Leica T Comparison Review

The Leica T (Typ 701) is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that was announced in April 2014 and is equipped with an APS-C sensor. It offers a resolution of 16.2 megapixel.

Is the Leica T a good camera? The T Typ 701 has a Camera Elo of 1909. This rating puts the T Typ 701 below average of all mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (APS cameras), the T Typ 701 ranks among the top 50 percent. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 3-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 T 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 T 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 T	134 mm	69 mm	33 mm	384 g	400	n	Apr 2014	EUR 1 499	ebay.com
2.		Canon 100D	117 mm	91 mm	69 mm	407 g	380	n	Mar 2013	EUR 499	ebay.com
3.		Canon M3	111 mm	68 mm	44 mm	366 g	250	n	Feb 2015	EUR 749	ebay.com
4.		Canon M10	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	301 g	255	n	Oct 2015	EUR 499	ebay.com
5.		Leica D-LUX 8	130 mm	69 mm	62 mm	397 g	300	n	Jul 2024	EUR 1 599	amazon.com
6.		Leica TL	134 mm	69 mm	33 mm	384 g	400	n	Nov 2016	EUR 1 649	ebay.com
7.		Leica TL2	134 mm	69 mm	33 mm	399 g	250	n	Jul 2017	EUR 1 949	ebay.com
8.		Leica X2	124 mm	69 mm	52 mm	345 g	450	n	May 2012	EUR 1 749	ebay.com
9.		Leica X Vario	133 mm	73 mm	95 mm	680 g	450	n	Jun 2013	EUR 2 449	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D5500	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	470 g	820	n	Jan 2015	EUR 799	ebay.com
11.		Olympus E-M10 II	120 mm	83 mm	47 mm	390 g	320	n	Aug 2015	EUR 599	ebay.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 T was launched in the US market at a price of $1,849. 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 T Typ 701 offers at
ebay.com

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 are more costly to manufacture and tent to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The Leica T features an APS-C sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.5. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Leica T among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for most cameras. 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 T	APS-C	16.2	4944	3278	1080/30p	23.0	12.7	1082	75
2.		Canon 100D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.8	11.3	843	63
3.		Canon M3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.8	11.8	1169	72
4.		Canon M10	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.2	11.4	753	65
5.		Leica D-LUX 8	Four Thirds	16.8	4736	3552	4K/30p	23.1	13.4	1557	75
6.		Leica TL	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/30p	23.9	13.2	1690	81
7.		Leica TL2	APS-C	24.1	6014	4014	4K/30p	23.9	13.3	1753	82
8.		Leica X2	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	none	23.2	12.4	1275	74
9.		Leica X Vario	APS-C	16.1	4928	3272	1080/30p	23.4	12.7	1320	78
10.		Nikon D5500	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	14.0	1438	84
11.		Olympus E-M10 II	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	23.1	12.5	842	73
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 T Typ 701 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the T Typ 701 can use is 1080/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The following tables report on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Leica T 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 T	optional	n	3.7 / 1230	fixed	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
2.		Canon 100D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.9/s	Y	n
3.		Canon M3	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	4.2/s	Y	n
4.		Canon M10	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	4.6/s	Y	n
5.		Leica D-LUX 8	2360	n	3.0 / 1860	fixed	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	Y
6.		Leica TL	optional	n	3.7 / 1230	fixed	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
7.		Leica TL2	optional	n	3.7 / 1230	fixed	Y	1/4000s	7.0/s	n	n
8.		Leica X2	optional	n	2.7 / 230	fixed	n	1/2000s	5.0/s	Y	n
9.		Leica X Vario	optional	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/2000s	5.0/s	Y	n
10.		Nikon D5500	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
11.		Olympus E-M10 II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One convenient feature of the T Typ 701 is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

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 T (Typ 701) 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 T	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	2.0	Y	-	-
2.		Canon 100D	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Canon M3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
4.		Canon M10	-	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Leica D-LUX 8	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	3.0	Y	-	Y
6.		Leica TL	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
7.		Leica TL2	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	3.0	Y	-	-
8.		Leica X2	Y	- / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Leica X Vario	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
10.		Nikon D5500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
11.		Olympus E-M10 II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-

It is notable that the T Typ 701 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 T Typ 701 can be found in the free online Leica T 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 T Typ 701 in practical situations. 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 why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The table below summarizes the assessments of some of the best known 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 T	3/5	..	..	..	4/5	4/5	Apr 2014	EUR 1 499	ebay.com
2.		Canon 100D	4/5	+	..	78/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2013	EUR 499	ebay.com
3.		Canon M3	4/5	o	..	75/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2015	EUR 749	ebay.com
4.		Canon M10	..	..	..	..	..	4/5	Oct 2015	EUR 499	ebay.com
5.		Leica D-LUX 8	..	..	..	..	..	..	Jul 2024	EUR 1 599	amazon.com
6.		Leica TL	..	..	..	..	..	4/5	Nov 2016	EUR 1 649	ebay.com
7.		Leica TL2	3.5/5	..	3/5	..	4/5	4/5	Jul 2017	EUR 1 949	ebay.com
8.		Leica X2	3/5	..	..	..	3/5	4/5	May 2012	EUR 1 749	ebay.com
9.		Leica X Vario	3/5	..	..	..	4/5	4/5	Jun 2013	EUR 2 449	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D5500	5/5	+	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2015	EUR 799	ebay.com
11.		Olympus E-M10 II	4.5/5	+ +	..	80/100	5/5	5/5	Aug 2015	EUR 599	ebay.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.

Check T Typ 701 offers at
ebay.com

Camera to camera comparisons

If you would like to see a side-by-side review with another camera, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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