Leica M9 versus Leica M Typ 262

The Leica M9 and the Leica M (Typ 262) are two enthusiast cameras that were announced, respectively, in September 2009 and November 2015. Both the M9 and the M Typ 262 are rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras that are equipped with a full frame sensor. The M9 has a resolution of 18.1 megapixel, whereas the M Typ 262 provides 23.7 MP. Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their size, their sensors, their features, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison: Leica M9 vs Leica M Typ 262

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Leica M9 and the Leica M Typ 262 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 width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter. If you prefer, you can also use the toggle button to switch to a comparison in percentage terms (in this case, the camera on the left – the M9 – represents 100 percent across all the size and weight measures).

In this particular case, the Leica M9 and the Leica M Typ 262 have exactly the same width and height, and, thus, have identically-sized bodies. However, the M Typ 262 is markedly heavier (16 percent) than the M9. It is noteworthy in this context that the M Typ 262 is splash and dust-proof, while the M9 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. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can find an overview of suitable optics in the Leica M Lens Catalog.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, just click on the right or left arrow next to the camera that you would like to inspect. Alternatively, you can also use the CAM-parator to select your camera combination among a larger number of options.

Camera Body Specifications

	Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life (CIPA)	Weather Sealing (yes/no)	Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Leica M9»	5.5 in	3.1 in	1.5 in	20.6 oz	..	n	Sep 2009	7,999	-		Leica M9
	Leica M Typ 262«	5.5 in	3.1 in	1.7 in	24.0 oz	..	Y	Nov 2015	5,195	-		Leica M Typ 262
	Canon 80D« »	5.5 in	4.1 in	3.1 in	25.8 oz	960	Y	Feb 2016	1,199			Canon 80D
	Canon T5i« »	5.2 in	3.9 in	3.1 in	20.5 oz	440	n	Mar 2013	649	-		Canon T5i
	Canon T2i« »	5.1 in	3.9 in	2.4 in	18.7 oz	440	n	Feb 2010	699	-		Canon T2i
	Canon T1i« »	5.1 in	3.9 in	2.4 in	18.3 oz	400	n	Mar 2009	799	-		Canon T1i
	Leica M10-P« »	5.5 in	3.1 in	1.5 in	23.3 oz	210	n	Aug 2018	7,995			Leica M10-P
	Leica M10« »	5.5 in	3.1 in	1.5 in	23.3 oz	210	n	Jan 2017	6,595			Leica M10
	Leica T« »	5.3 in	2.7 in	1.3 in	13.5 oz	400	n	Apr 2014	1,850	-		Leica T
	Leica X Typ 113« »	5.2 in	2.9 in	3.1 in	17.1 oz	350	n	Sep 2014	2,295			Leica X Typ 113
	Leica X Vario« »	5.2 in	2.9 in	3.7 in	24.0 oz	450	n	Jun 2013	2,850			Leica X Vario
	Leica M Typ 240« »	5.5 in	3.1 in	1.7 in	24.0 oz	..	Y	Sep 2012	6,950	-		Leica M Typ 240
	Leica M8« »	5.5 in	3.1 in	1.5 in	20.8 oz	..	n	Sep 2006	5,499	-		Leica M8
	Nikon D750« »	5.6 in	4.4 in	3.1 in	26.5 oz	1230	Y	Sep 2014	2,299			Nikon D750
Convert to Metric

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. 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 M Typ 262 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 35 percent) than the M9, 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: Leica M9 vs Leica M Typ 262

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant 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 more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a full frame sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the M Typ 262 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.

Despite having a slightly smaller sensor, the M Typ 262 offers a higher resolution of 23.7 megapixel, compared with 18.1 MP of the M9. This megapixel advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 6.01μm versus 6.91μm for the M9). However, it should be noted that the M Typ 262 is much more recent (by 6 years and 2 months) than the M9, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently. 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.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. 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.

Feature comparison: Leica M9 vs Leica M Typ 262

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The M9 and the M Typ 262 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 table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Leica M9 and Leica M Typ 262 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras. If you need more detail on the specs, you can find comprehensive listings, for example, in the dpreview camera hub.

Both the M9 and the M Typ 262 write their imaging data to SDXC cards.

Both the M9 and the M Typ 262 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on eBay. The M9 was replaced by the Leica M Typ 240, while the M Typ 262 was followed by the Leica M10.

Review summary: Leica M9 vs Leica M Typ 262

So how do things add up? Is there a clear favorite between the Leica M9 and the Leica M Typ 262? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Reasons to prefer the Leica M9:

• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 95g or 14 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in September 2009).

Advantages of the Leica M (Typ 262):

• More detail: Has more megapixels (23.7 vs 18.1MP), which boosts linear resolution by 14%.
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.0" vs 2.5") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (921k vs 230k dots).
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (3 vs 2 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Better sealing: Is splash and dust sealed for shooting in inclement weather conditions.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (35 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 6 years and 2 months of technical progress since the M9 launch.

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the M Typ 262 is the clear winner of the contest (7 : 2 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the handling experience and imaging performance when actually working with the M9 or the M Typ 262. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased. This is where reviews by experts come in. 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 full reviews are available by clicking on the site logo in the table header.

Review Scores

	Camera Model						Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Leica M9»	-	-	4.5/5	4.5/5	-	Sep 2009	7,999	-		Leica M9
	Leica M Typ 262«	-	-	-	-	-	Nov 2015	5,195	-		Leica M Typ 262
	Canon 80D« »	HiRec	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	1,199			Canon 80D
	Canon T5i« »	-	76/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2013	649	-		Canon T5i
	Canon T2i« »	HiRec	77/100	4/5	5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2010	699	-		Canon T2i
	Canon T1i« »	HiRec	74/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2009	799	-		Canon T1i
	Leica M10-P« »	-	-	-	-	4/5	Aug 2018	7,995			Leica M10-P
	Leica M10« »	-	-	4/5	-	4.5/5	Jan 2017	6,595			Leica M10
	Leica T« »	-	-	4/5	-	4/5	Apr 2014	1,850	-		Leica T
	Leica X Typ 113« »	-	-	3.5/5	-	4/5	Sep 2014	2,295			Leica X Typ 113
	Leica X Vario« »	-	-	4/5	4/5	4/5	Jun 2013	2,850			Leica X Vario
	Leica M Typ 240« »	-	-	4/5	-	-	Sep 2012	6,950	-		Leica M Typ 240
	Leica M8« »	-	HiRec	-	-	-	Sep 2006	5,499	-		Leica M8
	Nikon D750« »	HiRec	90/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2014	2,299			Nikon D750

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.

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 use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored. If you do not see the camera that you are looking for, please send me an email, and I will try to update the database with the necessary infos.

You are here:  Home  »  CAM-parator  »  Leica M9 vs Leica M Typ 262