Leica’s SL3-S mirrorless cameras boasts 6K ProRes video and sooner autofocus

Leica has unveiled its newest full-frame mirrorless digital camera, the 24-megapixel SL3-S with improved efficiency and video in comparison with its predecessor, the SL2-S. It largely resembles the photo-centric 60-megapixel SL3 unveiled in March last year, however is geared towards hybrid customers who shoot each stills and video. Spec-wise, it resembles Panasonic’s $2,200 S5 IIX mirrorless digital camera and will use an identical sensor.

The L-mount SL3-S has a a lot chunkier physique than the Leica rangefinder cameras chances are you’ll be used to. It does supply entrance and rear dials to regulate key capabilities, together with a pair of mode dials, a joystick and several other extra buttons. Nonetheless, it lacks some controls discovered on fashions just like the S5 IIX — so chances are you’ll have to wade into the menus to vary some settings.

Fortunately, the rear touchscreen is giant and really excessive in decision (5.7-million dots), although it solely tilts and does not totally articulate which is unlucky for a hybrid digital camera. The digital viewfinder (EVF) gives 5.76-million dots of decision, which is stable however a bit low in comparison with equally priced rivals.

A key enchancment is quicker autofocus, due to the up to date 24-megapixel full-frame BSI CMOS sensor. That permits burst taking pictures at as much as 30fps with steady phase-detect AF, with pretty lengthy seize instances due to assist for quick CFexpress Kind B reminiscence playing cards. The corporate can be promising 15 stops of dynamic vary that ought to enable for advantageous changes when taking pictures RAW recordsdata.

One other key new function is on the video facet, with 6K 3:2 “open-gate” seize (5,952 x 3,968 to be precise) recording, or 5,888 x 3,312 RAW 10-bit (to an exterior recorder), together with 4K 60p. The SL3-S additionally helps ProRes recording to a USB-C system or CFexpress B playing cards. (It isn’t clear if inner RAW video recording is supported, although a spec sheet from B&H Photo Video exhibits that to be the case.) These video specs line up carefully with Panasonic’s S5 IIX, although the latter lacks a CFexpress card slot.

The principle advantage of a Leica digital camera is Leica’s sharp (and costly) lenses, although the SL3-S may also use glass from L-Mount companions, Panasonic and Sigma. The one large benefit over the S5 IIx is the addition of a CFexpress card slot, however in any other case the 2 fashions have comparable specs — so whether or not that pink Leica dot is value an additional $3,100 is as much as patrons to determine. Leica’s SL3-S is now on sale for $5,295 at B&H Photo Video and elsewhere.