Leica M10-R Comparison Review

The Leica M10-R is a rangefinder-focusing mirrorless camera that was announced in July 2020 and is equipped with a full frame sensor. It offers a resolution of 40.9 megapixel.

Is the Leica M10-R a good camera? The M10-R has a Camera Elo of 2275. This rating puts the M10-R among the top 20 percent of all rangefinder cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (full frame cameras), the M10-R ranks below average. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 3.5-star performance rating.

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

Body comparison with a credit card

An illustration of the physical dimensions of the Leica M10-R vis-à-vis a credit card is provided in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are presented. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Leica M10-R alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible 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.		Leica M Typ 240	139 mm	80 mm	42 mm	680 g	500	Y	Sep 2012	US$ 6 949	ebay.com
3.		Leica M-E Typ 240	139 mm	80 mm	42 mm	680 g	500	Y	Jun 2019	US$ 3 999	ebay.com
4.		Leica M Typ 262	139 mm	80 mm	42 mm	680 g	400	Y	Nov 2015	US$ 5 195	ebay.com
5.		Leica M9	139 mm	80 mm	37 mm	585 g	550	n	Sep 2009	US$ 7 999	ebay.com
6.		Leica M10	139 mm	80 mm	39 mm	660 g	210	Y	Jan 2017	US$ 6 599	ebay.com
7.		Leica M10-P	139 mm	80 mm	39 mm	660 g	210	Y	Aug 2018	US$ 7 999	ebay.com
8.		Leica M11	139 mm	80 mm	39 mm	640 g	700	Y	Jan 2022	US$ 8 999	amazon.com
9.		Leica Q2	130 mm	80 mm	92 mm	718 g	370	Y	Mar 2019	US$ 4 999	amazon.com
10.		Leica SL	147 mm	104 mm	39 mm	847 g	400	Y	Oct 2015	US$ 7 449	ebay.com
11.		Leica SL2	146 mm	107 mm	42 mm	953 g	370	Y	Nov 2019	US$ 5 999	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 listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Leica M10-R was launched in the US market at a price of $8,299. 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.

Check M10-R offers at
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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

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. 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 M10-R 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 M10-R 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 is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of alternatives.

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.		Leica M Typ 240	Full Frame	23.7	5952	3976	1080/25p	24.0	13.3	1860	84
3.		Leica M-E Typ 240	Full Frame	23.7	5952	3976	1080/25p	25.2	14.2	2821	94
4.		Leica M Typ 262	Full Frame	23.7	5952	3976	none	24.8	13.7	2478	90
5.		Leica M9	Full Frame	18.1	5212	3472	none	22.5	11.7	884	69
6.		Leica M10	Full Frame	23.8	5952	3992	none	24.4	13.2	2133	86
7.		Leica M10-P	Full Frame	23.8	5952	3992	none	25.1	14.1	2739	93
8.		Leica M11	Full Frame	60.3	9528	6328	none	26.3	14.8	3376	100
9.		Leica Q2	Full Frame	46.7	8368	5584	4K/30p	26.4	13.5	2491	96
10.		Leica SL	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	13.4	1821	88
11.		Leica SL2	Full Frame	46.7	8368	5584	4K/60p	25.3	14.3	2866	95
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

It should be noted that unlike many modern cameras, the M10-R does not provide the possibility to capture videos.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. For example, the M10-R has an optical viewfinder that provides a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.73x. The following tables report on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Leica M10-R and comparable 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.		Leica M Typ 240	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	n
3.		Leica M-E Typ 240	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	n
4.		Leica M Typ 262	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	n
5.		Leica M9	optical	n	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.0/s	n	n
6.		Leica M10	optical	n	3.0 / 1037	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	n	n
7.		Leica M10-P	optical	n	3.0 / 1037	fixed	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	n	n
8.		Leica M11	optical	n	3.0 / 2333	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.5/s	n	n
9.		Leica Q2	3680	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	n	Y
10.		Leica SL	4400	Y	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/8000s	11.0/s	n	n
11.		Leica SL2	5760	Y	3.2 / 2100	fixed	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

It is worthwhile pointing out that the M10-R has a touchscreen. Touch control can be particularly helpful, for example, when trying to adjust the focus point.

Connection 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, 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.		Leica M Typ 240	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Leica M-E Typ 240	Y	mono / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
4.		Leica M Typ 262	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
5.		Leica M9	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Leica M10	Y	- / -	-	-	-	-	Y	-	-
7.		Leica M10-P	Y	- / -	-	-	-	-	Y	-	-
8.		Leica M11	Y	- / -	-	-	-	3.2	Y	-	Y
9.		Leica Q2	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	-	Y	-	Y
10.		Leica SL	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.0	Y	-	-
11.		Leica SL2	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.1	Y	-	Y

It is notable that the M10-R offers wifi support. Wifi can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location.

Further information on the features and operation of the M10-R can be found in the free online Leica M10-R Manual or on the Leica support site.

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 M10-R 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 adjacent table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

Review Scores

		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.		Leica M Typ 240	4/5	..	..	..	4/5	..	Sep 2012	US$ 6 949	ebay.com
3.		Leica M-E Typ 240	..	..	..	..	..	..	Jun 2019	US$ 3 999	ebay.com
4.		Leica M Typ 262	..	..	..	..	..	..	Nov 2015	US$ 5 195	ebay.com
5.		Leica M9	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	..	Sep 2009	US$ 7 999	ebay.com
6.		Leica M10	4.5/5	..	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	US$ 6 599	ebay.com
7.		Leica M10-P	..	..	3/5	..	..	4/5	Aug 2018	US$ 7 999	ebay.com
8.		Leica M11	4.5/5	..	4.5/5	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2022	US$ 8 999	amazon.com
9.		Leica Q2	..	..	4.5/5	84/100	4.5/5	4/5	Mar 2019	US$ 4 999	amazon.com
10.		Leica SL	4/5	..	4/5	84/100	4.5/5	4/5	Oct 2015	US$ 7 449	ebay.com
11.		Leica SL2	4/5	..	4.5/5	..	4.5/5	4/5	Nov 2019	US$ 5 999	amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. 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.

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Camera to camera comparisons

If you would like to see a side-by-side review with another camera, just make your choice using the following search menu. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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