Updated (August, 2012): Compare the Leica M8 vs Sony NEX-5R

Sony NEX-5N
Winner
Sony NEX-5N

91

vs
Leica M8

41

Leica M8
Runner-up
 
 
 
 

Reasons to buy the Sony NEX-5N

Low light performance
 Low noise at high ISO
1,079 ISO
Light sensitivity
 High ISO
25,600 ISO
Touch screen
 Touch screen
Less buttons
Supports 24p
 24p movies
For that film look
 

Reasons to buy the Leica M8

Viewfinder
 Great viewfinder
Rangefinder
Sensor size
 Large sensor
APS-C 27.0x18.0mm
Interchangeable lenses
 Interchangeable lenses
Many lenses to choose from
Fastest shutter speed
 Fast shutter speed
1/8000 of a second
 
Differences | Recommendations | Similarities | Competitors | Appearance | Discussion

differences

Advantages of the Leica M8
Viewfinder Has a viewfinder Rangefinder vs None
Help
 A viewfinder can help save battery life by keeping the screen turned off
Sensor size Larger sensor APS-C 27.0x18.0mm vs APS-C 23.4x15.6mm
Help
 More than 30% larger sensor
Lens availability More lenses available 22 lenses vs 8 lenses
Help
 Around 3x more lenses available
Fastest shutter speed Significantly faster max shutter speed 1/8000s vs 1/4000s
Help
 2x faster max shutter speed
Leica M8 Learn more about
the Leica M8

Advantages of the Sony NEX-5N
Screen size Much larger screen 3.0" vs 2.5"
Help
 More than 20% larger screen
Screen resolution Much higher resolution screen 920k dots vs 230k dots
Help
 4x higher resolution screen
Live view Has live view Yes vs No
Help
 Preview your photos on the camera's screen before taking them
Low light performance Significantly lower noise at high ISO 1,079 ISO vs 663 ISO
Help
 The NEX-5N has a slight edge (0.7 f-stops) in low noise, high ISO performance
Overall image quality Significantly better image quality 77.0 vs 59.0
Help
 More than 30% better image quality
Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity 25,600 ISO vs 2,500 ISO
Help
 The NEX-5N's maximum light sensitivity is 3.4 f-stops better
Color depth Better color depth 23.6 bits vs 21.1 bits
Help
 Distinguishes 2.5 more bits of color
Autofocus Video autofocus Contrast detection vs None
Help
 Automatically focuses shooting video
Touch screen Has a touch screen Yes vs No
Help
 Fewer buttons to worry about and direct interaction with camera menus
Dynamic range More dynamic range 12.7 EV vs 11.3 EV
Help
 1.4 f-stops more dynamic range
Screen flips out Has a flip-out screen Yes vs No
Help
 Flip-out screens can be helpful when composing tricky shots or taking movies
Panorama Can create panoramas in-camera Yes vs No
Help
 Stitches together multiple photos for a wide perspective
3D Takes 3D photos Yes vs No
Help
 Combines multiple photos into a 3D image
HDR Has in-camera HDR Yes vs No
Help
 Combines multiple exposures to capture high dynamic range
True resolution Significantly higher true resolution 16 MP vs 10.4 MP
Help
 Capture more than 50% more detail in your photos
Sensor type Has a CMOS-family sensor CMOS vs CCD
Help
 CMOS-family sensors often produce better quality images
Movie format Shoots movies 1080p @ 60fps vs None
Help
 Shoots Full HD (1080p) video as well as still pictures
Continuous shooting Supports continuous shooting 10 fps vs None
Help
 Allows taking many pictures in rapid succession
Weight Much lighter 269 g vs 591 g
Help
 2.2x lighter
Size Smaller 111x59x38 mm vs 139x80x37 mm
Help
 Around 40% smaller
Longest exposure Longer exposures 30s vs 8s
Help
 Around 4x longer exposures
Sony NEX-5N Learn more about
the Sony NEX-5N
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent mirrorless cameras, and ignoring price

Leica M8 Leica M8
41 vs 91
Explain scores
Sony NEX-5N Sony NEX-5N
Green arrow Snapsort recommends the Sony NEX-5N.

similarities

Compared to recent mirrorless cameras

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
External flash Each supports an external flash Help
Better lighting
Built-in flash No built-in flash Help
Professional
Image stabilization No image stabilization Help
Risk of blur

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100

Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100

Pro digicam

$648 - $760
Screen resolution Has a slightly higher resolution screen
Image stabilization Has image stabilization
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
External flash Doesn't support an external flash
Compare the Cybershot DSC-RX100 vs the M8
Compare the Cybershot DSC-RX100 vs the NEX-5N
Samsung NX300

Samsung NX300

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$699 with 20-50mm lens
Screen size Has a significantly larger screen
True resolution Takes slightly higher resolution photos
Supports 24p Doesn't record movies in 24p
Compare the NX300 vs the M8
Compare the NX300 vs the NEX-5N
Nikon D5100

Nikon D5100

Entry-level DSLR

$497 body only

$595 - $805 with 18-55mm lens
Viewfinder Has higher quality type of viewfinder
Startup delay Has significantly less startup delay
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D5100 vs the M8
Compare the D5100 vs the NEX-5N
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$234 - $235 body only

$419 with 14-42mm lens
Startup delay Has slightly less startup delay
Longest exposure Slightly longer exposures
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Sensor size Has a marginally smaller sensor
Compare the Lumix DMC-GX1 vs the M8
Compare the Lumix DMC-GX1 vs the NEX-5N

Leica M8 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Leica M9

Leica M9

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$7,000 body only
Color depth Better color depth
Low light performance Lower noise at high ISO
Fastest shutter speed Significantly slower max shutter speed
Longest exposure Slightly shorter max exposures
Compare the M9 vs the M8
Fujifilm X-Pro1

Fujifilm X-Pro1

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$1,199 body only

$1,599 with 18-55mm lens
Screen resolution Much higher resolution screen
Screen size Much larger screen
Lens availability Fewer lenses available
Sensor size Smaller sensor
Compare the X-Pro1 vs the M8
Fujifilm X-E1

Fujifilm X-E1

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$799 - $1,000 body only

$1,199 with 18-55mm lens
Live view Has live view
Screen size Significantly larger screen
Lens availability Fewer lenses available
Sensor size Smaller sensor
Compare the X-E1 vs the M8
Leica M8.2

Leica M8.2

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens
Fastest shutter speed Significantly slower max shutter speed
Compare the M8.2 vs the M8
Fujifilm FinePix X100

Fujifilm FinePix X100

Boutique

$1,565
Screen size Significantly larger screen
Low light performance Lower noise at high ISO
Interchangeable lenses Built-in lens only
Viewfinder Doesn't have a rangefinder viewfinder
Compare the FinePix X100 vs the M8

Sony NEX-5N Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Sony NEX-5R

Sony NEX-5R

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$498 body only

$598 with 18-55mm lens
Autofocus Faster autofocus
Focus points Significantly more focus points
Low light performance More noise at high ISO
Battery life Significantly shorter battery life
Compare the NEX-5R vs the NEX-5N
Sony NEX-7

Sony NEX-7

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$948 body only

$1,098 with 18-55mm lens
Viewfinder Has a viewfinder
External mic jack Has an external mic jack
Touch screen No touch screen
Light sensitivity Worse maximum light sensitivity
Compare the NEX-7 vs the NEX-5N
Sony Alpha NEX-5

Sony Alpha NEX-5

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$656 - $743 with 18-55mm lens
Startup delay Less startup delay
Low light performance More noise at high ISO
Touch screen No touch screen
Compare the Alpha NEX-5 vs the NEX-5N
Sony Alpha NEX-6

Sony Alpha NEX-6

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$648 body only

$798 with 16-50mm lens
Viewfinder Has a viewfinder
Autofocus Faster autofocus
Touch screen No touch screen
3D Doesn't take 3D photos
Compare the Alpha NEX-6 vs the NEX-5N
Sony NEX-F3

Sony NEX-F3

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$495 - $730 with 18-55mm lens
Startup delay Less startup delay
Low light performance Slightly lower noise at high ISO
Touch screen No touch screen
Movie continuous focus Doesn't focus continuously recording movies
Compare the NEX-F3 vs the NEX-5N

appearance

Leica M8 Sony NEX-5N
Leica M8 Sony NEX-5N
Leica M8 Sony NEX-5N

discussion

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