Endlessly Curious

Leica SL3

Added:

Specifications

BrandLeica
Sensor FormatFull Frame
Resolution (MP)60.3
Body TypeMirrorless
AutofocusPhase Detect
Base ISO50
In-Body Stabilization✓
Viewfinder✓
Viewfinder Resolution (M dots)5.76
Mechanical Shutter✓
Burst Rate, Mechanical Shutter (fps)7
Burst Rate, Electronic Shutter (fps)15
Pre-Burst Buffer—
Weather Sealed✓
Open Gate Recording✘
Slow MotionFHD 120p
Hot Shoe✓
Internal Storage (GB)✘
Memory Card Slot 1CFexpress Type B
Memory Card Slot 2SD UHS-II
Webcam Support—
BatteryBP-SCL6
Battery Life (CIPA shots)260
Weight (g, with battery and card)854
Width (mm)141
Height (mm)108
Depth (mm)85
Volume (cm³)1294
Release Year2024
Release Price (USD)6995
Leica SL3

Description and Reviews

Key Take-Aways:

A Leica full-frame mirrorless camera for photographers who also make video, pitched by Leica as a Made in Germany tool for visual storytelling. Reviews praise the image quality and the move to phase-detect autofocus, though one review finds the autofocus occasionally sluggish. They disagree on stabilization (good in some, weak in one), on the tilt-only screen (praised in some, a con in one) and on battery life (poor in two, best in class in one).

From Leica:

The SL3 is a source of inspiration and a trusted companion, elevating the art of visual storytelling to a whole new level. Ideal for those who aim to not only enhance their photography and videography skills, but also for those who want to own the moment, and fully immerse themselves in the joy of the creative process with a Leica.

This mirrorless full-frame system camera is a testament to Made in Germany quality and precision, uniquely combining cutting-edge technology and a user-friendly design with the renowned craftsmanship synonymous with the Leica brand for more than 150 years.

Official Website

The weight of 854 g is with battery (neither source says whether a card was fitted), taken from DPReview’s specifications page (“Weight (inc. batteries) 854 g”) and confirmed within 5 g by City AM’s review, which gives 850 g with a battery; Leica itself states only 769 g, body only without battery, SD card and bayonet cover. The price of $6,995 is the launch price stated in Leica’s March 2024 press release.

The other specs come from Leica’s own pages: the SL3 technical specification gives the 5,760,000-dot viewfinder, the 15 fps electronic and 7 fps mechanical continuous rates (Leica lists the faster rates with exposure and focus fixed on the first frame, and the highest figure is taken), the manual ISO range from 50, the ISO accessory shoe, the CFexpress Type B and UHS-II SD card slots (CFexpress Type B is the faster card, so it is slot 1), the BP-SCL6 battery and its 260 shots by the standard CIPA method (Leica also gives 1,350 shots with an adjusted shooting cycle, which is not used here). The FHD 120p figure is the 119.88 fps full HD mode in the same data and in the firmware 4.0.0 video specification. Leica does not label ISO 50 as an extended value, so it is taken as the lowest ISO. Leica has no open-gate video mode: its video lists, including firmware 4.0.0, show no full-sensor 3:2 mode (the 5.8K 5824x4368 mode is 4:3). It has no internal storage, as the technical data names only the CFexpress Type B and SD card slots. Leica does not publish a pre-capture burst or USB webcam support in the technical data, the instruction manual or the firmware 4.2.0 release notes, so those two are left out.

Reviews:

YouTube: