Canon 1D X has a
18.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Dual Digic 5+ processor. On the other hand, Leica SL has a
24.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Maestro II processor.
Leica SL's sensor provides 6MP more than Canon 1D X's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely.
On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.
One other difference between these two cameras that is worth mentioning is that Leica SL's sensor doesn't have an anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moiré occurring in certain scenes.
Below you can see the 1D X and SL sensor size comparison.
Canon 1D X and Leica SL have the same sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture. On the other hand, since Canon 1D X has 33% larger pixel area compared to Leica SL, it has potential to collect more light on pixel level hence have less noise in low light / High ISO images.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Canon 1D X and Leica SL sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that SL has a better overall score of 88, 6 points higher compared to 1D X's score of 82.
Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
Canon 1D X |
82 |
23.8 bits |
11.8 Evs |
2786 ISO |
Leica SL |
88 |
25.0 bits |
13.4 Evs |
1821 ISO |