Leica M-E Typ 240 vs M10
The Leica M-E (Typ 240) and the Leica M10 (Typ 3656) are two enthusiast cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in June 2019 and January 2017. Both the M-E Typ 240 and the M10 are rangefinder-focusing mirrorless cameras that are equipped with a full frame sensor. The M-E Typ 240 has a resolution of 23.7 megapixels, whereas the M10 provides 23.8 MP.
Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.
Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Leica M-E (Typ 240) and the Leica M10 (Typ 3656)? 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
The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Leica M-E Typ 240 and the Leica M10. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.
The M10 can be obtained in two different colors (black, silver), while the M-E Typ 240 is only available in silver.
In this particular case, the Leica M-E Typ 240 and the Leica M10 have exactly the same width and height, and, thus, have identically-sized bodies. However, the M10 is slightly lighter (3 percent) than the M-E Typ 240. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.
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. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Leica M Lens Catalog.
Concerning battery life, the M-E Typ 240 gets 500 shots out of its Leica BP-SCL2 battery, while the M10 can take 210 images on a single charge of its Leica BP-SCL5 power pack.
The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.
Camera Model |
Camera Width |
Camera Height |
Camera Depth |
Camera Weight |
Battery Life |
Weather Sealing |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price |
Street Price |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Leica M-E Typ 240 | 139 mm | 80 mm | 42 mm | 680 g | 500 | Y | Jun 2019 | US$ 3 999 | ebay.com | |
2. | Leica M10 | 139 mm | 80 mm | 39 mm | 660 g | 210 | Y | Jan 2017 | US$ 6 599 | ebay.com | |
3. | Leica M Typ 240 | 139 mm | 80 mm | 42 mm | 680 g | 500 | Y | Sep 2012 | US$ 6 949 | ebay.com | |
4. | Leica M Typ 262 | 139 mm | 80 mm | 42 mm | 680 g | 400 | Y | Nov 2015 | US$ 5 195 | ebay.com | |
5. | Leica M10-P | 139 mm | 80 mm | 39 mm | 660 g | 210 | Y | Aug 2018 | US$ 7 999 | ebay.com | |
6. | Leica M10-R | 139 mm | 80 mm | 39 mm | 660 g | 210 | Y | Jul 2020 | US$ 8 299 | ebay.com | |
7. | Leica M11 | 139 mm | 80 mm | 39 mm | 640 g | 700 | Y | Jan 2022 | US$ 8 999 | amazon.com | |
8. | Leica Q Typ 116 | 130 mm | 80 mm | 93 mm | 640 g | 300 | n | Jun 2015 | US$ 4 249 | ebay.com | |
9. | Leica Q2 | 130 mm | 80 mm | 92 mm | 718 g | 370 | Y | Mar 2019 | US$ 4 999 | amazon.com | |
10. | Sony A7 III | 127 mm | 96 mm | 74 mm | 650 g | 610 | Y | Feb 2018 | US$ 1 999 | amazon.com | |
11. | Sony A9 II | 129 mm | 96 mm | 76 mm | 678 g | 690 | Y | Oct 2019 | US$ 4 499 | amazon.com | |
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders. | |||||||||||
Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The M-E Typ 240 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 39 percent) than the M10, 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 size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants 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 more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.
Both cameras under consideration feature a full frame sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the large-sensor cameras that aim for top notch image quality. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.
While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the M10 offers a slightly higher resolution of 23.8 megapixels, compared with 23.7 MP of the M-E Typ 240. This megapixels advantage translates into a 0 percent gain in linear resolution. On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the M10 has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 6.00μm versus 6.01μm for the M-E Typ 240). Moreover, it should be noted, that the M-E Typ 240 is much more recent (by 2 years and 5 months) than the M10, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of individual pixels. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the M10 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.
The Leica M-E (Typ 240) has a native sensitivity range from ISO 200 to ISO 6400, which can be extended to ISO 100-6400. The corresponding ISO settings for the Leica M10 (Typ 3656) are ISO 100 to ISO 50000 (no boost).
