Leica M9 has a
18.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CCD sensor . On the other hand, Leica M11 Monochrom has a
60.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized Monochrome BSI-CMOS sensor and features Maestro III processor.
Leica M11 Monochrom's sensor provides 42MP more than Leica M9'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.
Another difference between these two cameras is that Leica M9's sensor lacks 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 M9 and M11 Monochrom sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Leica M9 and Leica M11 Monochrom Cameras
Leica M9 and Leica M11 Monochrom 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 Leica M9 has 233% larger pixel area compared to Leica M11 Monochrom, 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. Leica M9 and Leica M11 Monochrom sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that M11 Monochrom has a better overall score of 100, 31 points higher compared to M9's score of 69.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Leica M9
69
22.5 bits
11.7 Evs
884 ISO
Leica M11 Monochrom
100
26.3 bits
14.8 Evs
3376 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 M9
or the
Leica M11 Monochrom ,
including hyperfocal distance.
