Leica Q2 Monochrom vs Sigma DP1 Merrill

Let's look more closely at the Leica Q2 Monochrom versus Sigma DP1 Merrill, both Large Sensor Compact digital cameras by manufacturers Leica and Sigma. There exists a huge gap between the image resolutions of the Q2 Monochrom (47MP) and DP1 Merrill (15MP) and the Q2 Monochrom (Full frame) and DP1 Merrill (APS-C) offer different sensor sizing.

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The Q2 Monochrom was announced 8 years after the DP1 Merrill which is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature the same body design (Large Sensor Compact).

Before going straight to a thorough comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the Q2 Monochrom matches up versus the DP1 Merrill with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Leica Q2 Monochrom and Sigma DP1 Merrill. The whole galleries are viewable at Leica Q2 Monochrom Gallery and Sigma DP1 Merrill Gallery.

If you're going to carry around your camera often, you will need to consider its weight and volume. The Leica Q2 Monochrom comes with outside dimensions of 130mm x 80mm x 92mm (5.1" x 3.1" x 3.6") and a weight of 734 grams (1.62 lbs) whilst the Sigma DP1 Merrill has sizing of 122mm x 67mm x 64mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.5") accompanied by a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs).

See the Leica Q2 Monochrom versus Sigma DP1 Merrill in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are using at that time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the Q2 Monochrom vs the DP1 Merrill.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the Q2 Monochrom and DP1 Merrill is 60 and 82 respectively.

More often than not, it's hard to visualize the gap between sensor sizes merely by reviewing a spec sheet. The image here might give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the Q2 Monochrom and DP1 Merrill.

Clearly, the 2 cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The Q2 Monochrom having a bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field simpler and the Leica Q2 Monochrom will offer you extra detail with its extra 32MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots way more aggressively. The fresher Q2 Monochrom provides an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.