Leica M9 vs Leica M Monochrom

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Leica M9 and the Leica M Monochrom, 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 M9 was introduced in September 2009 and Leica M Monochrom was introduced in May 2012. Let us first list highlights of the models.

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.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Leica M9 over Leica M Monochrom.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Leica M Monochrom over Leica M9.

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.

Screen

Leica M9 and Leica M Monochrom have 2.5" Fixed screens with 230k dot resolution.

Viewfinder

Cameras have built-in Optical (rangefinder) viewfinders. with 0.68x magnification and with 0.68x magnification.

Leica M9 features a 18.0 megapixel Full Frame CCD sensor with dimensions of 36 x 24 mm and a total area of 864 mm². Its native ISO range is 80 - 2,500. Leica M Monochrom features a 19 megapixel Full Frame CCD sensor with dimensions of 36 x 24 mm and a total area of 576 mm². Its native ISO range is 160 - 10,000.

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
	Medium Format	44 x 33 mm	1452 mm2	4:3	0.79x
	Full Frame	36 x 24 mm	864 mm2	3:2	1x
	APS-H	27 x 18 mm	486 mm2	3:2	1.3x
	APS-C	23.6 x 15.6 mm	368.2 mm2	3:2	1.5x
	APS-C (Canon)	22.3 x 14.9 mm	332.3 mm2	3:2	1.6x
	Micro Four Thirds	17.4 x 13 mm	226.2 mm2	4:3	2x
	1-inch	13.2 x 8.8 mm	116.2 mm2	3:2	2.7x
	1/1.7-inch	7.44 x 5.58 mm	41.5 mm2	4:3	4.7x
	1/2.3-inch	6.17 x 4.55 mm	28.1 mm2	4:3	5.6x

Leica M9 can take pictures up to 5212 x 3472 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3840 x 2592, 2592 x 1728, 1728 x 1152, 1280 x 846 with 3:2 aspect ratios. Leica M Monochrom can take pictures up to 5212 x 3472 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3840 x 2592, 2592 x 1728, 1728 x 1152, 1280 x 846 with 3:2 aspect ratios.

Lens Mount

Cameras have Leica M lens mount. Due to their Full Frame sensor their crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is equal to 1x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length.

No Low-Pass Filter on Leica M9

There is no optical low-pass filter (OLPF), also known as an anti-aliasing filter, in front of the sensor on Leica M9. This results in a slightly sharper image but may also introduce moiré patterns and aliasing artifacts when photographing subjects with fine, repetitive patterns or details.

No Image Stabilization

The cameras do not have image stabilization. On Leica M9 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Leica M Monochrom nothing can be done. On Leica M Monochrom it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Leica M9 nothing can be done.

USB Inputs

Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer.

External Storage Slots

Leica M9 has a single SD/SDHC card slot. Leica M Monochrom has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

Shutter

Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Leica M9, and up to 1/4000 sec on Leica M Monochrom. Cameras can shoot continuously up to 2.0 fps.

Exposure

Exposure meterings of Leica M Monochrom ranges from 0 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±3 EV range. You can also do and manual exposure adjustment on Leica M9 and exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Leica M Monochrom.

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 both cameras.

Leica M9 and Leica M Monochrom bodies have the same dimensions of 139 x 80 x 37 mm (5.47 x 3.15 x 1.46"). Leica M9 weighs 585 g (1.29 lb / 20.64 oz) and Leica M Monochrom weighs 600 g (1.32 lb / 21.16 oz).

Leica M9

Leica M Monochrom

139 mm

80 mm

139 mm

80 mm

80 mm

80 mm

37 mm

37 mm