Canon M50 vs Leica M-E Typ 240

The Canon EOS M50 and the Leica M-E (Typ 240) are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in February 2018 and June 2019. The M50 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, while the M-E Typ 240 is a rangefinder-focusing mirrorless. The cameras are based on an APS-C (M50) and a full frame (M-E Typ 240) sensor. The Canon has a resolution of 24 megapixels, whereas the Leica provides 23.7 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Canon M50		Leica M-E Typ 240
Mirrorless system camera		Rangefinder camera
Canon EF-M mount lenses		Leica M mount lenses
24 MP – APS-C sensor		23.7 MP – Full Frame sensor
4K/24p Video		1080/25p Video
ISO 100-25,600 (100 - 51,200)		ISO 200-6,400
Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots)		Optical viewfinder
3.0" LCD – 1040k dots		3.0" LCD – 920k dots
Swivel touchscreen		Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
10 shutter flaps per second		3 shutter flaps per second
not weather sealed		Weathersealed body
235 shots per battery charge		500 shots per battery charge
116 x 88 x 59 mm, 390 g		139 x 80 x 42 mm, 680 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS M50 and the Leica M-E (Typ 240)? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Canon M50 and the Leica M-E Typ 240 is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The M50 can be obtained in two different colors (black, white), while the M-E Typ 240 is only available in silver.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Leica M-E Typ 240 is notably larger (9 percent) than the Canon M50. Moreover, the M-E Typ 240 is substantially heavier (74 percent) than the M50. It is noteworthy in this context that the M-E Typ 240 is splash and dust-proof, while the M50 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

Concerning battery life, the M50 gets 235 shots out of its Canon LP-E12 battery, while the M-E Typ 240 can take 500 images on a single charge of its Leica BP-SCL2 power pack.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Canon M50	116 mm	88 mm	59 mm	390 g	235	n	Feb 2018	779	ebay.com
2.		Leica M-E Typ 240	139 mm	80 mm	42 mm	680 g	500	Y	Jun 2019	3,999	ebay.com
3.		Canon M3	111 mm	68 mm	44 mm	366 g	250	n	Feb 2015	679	ebay.com
4.		Canon M5	116 mm	89 mm	61 mm	427 g	295	n	Sep 2016	979	ebay.com
5.		Canon M6	112 mm	68 mm	45 mm	390 g	295	n	Feb 2017	779	ebay.com
6.		Canon M6 Mark II	120 mm	70 mm	49 mm	408 g	305	n	Aug 2019	849	ebay.com
7.		Canon M50 Mark II	116 mm	88 mm	59 mm	387 g	305	n	Oct 2020	599	ebay.com
8.		Canon M100	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	302 g	295	n	Aug 2017	499	ebay.com
9.		Canon SL2	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	453 g	650	n	Jun 2017	549	ebay.com
10.		Canon SL3	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	449 g	1070	n	Apr 2019	599	amazon.com
11.		Canon T7	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	475 g	500	n	Feb 2018	449	amazon.com
12.		Canon T7i	131 mm	100 mm	76 mm	532 g	600	n	Feb 2017	749	ebay.com
13.		Leica M Typ 240	139 mm	80 mm	42 mm	680 g	500	Y	Sep 2012	6,950	ebay.com
14.		Leica M Typ 262	139 mm	80 mm	42 mm	680 g	400	Y	Nov 2015	5,195	ebay.com
15.		Leica M10	139 mm	80 mm	39 mm	660 g	210	Y	Jan 2017	6,595	ebay.com
16.		Leica M10-P	139 mm	80 mm	39 mm	660 g	210	Y	Aug 2018	7,995	ebay.com
17.		Leica M10-R	139 mm	80 mm	39 mm	660 g	210	Y	Jul 2020	8,295	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The M50 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 81 percent) than the M-E Typ 240, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Canon M50 features an APS-C sensor and the Leica M-E Typ 240 a full frame sensor. The sensor area in the M-E Typ 240 is 158 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.6 and 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Despite having a smaller sensor, the Canon M50 offers a higher resolution of 24 megapixels, compared with 23.7 MP of the Leica M-E Typ 240. This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 3.72μm versus 6.01μm for the M-E Typ 240). Moreover, it should be noted that the M-E Typ 240 is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year and 3 months) than the M50, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units.

The M50 has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Canon EOS M50 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 100-51200. The corresponding ISO settings for the Leica M-E (Typ 240) are ISO 200 to ISO 6400, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-6400.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon M50	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	23.8	13.3	1684	81
2.		Leica M-E Typ 240	Full Frame	23.7	5952	3976	1080/25p	25.2	14.2	2821	94
3.		Canon M3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.8	11.8	1169	72
4.		Canon M5	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.4	12.4	1262	77
5.		Canon M6	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.4	12.6	1317	78
6.		Canon M6 Mark II	APS-C	32.3	6960	4640	4K/30p	24.0	13.5	1848	83
7.		Canon M50 Mark II	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	24.0	13.6	1939	83
8.		Canon M100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.5	12.9	1272	78
9.		Canon SL2	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.4	1041	79
10.		Canon SL3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/25p	23.9	13.4	1791	82
11.		Canon T7	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	23.8	13.3	1684	81
12.		Canon T7i	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.7	13.1	1586	80
13.		Leica M Typ 240	Full Frame	23.7	5952	3976	1080/25p	24.0	13.3	1860	84
14.		Leica M Typ 262	Full Frame	23.7	5952	3976	none	24.8	13.7	2478	90
15.		Leica M10	Full Frame	23.8	5952	3992	none	24.4	13.2	2133	86
16.		Leica M10-P	Full Frame	23.8	5952	3992	none	25.1	14.1	2739	93
17.		Leica M10-R	Full Frame	40.9	7864	5200	none	25.3	14.3	2924	95
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the M50 provides a higher video resolution than the M-E Typ 240. It can shoot video footage at 4K/24p, while the Leica is limited to 1080/25p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the M50 has an electronic viewfinder (2360k dots), while the M-E Typ 240 has an optical one. Both systems have their advantages, with the electronic viewfinder making it possible to project supplementary shooting information into the framing view, whereas the optical viewfinder offers lag-free viewing and a very clear framing image. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Canon M50 and Leica M-E Typ 240 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Canon M50	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
2.		Leica M-E Typ 240	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	n
3.		Canon M3	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	4.2/s	Y	n
4.		Canon M5	2360	n	3.2 / 1620	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	n
5.		Canon M6	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	n
6.		Canon M6 Mark II	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	14.0/s	Y	n
7.		Canon M50 Mark II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
8.		Canon M100	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.1/s	Y	n
9.		Canon SL2	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
10.		Canon SL3	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
11.		Canon T7	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
12.		Canon T7i	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
13.		Leica M Typ 240	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	n
14.		Leica M Typ 262	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	n
15.		Leica M10	optical	n	3.0 / 1037	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	n	n
16.		Leica M10-P	optical	n	3.0 / 1037	fixed	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	n	n
17.		Leica M10-R	optical	n	3.0 / 1037	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.5/s	n	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The M50 has one, while the M-E Typ 240 does not. While the built-in flash of the M50 is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

The Canon M50 has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the M50 and the M-E Typ 240 write their files to SDXC cards. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS M50 and Leica M-E (Typ 240) and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Canon M50	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
2.		Leica M-E Typ 240	Y	mono / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Canon M3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
4.		Canon M5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
5.		Canon M6	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
6.		Canon M6 Mark II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
7.		Canon M50 Mark II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
8.		Canon M100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
9.		Canon SL2	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
10.		Canon SL3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
11.		Canon T7	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
12.		Canon T7i	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
13.		Leica M Typ 240	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
14.		Leica M Typ 262	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Leica M10	Y	- / -	-	-	-	-	Y	-	-
16.		Leica M10-P	Y	- / -	-	-	-	-	Y	-	-
17.		Leica M10-R	Y	- / -	-	-	-	-	Y	-	-

It is notable that the M50 has a microphone port, which is missing on the M-E Typ 240. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Both the M50 and the M-E Typ 240 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The M50 was replaced by the Canon M50 Mark II, while the M-E Typ 240 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official Canon and Leica websites.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Which of the two cameras – the Canon M50 or the Leica M-E Typ 240 – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Reasons to prefer the Canon EOS M50:

• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/24p vs 1080/25p).
• Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
• More framing info: Has an electronic viewfinder that displays shooting data.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1040k vs 920k dots).
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• Fewer buttons to press: Is equipped with a touch-sensitive rear screen to facilitate handling.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (10 vs 3 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 290g or 43 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
• Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (81 percent cheaper at launch).
• More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in February 2018).

Advantages of the Leica M-E (Typ 240):

• Better image quality: Is equipped with a larger and more technologically advanced sensor.
• Richer colors: The sensor size advantage translates into images with better, more accurate colors.
• More dynamic range: Larger sensor captures a wider spectrum of light and dark details.
• Better low-light sensitivity: Larger sensor produces good images even in poorly lit environments.
• Brighter framing: Features an optical viewfinder for clear, lag-free composition.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (500 versus 235) out of a single battery charge.
• Better sealing: Is splash and dust sealed for shooting in inclement weather conditions.
• More prestigious: Has the Leica luxury appeal, which ensures a high resale value.
• More modern: Was introduced somewhat (1 year and 3 months) more recently.

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the M50 is the clear winner of the match-up (16 : 9 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the M50 and the M-E Typ 240 in practical situations. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Canon M50	..	+	4/5	79/100	..	3.5/5	Feb 2018	779	ebay.com
2.		Leica M-E Typ 240	..	..	..	..	..	..	Jun 2019	3,999	ebay.com
3.		Canon M3	4/5	o	..	75/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2015	679	ebay.com
4.		Canon M5	4/5	+	4/5	82/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2016	979	ebay.com
5.		Canon M6	..	..	..	80/100	4/5	4/5	Feb 2017	779	ebay.com
6.		Canon M6 Mark II	..	+	4.5/5	85/100	4/5	4/5	Aug 2019	849	ebay.com
7.		Canon M50 Mark II	4/5	..	4/5	..	4.5/5	3.5/5	Oct 2020	599	ebay.com
8.		Canon M100	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	3.5/5	Aug 2017	499	ebay.com
9.		Canon SL2	4/5	+ +	4/5	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2017	549	ebay.com
10.		Canon SL3	4/5	o	4.5/5	79/100	4/5	4/5	Apr 2019	599	amazon.com
11.		Canon T7	..	o	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2018	449	amazon.com
12.		Canon T7i	4.5/5	..	3.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	749	ebay.com
13.		Leica M Typ 240	4/5	..	..	..	4/5	..	Sep 2012	6,950	ebay.com
14.		Leica M Typ 262	..	..	..	..	..	..	Nov 2015	5,195	ebay.com
15.		Leica M10	4.5/5	..	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	6,595	ebay.com
16.		Leica M10-P	..	..	3/5	..	..	4/5	Aug 2018	7,995	ebay.com
17.		Leica M10-R	4.5/5	..	4/5	..	..	4/5	Jul 2020	8,295	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make your choice using the following search menu. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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