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Leica M10 vs Nikon D850 Comparison

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Leica M10

24 MP | Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) CMOS Sensor

Leica M10
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Nikon D850

46 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Nikon D850
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Leica M10 vs Nikon D850 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Leica M10, which was introduced in January 2017 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 24.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Nikon D850, which was introduced in August 2017 is a Advanced DSLR camera with a 46.0MP Full frame sensor. There is only 7 months difference between M10 and D850 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious alternatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Leica M10 and Nikon D850 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Leica M10 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2017-01-18
  • 24MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 50000
  • Leica M Mount
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (rangefinder) viewfinder
  • 5.0 fps continuous shooting
  • No Video Mode
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 660g. 139 x 39 x 80 mm

Nikon D850 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2017-08-24
  • 46MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 64 - 25600 ( expands to 32-102400)
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 3.2 Tilting Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 7.0 fps continuous shooting (9 fps with optional battery grip. )
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 1015g. 146 x 124 x 79 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Nikon D810 Compare

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Leica M10 and Nikon D850 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Leica M10 over Nikon D850
Max ISO
50.000 vs 25.600 95% higher Max ISO
Weight
660 g vs 1015 g 355 g lighter
Sensor Pixel Area
36.01µm2 vs 18.88µm2 90% larger pixel area


Reasons to choose Nikon D850 over Leica M10
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder Magnification
0.75x vs 0.73x Larger Viewfinder
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution
46 MP vs 24 MP 91% more pixels
LCD Screen Size
3.2 vs 3" 0.2 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution
2.359k dots vs 1.037k dots 127% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
7.0fps vs 5.0fps 2 fps faster
Battery Life
1840 shots vs 210 shots 1630 more frames with a single charge
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Color Depth
26.4 vs 24.4 higher color depth
Dynamic Range
14.8 vs 13.3 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO
2660 vs 2133 better High ISO performance
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs None Higher Resolution Video
Top LCD
Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
AE Bracketing Range
±5 EV vs ±3 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Focus Bracketing
Yes vs No Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Focus Stacking
Yes vs No Stacks photos in-camera to maximize depth of field
Illuminated Buttons
Yes vs No Find the buttons easily in dark
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
8K Timelapse mode
Yes vs No Create 8K resolution timelapse videos
Autofocus at f/8 aperture
15 points vs none Autofocus with teleconverters
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs none Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds

Common Strengths of Leica M10 and Nikon D850
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Optical) Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Max Resolution
24 MP vs 46 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 3.2 Large display
LCD Screen Resolution
1.037k dots vs 2.359k dots High resolution screens
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs Yes creative shooting
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Weaknesses of Leica M10 and Nikon D850
In-body Image Stabilization
No vs No No Built-in stabilization
Built-in Flash
No vs No Require external flash
Leica M10 vs Nikon D850: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Leica M10 and Nikon D850 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Leica M10 has external dimensions of 139 x 39 x 80 mm (5.47 x 1.54 x 3.15″) and weighs 660 g (1.46 lb / 23.28 oz) (including batteries). Nikon D850 has external dimensions of 146 x 124 x 79 mm (5.75 x 4.88 x 3.11″) and weighs 1015 g (2.24 lb / 35.80 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Leica M10 and Nikon D850. Leica M10 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 7mm narrower, 44mm shorter and 40mm thinner than Nikon D850.

Leica M10 vs Nikon D850 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Leica M10 and Nikon D850 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Leica M10 and Nikon D850.

Leica M10 vs Nikon D850 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Leica M10 and Nikon D850 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Leica M10 and Nikon D850.
Leica M10 vs Nikon D850 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Leica M10 and Nikon D850 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Leica M10 is significantly lighter (355g ) than the Nikon D850 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since both Leica M10 and Nikon D850 have the same Full frame sized sensor, their lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will be similar in size and weight.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

M10
D850
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

M10
D850
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of D850, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to M10.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon D850's 3.2 LCD screen is slightly larger than Leica M10's 3" screen.

