Nikon Z9 has a
46.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm ) sized Stacked CMOS sensor and features Expeed 7 processor. On the other hand, Leica M11 has a
60.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Maestro III processor.
Leica M11's sensor provides 14MP more than Nikon Z9'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 Z9 and M11 sensor size comparison.
Nikon Z9 and Leica M11 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.
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. Nikon Z9 and Leica M11 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that M11 has a better overall score of 100, 2 points higher compared to Z9's score of 98.
Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
Nikon Z9 |
98 |
26.3 bits |
14.8 Evs |
2451 ISO |
Leica M11 |
100 |
26.3 bits |
14.8 Evs |
3376 ISO |