Nikon 1 AW1 vs Leica M11 Monochrom

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Nikon 1 AW1 and the Leica M11 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.

Nikon 1 AW1 was introduced in September 2013 and Leica M11 Monochrom was introduced in April 2023. 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 Nikon 1 AW1 over Leica M11 Monochrom.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Leica M11 Monochrom over Nikon 1 AW1.

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

Nikon 1 AW1 and Leica M11 Monochrom have 3.0" Fixed screens with 921k dot and 2,333k dot resolutions respectively. Leica M11 Monochrom also features touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment

Optical (rangefinder) Viewfinder on Leica M11 Monochrom

Leica M11 Monochrom has a built-in Optical (rangefinder) viewfinder. It has a 100% coverage and 0.73x magnification. There is no built-in or optional viewfinder available on Nikon 1 AW1.

Nikon 1 AW1 features a 14.2 megapixel 1-inch CMOS sensor with dimensions of 13.2 x 8.8 mm and a total area of 116.2 mm². Its native ISO range is 160 - 6,400. Leica M11 Monochrom features a 60.3 megapixel Full Frame BSI-CMOS sensor with dimensions of 35.8 x 23.9 mm and a total area of 571.2 mm². Its native ISO range is 64 - 50,000.

Leica M11 Monochrom has BSI-CMOS sensor, short for Backside Illuminated Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor sensor. In traditional CMOS sensors, the wiring and circuitry are located on the front side of the sensor, which can block some of the incoming light. BSI technology flips this design by placing the photosensitive elements (pixels) on the backside of the sensor, allowing more light to reach the pixels. This significantly enhances light sensitivity and improves low-light performance. BSI-CMOS sensors are particularly effective in low-light conditions, as they can capture more light, resulting in brighter and less noisy images. This makes them well-suited for indoor and night photography. BSI-CMOS sensors deliver a higher SNR and reduced cross-talk.

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

Nikon 1 AW1 is equipped with EXPEED 3A processor and can take pictures up to 4608 x 3072 resolution. Leica M11 Monochrom is equipped with Maestro III processor and can take pictures up to 9528 x 6328 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like (M) 7413 x 4928, (S) 5272 x 3498 with 3:2 aspect ratios.

Lens Mount

Nikon 1 AW1 has Nikon 1 lens mount and Leica M11 Monochrom has Leica M lens mount. Due to 1-inch sensor in Nikon 1 AW1 its crop factor is equal to 2.7x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 2.7. Due to Full Frame sensor in Leica M11 Monochrom 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.

No Image Stabilization

The cameras do not have image stabilization. On Nikon 1 AW1 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Leica M11 Monochrom nothing can be done. On Leica M11 Monochrom it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Nikon 1 AW1 nothing can be done.

Built-in GPS on Nikon 1 AW1

Nikon 1 AW1 has a built-in GPS (Global Positioning System) technology which allows you to automatically tag the location where you took your photos. You can later categorize, organize, and search for photos based on location. This is very useful for travel and outdoor photographers for documenting the locations where images were captured.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in GPS.

Built-in Wi-Fi on Leica M11 Monochrom

Leica M11 Monochrom has a built-in Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 5, 802.11ac/b/g/n, 2.4/5 GHz) 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.

Bluetooth on Leica M11 Monochrom

Leica M11 Monochrom has a built-in Bluetooth (version 4.2) which lets you to connect the camera to a smartphone or a dedicated remote control device. This allows you to remotely trigger the camera, adjust settings and controls remotely through a paired mobile app. While Wi-Fi is generally faster for transferring larger files, Bluetooth can be used for small, selective transfers, it can provide real-time information about your camera's battery status, memory card capacity, and other key settings directly on your paired smartphone or smartwatch.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in Bluetooth.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Both models have USB inputs for data transfer. connector for video signal output.

Battery

Nikon 1 AW1 comes with EN-EL20 battery pack with battery life of 220 shots and Leica M11 Monochrom comes with BC-SCL7 battery pack with battery life of 700 shots.

External Storage Slots

Nikon 1 AW1 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot. Leica M11 Monochrom has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II) [2 TB Maximum] card slot.

Shutter

Nikon 1 AW1 has Electronic shutter. Leica M11 Monochrom has Electronic shutter and Mechanical Focal Plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/16000 sec with electronic shutter and up to 1/4000 sec with mechanical shutter on both models. Nikon 1 AW1 can shoot continuously up to 60.0 fps. Leica M11 Monochrom can shoot continuously up to 4.5 fps.

Focusing

Nikon 1 AW1 has Hybrid autofocus (phase detection/contrast-detect AF)
AF-assist illuminator system with 135 focusing points and Leica M11 Monochrom has ..

Flash

Nikon 1 AW1 has a built-in flash with maximum range of 5.00 m at ISO 100. Leica M11 Monochrom has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected via Hot Shoe. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/60 sec on Nikon 1 AW1 and 1/180 sec on Leica M11 Monochrom.

Nikon 1 AW1 body has dimensions of 114 x 72 x 37 mm (4.47 x 2.81 x 1.46") and Leica M11 Monochrom body has dimensions of 139 x 39 x 80 mm (5.47 x 1.54 x 3.15"). Nikon 1 AW1 weighs 201 g (0.44 lb / 7.09 oz) and Leica M11 Monochrom weighs 640 g (1.41 lb / 22.58 oz).

Nikon 1 AW1

Leica M11 Monochrom

114 mm

72 mm

139 mm

39 mm

72 mm

39 mm

37 mm

80 mm