Leica M-E Typ 220 has a
18.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CCD sensor . On the other hand, Canon M3 has a
24.0MP APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features DIGIC 6 processor.
Canon M3's sensor provides 6MP more than Leica M-E Typ 220'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.
Below you can see the M-E Typ 220 and M3 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Leica M-E Typ 220 and Canon M3 Cameras
As seen above, Leica M-E Typ 220 has a 2.6x Larger sensor area than Canon M3. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.
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. Leica M-E Typ 220 and Canon M3 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that M3 has a better overall score of 72, 3 points higher compared to M-E Typ 220's score of 69.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Leica M-E Typ 220
69
22.7 bits
11.7 Evs
787 ISO
Canon M3
72
22.8 bits
11.8 Evs
1169 ISO
Sensor size sets the circle of confusion, so it drives how much depth of field each
of these bodies gives you at a given aperture. You can calculate it exactly for the
Leica M-E Typ 220
or the
Canon M3 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
One thing to watch when comparing these two: they have different sensor sizes
(Full frame versus APS-C),
so compare them at the same framing rather than the same focal length.
Put the same focal length on the smaller sensor and it will show less depth of
field, not more, because it also crops tighter. The calculator shows the
full frame equivalent focal length for each body so you can match the framing.
