M11 Monochromvs OM-5
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.
Outdoor & Adventure — OM-5 (2022): The toughest camera at this price — IP53 weather sealing and 7.5-stop IBIS built for adventure photographers.
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-5 (2022)
- Outdoor and adventure photographers who need a compact, weather-sealed body
- Travellers who want MFT's compact size with pro-level weather protection
- E-M5 III owners upgrading to OM System's improved subject detection
- Photographers who want strong IBIS and rugged build without OM-1 pricing
Quick take: The m11 monochrom has the highest resolution at 60mp; the om-5 is the most affordable; only the om-5 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | M11 Monochrom (2023) | OM-5 (2022) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £8,300 | £899 |
| Sensor | 60.3MP Full-Frame Monochrome BSI CMOS (no colour filter array) | 20.4MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS |
| Resolution | 60.3MP | 20.4MP |
| Video | — | 4K/60p, 4K/120p Cinema4K |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder (no autofocus) | Phase-detect, 121 all-cross points, subject tracking |
| Stabilisation | — | 5-axis IBIS, 7.5 stops (Dual IS with compatible lenses) |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 30fps electronic, 10fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | ~700 shots (CIPA) | ~370 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 530g (body only) | 414g body only |
| Dimensions | 138.6 × 80.0 × 38.5mm | 122.3 × 87.6 × 49.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.73× magnification | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.74× magnification |
| 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 slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | M11 Monochrom | OM-5 |
|---|---|---|
| Street | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Astrophotography | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Casual | — | |
| Sports & Action | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Outdoor & Adventure | — | |
| Wildlife | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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