Leica M10-R vs Panasonic S5 II

The Leica M10-R and the Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 II are two enthusiast cameras that were announced, respectively, in July 2020 and January 2023. The M10-R is a rangefinder-focusing mirrorless, while the S5 II is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. Both cameras are equipped with a full frame sensor. The Leica has a resolution of 40.9 megapixels, whereas the Panasonic provides 24 MP.

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

Headline Specifications

Leica M10-R		Panasonic S5 II
Rangefinder camera		Mirrorless system camera
Leica M mount lenses		Leica L mount lenses
40.9 MP – Full Frame sensor		24 MP – Full Frame sensor
no Video		6K/30p Video
ISO 100-50,000		ISO 100-51,200 (50 - 204,800)
Optical viewfinder		Electronic viewfinder (3680k dots)
3.0" LCD – 1037k dots		3.0" LCD – 1840k dots
Fixed touchscreen		Swivel touchscreen
4.5 shutter flaps per second		9 shutter flaps per second
no shake reduction		In-body stabilization
Weathersealed body		Weathersealed body
210 shots per battery charge		370 shots per battery charge
139 x 80 x 39 mm, 660 g		134 x 102 x 90 mm, 740 g

Check M10-R offers at
ebay.com
Check S5 II price at
amazon.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Leica M10-R and the Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 II? 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 Leica M10-R and the Panasonic S5 II 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 M10-R can be obtained in two different colors (black, silver), while the S5 II is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Panasonic S5 II is notably larger (23 percent) than the Leica M10-R. Moreover, the S5 II is markedly heavier (12 percent) than the M10-R. 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. 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 M10-R gets 210 shots out of its Leica BP-SCL5 battery, while the S5 II can take 370 images on a single charge of its Panasonic DMW-BLK22 power pack. The power pack in the S5 II can be charged via the USB port, which can be very convenient when travelling.

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.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Leica M10-R	139 mm	80 mm	39 mm	660 g	210	Y	Jul 2020	US$ 8 299	ebay.com
2.		Panasonic S5 II	134 mm	102 mm	90 mm	740 g	370	Y	Jan 2023	US$ 1 999	amazon.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-E Typ 240	139 mm	80 mm	42 mm	680 g	500	Y	Jun 2019	US$ 3 999	ebay.com
5.		Leica M Typ 262	139 mm	80 mm	42 mm	680 g	400	Y	Nov 2015	US$ 5 195	ebay.com
6.		Leica M9	139 mm	80 mm	37 mm	585 g	550	n	Sep 2009	US$ 7 999	ebay.com
7.		Leica M10	139 mm	80 mm	39 mm	660 g	210	Y	Jan 2017	US$ 6 599	ebay.com
8.		Leica M10-P	139 mm	80 mm	39 mm	660 g	210	Y	Aug 2018	US$ 7 999	ebay.com
9.		Leica M11	139 mm	80 mm	39 mm	640 g	700	Y	Jan 2022	US$ 8 999	amazon.com
10.		Leica Q2	130 mm	80 mm	92 mm	718 g	370	Y	Mar 2019	US$ 4 999	amazon.com
11.		Leica SL	147 mm	104 mm	39 mm	847 g	400	Y	Oct 2015	US$ 7 449	ebay.com
12.		Leica SL2	146 mm	107 mm	42 mm	953 g	370	Y	Nov 2019	US$ 5 999	amazon.com
13.		Nikon Zf	144 mm	103 mm	49 mm	710 g	380	Y	Sep 2023	US$ 1 999	amazon.com
14.		Panasonic G9	137 mm	97 mm	92 mm	658 g	400	Y	Nov 2017	US$ 1 699	ebay.com
15.		Panasonic G9 II	134 mm	102 mm	90 mm	658 g	390	Y	Sep 2023	US$ 1 899	amazon.com
16.		Panasonic GH6	138 mm	100 mm	100 mm	823 g	360	Y	Feb 2022	US$ 2 199	amazon.com
17.		Panasonic S5	133 mm	98 mm	82 mm	714 g	440	Y	Sep 2020	US$ 1 999	amazon.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The S5 II was launched at a markedly lower price (by 76 percent) than the M10-R, which puts it into a different market segment. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. 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. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a full frame sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the S5 II is 1 percent smaller. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

With 40.9MP, the M10-R offers a higher resolution than the S5 II (24MP), but the M10-R has smaller individual pixels (pixel pitch of 4.57μm versus 5.94μm for the S5 II). Moreover, the S5 II is a much more recent model (by 2 years and 5 months) than the M10-R, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixels. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that neither of the two cameras has an anti-alias filter installed, so they are able to capture all the detail the sensor resolves.