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.
Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.
Camera Model |
Sensor Class |
Resolution (MP) |
Horiz. Pixels |
Vert. Pixels |
Video Format |
DXO Portrait |
DXO Landscape |
DXO Sports |
DXO Overall |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Leica M-E Typ 240 | Full Frame | 23.7 | 5952 | 3976 | 1080/25p | 25.2 | 14.2 | 2821 | 94 | |
2. | Leica M10 | Full Frame | 23.8 | 5952 | 3992 | none | 24.4 | 13.2 | 2133 | 86 | |
3. | Leica M Typ 240 | Full Frame | 23.7 | 5952 | 3976 | 1080/25p | 24.0 | 13.3 | 1860 | 84 | |
4. | Leica M Typ 262 | Full Frame | 23.7 | 5952 | 3976 | none | 24.8 | 13.7 | 2478 | 90 | |
5. | Leica M10-P | Full Frame | 23.8 | 5952 | 3992 | none | 25.1 | 14.1 | 2739 | 93 | |
6. | Leica M10-R | Full Frame | 40.9 | 7864 | 5200 | none | 25.3 | 14.3 | 2924 | 95 | |
7. | Leica M11 | Full Frame | 60.3 | 9528 | 6328 | none | 26.3 | 14.8 | 3376 | 100 | |
8. | Leica Q Typ 116 | Full Frame | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60p | 24.3 | 12.7 | 2221 | 85 | |
9. | Leica Q2 | Full Frame | 46.7 | 8368 | 5584 | 4K/30p | 26.4 | 13.5 | 2491 | 96 | |
10. | Sony A7 III | Full Frame | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 4K/30p | 25.0 | 14.7 | 3730 | 96 | |
11. | Sony A9 II | Full Frame | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 4K/30p | 25.0 | 14.0 | 3434 | 93 | |
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. The M-E Typ 240 indeed provides movie recording capabilities, while the M10 does not. The highest resolution format that the M-E Typ 240 can use is 1080/25p.
Feature comparison
Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The M-E Typ 240 and the M10 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (100%), but the viewfinder of the M10 has a higher magnification than the one of the M-E Typ 240 (0.73x vs 0.68x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Leica M-E Typ 240 and Leica M10 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.
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. | Leica M-E Typ 240 | optical | n | 3.0 / 920 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | n | n | |
2. | Leica M10 | optical | n | 3.0 / 1037 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 5.0/s | n | n | |
3. | Leica M Typ 240 | optical | n | 3.0 / 920 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | n | n | |
4. | Leica M Typ 262 | optical | n | 3.0 / 921 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | n | n | |
5. | Leica M10-P | optical | n | 3.0 / 1037 | fixed | Y | 1/4000s | 5.0/s | n | n | |
6. | Leica M10-R | optical | n | 3.0 / 1037 | fixed | Y | 1/4000s | 4.5/s | n | n | |
7. | Leica M11 | optical | n | 3.0 / 2333 | fixed | Y | 1/4000s | 4.5/s | n | n | |
8. | Leica Q Typ 116 | 3680 | n | 3.0 / 1040 | fixed | Y | 1/2000s | 10.0/s | n | Y | |
9. | Leica Q2 | 3680 | n | 3.0 / 1040 | fixed | Y | 1/2000s | 10.0/s | n | Y | |
10. | Sony A7 III | 2359 | n | 3.0 / 922 | tilting | Y | 1/8000s | 10.0/s | n | Y | |
11. | Sony A9 II | 3686 | n | 3.0 / 1440 | tilting | Y | 1/8000s | 20.0/s | n | Y | |
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one. |
The Leica M10 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 M-E Typ 240 and the M10 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 Leica M-E (Typ 240) and Leica M10 (Typ 3656) and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.
Camera Model |
Hotshoe Port |
Internal Mic / Speaker |
Microphone Port |
Headphone Port |
HDMI Port |
USB Port |
WiFi Support |
NFC Support |
Bluetooth Support |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Leica M-E Typ 240 | Y | mono / - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
2. | Leica M10 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | - | Y | - | - | |
3. | Leica M Typ 240 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
4. | Leica M Typ 262 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
5. | Leica M10-P | Y | - / - | - | - | - | - | Y | - | - | |
6. | Leica M10-R | Y | - / - | - | - | - | - | Y | - | - | |
7. | Leica M11 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 3.2 | Y | - | Y | |
8. | Leica Q Typ 116 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
9. | Leica Q2 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | - | - | Y | - | Y | |
10. | Sony A7 III | Y | stereo / mono | Y | Y | micro | 3.1 | Y | Y | Y | |
11. | Sony A9 II | Y | stereo / mono | Y | Y | micro | 3.1 | Y | Y | Y |
It is notable that the M10 offers wifi support, which can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location. In contrast, the M-E Typ 240 does not provide wifi capability.
Both the M-E Typ 240 and the M10 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The M10 was replaced by the Leica M11, 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 Leica website.
Review summary
So how do things add up? Is the Leica M-E Typ 240 better than the Leica M10 or vice versa? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.
Reasons to prefer the Leica M-E (Typ 240):
- Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
- Broader imaging potential: Can record not only still images but also 1080/25p movies.
- Longer lasting: Can take more shots (500 versus 210) on a single battery charge.
- More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (39 percent cheaper at launch).
- More modern: Reflects 2 years and 5 months of technical progress since the M10 launch.
Advantages of the Leica M10 (Typ 3656):
- Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
- Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.73x vs 0.68x).
- More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1037k vs 920k dots).
- Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (5 vs 3 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
- Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
- Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
- More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in January 2017).
If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the M10 emerges as the winner of the match-up (7 : 5 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.
In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the M-E Typ 240 and the M10 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 adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular 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.
Camera Model |
AP score |
CL score |
DCW score |
DPR score |
EPZ score |
PB score |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price |
Street Price |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Leica M-E Typ 240 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | Jun 2019 | US$ 3 999 | ebay.com | |
2. | Leica M10 | 4.5/5 | .. | .. | .. | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Jan 2017 | US$ 6 599 | ebay.com | |
3. | Leica M Typ 240 | 4/5 | .. | .. | .. | 4/5 | .. | Sep 2012 | US$ 6 949 | ebay.com | |
4. | Leica M Typ 262 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | Nov 2015 | US$ 5 195 | ebay.com | |
5. | Leica M10-P | .. | .. | 3/5 | .. | .. | 4/5 | Aug 2018 | US$ 7 999 | ebay.com | |
6. | Leica M10-R | 4.5/5 | .. | 4/5 | .. | .. | 4/5 | Jul 2020 | US$ 8 299 | ebay.com | |
7. | Leica M11 | 4.5/5 | .. | 4.5/5 | .. | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jan 2022 | US$ 8 999 | amazon.com | |
8. | Leica Q Typ 116 | 5/5 | .. | .. | 80/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jun 2015 | US$ 4 249 | ebay.com | |
9. | Leica Q2 | .. | .. | 4.5/5 | 84/100 | 4.5/5 | 4/5 | Mar 2019 | US$ 4 999 | amazon.com | |
10. | Sony A7 III | .. | + + | 4.5/5 | 89/100 | 5/5 | 5/5 | Feb 2018 | US$ 1 999 | amazon.com | |
11. | Sony A9 II | .. | .. | 5/5 | 90/100 | 5/5 | 5/5 | Oct 2019 | US$ 4 499 | amazon.com | |
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available. |
The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. 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. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.
Other camera comparisons
Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.
