M11 Monochromvs Lumix S9
Leica
M11 Monochrom (2023)
Starting from £8300 new
Best for Black & White Photography
View M11 Monochrom
Lumix
Lumix S9 (2024)
Starting from £1299 new
Best for Travel photographers, content creators & L-mount entry buyers
View Lumix S9
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.
Travel Photographers, Content Creators & L-Mount Entry Buyers — Lumix S9 (2024): The most compact full-frame camera available — a perfect travel and content creation companion with brilliant colour science.
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 S9 (2024)
- Travel photographers who want full-frame quality in the most compact package
- Content creators attracted to Real-time LUT and 10-bit video
- Photographers already in the L-mount ecosystem wanting a lightweight second body
- Lumix S5 II users who want something smaller for travel and casual shooting
Quick take: The m11 monochrom has the highest resolution at 60mp; the lumix s9 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | M11 Monochrom (2023) | Lumix S9 (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £8,300 | £1,299 |
| Sensor | 60.3MP Full-Frame Monochrome BSI CMOS (no colour filter array) | 24.2MP Full-Frame CMOS |
| Resolution | 60.3MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | — | 4K/60p (10-bit), C4K/60p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder (no autofocus) | Contrast-detect AF with subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | — | IBIS — up to 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 30fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~700 shots (CIPA) | ~310 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 530g (body only) | 413g (with battery) |
| Dimensions | 138.6 × 80.0 × 38.5mm | 124.6 × 73.9 × 52.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.73× magnification | None — rear screen only |
| Screen | 2.3" touchscreen LCD, 2.33M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen (touch drag AF) |
| Mount | Leica M-mount | Leica L mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II slot + 64GB internal storage | Single SD UHS-II slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | M11 Monochrom | Lumix S9 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 →
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Camera family history