Nikon D3100 vs Leica SL (Typ 601)

Leica SL (Typ 601) advantages over Nikon D3100

• Focus peaking
  Peaker vs Non-peaker
  Your camera will highlight what's in focus
• Larger sensor
  35mm vs APS-C
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Bigger pixels
  ~ 6.00 vs 5.01 microns
  Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
• Shoot 4K video
  4K (DCI) vs 1080p
  Make sure you have a fast computer
• Touchscreen
  Touch vs No touch
  Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
• Built-in Wi-Fi
  Wi-Fi vs None
  Share your photos wirelessly
• Better color depth

  Better color depth

  Color depth refers to the number of unique colors that a sensor can faithfully capture. Cameras with better color depth will demonstrate smoother transitions from one color to the next, and avoid "banding" in areas with subtle shading. (Blue skies are an example of where you might see color banding.)

  More color depth is generally better, but you'll struggle to notice a difference between two cameras with less than 1 bit of difference. Color depth above 22 bits is considered excellent.

  Want to learn more? Head over to our full glossary entry on color depth

  Color depth test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  SL (Typ 601) test data on DxO Mark D3100 test data on DxO Mark
  25.0 vs 22.5 bits
  Capture richer, more accurate colors
• Higher effective ISO

  Higher effective ISO

  Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

  Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

  You can learn more at our glossary entry.

  Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  SL (Typ 601) test data on DxO Mark D3100 test data on DxO Mark
  1,821 vs 919 iso
  Take photos in low light with less noise
• More dynamic range

  More dynamic range

  Cameras with more dynamic range allow you to take photos with dramatic differences in highlight and shadow areas while retaining detail in both.

  Think of a brilliant sunset on a rocky beach: Bright sunset in the background, with dark rocks in the foreground. High dynamic range means more of the extremes will be faithfully reproduced.

  Dynamic range test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  SL (Typ 601) test data on DxO Mark D3100 test data on DxO Mark
  13.4 vs 11.2 evs
  Retain detail in highlight and shadows
• Built-in GPS
  GPS vs None
  Geotag your photos
• Top deck display
  Yes vs No
  Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
• Thinner
  39 mm vs 74 mm
  Thinner
• External Mic Jack
  Jack vs No jack
  Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
• Newer
  9 years vs 14 years old
  Newer cameras often support more advanced features
• More dots on screen
  1040k vs 230k dots
  Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
• Less shutter lag
  0.18 vs 0.28 sec
  Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
• More viewfinder magnification
  0.80x vs 0.53x
  Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
• More pixels
  24.2 vs 14.2 megapixels
  Higher resolution photos
• Shoots 60p video
  Yes vs No
  A faster framerate can give you more editing options
• Dual card slots
  Yes vs No
  Gives you more storage flexibility
• Headphone jack
  Yes vs No
  Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
• Lacks anti-aliasing filter
  No Filter vs Filter
  Enjoy sharper photos
• Longer exposure
  60 vs 30 sec
  Long exposures for night shots
• Faster JPEG shooting
  10.6 fps vs 2.9 fps
  Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
• Bigger JPEG buffer
  Unlimited vs 100 shots
  Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
• Slow-motion videos
  Yes vs No
  Shoot slow-motion videos
• Faster shutter
  1/16000 vs 1/4000 sec
  Shoot wide open in bright light
• Higher extended ISO
  50000 vs 12800 ISO
  Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility