M11 Monochromvs Lumix S5 IIX
Leica
M11 Monochrom (2023)
Starting from £8300 new
Best for Black & White Photography
View M11 Monochrom
Lumix
Lumix S5 IIX (2023)
Starting from £2399 new
Best for Professional video, filmmaking & hybrid shooters on L-mount
View Lumix S5 IIX
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Black & White Photography — M11 Monochrom (2023): The M11 Monochrom is the finest black-and-white camera in the world. A 60MP sensor with no colour filter array produces sharpness and tonal depth no colour camera can match — combined with extended high-ISO performance. Manual focus, no video, and an extraordinary price make it a specialist instrument, but for dedicated B&W photographers it is unmatched.
Professional Video, Filmmaking & Hybrid Shooters On L-Mount — Lumix S5 IIX (2023): The S5 II with ProRes RAW and 6K Open Gate — the most serious L-mount video tool in a portable, weather-sealed body.
Who should buy what
M11 Monochrom (2023)
- Dedicated black-and-white photographers who demand the finest possible monochrome files
- Fine art and documentary photographers who work exclusively in B&W
- Leica M system users who want maximum monochrome image quality
- Astrophotographers — monochrome sensors excel at capturing fine star detail
Lumix S5 IIX (2023)
- Video professionals who need ProRes RAW output and 6K Open Gate in a portable L-mount body
- L-mount filmmakers who want USB power for extended recording without battery changes
- Hybrid shooters who need both 24MP stills quality and professional video specs in one camera
- S5 II users who specifically need ProRes RAW support for their post-production workflow
Quick take: The m11 monochrom has the highest resolution at 60mp; the lumix s5 iix is the most affordable; only the lumix s5 iix is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | M11 Monochrom (2023) | Lumix S5 IIX (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £8,300 | £2,399 |
| Sensor | 60.3MP Full-Frame Monochrome BSI CMOS (no colour filter array) | 24.2MP full-frame CMOS |
| Resolution | 60.3MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | — | 6K/30p Open Gate, 4K/60p 10-bit, ProRes RAW via HDMI — V-Log, LUT support |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder (no autofocus) | Phase-hybrid AF — improved over S5 with subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | — | 5-axis IBIS — 6.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 9fps mechanical, 30fps electronic (6MP crop) |
| Battery Life | ~700 shots (CIPA) | ~370 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 530g (body only) | 740g body only |
| Dimensions | 138.6 × 80.0 × 38.5mm | 134.3 × 102.3 × 90.1mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.73× magnification | OLED EVF, 3.68M-dot, 0.78× |
| Screen | 2.3" touchscreen LCD, 2.33M dots | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.84M dots |
| Mount | Leica M-mount | L-mount (Leica/Panasonic/Sigma) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II slot + 64GB internal storage | Dual SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C with power delivery, 3.5mm mic & headphone jacks, HDMI full-size |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | M11 Monochrom | Lumix S5 IIX |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Astrophotography | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Casual | — | |
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with M11 Monochrom
Camera family history