M11 Monochromvs OM-D E-M5 Mark II
Leica
M11 Monochrom (2023)
Starting from £8300 new
Best for Black & White Photography
View M11 Monochrom
Olympus
OM-D E-M5 Mark II (2015)
Starting from £350 new
Best for Travel & Landscape
View OM-D E-M5 Mark II
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 & Landscape — OM-D E-M5 Mark II (2015): The E-M5 II was the benchmark weather-sealed travel camera of its generation. The 16MP sensor is modest by today's standards but excellent in practice, and the 5-axis IBIS is genuinely useful. Weather sealing, a flip screen, and a high-res composite mode make it a practical companion. A highly capable used-market buy for travel and outdoor photographers who don't need the latest resolution numbers.
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
OM-D E-M5 Mark II (2015)
- Travel photographers wanting compact + weather sealing
- Outdoor and landscape shooters
- Micro Four Thirds system users
Quick take: The m11 monochrom has the highest resolution at 60mp; the om-d e-m5 mark ii is the most affordable; only the om-d e-m5 mark ii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | M11 Monochrom (2023) | OM-D E-M5 Mark II (2015) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £8,300 | £350 |
| Sensor | 60.3MP Full-Frame Monochrome BSI CMOS (no colour filter array) | 16MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS |
| Resolution | 60.3MP | 16.0MP |
| Video | — | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder (no autofocus) | Contrast-detect AF, face detection |
| Stabilisation | — | 5-axis IBIS, 5.0 stops |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 10fps |
| Battery Life | ~700 shots (CIPA) | ~310 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 530g (body only) | 417g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 138.6 × 80.0 × 38.5mm | 123.7 × 85.0 × 44.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.73× magnification | Electronic, 2.36M dots, 0.74× magnification |
| Screen | 2.3" touchscreen LCD, 2.33M dots | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.04M dots |
| Mount | Leica M-mount | Micro Four Thirds |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II slot + 64GB internal storage | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB 2.0, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | M11 Monochrom | OM-D E-M5 Mark II |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Portrait | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Astrophotography | ||
| Travel | ||
| Casual | — | |
| Sports & Action | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Macro | — | |
| Wildlife | — |
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