In summary
The Leica SL2-S third-generation ‘hybrid’ model is a professional-level camera that’s been set up to be more versatile than previous versions. It retains key features of its older siblings, and it adds a new Maestro III processor that supports burst shooting at up to 25 fps as well as oversampled 10-bit 4:2:2 4K/30p video recording. A new multi-shot mode allows users to record 96-megapixel still images.
The SL2-S’s test images showed the usual excellent Leica image quality. Test shots and movie clips were sharp and detailed with a relatively wide dynamic range, robust contrast and natural-looking colours with restrained saturation.
The camera’s body is made from solid metal and is one of the toughest and most rugged on the market. The SL2-S and SL lenses will last a lifetime and withstand challenging environments.
The touch-screen monitor works well and the EVF is the largest, brightest and sharpest we’ve encountered and, thanks to a rapid refresh rate – a real joy to use.
Full review
Announced in December 2020, the Leica SL2-S reprises the body and operational designs of the 47-megapixel Leica SL2 but features a newer, 24-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor. Targeting photographers who shoot stills and video, this third-generation ‘hybrid’ model also costs less than its older siblings but retains its key features. A new Maestro III processor supports burst shooting at up to 25 fps as well as oversampled 10-bit 4:2:2 4K/30p video recording. A new multi-shot mode allows users to record 96-megapixel still images.
Angled view of the Leica SL2-S with the Apo-Summicron-SL 35mm f/2 ASPH. Lens. (Source: Leica Camera.)
Aside from the sensor, this camera is essentially the same as the Leica SL2, with the same large and relatively heavy body and pared-back control layout. Inside, a 24-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor replaces the 47-megapixel sensor of the SL2 and the new SL2-S has been set up to be more versatile.
High-speed continuous shooting is supported at up to 25 fps with the electronic shutter and video recording can extend to the storage limits of the memory cards. The SL2-S also offers a new multi shot mode in which up to eight frames are recorded while shifting the sensor in small increments. Details are provided below.
Power management is also improved, with the SL2-S being CIPA rated for 510 shots/charge, compared with 370 shots/charge for the SL2. Both cameras use the same BP-SCL4 battery. Both cameras include 5-axis In-Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS), and their contrast-detection AF systems use 225 AF points.
The 5,760,000-dot electronic viewfinders in both models are the same, as are the 3.2inch fixed, 2,100,000-dot touch-screen monitors. Both cameras come with dual SD card slots, with support for high-speed UHS-II cards and 4GB internal memories and both are equipped with microphone and headphones ports, a full-size HDMI port, and USB 3.2 Gen 1 interfaces. The table below compares key features of the three models in the SL series.
| Leica SL2-S | Leica SL2 | Leica SL | |
| Announced | 2020 | 2019 | 2015 |
| Sensor | 24-megapixel BSI CMOS | 47-megapixel CMOS | 24-megapixel CMOS |
| Processor | Maestro III | Maestro II | |
| Stabilisation | 5 axis IBIS, up to 5.5 stops. | No | |
| Max. image size | 6000 x 4000 12000 x 8000 in multi-shot high-res mode |
8368 x 5584 | 6000 x 4000
|
| Aspect ratios | 3:2, 7:5, 4:3, 1:1, 3:1, 16:9 | ||
| Max. burst speed | 25 fps (e-shutter) | 20 fps (e-shutter) | 11 fps |
| Buffer capacity | 50 DNG.RAW | 78 DNG.RAW | 33 DNG.RAW |
| Video (internal) | C4K @ 24p, 4K @50/25/24p, FHD @ 180/150/120/100/50,25p | 5K @25p, C4K @ 50/25/24p, 4K @50/25/24p, FHD @ 180/150/120/100/50,25p | C4K@24p, 4K@25p, FHD @ 100/50/25p, HD @ 100/50/25p, |
| Media | Dual UHS-II SD (both UHS-I / UHS-II compatible) | Dual SD (UHS-II supported by slot 1) | |
| Internal memory | 4GB | 2GB | |
| EVF | 5,760,000 dots, 120 fps, 0.78x magnification, aspect ratio: 4:3, frame coverage: 100%, 21 mm eyepoint, +2/-4 dioptre adjustment, eye sensor | 4,400,000 dots, 0.8x magnification, | |
| Monitor | 3.2-inch fixed touch screen; 2,100,000 dots | 3-inch fixed touch screen, 1.040.000 dots | |
| Wi-Fi | Yes, 2.4/5GHz | Yes, 802.11b/g/n | |
| Battery (CIPA rating) | BP-SCL4 (510 shots/charge) | BP-SCL4 (370 shots/charge) | BP-SCL4 (400 shots/charge) |
| Weather-sealing | Yes, IP54 | No | |
| Dimensions | 146 x 107 x 83 mm | 147 x 104 x 39 mm | |
| Weight | 931 grams | 835 grams | 847 grams |
| RRP on release | AU$7500 | AU$9900 | AU$11,000 |
The review camera was supplied with the Super-Vario-Elmarit-SL 16-35mm f/3.5-4.5 ASPH. and Apo-Summicron-SL 35mm f/2 ASPH. lenses. We used the 35mm f/2 lens for our Imatest testing and the 16-35mm f/3.5-4.5 for video recordings.