In addition to the size advantage, Nikon D850 LCD screen also has a Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels. On the other hand, Leica M10 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to D850.
Leica M10 vs Nikon D850: Sensor Comparison

Leica M10 has a 24.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Maestro II processor. On the other hand, Nikon D850 has a 46.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Expeed 5 processor.

Nikon D850's sensor provides 22MP more than Leica M10'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 Nikon D850'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 moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the M10 and D850 sensor size comparison.

Leica M10 vs Nikon D850 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Leica M10 and Nikon D850 Cameras


Leica M10 and Nikon D850 have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with 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 M10 and Nikon D850 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that D850 has a better overall score of 100, 14 points higher compared to M10's score of 86.

Model Overall Color Depth Dynamic Range Low-light ISO
Leica M10 86 24.4 bits 13.3 Evs 2133 ISO
Nikon D850 100 26.4 bits 14.8 Evs 2660 ISO
Leica M10 vs Nikon D850 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Nikon D850 has an advantage over Leica M10 There are 309 lenses for Nikon D850's Nikon F mount, on the other hand there are only 59 lenses for Leica M10's Leica M lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. None of these bodies have sensor based image stabilization so you have to buy lenses with Optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 0 lenses for Leica M mount and 106 lenses for Nikon F mount with IS.

Lens Type # of Leica M10 Lenses # of Nikon D850 Lenses
Standard Zoom n/a 33 (17 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 15 (15 Full Frame) 21 (18 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 1 (1 Full Frame) 33 (17 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 31 (31 Full Frame) 48 (46 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom n/a 53 (43 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime 10 (10 Full Frame) 45 (44 Full Frame)
SuperZoom n/a 30 (6 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime n/a 8 (3 Full Frame)
Macro Prime 1 (1 Full Frame) 26 (23 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime 1 (1 Full Frame) 11 (11 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a 1 (0 Full Frame)
TOTAL 59 (59 Full Frame) 309 (228 Full Frame)

What types of Photography are Leica M10 and Nikon D850 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Leica M10 and Nikon D850 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Leica M10 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Nikon D850 for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 46.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Leica M10 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D850 for Street Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Leica M10 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Nikon D850 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 210 shots
Read the details
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
99 Cross Type Focus sensors
153 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 1840 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Leica M10 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Nikon D850 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
660g
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
1015g
Body Thickness 79mm
Read the details

Leica M10 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D850 for Landscape Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 46.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Leica M10 vs Nikon D850: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Leica M10 and Nikon D850, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Leica M10 and Nikon D850 scores compare:

Leica M10
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #94 out of 126 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #411 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Nikon D850
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #1 out of 94 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #16 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Nikon D850 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Leica M10 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Leica M10. Otherwise, Nikon D850 is the better camera overall.

Leica M10
Leica M10
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Nikon D850
Nikon D850
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Nikon D850 vs Leica M10 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Leica M10 Nikon D850
Brand Leica Nikon
Announced 2017-01-18 2017-08-24
Body Type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Mid-size SLR
Sensor
Type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Size Full frame Full frame
Dimensions 35.8 x 23.9 mm 35.9 x 23.9 mm
Area 855.62mm2 858.01mm2
Megapixels 24 megapixels 46 megapixels
Max Resolution 5952 x 3992 8256 x 5504
Max Native Light sensitivity 50,000 ISO 25,600 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity - 102400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 64 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity - 32 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points n/a 153
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Leica M Nikon F
Number of Available Lenses 59 309
Screen
Type Fixed type Tilting
Size 3" 3.2
Resolution 1,037k dots 2,359k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (rangefinder) Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.73x 0.75x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No No
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/250s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps 7.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution None 3840 x 2160
Video Formats n/a MPEG-4
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 660g 1015g
Dimensions 139 x 39 x 80mm 146 x 124 x 79mm
Battery Life 210 shots 1840 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Optional None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 86 100
DxO Color Depth 24.4 26.4
DxO Dynamic Range 13.3 14.8
DxO Low Light ISO 2133 2660
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