specs. The pic underneath might give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the M9 and NEX-6.

As you have seen, both cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The M9 with its bigger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF less difficult and the Leica M9 will offer more detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The more aged M9 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.

Leica M9 vs Sony NEX-6 sensor size comparison

Leica M9 vs Sony NEX-6 Screen and ViewFinder

Leica M9 vs Sony NEX-6 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Leica M9 as a Portrait photography camera
Sony NEX-6 as a Portrait photography camera
69
you can focus manually
good megapixels (18MP)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
supports RAW formats
no liveview
74
has manual focus
decent MP (16 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
supports face detection autofocus
saves RAW files
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Street Comparison

Leica M9 as a Street photography camera
Sony NEX-6 as a Street photography camera
65
sensor size is big (Full frame)
supports RAW formats
screen is fixed
no image stabilization
78
has a tilting screen
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
saves RAW files
lighter than competition (345 grams)
very good high ISO (25,600)
no image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Leica M9 Sports photography advice
Sony NEX-6 Sports photography advice
44
good megapixels (18MP)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
no liveview
very slow continuous shooting (2.0 frames per second)
lack of shutter priority mode
no image stabilization
bad battery pack (350 shots)
doesn't have phase detect auto focus
66
decent MP (16MP)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
has phase detect autofocus
no image stabilization
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Travel Comparison

Leica M9 as a Travel photography camera
Sony NEX-6 as a Travel photography camera
54
good megapixels (18 megapixels)
doesn't have Time Lapse function
bad battery pack (350 shots)
display is not selfie friendly
75
lighter than competition (345g)
decent MP (16MP)
built-in flash
screen isn't selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Leica M9 as a Landscape photography camera
Sony NEX-6 as a Landscape photography camera
60
you can focus manually
interchangeable lenses (Leica M mount)
good megapixels (18 megapixels)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
doesnt have anti-alias filter
supports RAW formats
screen is small (2.5 inch)
no liveview
no image stabilization
bad battery pack (350 per charge)
doesn't have Time Lapse function
75
has manual focus
change lenses (Sony E mount)
decent sized screen (3 inch)
decent MP (16 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
very good high ISO (25,600)
saves RAW files
no image stabilization
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Vlogging Comparison

Leica M9 Vlogging highlights
Sony NEX-6 Vlogging highlights
9
can't shoot video
32
supports face detection autofocus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
lighter than competition (345g)
screen isn't selfie friendly
no image stabilization
no external microphone port
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Leica M9 vs Sony NEX-6 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Leica M9 and Sony NEX-6
 Leica M9Sony Alpha NEX-6
General Information
Manufacturer Leica Sony
Model Leica M9 Sony Alpha NEX-6
Type Pro Mirrorless Advanced Mirrorless
Introduced 2009-09-09 2013-03-25
Body design Rangefinder-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Powered by - Bionz
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size Full frame APS-C
Sensor measurements 36 x 24mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor area 864.0mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 18MP 16MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 5212 x 3472 4912 x 3264
Maximum native ISO 2500 25600
Lowest native ISO 80 100
RAW data
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Number of focus points - 99
Lens
Lens mounting type Leica M Sony E
Number of lenses 59 121
Focal length multiplier 1 1.5
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Tilting
Screen size 2.5" 3"
Resolution of screen 230k dot 921k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Screen tech TFT color LCD Xtra Fine LCD with Tilt Up 90� and Down 45�
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (rangefinder) Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 2,359k dot
Viewfinder coverage - 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification 0.68x 0.73x
Features
Slowest shutter speed 4 secs 30 secs
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shooting speed 2.0fps 10.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range no built-in flash 6.00 m
Flash options 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
Maximum flash sync 1/180 secs 1/160 secs
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions - 1920 x 1080 (60, 24 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution None 1920x1080
Video data format - MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
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 585 gr (1.29 lb) 345 gr (0.76 lb)
Dimensions 139 x 80 x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") 120 x 67 x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7")
DXO scores
DXO All around score 69 78
DXO Color Depth score 22.5 23.7
DXO Dynamic range score 11.7 13.1
DXO Low light score 884 1018
Other
Battery life 350 shots 360 shots
Type of battery 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 With downloadable app
Type of storage SD/SDHC card SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots 1 1
Launch cost $2,750 $365