Leica M Typ 240 Comparison Review

The Leica M (Typ 240) is a rangefinder-style mirrorless camera that was revealed to the public in September 2012 and is equipped with a full frame sensor. It offers a resolution of 23.7 megapixel.

Body comparison with a credit card

The physical dimensions of the Leica M Typ 240 relative to a credit card are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Leica M Typ 240 alongside a set of comparators. If you want to review a camera pair side-by-side, just select a right-side comparator from among the camera models in the table. Alternatively, you can also move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Leica M Typ 240 was launched in the US market at a price of $6,950. 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. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

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. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

The Leica M Typ 240 features a full frame sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Leica M Typ 240 among the large-sensor cameras that aim for top notch image quality.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. 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.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Leica M Typ 240 along with similar information for a selection of comparators. The full specs-sheets can be found in the camera manual or, for example, in the dpreview camera hub.

Expert reviews

While the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the M 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. This is why expert reviews are important. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog). The detailed reviews can be accessed by clicking on the site logo in the table header.

Review scores
Camera							Camera Launch (year)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (amazon)	Used Price (ebay)
	Leica M Typ 240	-	-	4/5	-	-	2012	6,950	discont.	check
	Canon 1D X Mark II (⇒ lft | rgt)	-	89/100 Gold	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	2016	5,999	latest	check
	Canon 6D (⇒ lft | rgt)	HiRec	83/100 Silver	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	2012	2,099	discont.	check
	Leica M10 (⇒ lft | rgt)	-	-	4/5	-	4.5/5	2017	6,595	latest	check
	Leica SL (⇒ lft | rgt)	-	84/100	4.5/5	4/5	4/5	2015	7,450	latest	check
	Leica M Typ 262 (⇒ lft | rgt)	-	-	-	-	-	2015	5,195	discont.	check
	Leica M9 (⇒ lft | rgt)	-	-	4.5/5	4.5/5	-	2009	7,999	discont.	check
	Nikon D5 (⇒ lft | rgt)	-	89/100 Gold	4.5/5	5/5	5/5	2016	6,499	latest	check
	Nikon D7100 (⇒ lft | rgt)	HiRec	85/100 Gold	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	2013	1,199	discont.	check
	Nikon D610 (⇒ lft | rgt)	HiRec	87/100 Gold	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	2013	1,999	latest	check
	Sony RX10 (⇒ lft | rgt)	Rec	80/100 Gold	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	2013	1,299	discont.	check

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, 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.

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of camera models, just use the search menu below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting. If you cannot find the camera you are interested in, please send me an email, and I will try to locate and add the respective data to the application.

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