Leica
M9
 vs
Nikon
D700

Updated (February, 2012): Compare the Leica M9 vs Nikon D800

Nikon D700

66
Winner

Nikon D700
"The Nikon D700 is an excellent camera that is extremely versatile and performs well both in the studio and on location."
dpreview.com | talking about the D700's overall-performance
"Class-leading high ISO performance, usable up to ISO 12800"
dpreview.com | talking about the D700's iso-noise

Reasons to buy the Nikon D700

Weather sealed
 Weather sealed
Shoot in extreme weather
Low light performance
 Low noise at high ISO
2,303 ISO
Sensor size
 Large sensor
Full frame 36.0x24.0mm
Viewfinder size
 Large viewfinder
0.72x
Battery life
 Great battery life
1000 shots
Badge
 Phase detection autofocus
fast and accurate
Leica M9

48
Runner-up

Leica M9

Reasons to buy the Leica M9

Size
 Really small
Mid size 139x80x37 mm
Sensor size
 Large sensor
Full frame 36.0x24.0mm
Thickness
 Thin
1.5"
Weight
 Light-weight
585 g

differences

Advantages of the Leica M9
Size Much smaller 139x80x37 mm vs 147x123x77 mm
Help
 3.4x smaller
True resolution Significantly higher true resolution 18.1 MP vs 12.1 MP
Help
 Capture more than 50% more detail in your photos
Weight Much lighter 585 g vs 1,074 g
Help
 Around 50% lighter
Thickness Significantly thinner 1.5" vs 3"
Help
 2.1x thinner
Leica M9 Learn more about
the Leica M9

Advantages of the Nikon D700
Screen size Much larger screen 3.0" vs 2.5"
Help
 More than 20% larger screen
Weather sealed Weather sealed Yes vs No
Help
 Sealed to shoot in the rain
Screen resolution Much higher resolution screen 922k dots vs 230k dots
Help
 More than 4x higher resolution screen
Autofocus Faster autofocus Phase detection vs Contrast detection
Help
 Catch candid moments easily
Low light performance Much lower noise at high ISO 2,303 ISO vs 884 ISO
Help
 The D700 has excellent image quality 1.4 f-stops higher ISO than the M9
Overall image quality Better image quality 80.0 vs 69.0
Help
 Around 20% better image quality
Live view Has live view Yes vs No
Help
 Preview your photos on the camera's screen before taking them
Lens availability Significantly more lenses available 121 lenses vs 22 lenses
Help
 5.5x more lenses available
Battery life Significantly longer battery life 1000 shots vs 600 shots
Help
 Around 70% more shots per battery charge
Lowest price Much cheaper $2,349.00 vs $6,995.00
Help
 The best price we've seen is $4,646 cheaper (3x less)
Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity 6,400 ISO vs 2,500 ISO
Help
 The D700's maximum light sensitivity is 1.4 f-stops better
Built-in flash Built-in flash Yes vs No
Help
 A built-in flash is useful for taking indoor shots where there is little light
Dynamic range More dynamic range 12.2 EV vs 11.7 EV
Help
 0.5 f-stops more dynamic range
Sensor cleaning Has a self cleaning sensor Yes vs No
Help
 Removes dust from the sensor automatically, avoiding spots in photos
Sensor type Has a CMOS-family sensor CMOS vs CCD
Help
 CMOS-family sensors often produce better quality images
Continuous shooting Shoots faster 5 fps vs 2 fps
Help
 2.5x faster continuous shooting
Light sensitivity (boost) Has boost ISO 25,600 ISO vs None
Help
 Allows taking photos in darker situations, often at the cost of additional noise in the image
Color depth Better color depth 23.5 bits vs 22.5 bits
Help
 Distinguishes 1 more bits of color
Viewfinder Has a through-the-lens viewfinder Pentaprism vs Rangefinder
Help
 Through-the-lens viewfinders let you see exactly what your photo will look like
Longest exposure Significantly longer exposures 30s vs 4s
Help
 7.5x longer exposures
Fastest shutter speed Faster max shutter speed 1/8000s vs 1/4000s
Help
 2x faster max shutter speed
Nikon D700 Learn more about
the Nikon D700
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent digital cameras, and ignoring price

Leica M9 Leica M9
48 vs 66
Explain scores
Nikon D700 Nikon D700
Green arrow Snapsort recommends the Nikon D700. This recommendation, however, should be taken with a grain of salt since it doesn't always make sense to compare a mirrorless interchangeable-lens with a pro DSLR.

advice

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similarities

Compared to recent digital cameras

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Sensor size Very large sensors Help
Full frame 36.0x24.0mm
Interchangeable lenses Both support interchangeable lenses, which is uncommon in cameras similar to these Help
Many lenses to choose from
Battery life Great battery life Help
M9:600 shots
D700:1000 shots
Supports RAW RAW support Help
Better editing
Color depth Good color depth Help
M9:22.5 bits
D700:23.5 bits
External flash Support external flash Help
Better lighting
Viewfinder Viewfinders Help
M9:Rangefinder
D700:Pentaprism
Fastest shutter speed Fast max shutter speeds Help
M9:1/4000s
D700:1/8000s
Lowest price Very expensive Help
M9:$6,995.00
D700:$2,349.00
Weight Heavy Help
M9:585 g
D700:1,074 g
Autofocus No video autofocus Help
Manual focus only
Image stabilization No image stabilization Help
Risk of blur
Panorama Neither camera stitches together panoramas Help
You could stitch photos in post
Movie format Do not shoot movies Help
No movies
HDR Neither has in-camera HDR Help
You could do HDR manually
3D Neither camera can take 3D photos Help
No 3d support

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Nikon D7000

Nikon D7000

Entry-level DSLR

$1,000 - $1,197 body only

$1,100 with 55-200mm lens
Movie format Records higher quality movies
Dynamic range Has slightly wider dynamic range
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is slightly heavier
Compare the D7000 vs the M9
Compare the D7000 vs the D700
Nikon D800

Nikon D800

Pro DSLR

$2,999 - $3,000 body only
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Movie format Records higher quality movies
Lowest price Is slightly more expensive
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D800 vs the M9
Compare the D800 vs the D700
Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Pro DSLR

$2,198 body only

$2,898 - $2,999 with 24-105mm lens
Movie format Records higher quality movies
True resolution Takes slightly higher resolution photos
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is significantly heavier
Compare the EOS 5D Mark II vs the M9
Compare the EOS 5D Mark II vs the D700
Nikon D5100

Nikon D5100

Entry-level DSLR

$500 - $597 body only

$600 - $697 with 18-55mm lens
Movie format Records higher quality movies
Screen flips out Has a screen which flips out
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D5100 vs the M9
Compare the D5100 vs the D700
Nikon D90

Nikon D90

Entry-level DSLR

$897 body only

$1,047 with 55-200mm lens
Movie format Records lower quality movies
Lens availability Slightly more lenses available
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D90 vs the M9
Compare the D90 vs the D700
Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Pro DSLR

$3,499 - $3,500 body only

$4,299 - $4,300 with 24-105mm lens
Movie format Records higher quality movies
Screen size Has a slightly larger screen
Lowest price Is slightly more expensive
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the EOS 5D Mark III vs the M9
Compare the EOS 5D Mark III vs the D700
Fujifilm X-Pro1

Fujifilm X-Pro1

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$1,991 - $2,298 body only
Movie format Records higher quality movies
Screen resolution Has a slightly higher resolution screen
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Sensor size Has a much smaller sensor
Compare the X-Pro1 vs the M9
Compare the X-Pro1 vs the D700

Leica M9 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Fujifilm FinePix X100

Fujifilm FinePix X100

Boutique

$1,199
Screen size Significantly larger screen
Movie format Shoots movies
Sensor size Much smaller sensor
True resolution Much lower true resolution
Compare the FinePix X100 vs the M9
Leica M8

Leica M8

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens
Fastest shutter speed Faster max shutter speed
Longest exposure Slightly longer exposures
True resolution Much lower true resolution
Sensor size Much smaller sensor
Compare the M8 vs the M9

Nikon D700 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Canon EOS 7D

Canon EOS 7D

Pro DSLR

$1,549 - $1,821 body only

$1,500 - $1,849 with 18-135mm lens
Movie format Shoots movies
True resolution Significantly higher true resolution
Sensor size Much smaller sensor
Overall image quality Worse image quality
Compare the EOS 7D vs the D700
Nikon D300S

Nikon D300S

Pro DSLR

$1,690 - $1,700 body only

$2,547 - $4,295 with 18-200mm lens
Movie format Shoots movies
Storage slots Has more storage slots
Sensor size Much smaller sensor
Low light performance Much more noise at high ISO
Compare the D300S vs the D700

appearance

Leica M9 Nikon D700
Leica M9 Nikon D700
Leica M9 Nikon D700

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