- Canon 5D Mark III vs Leica M-E Typ 240
- Canon 5D Mark III vs Leica M10
- Canon 5DS R vs Leica M-E Typ 240
- Canon 700D vs Leica M-E Typ 240
- Canon T2i vs Leica M10
- Leica M-E Typ 240 vs Nikon D60
- Leica M-E Typ 240 vs Nikon D850
- Leica M-E Typ 240 vs Pentax K-3 II
- Leica M10 vs Olympus E-600
- Leica M10 vs Panasonic FZ82
- Leica M10 vs Panasonic GX1
- Leica M10 vs Sony RX1R
Specifications: Leica M-E Typ 240 vs Leica M10
Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.
Camera Model | Leica M-E Typ 240 | Leica M10 |
---|---|---|
Camera Type | Rangefinder camera | Rangefinder camera |
Camera Lens | Leica M mount lenses | Leica M mount lenses |
Launch Date | June 2019 | January 2017 |
Launch Price | USD 3,999 | USD 6,599 |
Sensor Specs | Leica M-E Typ 240 | Leica M10 |
Sensor Technology | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor Format | Full Frame Sensor | Full Frame Sensor |
Sensor Size | 35.8 x 23.9 mm | 35.8 x 23.9 mm |
Sensor Area | 855.62 mm2 | 855.62 mm2 |
Sensor Diagonal | 43 mm | 43 mm |
Crop Factor | 1.0x | 1.0x |
Sensor Resolution | 23.7 Megapixels | 23.8 Megapixels |
Image Resolution | 5952 x 3976 pixels | 5952 x 3992 pixels |
Pixel Pitch | 6.01 μm | 6.00 μm |
Pixel Density | 2.77 MP/cm2 | 2.78 MP/cm2 |
Moiré control | Anti-Alias filter | no AA filter |
Movie Capability | 1080/25p Video | no Video |
ISO Setting | 200 - 6,400 ISO | 100 - 50,000 ISO |
ISO Boost | 100 - 6,400 ISO | no Enhancement |
DXO Sensor Quality (score) | .. | 86 |
DXO Color Depth (bits) | .. | 24.4 |
DXO Dynamic Range (EV) | .. | 13.2 |
DXO Low Light (ISO) | .. | 2133 |
Screen Specs | Leica M-E Typ 240 | Leica M10 |
Viewfinder Type | Optical viewfinder | Optical viewfinder |
Viewfinder Field of View | 100% | 100% |
Viewfinder Magnification | 0.68x | 0.73x |
LCD Framing | Live View | Live View |
Rear LCD Size | 3.0inch | 3.0inch |
LCD Resolution | 920k dots | 1037k dots |
LCD Attachment | Fixed screen | Fixed screen |
Shooting Specs | Leica M-E Typ 240 | Leica M10 |
Focus System | Manual Focus | Manual Focus |
Manual Focusing Aid | Focus Peaking | Focus Peaking |
Max Shutter Speed (mechanical) | 1/4000s | 1/4000s |
Continuous Shooting | 3 shutter flaps/s | 5 shutter flaps/s |
Time-Lapse Photography | no Intervalometer | Intervalometer built-in |
Fill Flash | no On-Board Flash | no On-Board Flash |
Storage Medium | SDXC cards | SDXC cards |
Single or Dual Card Slots | Single card slot | Single card slot |
UHS card support | UHS-I | UHS-I |
Connectivity Specs | Leica M-E Typ 240 | Leica M10 |
External Flash | Hotshoe | Hotshoe |
USB Connector | USB 2.0 | no USB |
HDMI Port | no HDMI | no HDMI |
Wifi Support | no Wifi | Wifi built-in |
Body Specs | Leica M-E Typ 240 | Leica M10 |
Environmental Sealing | Weathersealed body | Weathersealed body |
Battery Type | Leica BP-SCL2 | Leica BP-SCL5 |
Battery Life (CIPA) | 500 shots per charge | 210 shots per charge |
Body Dimensions |
139 x 80 x 42 mm (5.5 x 3.1 x 1.7 in) |
139 x 80 x 39 mm (5.5 x 3.1 x 1.5 in) |
Camera Weight | 680 g (24.0 oz) | 660 g (23.3 oz) |
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