Reasons to choose M9
Released in 2009, M9 has about 856 mm² of sensor area, 18 MP effective resolution, and a 585 g body. Use these values to narrow the field, not as an overall image-quality score.
Side-by-side comparison
Leica M9
vs Leica X1
VS
Sensor area
856 mm²
M9373 mm²
X1- Area ratio
- 2.29:1
- Absolute difference
- 483 mm²
- Relative difference
- 129.5%
The M9 has the larger sensor area. More area usually means greater light-gathering potential, though real image quality still depends on sensor architecture and generation.
Key specification differences
M9MetricX1
18 MPEffective pixels12.2 MP
35.8 × 23.9Sensor23.6 × 15.8
6.89 µmPixel pitch5.53 µm
47.53 µm²Pixel area30.56 µm²
2.1 MP/cm²Pixel density3.27 MP/cm²
1.01Crop factor1.52
—Maximum video—
585 gWeight306 g
SDHC, Secure DigitalStorageSD/SDHC
Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery Li-ion batteryBatteryBP-DC8 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery Pack Li-ion battery
Amber marks the value that is generally preferable in this comparison context. It is not an overall camera score.
How to choose between these cameras
The M9 has the larger sensor area. The X1 has the lighter body. The M9 has the higher effective resolution. The M9 and X1 were both released in 2009. Also consider the lens system and subjects you shoot.
Reasons to choose X1
Released in 2009, X1 has about 373 mm² of sensor area, 12.2 MP effective resolution, and a 306 g body. Use these values to narrow the field, not as an overall image-quality score.