M11 Monochromvs Z50
Leica
M11 Monochrom (2023)
Starting from £8300 new
Best for Black & White Photography
View M11 Monochrom
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.
Beginner, Travel, Everyday — Z50 (2019): Nikon's Z system at its most accessible.
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
Z50 (2019)
- Nikon DSLR users wanting a lighter mirrorless
- First-time enthusiast camera buyers
Quick take: The m11 monochrom has the highest resolution at 60mp; the z50 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | M11 Monochrom (2023) | Z50 (2019) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £8,300 | £499 |
| Sensor | 60.3MP Full-Frame Monochrome BSI CMOS (no colour filter array) | APS-C CMOS |
| Resolution | 60.3MP | 20.9MP |
| Video | — | 4K 30fps (1.5× crop), 1080p 120fps |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder (no autofocus) | 209-point phase-detect hybrid AF |
| Stabilisation | — | None |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 11fps |
| Battery Life | ~700 shots (CIPA) | 300 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 530g (body only) | 397g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 138.6 × 80.0 × 38.5mm | 126.5 × 93.5 × 60.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.73× magnification | EVF 0.68× 2.36M-dot |
| Screen | 2.3" touchscreen LCD, 2.33M dots | 3.2" downward-tilting touchscreen, 1.04M-dot |
| Mount | Leica M-mount | Nikon Z-Mount (DX) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II slot + 64GB internal storage | Single SD UHS-I |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, Micro USB, Micro HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | M11 Monochrom | Z50 |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Astrophotography | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Casual | ||
| Sports & Action | ||
| Vlogging & Video |
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