CameraDecision
  • CAMERAS
  • LENSES
  • TOOLS
    • Smart Find
    • 1-on-1 Comparison
    • Size Comparison

Nikon D5 vs Leica M-Monochrom

x
Camera to replace
Change

Nikon D5

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

Nikon D5
$6,496.95
or
BUY
Change

Leica M-Monochrom

18 MP | Full frame (36 x 24 mm) CCD Sensor

Leica M-Monochrom
$7,950.00
or
BUY
Nikon D5 vs Leica M-Monochrom Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Nikon D5, which was introduced in January 2016 is a Pro DSLR camera with a 21.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Leica M-Monochrom, which was introduced in May 2012 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 18.0MP Full frame sensor.

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.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Nikon D5 and Leica M-Monochrom before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon D5 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2016-01-05
  • 21MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 102400 ( expands to 3280000)
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 3.2″ Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 14.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • 1415g. 160 x 158.5 x 92 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Nikon D4s Compare

Leica M-Monochrom Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-05-10
  • 18MP - Full frame CCD Sensor
  • ISO 160 - 10000
  • Leica M Mount
  • 2.5″ Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (rangefinder) viewfinder
  • 2 fps continuous shooting
  • No Video Mode
  • 600g. 139 x 80 x 37 mm
Reasons to choose Nikon D5 over Leica M-Monochrom
Touch Screen Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Face Detection Focus Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution 21 MP vs 18 MP 16% more pixels
Max ISO 102.400 vs 10.000 924% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Size 3.2″ vs 2.5″ 0.7 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution 2.359k dots vs 230k dots 925% higher resolution screen
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster shutter speed
Continuous Shooting 14.0fps vs 2.0fps 12 fps faster
Battery Life 3780 shots vs 350 shots 3430 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
Timelapse Recording Yes vs No creative shooting
Price $6,497 vs $7,950 $1,453 cheaper
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 ±2 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Flash Sync Port Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
4K Photo Mode Yes vs No Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video
Illuminated Buttons Yes vs No Find the buttons easily in dark
Storage Slot 2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Autofocus at f/8 aperture 15 points vs none Autofocus with teleconverters
Reasons to choose Leica M-Monochrom over Nikon D5
Weight 600 g vs 1415 g 815 g lighter
Sensor Pixel Area 47.73µm2 vs 41.25µm2 15% larger pixel area
Common Strengths of Nikon D5 and Leica M-Monochrom
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 21 MP vs 18 MP Bigger prints and more details
AE Bracketing Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Weaknesses of Nikon D5 and Leica M-Monochrom
Image Stabilization No vs No No Built-in stabilization
Articulating Screen No vs No No flexible viewing angles
Built-in Flash No vs No Require external flash
LCD Screen Size 3.2″ vs 2.5″ Small display
Nikon D5 vs Leica M-Monochrom: Physical Specs Comparison

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon D5 and Leica M-Monochrom. Leica M-Monochrom is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 21mm narrower, 79mm shorter and 55mm thinner than Nikon D5.

Nikon D5 vs Leica M-Monochrom Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon D5 and Leica M-Monochrom.
Nikon D5 vs Leica M-Monochrom Camera Size Comparison - Top View

Nikon D5 vs Leica M-Monochrom Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Leica M-Monochrom is significantly lighter (815g ) than the Nikon D5 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 Nikon D5 and Leica M-Monochrom 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

Mirrorless Cameras

D5
M-Monochrom
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

D5
M-Monochrom
Min
Average
Max
Nikon D5 vs Leica M-Monochrom: Sensor Comparison

Nikon D5 has a 21.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 5 processor. On the other hand, Leica M-Monochrom has a 18.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CCD sensor .

Below you can see the D5 and M-Monochrom sensor size comparison.

Nikon D5 vs Leica M-Monochrom Sensor Size Comparison


Nikon D5 and Leica M-Monochrom 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.

What types of Photography are Nikon D5 and Leica M-Monochrom Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D5 and Leica M-Monochrom 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.

Nikon D5 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Leica M-Monochrom for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 21.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon D5 for Street Photography

GOOD

Leica M-Monochrom for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Live-view
Read the details

Nikon D5 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Leica M-Monochrom for Sports Photography

GOOD
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 14.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
99 Cross Type Focus sensors
153 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 3780 shots
Good Low Light ISO
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Slow Continuous Shooting: 2.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
Read the details

Nikon D5 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Leica M-Monochrom for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
1415g
Body Thickness 92mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
600g
Read the details

Nikon D5 for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Leica M-Monochrom for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 21.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
No Live-view
Read the details


Leica M-Monochrom vs Nikon D5 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 D5 has an advantage over Leica M-Monochrom. There are 299 lenses for Nikon D5's Nikon F mount, on the other hand there are only 59 lenses for Leica M-Monochrom'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 88 lenses for Nikon F mount and 0 lenses for Leica M mount with IS.

Lens Type # of Nikon D5 Lenses # of Leica M-Monochrom Lenses
Standard Zoom 33 (17 Full Frame) n/a
Standard Prime 20 (17 Full Frame) 15 (15 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 32 (16 Full Frame) 1 (1 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 46 (44 Full Frame) 31 (31 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 51 (41 Full Frame) n/a
Telephoto Prime 42 (41 Full Frame) 10 (10 Full Frame)
SuperZoom 30 (6 Full Frame) n/a
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 8 (3 Full Frame) n/a
Macro Prime 25 (22 Full Frame) 1 (1 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime 11 (11 Full Frame) 1 (1 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 (0 Full Frame) n/a
TOTAL 299 (218 Full Frame) 59 (59 Full Frame)
Nikon D5 vs Leica M-Monochrom: 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 Nikon D5 and Leica M-Monochrom, 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 Nikon D5 and Leica M-Monochrom scores compare:

Nikon D5
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #2 out of 11 in Large SLR cameras
Ranked #29 out of 1166 in all Cameras
Leica M-Monochrom
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #114 out of 119 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #552 out of 1166 in all Cameras

Nikon D5 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Leica M-Monochrom in all criterias except one: Portability. Leica M-Monochrom is significantly smaller than Nikon D5. If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Leica M-Monochrom. Otherwise, Nikon D5 is the better camera overall.

Nikon D5
Nikon D5
$6,496.95

Leica M-Monochrom
Leica M-Monochrom
$7,950.00

Leica M-Monochrom vs Nikon D5 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon D5 Leica M-Monochrom
Brand Nikon Leica
Announced 2016-01-05 2012-05-10
Body Type Large SLR Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Price $6,496.95 $7,950.00
Sensor
Type CMOS CCD
Size Full frame Full frame
Dimensions 35.8 x 23.9 mm 36 x 24 mm
Area 855.62mm2 864.00mm2
Megapixels 21 megapixels 18 megapixels
Max Resolution 5588 x 3712 5212 x 3472
Max Native Light sensitivity 102,400 ISO 10,000 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 3280000 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 160 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 153 n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon F Leica M
Number of Available Lenses 299 59
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3.2″ 2.5″
Resolution 2,359k dots 230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Optical (rangefinder)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% Unknown
Viewfinder Magnification 0.72 0.68
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No No
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync no built-in flash 1/180s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 14.0 fps 2.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 None
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Optional None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 1415g 600g
Dimensions 160 x 158.5 x 92mm 139 x 80 x 37mm
Battery Life 3780 shots 350 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Optional None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 88 not tested
DxO Color Depth 25.1 not tested
DxO Dynamic Range 12.3 not tested
DxO Low Light ISO 2434 not tested
Report a correction Report a correction
LATEST HOLIDAY DEALS!

Sony A7 II with 28-70mm for $998
Olympus Holiday Savings up to $900
Nikon D750 with Grip & Accessories for $1396
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens for $299

  • See all Active Deals here


  • Most Popular Cameras
    Nikon Z 7
    Nikon Z 7
    46 MP | Full frame CMOS | Nikon Z Mount
    Fujifilm X-T3
    Fujifilm X-T3
    26 MP | APS-C BSI-CMOS | Fujifilm X Mount
    Sony A6000
    Sony A6000
    24 MP | APS-C CMOS | Sony E Mount
    Canon R
    Canon R
    30 MP | Full frame CMOS | Canon RF Mount
    Sony A7 III
    Sony A7 III
    24 MP | Full frame BSI-CMOS | Sony E Mount
    Canon M6
    Canon M6
    24 MP | APS-C CMOS | Canon EF-M Mount
    Nikon D850
    Nikon D850
    46 MP | Full frame BSI-CMOS | Nikon F Mount
    Nikon D5600
    Nikon D5600
    24 MP | APS-C CMOS | Nikon F Mount
    Nikon D3500
    Nikon D3500
    24 MP | APS-C CMOS | Nikon F Mount
    Nikon D750
    Nikon D750
    24 MP | Full frame CMOS | Nikon F Mount
    Top Rated DSLR Cameras
    Top DSLR Cameras Under $500
    Top DSLR Cameras Under $750
    Top DSLR Cameras Under $1000
    Top DSLR Cameras Under $1500
    Top Rated Mirrorless Cameras
    Top Mirrorless Cameras Under $500
    Top Mirrorless Cameras Under $750
    Top Mirrorless Cameras Under $1000
    Top Mirrorless Cameras Under $1500

    Copyright © 2018 by CameraDecision
    About Feedback Privacy Cameras

    Report a Correction