Leica M10 vs Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

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      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Leica M10 and the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Leica M10 was introduced in January 2017 and Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II was introduced in February 2015. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Leica M10 Highlights

      • 24 MP Full Frame CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 50,000 Native ISO
      • 3.0" 1,037k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (rangefinder) Viewfinder
      • 5.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Built-In Wi-Fi

      Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II Highlights

      • 16.1 MP Micro Four Thirds MOS Sensor
      • 200 - 25,600 Native ISO
      • 81 Focus Points
      • 5-Axis Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 1,037k dot Fully Articulated Screen
      • 2,360k dot Electronic Viewfinder
      • 10.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-In Wi-Fi
      • Wheather Sealed Body

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Leica M10 and Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II.

      PROS

      Leica M10

      Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

      •   Large Sensor
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Cheap
      •   Video Capture
      •   81 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Live Composition
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Webcam Functionality
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 469 g (1.03 lb / 16.54 oz)
      •   USB Charging
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Leica M10

      Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

      •   Expensive
      •   No Video Capture
      •   50,000 Highest Native ISO
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 210 shots
      •   Small Sensor
      •   200 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   Short Battery Life - 310 shots


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Leica M10

      Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

      •   Sensor Resolution - 24 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 86
      •   Weight - 660 g (1.46 lb / 23.28 oz)
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16.1 Megapixel
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   Viewfinder Resolution - 2,360k dot
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Electronic) - 1/16000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 73

      Advantage of Leica M10

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Leica M10 over Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II.

      Leica M10 vs Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II
      Larger Sensor Full Frame vs Micro Four Thirds
      Higher Sensor Resolution 24 Megapixel vs 16.1 Megapixel
      Lower Native ISO 100 vs 200
      Max Image Resolution 5952 x 3992 vs 4608 x 3456
      Average Metering vs
      Higher DxO Low Light ISO 2133 vs 896
      Higher DxO Color Depth 24.4 vs 23.0
      Higher DxO Dynamic Range 13.3 vs 12.4
      Higher DxO Overall Score 86 vs 73

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Leica M10.

      Advantage of Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II over Leica M10.

      Leica M10 vs Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II
      Cheaper $6595 vs $1099 (body only)
      Video Capture vs
      Higher Native ISO 50,000 vs 25,600
      Touch-to-Focus vs
      Multi Area Autofocus vs
      Center Autofocus vs
      Selective Autofocus vs
      Tracking Autofocus vs
      Single Autofocus vs
      Continuous Autofocus vs
      Face Detection vs
      Live View Autofocus vs
      Contrast Detection for Autofocus vs
      Image Stabilization vs 5-Axis Sensor Shift
      Screen Type Fixed vs Fully Articulated
      Touch Screen vs
      Live Composition vs
      Higher Viewfinder Magnification (35mm equivalent) 0.73x vs 0.74x
      Lower Min Shutter Speed 8 sec vs 60 sec
      Higher Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) 1/4000 sec vs 1/8000 sec
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps vs 10.0 fps
      Higher Flash Sync Speed 1/180 sec vs 1/250 sec
      Lower Min Metering -1 EV vs -2 EV
      HDMI Output vs Micro
      Speaker vs Mono
      Built-in Microphone vs Stereo
      Microphone Input vs
      Environmental Sealing vs
      Lighter 660 g (1.46 lb / 23.28 oz) vs 469 g (1.03 lb / 16.54 oz)
      Longer Battery Life 210 shots vs 310 shots

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II.

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Leica M10 Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II
        Built-In Wi-Fi
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Leica M10 Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Bluetooth
        Short Battery Life210 shots310 shots

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Leica M10 and Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II have 3.0" screens with 1,037k dot resolution. Leica M10 has a Fixed screen Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II has a Fully Articulated screen which makes it selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting. Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II also features touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality (available only on Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II) allowing users to select a specific point on the screen where they want the camera to focus. This feature can be helpful for achieving precise focus in both photo and video recording.

      Image cannot be displayed

      Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II with Fully Articulated screen


      Viewfinder

      Leica M10 has a built-in Optical (rangefinder) viewfinderOlympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 2,360k dot resolution. They both have 100% coverage.

      Sensor

      Leica M10 features a 24 megapixel Full Frame CMOS sensor with dimensions of 35.8 x 23.9 mm and a total area of 855.6 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 50,000. Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II features a 16.1 megapixel Micro Four Thirds MOS sensor with dimensions of 17.3 x 13 mm and a total area of 169 mm2. Its native ISO range is 200 - 25,600 and expands to 100 - 25,600 in boosted mode.


      Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

      Sensor size chart
      Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Leica M10 is equipped with Maestro II processor and can take pictures up to 5952 x 3992 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 5952 x 3968 (JPEG, 24MP), 4256 x 2932 (12MP), 2976 x 1984 (6MP) with 3:2 aspect ratios. Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II is equipped with TruePic VII processor and can take pictures up to 4608 x 3456 resolution.


      Lens Mount

      Leica M10 has Leica M lens mount and Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II has Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Due to Full Frame sensor in Leica M10 its crop factor is equal to 1x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length. Due to Micro Four Thirds sensor in Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II its crop factor is equal to 2x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 2.


      In-Body Image Stabilization on Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

      Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II has a built-in 5-Axis Sensor Shift in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when camera is paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      Built-in Wi-Fi

      Cameras have built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n 2.4 GHz on Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II) which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
        Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.


      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II has a USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) input for data transfer and battery charging. connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Leica M10 comes with BP-SCL5 battery pack with battery life of 210 shots and Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II comes with BLN-1 battery pack with battery life of 310 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Cameras have a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II has Mechanical Focal Plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Leica M10, and up to 1/16000 sec with electronic shutter and up to 1/8000 sec with mechanical shutter on Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II. Leica M10 can shoot continuously up to 5.0 fps. Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II can shoot continuously up to 10.0 fps.


      Exposure

      Exposure meterings of Leica M10 and Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II range from -1 to +20 EV and -2 to +20 EV respectively and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±3 EV range on Leica M10 and ±5 EV range on Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II. You can also do exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Leica M10 and exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II.


      Flash

      Cameras have no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected to both of them via Hot Shoe. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/180 sec on Leica M10 and 1/250 sec on Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II.

      Physical Parameters

      Leica M10 body has dimensions of 139 x 39 x 80 mm (5.47 x 1.54 x 3.15") and Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II body has dimensions of 124 x 85 x 45 mm (4.88 x 3.35 x 1.77"). Leica M10 weighs 660 g (1.46 lb / 23.28 oz) and Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II weighs 469 g (1.03 lb / 16.54 oz).

      Leica M10

      Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

      139 mm

      39 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      124 mm

      85 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      39 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      85 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      80 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      45 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      Size comparisons of Leica M10 and Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

      Leica M10 and Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Leica M10

      Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

      GOOD
      76
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      GOOD
      81
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Leica M10

      Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

      AVERAGE
      58
      •   50,000 Highest Native ISO
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 210 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      77
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   81 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   Viewfinder Resolution - 2,360k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 310 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Leica M10

      Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

      AVERAGE
      57
      •   50,000 Highest Native ISO
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 210 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      73
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   81 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   Viewfinder Resolution - 2,360k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 310 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Leica M10

      Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

      GOOD
      79
      •   Large Sensor
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      EXCELLENT
      86
      •   Small Sensor
      •   81 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Leica M10

      Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

      GOOD
      81
      •   Large Sensor
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 660 g (1.46 lb / 23.28 oz)
      EXCELLENT
      90
      •   Small Sensor
      •   81 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 469 g (1.03 lb / 16.54 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Leica M10

      Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

      GOOD
      76
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 660 g (1.46 lb / 23.28 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 210 shots
      EXCELLENT
      87
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 469 g (1.03 lb / 16.54 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 310 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Leica M10 and Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II and give them scores of 50 and 75 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Leica M10

      Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

      OVERALL
      50
      OVERALL
      75

      Sensor

      Leica M10

      Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

      GOOD
      75
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Sensor Resolution - 24 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   50,000 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 86
      AVERAGE
      66
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16.1 Megapixel
      •   200 Lowest Native ISO
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 73

      Photo

      Leica M10

      Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

      AVERAGE
      66
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      GOOD
      78
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Electronic) - 1/16000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec

      Video

      Leica M10

      Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

      BAD
      0
      •   No Image Stabilization
      POOR
      52
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Webcam Functionality
      •   Low Video Recording Limit

      Focusing

      Leica M10

      Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

      BAD
      0
      •   No Face Detection
      GOOD
      79
      •   81 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Leica M10

      Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

      GOOD
      73
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      EXCELLENT
      86
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   Viewfinder Resolution - 2,360k dot

      Connectivity

      Leica M10

      Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

      AVERAGE
      58
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      EXCELLENT
      87
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Leica M10

      Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

      BAD
      36
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 660 g (1.46 lb / 23.28 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 210 shots
      AVERAGE
      68
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 469 g (1.03 lb / 16.54 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 310 shots


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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