M11 Monochromvs OM System OM-1 Mark II
Leica
M11 Monochrom (2023)
Starting from £8300 new
Best for Black & White Photography
View M11 Monochrom
OM System
OM System OM-1 Mark II (2024)
Starting from £1999 new
Best for Wildlife, birds & outdoor sports
View OM System OM-1 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.
Wildlife, Birds & Outdoor Sports — OM System OM-1 Mark II (2024): OM System's most capable camera — 120fps AF burst, AI subject detection, and IP53 weather sealing make it the best-value pro wildlife camera.
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 System OM-1 Mark II (2024)
- Wildlife and bird photographers who need the best subject tracking in MFT
- Sports photographers who want weather sealing and 50fps burst
- OM-1 owners looking for a meaningful autofocus upgrade
- Professionals who need pro-grade weather sealing in the lightest possible system
Quick take: The m11 monochrom has the highest resolution at 60mp; the om system om-1 mark ii is the most affordable; only the om system om-1 mark ii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | M11 Monochrom (2023) | OM System OM-1 Mark II (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £8,300 | £1,999 |
| Sensor | 60.3MP Full-Frame Monochrome BSI CMOS (no colour filter array) | 20MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS |
| Resolution | 60.3MP | 20.0MP |
| Video | — | 4K/60p, 1080p/240p, 4K HLG |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder (no autofocus) | AI subject detection AF (birds, animals, motorsport) |
| Stabilisation | — | 8.5-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 120fps with AF tracking |
| Battery Life | ~700 shots (CIPA) | 520 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 530g (body only) | 599g body only |
| Dimensions | 138.6 × 80.0 × 38.5mm | 134.8 × 91.6 × 72.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.73× magnification | 0.83" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps |
| Screen | 2.3" touchscreen LCD, 2.33M dots | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Leica M-mount | Micro Four Thirds |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II slot + 64GB internal storage | Dual SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | M11 Monochrom | OM System OM-1 Mark II |
|---|---|---|
| Street | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Astrophotography | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Casual | — | |
| Sports & Action | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Wildlife | — |
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