Who’s it For?
The price of Leica equipment puts it out of the reach of many keen photographers, which is a pity because it’s very nice gear. Leica cameras are expensive because they are machined from solid blocks of metal and assembled and finished by hand in the company’s factory in Wetzlar, Germany.
The SL series of cameras have quirky user interfaces that take a while to master. Most of the controls are unlabelled, which means first-time users face a steep learning curve. Purchasers should be prepared to read the manual carefully before they start shooting.
The camera is supplied with a battery charger, car charging cable, battery, carrying strap, body bayonet cover and cover for accessory shoe. A multi-function handgrip (HG-SCL4) with shutter release, control buttons, dials and a joystick is available for using the camera in vertical orientation.
Build
As mentioned, the SL2-S’s body is made from solid metal and is one of the toughest and most rugged cameras on the market. Finely-textured leather cladding makes it comfortable to hold and adds a neat, professional look. IP54 certification ensures protection against the ingress of moisture and dust, allowing the camera to be used in a wide range of environments.
Front view of the Leica SL2-S with no lens fitted. (Source: Leica Camera.)
The front panel is relatively unencumbered, with a pair of programmable function (Fn) buttons between the lens and the grip and a silver lens release button low down between the left side of the lens mount and the grip moulding. The grip is large enough to suit users with large hands but may intimidate those with short fingers and/or limited dexterity.
The top panel of the Leica SL2-S with no lens fitted. (Source: Leica Camera.)
The top panel has remained largely unchanged throughout the three-model series and features a 25 mm2 monochrome LCD data display, which shows the camera’s status and settings. It’s located just right of the EVF housing, as shown in the illustration above.
The EVF housing is large and pentaprism-like and contains a 5,760,000-dot screen with a refresh rate of 120 fps and a 4:3 aspect ratio to allow space above and below the image frame for camera data. Providing full frame coverage and a magnification of 0.78x its generous 21 mm eye relief is enhanced with a +2/-4 dioptre adjustment dial plus an eye sensor.
An annulus of soft rubber padding surrounds the EVF’s eyepiece to make it comfortable for users who wear glasses. A hot-shoe is located on top of the EVF housing.
To the right of the LCD data panel is a large top dial, which sits behind the shutter button and is used with the click wheel on the rear panel to change camera settings. Two programmable buttons are located behind the top dial.
The rear panel of the Leica SL2-S. (Source: Leica Camera.)
The monitor screen boasts a generous 3.2-inch diagonal measurement and has a 3:2 aspect ratio with a resolution of 2,100,000 dots. Its surface is coated to resist scratches and fingerprints and it has the same touch-screen capabilities as the monitors in other recent Leica cameras.
Ranged along its left hand side are three buttons marked PLAY, Fn and MENU. An indicator LED that shows processing is in progress is embedded in the body below the MENU button. The power on/off switch lies above these buttons to the left of the EVF housing, while to the right is another Fn button, followed by a joystick and the rear control dial.
As is usual, the memory card slots are located beneath a sliding cover on the right hand side panel. There are two SD/SDHC/SDXC card slots, both compatible with UHS-II cards. The interface ports – two 3.5 mm jacks plus an HDMI connector – are located beneath a lift-up rubber cover on the left hand side panel.
