---
title: "Leica SL2-S"
description: "Leica's 2020 full-frame mirrorless camera: a 24 MP backside-illuminated body in aluminium and magnesium with five-axis in-body stabilization, a 5.76 million dot viewfinder, dual SD slots and 4K video up to 60p. A faster, video-minded companion to the SL2, launched December 2020."
brand: "Leica"
mount: "L-Mount"
sensor_format: "Full Frame"
megapixels: 24
body_type: "Mirrorless"
af_system: "Contrast Detect"
ibis: true
evf: true
mechanical_shutter: true
weather_sealed: true
weight: 931
width: 146
height: 107
depth: 42
year: 2020
year_discontinued: unknown
price: 4895
slow_mo: "FHD 180p"
evf_resolution: 5.76
base_iso: 50
burst_mechanical: 9
burst_electronic: 25
hot_shoe: true
internal_storage: 0
card_slot_1: "SD UHS-II"
card_slot_2: "SD UHS-II"
battery: "BP-SCL4"
battery_life: 510
date: 2026-11-04
draft: false
author: "Jan Wedekind"
featured_image: /bodies/leica/leica-sl2-s.png
---


Key Take-Aways:

Leica's December 2020 full-frame mirrorless camera, an all-metal body with a 24 MP sensor and two separate recording modes for photos and videos, built for both photography and videography. Both reviews praise the build quality and image quality and both fault the autofocus (Photography Blog says the contrast-based system holds it back, Casual Photophile says it hunts in dim light); one review (Photography Blog) also notes that the 25 fps burst locks focus and exposure and that 4K/60p video uses an APS-C crop, and one review (Casual Photophile) also mentions hot pixels in pushed files and the camera's size and weight.

From Leica:

> With the new SL2-S, Leica introduces a perfect solution for anyone seeking outstanding imaging performance – not only in their photographs, but also in their video productions. With its new, 24-megapixel BSI-CMOS sensor and two separate recording modes for photos and videos, the new Leica SL2-S offers the best of both media in one all-metal, state-of-the-art body built for long-term durability.

[Official Website](https://leica-camera.com/sites/default/files/downloads/196218/Press%20Information_Leica%20SL2-S.pdf)

The maker page is Leica's December 2020 press information PDF "The new Leica SL2-S: Leica presents its most versatile camera for photography and videography to date", the quote above is its opening paragraph without the dateline, because Leica's SL2-S product page now redirects to the SL3-S. The specs are from Leica's technical data sheet (As at November 2020), read in the English copy hosted by a Leica dealer ([SL2S-TData.pdf](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0516/4610/3747/files/SL2S-TData.pdf)); Leica's German original, [pm-77001-Leica-SL2-S_Technical-Data_de.pdf](https://leica-camera.com/sites/default/files/pm-77001-Leica-SL2-S_Technical-Data_de%20%281%29.pdf), returned errors every time it was tried. Leica's later German data sheet (Stand September 2021, dealer-hosted copy at [DE_SL2-S_Datenblatt_2021-09.pdf](https://global-uploads.webflow.com/5fb95d4920af3db493304f70/615ac8fc459a7bbb3c2d42b4_DE_SL2-S_Datenblatt_2021-09.pdf)) revises the weight to approx. 840 g without and 920 g with battery; the entry keeps the November 2020 figure of 931 g because DPReview lists the same. The sheet gives a full-frame CMOS sensor (24.6 MP, 6072 x 4056 pixels, recording 6000 x 4000 pixels, 24 MP); it does not call 24.6 MP effective, so the recorded 24 MP is used (Leica's press release also says 24 megapixels). Leica's English data sheet prints the dimensions as 146 x 107 x 83 mm, and Digital Camera World and Imaging Resource copy the 83; this looks like a misprint, because the SL2-S shares the SL2's body, which is 42 mm deep, and Photography Blog lists 146 x 107 x 42 mm, so the depth in the table is 42 mm. Other figures from the sheet: IP54 splash-water protection with a full-metal housing, five-axis stabilization of up to 5.5 stops, a 5,760,000 dot viewfinder at 0.78x, a mechanical shutter from 30 min to 1/8000 s and an electronic shutter from 60 s to 1/16000 s, continuous shooting at 9 fps (focal plane shutter) and 25 fps (electronic shutter), both without continuous autofocus, exposure and white balance tracking, an ISO accessory shoe, and the BP-SCL4 battery rated at approx. 510 shots by the CIPA standard. Weight is Leica's approx. 931 g with battery. The sheet names UHS-II as the recommended card type but does not state the number of slots; the two SD UHS-II slots follow Photography Blog's specification ("dual UHS-II SD memory card slots") and Casual Photophile ("dual SD card slots"). The 4 GB is buffer memory, so internal storage is 0. Autofocus is "based on contrast metering and depth mapping", so there is no phase detection. The sheet gives Auto ISO 100 to ISO 100000 and manual ISO 50 to ISO 100000; the lowest manual value is used as base ISO 50, as on the other Leica entries. Video goes up to C4K and 4K at 59.94 fps and full HD at 180 fps (35 mm sensor range for the 4K modes listed up to 29.97 fps, APS-C crop above), so slow motion is FHD 180p. The sheet lists every video mode as a 17:9 or 16:9 crop of the sensor and states no full-sensor 3:2 mode, so the open-gate field is left out. Leica's press release states no US dollar price: the launch price of $4,895 (body only) is DPReview's listed US launch MSRP, from its [specifications page](https://www.dpreview.com/products/leica/slrs/leica_sl2s/specifications), and [Photography Blog](https://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/leica_sl2_s_review) gives the same $4,895 body only; the camera went on sale on 10 December 2020. The body is discontinued, but no year is documented: Leica's SL2-S product page redirects to the SL3-S, Casual Photophile calls it superseded by the SL3-S, B&H lists it as no longer available, and Leica Rumors reported on [1 October 2024](https://leicarumors.com/2024/10/01/the-leica-sl2-is-discontinued-the-leica-sl2-s-is-discounted.aspx/) only that the SL2-S was discounted. Leica published no notice and no two reports name the same year, so the year is unknown. Against this, l-mount.com still lists the SL2-S and Leica Rumors reported new units on sale at Amazon in February 2026, while Leica's own product page now redirects to the SL3-S; the entry treats it as discontinued with the year unknown. DPReview published a long-form review under the name "initial review" of the SL2-S, which is listed first under Reviews; it could not be read, so it is not used for the Key Take-Aways. Digital Camera World's December 2020 SL2-S page says the camera was not yet tested extensively and promises a full review, so it is not listed. Product image: Leica press render from DPReview's product page.

Reviews:

* DPReview: [Leica SL2-S initial review](https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/5202571351/leica-sl2-s-initial-review/), Jeff Keller, Dec 2020
* Photography Blog: [Leica SL2-S Review](https://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/leica_sl2_s_review), Mark Goldstein, Jan 2021
* Casual Photophile: [My Ultimate Adventure Camera: Leica SL2-S Long Term Review](https://casualphotophile.com/2026/01/19/leica-sl2-s-long-term-review/), Jonathan Ma, Jan 2026

YouTube:

* Gajan Balan: [Leica SL2-s Long-Term Review: Leica's Most Underrated Camera](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFhtNUUee14), Apr 2023
* Lukas van der Lende: [Is the Leica Sl2-S Worth it in 2023 (Long Term Review)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei3XFlE9ysE), May 2023
* Ulysses Aoki: [Leica SL2-S: A photographer's review](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJCVdD3Anco), Sep 2023
* Benj Haisch: [LEICA SL2-S | Still Nearly Perfect with One (maybe two) Fatal Flaw(s)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCd004DEx8E), Dec 2023