The resolution advantage of the Leica M10-R implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the M10-R for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 39.3 x 26 inches or 99.9 x 66 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 31.5 x 20.8 inches or 79.9 x 52.8 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 26.2 x 17.3 inches or 66.6 x 44 cm. The corresponding values for the Panasonic S5 II are 30 x 20 inches or 76.2 x 50.8 cm for good quality, 24 x 16 inches or 61 x 40.6 cm for very good quality, and 20 x 13.3 inches or 50.8 x 33.9 cm for excellent quality prints.

The S5 II has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

Unlike the M10-R, the S5 II has the capacity to capture high quality composite images (96MP) by combining multiple shots after shifting its sensor by miniscule distances. This multi-shot, pixel-shift mode is most suitable for photography of stationary objects (landscapes, studio scenes).

The Leica M10-R has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 50000. The corresponding ISO settings for the Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 II are ISO 100 to ISO 51200, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 50-204800.

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.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Leica M10-R	Full Frame	40.9	7864	5200	none	25.3	14.3	2924	95
2.		Panasonic S5 II	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	6K/30p	25.4	14.6	3158	96
3.		Leica M Typ 240	Full Frame	23.7	5952	3976	1080/25p	24.0	13.3	1860	84
4.		Leica M-E Typ 240	Full Frame	23.7	5952	3976	1080/25p	25.2	14.2	2821	94
5.		Leica M Typ 262	Full Frame	23.7	5952	3976	none	24.8	13.7	2478	90
6.		Leica M9	Full Frame	18.1	5212	3472	none	22.5	11.7	884	69
7.		Leica M10	Full Frame	23.8	5952	3992	none	24.4	13.2	2133	86
8.		Leica M10-P	Full Frame	23.8	5952	3992	none	25.1	14.1	2739	93
9.		Leica M11	Full Frame	60.3	9528	6328	none	26.3	14.8	3376	100
10.		Leica Q2	Full Frame	46.7	8368	5584	4K/30p	26.4	13.5	2491	96
11.		Leica SL	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	13.4	1821	88
12.		Leica SL2	Full Frame	46.7	8368	5584	4K/60p	25.3	14.3	2866	95
13.		Nikon Zf	Full Frame	24.3	6048	4024	4K/60p	25.4	14.7	3243	96
14.		Panasonic G9	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/60p	23.1	12.8	1138	74
15.		Panasonic G9 II	Four Thirds	25.0	5776	4336	5.7K/60p	23.4	13.5	1710	78
16.		Panasonic GH6	Four Thirds	25.0	5776	4336	5.7K/60p	23.4	13.4	1555	77
17.		Panasonic S5	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/60p	25.1	14.5	2697	94
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The S5 II indeed provides for movie recording, while the M10-R does not. The highest resolution format that the S5 II can use is 6K/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the S5 II has an electronic viewfinder (3680k dots), while the M10-R 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 viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (100%), but the viewfinder of the S5 II has a higher magnification than the one of the M10-R (0.78x vs 0.73x), 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 M10-R and Panasonic S5 II 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.		Leica M10-R	optical	n	3.0 / 1037	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.5/s	n	n
2.		Panasonic S5 II	3680	n	3.0 / 1840	swivel	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	n	Y
3.		Leica M Typ 240	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	n
4.		Leica M-E Typ 240	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	n
5.		Leica M Typ 262	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	n
6.		Leica M9	optical	n	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.0/s	n	n
7.		Leica M10	optical	n	3.0 / 1037	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	n	n
8.		Leica M10-P	optical	n	3.0 / 1037	fixed	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	n	n
9.		Leica M11	optical	n	3.0 / 2333	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.5/s	n	n
10.		Leica Q2	3680	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	n	Y
11.		Leica SL	4400	Y	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/8000s	11.0/s	n	n
12.		Leica SL2	5760	Y	3.2 / 2100	fixed	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
13.		Nikon Zf	3690	n	3.2 / 2100	swivel	Y	1/8000s	14.0/s	n	Y
14.		Panasonic G9	3680	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	20.0/s	n	Y
15.		Panasonic G9 II	3680	n	3.0 / 1840	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
16.		Panasonic GH6	3680	n	3.0 / 1840	full-flex	Y	1/8000s	14.0/s	n	Y
17.		Panasonic S5	2360	n	3.0 / 1840	swivel	Y	1/8000s	7.0/s	n	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the S5 II is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Leica M10-R and the Panasonic S5 II both have 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 M10-R and the S5 II write their files to SDXC cards. The S5 II features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the M10-R only has one slot. The S5 II supports UHS-II cards (on both slots), while the M10-R can use UHS-I cards.