The 7.2V 1860mAh BP-SCL4 rechargeable lithium-ion battery is CIPA rated for approximately 510 shots per charge, an improvement on the previous model. The camera is supplied with a separate battery charger but also supports USB charging.
Controls
One noteworthy feature of the SL series cameras are their pared-back controls. Aside from the shutter and lens-release buttons there are only eight buttons on the camera body, along with two dials, a joystick and an on/off lever for powering the camera up and down.
There’s no mode dial; instead you press the rear dial in and rotate it to select from the P, A, S and M modes. Almost all of the buttons are customisable. Pushing in the button causes a menu to display on the monitor from which the user can select a function to assign to the button.
The photo and video controls have been separated, which means the same button can handle different functions for stills and video and will swap automatically when the user swipes across the screen to switch between stills and video recording. The menu system isn’t split into different sections but is customisable and users can bring frequently-used settings forward onto the front page of the menu.
The SL2-S allows users to store up to six ‘user profiles’ with customised settings for different situations. These profiles can also be transferred to a memory card for sharing with other Leica cameras.
Users can take advantage of the profiles and avoid frustrations when adjusting controls by spending time setting up the camera and saving profiles before going on a shoot. If this is done effectively, the camera becomes quick and easy to operate. But there are some issues that can’t be worked around.
All three models in the SL range provide six aspect ratio settings – the default 3:2 there are the standard 4:3, 16:9 and 1:1 options, plus two additional settings. The 7:5 aspect ratio corresponds to 7×5 inch printing paper and 3:1 offers a rough approximation of the 2.39:1 frame guide lines for ‘cinema format’ video.
Unfortunately, the 3:1 aspect ratio doesn’t quite correspond with 2.39:1 cinema footage, which makes it difficult for videographers to grab stills frames simultaneously for use when working on storyboards. They have to crop frames with the standard photography ratios, including 16:9 and 3:1, which adds an unwanted extra step to workflows.
The contrast-based AF system was not as fast as we’ve found in cameras that have hybrid phase/contrast detection systems, although it proved adequate in most of the situations we encountered, including very low light levels. Whether it would be adequate with a telephoto lens is something we were unable to test.
Sensor and Image Processing
The sensor in the Leica SL2-S is a new BSI CMOS chip, which has been optimised for low light performance and has probably been sourced from Sony and may be the same chip as used in the Nikon Z 6 and Panasonic Lumix DS-S1 since the specifications are virtually identical. It is paired with the Maestro III processor, which was also used in the SL2. Together they support high bit rate video recording and high-speed bursts of up to 25 fps with the electronic shutter or up to 9 fps with the mechanical shutter
Native sensitivity ranges from ISO 50-100,000. In-built sensor-shift stabilisation (IBIS) is introduced for the first time in this camera series, offering up to 5.5 stops of shake correction. There’s also a new multi-shot function that can produce two DNG.RAW files, one at 24 megapixels and the other with 96 megapixel resolution obtained by compositing eight exposures into a single high-res image. Tripod mounting is recommended for this mode.
Like its siblings, the SL2-S also offers an APS-C crop mode, which reduces the angle of view of lenses by approximately 66% and delivers a maximum image size of 3963 x 2624 pixels. When lenses designed for the Leica TL system are fitted, the camera will automatically switch to the smaller format.
Raw files are always saved at the maximum resolution, using the ‘universal’ DNG format, which can be processed with any conversion software. JPEGs can be saved at 24MP, 12.2MP or 5.9MP resolution, although there’s no way to adjust the compression levels. A typical raw file is between 42 and 44 megabytes in size, while 24-megapixel JPEGs range from about 12 to about 5.3 megabytes, depending on the level of detail they contain.
Video
Like its siblings, the SL2-S supports Cinema 4K at 4096 x 2160 pixels with a frame rate of 50 fps or 25 fps for PAL system users as well as regular 3840 x 2160 pixel 4K recording at the same frame rates. In each case, users can choose between MP4 and MOV recording formats.
Both Cinema 4K (C4K) and UHD 4K are produced by oversampling video recorded at 6K resolution to record maximum detail. The table below shows the sensor area used and resolutions available.
| Sensor format | Sensor area in use | Frame resolution |
| 35mm C4K | 6000 x 3168 (Pixel mix) | 4096 x 2160 |
| 35mm 4K | 6000 x 3368 (Pixel mix) | 3840 x 2160 |
| 35mm Full HD | 6000 x 3368 (Pixel mix) | 1920 x 1080 |
| APS-C C4K | 4128 x 2176 (Full scan) | 4096 x 2160 |
| APS-C 4K | 3984 x 2240 (Full scan) | 3840 x 2160 |
| APS-C Full HD | 3984 x 2240 (Full scan) | 1920 x 1080 |
Users can choose between the MOV and MP4 codecs and also select bit depths and bit rates, although fast cards are required for 10-bit recordings, which can also be output to an external device via the HDMI port. The table below shows the options available for PAL format users.
| Codec | Sensor format | Frame rate | Bit depth | Compression | Bit rate |
| MOV | C4K APS C | 50 fps | 4:2:0 / 8-bit | Long GOP | 150Mbps |
| C4K 35mm & APS C | 25 fps | 4:2:2 / 10-bit | ALL-I | 400Mbps | |
| 4K APS C | 50 fps | 4:2:0 / 8-bit | Long GOP | 150Mbps | |
| 4K 35mm & APS C | 25 fps | 4:2:2 / 10-bit | ALL-I | 400Mbps | |
| FHD APS C | 150 fps | 4:2:0 / 8-bit | Long GOP | 20Mbps | |
| FHD 35mm & APS C | 100 fps | 4:2:0 / 8-bit | Long GOP | 20Mbps | |
| FHD 35mm & APS C | 50 fps | 4:2:2 / 10-bit | ALL-I | 200Mbps | |
| FHD 35mm & APS C | 25 fps | 4:2:2 / 10-bit | ALL-I | 200Mbps | |
| MP4 | 4K APS C | 50 fps | 4:2:0 / 8-bit | Long GOP | 150Mbps |
| 4K 35mm & APS C | 25 fps | 4:2:0 / 8-bit | Long GOP | 100Mbps | |
| FHD 35mm & APS C | 150 fps | 4:2:0 / 8-bit | Long GOP | 20Mbps | |
| FHD 35mm & APS C | 100 fps | 4:2:0 / 8-bit | Long GOP | 20Mbps | |
| FHD 35mm & APS C | 50 fps | 4:2:0 / 8-bit | Long GOP | 28Mbps | |
| FHD 35mm & APS C | 25 fps | 4:2:0 / 8-bit | Long GOP | 20Mbps |
Video can be recorded in the Rec. 709, L-Log Rec. 2020 and HLG Rec. 2020 colour spaces, while Leica L-Log and integrated viewing LUTs (Look Up Tables) add to the professional video capabilities of the camera. Still frames recorded in video mode default to the sRGB colour space. The SL also supports time-lapse and interval recording of still pictures, but only to a memory card. Shots captured in these modes are saved as a group.
When the camera is in video mode, recordings will start when the shutter button is pressed and end when it’s pressed again. A flashing red dot in the top right corner of the frame shows recording is in progress. The elapsed time is also displayed in the black cropped area at the top of the frame.
By default, movies are recorded in the sRGB colour space, which is supported by the majority of playback devices. Recordings are only limited by available space with a maximum file size of 96GB.
Connectivity
Like its siblings, the SL2-S comes with built-in Wi-Fi, which requires the support of the Leica FOTOS app. Bluetooth LE is also available for pairing the camera with a smart device, which enables the camera to be controlled remotely.
Whereas the original Leica SL had integrate GPS, The SL2-S can take location data from a connected smart device and use it to geotag image and video files. This avoids the battery drainage that occurred with the integrate GPS system.
As is usual, the owner’s manual and software can be downloaded from the Support pages on the Leica Camera website.
Performance
Although our testing was limited by the lenses provided for this review, subjective assessments of test shots and movie clips showed them to be sharp and detailed with a relatively wide dynamic range, robust contrast and natural-looking colours with restrained saturation.
We based our Imatest testing on files taken with the Apo-Summicron-SL 35mm f/2 ASPH. lens, which was the better performer of the two supplied lenses. However, video clips were recorded with the Super-Vario-Elmarit-SL 16-35mm f/3.5-4.5 ASPH. lens to assess zooming capabilities.
Metering was generally accurate and all three patterns delivered a good balance between highlight and shadow detail most of the time. However, some highlight clipping occurred in JPEGs recorded in bright, contrasty lighting with the default settings. This isn’t unusual, but should be borne in mind.
Our Imatest tests confirmed colour rendition was better in the DNG.RAW files that had been converted into 16-bit TIFF format than in JPEG files straight from the camera, regardless of the subjects or lighting in which they were captured. The tests also showed saturation in JPEGs was increased in reds but reduced in yellows, which is unusual. Small colour shifts were apparent in both file types.
Imatest showed that the camera and 35mm f/2 lens could meet expectations for the sensor’s resolution at optimal aperture settings with JPEG files. The highest resolution was obtained at f/5.0 with an aperture setting of f/3.5 at ISO 100. Raw files recorded simultaneously exceeded expectations across a relatively wide range of apertures, as shown in the review of the Apo-Summicron-SL 35mm f/2 ASPH lens.
Resolution remained impressively high throughout most of the review camera’s sensitivity range, with only a gradual decline as sensitivity was increased. The results are shown in the graph of our test results below.
This superior performance was reflected in our low-light tests. Long exposures taken at night showed little noise at ISO 12500 in JPEG files and ISO 250000 with DNG.RAW files. Thereafter, noise became more visible, with both JPEGs and DNG.RAW files showing visible noise at ISO 100,000, although it was at a low level for such a high sensitivity. Reassuringly, contrast and colour saturation were well preserved across the full sensitivity range.
Autofocusing was mostly fast and accurate with few signs of hunting in very low light conditions. The only time hunting occurred was when focusing very close to the focus limit of the lens, and even then it was brief and only occurred when the shutter was set to focus priority. Autofocusing in movie mode was similarly quick and accurate and, as far as we were able to determine (given we only had wide-angle lenses to use) the camera was able to track moving subjects pretty seamlessly.
Video quality was generally very good although with the fastest frame rates in MOV recordings, some image softening occurred and highlight clipping was common. At frame rates of 50 fps and 25 fps recordings were mostly sharp, smooth and correctly exposed. There were no noticeable differences between movies recorded in MP4 and MOV formats so we’ve included both in our Samples section.
Soundtracks were clear with a satisfactory stereo presence, considering the sizes and separations of the tiny in-camera microphones. Since recordings were made on an almost windless morning, we had no chance to test the wind-reduction filter.
The SL2-S provides 12 white balance settings, ranging from Auto through to ‘Gray Card’, which measures a target point, and Kelvin temperature settings. There are two pre-sets for fluorescent lighting as well as the normal sunny, cloudy, shadow, tungsten, HMI (metal-halide gas discharge lights used in film and entertainment applications) and flash settings. There is no preset for LED lighting.
The auto white balance setting failed to compensate completely for the warm cast of incandescent lighting, although it came closer than many cameras we’ve tested. However, it provided good corrections for both fluorescent and warm-toned LED lights. (We weren’t able to test the flash performance due to the lack of a flashgun.) The tungsten and fluorescent pre-sets over-corrected slightly but manual measurement delivered neutral colours under all three types of lighting and there is an adequate range of adjustments in the camera to provide on-the-fly corrections.
We carried out our timing tests with two 32GB Lexar Professional SDHC UHS-II U3 cards, which claim 300MB/second speeds and can support 4K movie recording at the highest bit rates the camera offers. The review camera took 1.1 seconds to power-up for the first shot and engage autofocusing.
Autofocus lag averaged 0.2 seconds for JPEGs but just under 0.1 seconds for DNG.RAW files. Shot-to-shot times were consistent at 0.48 seconds regardless of the file format. Processing times for both JPEGs and DNG.RAW files averaged 1.4 seconds.
In the fastest sequential shooting mode, the review camera was able to record 50 Large/Superfine JPEGs in 2.3 seconds without slowing, which works out at a frame rate of approximately 20 fps. Processing was completed within 4 seconds of the last frame recorded.
On changing to DNG.RAW format, the review camera also recorded 50 frames in 2.3 but it took almost 23.1 seconds to process this burst.
In DNG+JPEG mode the same capture rate applied and it took a little to process this burst. We noticed a delay of between 5 and 6 seconds at the start of each burst when the camera recorded only black frames before capturing images of the subject. We’re not sure whether this is a one-off instance with this particular camera or applicable to all cameras in this model but it’s worth checking for.
Conclusion
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SPECS
Image sensor: 36 x 24 mm BSI CMOS sensor with million photosites (24.6 megapixels effective); pixel pitch: 5.94 µm; no optical low-pass filter
Image processor: Leica Maestro III
Colour depth: 14- bit, 12-bit (super high continuous shooting)
Lens mount: Leica L bayonet with contact strip for communication between lens and camera
Image formats: Stills: JPEG (DCF, Exif Ver. 2.31), DNG.RAW (12- or 14-bit), RAW+JPEG; Movies: MP4 (H.264/MPEG-4 AVC), MOV: (H.264/MPEG-4 AVC)
Audio: 2 channel 48 kHz/16 bit, LPCM
Image Sizes: Stills – 6000 x 4000, 4272 x 2848, 2976 x 1084; APS-C crop – 3963 x 2624, 2736 x 1824, 1920 x 1080; Multi-shot mode – 8 frames combined to 2 DNGs: 1x 24 MP, 1x 96 MP; Movies: C4K (17:9) 4096×2160 pixels (Sensor range: 6000 x 3168 pixels), 4K (16:9) 3840×2160 pixels (Sensor range: 6000 x 3368 pixels), Full HD (16:9) 1920×1080 pixels (Sensor range: 6000 x 3368 pixels); APS-C crop – C4K (17:9) 4096×2160 pixels (Sensor range: 4128 x 2176 pixels), 4K (16:9) 3840×2160 pixels (Sensor range: 3984 x 2240 pixels), Full HD 1920×1080 pixels (Sensor range: 3984 x 2240 pixels)
Aspect ratios: 3:2, 7:5, 4:3, 1:1, 3:1, 16:9
Image Stabilisation: Yes, sensor-shift. CIPA rated for 5.5 stops
Weather sealing: Yes, to IP54 standard
Shutter (speed range): Electronically controlled focal plane shutter; Mechanical shutter (Bulb, 30 minutes to 1/8000 second; Electronic shutter: 60 to 1/16,000 second; Flash Synch: up to 1/250 sec.)
Exposure Compensation: +/- 3EV in 1/3EV steps
Exposure bracketing: 3 or 5 exposures, up to +/- 3EV in 1/3EV steps
Other bracketing options: None
Self-timer: 2 or 12 seconds delay
Interval recording: Yes, for time-lapse
Focus system: 225-point contrast detection at image sensor with depth mapping
AF selection: Multi-area, centre, selective single-point, tracking, touch AF, Face Detection
Focus modes: iAF / AFs (Single) / AFc (Continuous) / Touch AF / MF
Exposure metering: TTL metering with Multi-field, Centre-weighted average and spot metering patterns
Shooting modes: Program AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE, Manual Exposure
Colour space options: sRGB, Adobe RBG; Video – Rec. 709/Rec. 2020 (HLG/L-Log)
ISO range: Auto, ISO 100-50000 with expansion to ISO 50
White balance: Automatic (Auto), Daylight 5200 K, Cloudy 6000 K, Shadow 7000 K, Tungsten 3200 K, HMI 5600 K, Fluorescent Warm 4000 K, Fluorescent Cold 4500 K, Flash 5400 K, Gray Card Live View, Gray Card, Colour Temperature 2000 K to 11500 K
Flash: External flashguns only
Flash exposure adjustment: +/-2EV in 1/3EV steps
Sequence shooting: Max. 25 shots/sec. with electronic shutter and locked AF; Max. 9 fps with mechanical shutter
Buffer capacity: Max. Large/Fine JPEGs, RAW files
Storage Media: Dual slots for SD, SDHC, SDXC cards (UHS-I / UHS-II compatible) plus 4GB of in-camera memory
Viewfinder: EVF with 5,760,000 dots, 120 fps, magnification: 0.78x, aspect ratio: 4:3, frame coverage: 100%, 21 mm eyepoint, +2/-4 dioptre adjustment, eye sensor
LCD monitor: Fixed 3.2-inch backlight TFT LCD touch-screen with anti-fingerprint and anti-scratch coating, 2,100,000 dots
Interface terminals: USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec), HDMI (10-bit output), 3.5 mm microphone and headphone ports
Wi-Fi function: Built-in Wi-Fi; Bluetooth v4.2 (Bluetooth Low Energy), GPS via Leica FOTOS app
Power supply: BP-SCL4 rechargeable Li-ion battery; CIPA rated for approx. 510 shots/charge
Dimensions (wxhxd): Approx. 146 x 107 x 83 mm
Weight: Approx. 931 grams with battery and card
Distributor: Leica Camera Australia, (03) 9248 4444.
TESTS
Based on JPEG files taken with the Apo-Summicron-SL 35mm f/2 ASPH. lens.
Based on DNG.RAW files recorded simultaneously and converted into 16-bit TIFF format with Adobe Camera Raw.
SAMPLES
Auto white balance with incandescent lighting.
Auto white balance with fluorescent lighting.
Auto white balance with warm-toned LED lighting.
The samples below were taken with the Apo-Summicron-SL 35mm f/2 ASPH. lens.
ISO 50, 30 second exposure at f/2.8.
ISO 100, 30 second exposure at f/3.2.
ISO 800, 10 second exposure at f/5.
ISO 6400, 4 second exposure at f/11.
ISO 12,500, 2 second exposure at f/11.
ISO 25,000, 2 second exposure at f/16.
ISO 50,000, 1/2 second exposure at f/16
ISO 100,000, 1/4 second exposure at f/11.
The samples below were taken with the Super-Vario-Elmarit-SL 16-35mm f/3.5-4.5 ASPH. lens.
Default 3:2 aspect ratio; 35mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/30 second at f/9.
4:3 aspect ratio; 35mm focal length (37mm equivalent), ISO 100, 1/40 second at f/9.
16:9 aspect ratio; 35mm focal length (36mm equivalent),ISO 100, 1/40 second at f/9.
1:1 aspect ratio; 35mm focal length (33mm equivalent), ISO 100, 1/40 second at f/9.
7:5 aspect ratio; 35mm focal length (39mm equivalent), ISO 100, 1/40 second at f/9.
3:1 aspect ratio, 35mm focal length (39mm equivalent) ; ISO 100, 1/40 second at f/9.
35mm focal length; ISO 100, 1/60 second at f/16. Note slight blow-out in brightest highlights.
31mm focal length; ISO 100, 1/125 second at f/9.
18mm focal length; ISO 100,000, 1/6400 second at f/9.
Crop from the above image magnified to 100%.
19mm focal length; ISO 25000, 1/1000 second at f/10.
16mm focal length; ISO 6400, 1/320 second at f/9.
Still frame from Cinema 4K APS-C movie clip recorded in MOV format at 50 fps, 4:2:0 / 8-bit depth with Long GOP compression.
Still frame from 4K (3840 x 2160) movie clip recorded in MOV format at 25 fps, 4:2:2 / 10-bit depth with ALL-I compression.
Still frame from Full HD movie clip recorded in MOV format at 100 fps, 4:2:0 / 8-bit depth with Long GOP compression.
Still frame from Full HD movie clip recorded in MOV format at 50 fps, 4:2:2 / 10-bitdepth with ALL-I compression.
Still frame from 4K APS-C movie clip recorded in MP4 format at 50 fps, 4:2:0 / 8-bit depth with Long GOP compression.
Still frame from Full HD movie clip recorded in MP4 format at 100 fps, 4:2:0 / 8-bit depth with Long GOPcompression.
Still frame from Full HD movie clip recorded in MP4 format at 50 fps, 4:2:0 / 8-bit depth with Long GOP compression.
Still frame from Full HD movie clip recorded in MP4 format at 25 fps, 4:2:0 / 8-bit depth with Long GOP compression
Additional image samples can be found with our review of the Leica Apo-Summicron-SL 35mm f/2 ASPH and Super-Vario-Elmarit-SL 16-35mm f/3.5-4.5 ASPH lenses.
Rating
RRP: AU$7500 (body only); US$4895
- Build: 9.0
- Features: 8.9
- Ease of use: 8.5
- Autofocusing: 8.9
- Still image quality JPEG: 9.0
- Still image quality RAW: 9.1
- Video quality: 9.0
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