Nikon D850 has a
46.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm ) sized BSI-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 Monochrome CCD sensor .
Nikon D850's sensor provides 28MP more than Leica M-Monochrom'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 Nikon D850'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 D850 and M-Monochrom sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D850 and Leica M-Monochrom Cameras
Nikon D850 and Leica M-Monochrom have almost the same sensor size, so neither of them has any significant advantage over the other in terms of providing control over depth of field when used with the same focal length and aperture.
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
Nikon D850
or the
Leica M-Monochrom ,
including hyperfocal distance.