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 M10-R and Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 II 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.		Leica M10-R	Y	- / -	-	-	-	-	Y	-	-
2.		Panasonic S5 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
3.		Leica M Typ 240	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
4.		Leica M-E Typ 240	Y	mono / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
5.		Leica M Typ 262	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Leica M9	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
7.		Leica M10	Y	- / -	-	-	-	-	Y	-	-
8.		Leica M10-P	Y	- / -	-	-	-	-	Y	-	-
9.		Leica M11	Y	- / -	-	-	-	3.2	Y	-	Y
10.		Leica Q2	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	-	Y	-	Y
11.		Leica SL	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.0	Y	-	-
12.		Leica SL2	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.1	Y	-	Y
13.		Nikon Zf	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
14.		Panasonic G9	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.0	Y	-	Y
15.		Panasonic G9 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
16.		Panasonic GH6	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
17.		Panasonic S5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y

The S5 II is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Panasonic. In contrast, the M10-R has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). There has not been a direct replacement model for the M10-R from Leica. Further information on the features and operation of the M10-R and S5 II can be found, respectively, in the Leica M10-R Manual (free pdf) or the online Panasonic S5 II Manual.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Which of the two cameras – the Leica M10-R or the Panasonic S5 II – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Reasons to prefer the Leica M10-R:

• More detail: Offers more megapixels (40.9 vs 24MP) with a 31% higher linear resolution.
• Brighter framing: Features an optical viewfinder for clear, lag-free composition.
• More compact: Is smaller (139x80mm vs 134x102mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 80g or 11 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• More prestigious: Has the Leica luxury appeal, which ensures a high resale price.
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in July 2020).

Advantages of the Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 II:

• High quality composites: Can combine several shots after pixel-shifting its sensor.
• Broader imaging potential: Can capture not only stills but also 6K/30p video.
• Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• More framing info: Has an electronic viewfinder that displays shooting data.
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.78x vs 0.73x).
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1840k vs 1037k dots).
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (9 vs 4.5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (370 versus 210) out of a single battery charge.
• Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• Greater peace of mind: Features a second card slot as a backup in case of memory card failure.
• Faster buffer clearing: Supports a more advanced SD data transfer standard (UHS-II vs UHS-I).
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (76 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 2 years and 5 months of technical progress since the M10-R launch.

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the S5 II is the clear winner of the contest (19 : 6 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 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 technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the M10-R or the S5 II. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.

Expert reviews

This is where reviews by experts come in. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear 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	Street Price
1.		Leica M10-R	4.5/5	..	4/5	..	..	4/5	Jul 2020	US$ 8 299	ebay.com
2.		Panasonic S5 II	4.5/5	+ +	5/5	90/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jan 2023	US$ 1 999	amazon.com
3.		Leica M Typ 240	4/5	..	..	..	4/5	..	Sep 2012	US$ 6 949	ebay.com
4.		Leica M-E Typ 240	..	..	..	..	..	..	Jun 2019	US$ 3 999	ebay.com
5.		Leica M Typ 262	..	..	..	..	..	..	Nov 2015	US$ 5 195	ebay.com
6.		Leica M9	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	..	Sep 2009	US$ 7 999	ebay.com
7.		Leica M10	4.5/5	..	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	US$ 6 599	ebay.com
8.		Leica M10-P	..	..	3/5	..	..	4/5	Aug 2018	US$ 7 999	ebay.com
9.		Leica M11	4.5/5	..	4.5/5	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2022	US$ 8 999	amazon.com
10.		Leica Q2	..	..	4.5/5	84/100	4.5/5	4/5	Mar 2019	US$ 4 999	amazon.com
11.		Leica SL	4/5	..	4/5	84/100	4.5/5	4/5	Oct 2015	US$ 7 449	ebay.com
12.		Leica SL2	4/5	..	4.5/5	..	4.5/5	4/5	Nov 2019	US$ 5 999	amazon.com
13.		Nikon Zf	4.5/5	..	4.5/5	90/100	4.5/5	5/5	Sep 2023	US$ 1 999	amazon.com
14.		Panasonic G9	..	+ +	5/5	85/100	5/5	5/5	Nov 2017	US$ 1 699	ebay.com
15.		Panasonic G9 II	5/5	..	4.5/5	87/100	..	4.5/5	Sep 2023	US$ 1 899	amazon.com
16.		Panasonic GH6	5/5	+ +	5/5	87/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2022	US$ 2 199	amazon.com
17.		Panasonic S5	4.5/5	+ +	4.5/5	88/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2020	US$ 1 999	amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. 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, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Check M10-R offers at
ebay.com
Check S5 II price at
amazon.com

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. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

~

Check M10-R offers at
ebay.com
Check S5 II price at
amazon.com

Did you notice an error on this page? If so, please get in touch, so that we can correct the information.