Olympus E-PL1 vs Leica M (Typ 240)

Leica M (Typ 240) advantages over Olympus E-PL1

• Focus peaking
  Peaker vs Non-peaker
  Your camera will highlight what's in focus
• Larger sensor
  35mm vs 4/3
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Eye-level viewfinder
  Eye-level vs Rear display only
  You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
• Bigger pixels
  ~ 6.05 vs 4.29 microns
  Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
• 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.

  M (Typ 240) test data on DxO Mark E-PL1 test data on DxO Mark
  24.0 vs 21.5 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.

  M (Typ 240) test data on DxO Mark E-PL1 test data on DxO Mark
  1,860 vs 487 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.

  M (Typ 240) test data on DxO Mark E-PL1 test data on DxO Mark
  13.3 vs 10.1 evs
  Retain detail in highlight and shadows
• Shoots 24p video
  Yes vs No
  Gives your movies a big-screen feel
• More dots on screen
  920k vs 230k dots
  Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
• Shoots 1080p video
  Yes vs No
  You'll want this if you shoot video
• More pixels
  24.0 vs 12.3 megapixels
  Higher resolution photos
• Lacks anti-aliasing filter
  No Filter vs Filter
  Enjoy sharper photos
• Faster shutter
  1/4000 vs 1/2000 sec
  Shoot wide open in bright light
• Higher extended ISO
  6400 vs 3200 ISO
  Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility