I've been shooting with the SL variants since 2019, using two SLs, one SL2 and an SL2-S. The SL2-S is the perennial favorite. Thank you for comparing image quality of the still frames in your discussion. I will take this opportunity to buy another SL2-S instead of upgrading. I don't need all the new video and speed improvements. Thanks for considering that part of why people actually own and use Leicas instead of just parroting the feature set. Nice intro to the SL3-S. Much appreciated.
I appreciate this honest first look from someone who knows and uses Leica equipment and whose artistic credentials make his videos a logical first choice when a new camera or lens is released. I’m currently evaluating my next step with respect to Leica and have been revisiting all of your related videos.
I would be very curious to know if you put the same lens on a Leica SL3-S and a Panasonic S5-II if there would be any difference in image quality at all. What do you think? Would you be willing to try it?
Pretty funny when you're talking about how leica puts image quality first, and how great their lenses are, then cut to a shot of you using a nokton on your M11. 😃
Thanks for the informative walk-around. Will you be doing a review of the SL3-S's video capabilities? Seems like that might be the strength that separates it from the pack. And less than a SONY? Holy Cow!
A fancy lumix with better build quality and aesthetically beautiful. Leica really is an anomaly, but I’m glad they exist. Even if their cameras are oddly behind the curve.
Nice preview, Ted. I fully agree to the exceptional image quality of the SL2-S as you describe. In fact, I’ve been using it over the past 4y or so and it is still one of my ab fav cameras. I’ve used it mainly for fashion/beauty work outside the studio and the colors and tonality are amongst the best. Not sure if I’ll get into the SL3-S, as I’m kind of retired now, but the great thing is that pre-owned SL2-Ss will now become a lot more affordable. So, when you prefer available light and low light photography and you’re not into wildlife or sports, the SL2-S is one of the best cameras I know. Still…
SL3 has 60mp sensor SL3-2 is 24mp. Having a 60mp sensor allows you to crop in a lot more and see more detail in the photos. But the file sizes are double the size. So professional photographers need/want the absolute most resolution for editing.
I've been an SL shooter since inception, that's a decade of the 100 year history of Leica. This isn't a camera that has the stacked sensor tech of the others, for sure. Although, Leica has never really kept up with the competitors in that regard. Nikon, Canon, the other Japanese global camera brands dove into different tech 70 years ago and Leica never really did that. Their relationship with first Minolta, bought by SONY and the reason we have the A9 III, then Panasonic LUMIX, now L mount Alliance companies like the afrementioned Panasonic, SIGMA, Blackmagic, DJI, SAMYANG and ASTRO point to the core values of Leica right now and as always in it's 100 years: as you say, Ted. the image quality. I released my SL, SL2 and kept my SL2-S waiting for this camera. I usually don't jump right away and wait for bundles or something to make me want to switch (new firmware improvements etc). I kept my OG SL until the SL2-S came out and I didn't pick up a SL2 until I could get one on the used market. Like you, my primary "all arounder" is my M11-P, then my M10-M for a little faster shooting with enough sensor resolution to still print big. I was a little disappointed that Leica stuck with the 24 MP variant (I was hoping for at least the 50MP of SONY's A1), but I don't hate it. I have only had a chance to use the SL3 in New York during the launch of the new flagship store (thank's Rob!) and I hope to get a test-run of this camera soon. That said, will it replace my SL2-S? Not sure. Eventually, yes. But with video specs with L Mount offering with the BMCC 6k and the very professional PYXIS (which I own), I am not even sure I would utilize it as a B CAM! Yes, the internal PRORES is useful, the grading in L Log on my SL2-S is pretty tight, and I expect the SL3-S to be even better with the higher sensativity to ISO 200,000 - and I shoot a lot in practically pitch black darkness - but I would have to really see. Who is this camera really for? A Leica shooter, that has a bevy of L, M, R or even S glass that wants to have a powerful production camera to compliment their lenses and M, Q3, or other bodies. The seamless Leica Look across all devices is the MAIN reason to pick this up, IMO. ESPECIALLY if you can diminish the cost by trading in or selling your SL2/SL2S. Which MEANS, a lot more people will be able to get into the SL system on the used market. WIth the SL2-S now likely coming way way down in price!
Considering i just sold my A7iv and got an A1ii, this SL3-S looks like a great compliment. My A1ii has huge files and gets the job done, the GM lenses are fast and sharp… but I think the APO primes Leica has really gives a nice look. My Voigtlander APO is sharp on my Sony but the color seems dull compared to Leica. So my A1ii could be king of zooms and this SL3S can be the king of primes in my bag while still being a B cam for video. Nice!
As an owner of two SL2S's - which I love, using just M lenses, the quality is great. So the back layout on this, like the SL3 is so much better - the play button on the right for example. So a reason to upgrade, can only really be - using just M lenses - the High iso performance. Is it a lot better? By that I mean, worth the cost?
The Apo lenses and the manual experience with the Ms is the probably the important thing to justify the package. But I would argue that even there, Nikon has cought up in quality (but not in price) with lenses like the Plena, the 85 1.2 and 50 1.2 Z and with the manual Voigtländer Nokton lenses with Z mount for the Z8 and ZF.
How I love the Leica hype (irony may occur), because it's a bit like the Tesla hype, and obviously there are some reviewers (not you) who always give a slightly better rating because of the name and here also the price. It is gradually becoming difficult for me to take the Leica hype seriously when there are cameras that can do more for less money with much better autofocus, etc., so how about taking us consumers a little more seriously in the future!
It is interesting that when video specs are talked about no one ever mentions sound quality of the inbuilt mics or preamps. If it were a piece of hifi equipment there would be specifications and testing of frequency response or signal to noise ratio. I have a Panasonic Gx camera who's preamp/microphone has more noise (hiss) than Niagara falls making it useless for video
As a pro shooter with SL2-S’s it makes it quite ridiculous for me to upgrade I have 7 batteries for the SL2-S and I guess I would have to upgrade those, plus new cards and I get what in return? Some fancy AF that makes shooting images boring because all the skill disappears. BTW does it have the bug that the SL2-S has which is that it won’t track objects moving towards you at 25fps
So ; as i just got the SL-3 , I see no need to replace that with an SL-3S ; my best work right now is in FILM using TLR Rollei's and 6x12 , 6x9 , 6x6 and 6x4.5 , in addition to the 4x5 format , and my vast collection of rare vintage lenses calls out for more completion. The only Leica I might consider would be a used Leica Q monochrome right now. I refuse to be caught up in the Arms Race of photography.
I’ve never seen a picture taken by a Leica where you could tell it was something different or special. And I’m a pixel peeper from way back and am super fussy.
I adore the people who post on any and every Leica video…..all cocked and spring loaded to state basic bile against Leica. Does the world really need to hear your irrelevant junk for the trillionth time?
Here we are in 2025 and the big dog of camera companies is still saying 24megapixels is enough....... Just like you did in your book I think. Great job on that btw.
This camera is very disappointing. I have a soft spot for Leica as I have some of their M and R lenses. Was hoping to get a hybrid Leica to replace my aging s1h for video with M lenses. Lack of full frame 60P in 4k in 2025 is embarrassing.
I'm like it's expensive it must be brilliant but at the same time I'm not buying this having many similar cameras on the market providing with the same image quality or better, nah I'm not stupid
Well done. So the 60MP or 100MP cameras yield fine details which can be advantageous for landscape or extreme cropping plus scientific use etc. These tend to have a Pixel Pitch of around 3.75 As for the 24MP and high Pixel Pitch (5.94 here) cameras they seem to yield images more natural and authentic to me which could also be described as less digital looking . I find this output more useful for street and portrait use where it has more of a film like feeling. That's just me.
Another amazing camera has been born, thank you for sharing!
Beautiful Lumix s5ii/ s5iix
Specs earily similar to the S5II(x)... Basically a fancy Lumix.
That camera is 1/4 the price….
@@Ninetrails with 4x features)
It’s nice that Leica makes a Lumix camera for people who want one that looks way cooler. 😊
Hey man! Which budget Lumix would you recommend to a hobbyist street photographer?
@@late_arvie s9
What are the odds... I have a job interview for Leica tomorrow and have yet to understand the SL range of Leica. Perfect timing!
Love your commentary.
Make sure you practice your crappy customer service
@@Dpul945 i'll try my best
@@Dpul945 which Leica do you own?
I've been shooting with the SL variants since 2019, using two SLs, one SL2 and an SL2-S. The SL2-S is the perennial favorite. Thank you for comparing image quality of the still frames in your discussion. I will take this opportunity to buy another SL2-S instead of upgrading. I don't need all the new video and speed improvements. Thanks for considering that part of why people actually own and use Leicas instead of just parroting the feature set. Nice intro to the SL3-S. Much appreciated.
I appreciate this honest first look from someone who knows and uses Leica equipment and whose artistic credentials make his videos a logical first choice when a new camera or lens is released. I’m currently evaluating my next step with respect to Leica and have been revisiting all of your related videos.
I would be very curious to know if you put the same lens on a Leica SL3-S and a Panasonic S5-II if there would be any difference in image quality at all. What do you think? Would you be willing to try it?
Ok, great, waiting for SL2 S on eBay 😊
Pretty funny when you're talking about how leica puts image quality first, and how great their lenses are, then cut to a shot of you using a nokton on your M11. 😃
Waiting for Lumix to release their next proper camera because we know that it'll be the next Leica a year or two later with a massive price hike.
Thanks for the informative walk-around. Will you be doing a review of the SL3-S's video capabilities? Seems like that might be the strength that separates it from the pack. And less than a SONY? Holy Cow!
A fancy lumix with better build quality and aesthetically beautiful. Leica really is an anomaly, but I’m glad they exist. Even if their cameras are oddly behind the curve.
Nice preview, Ted. I fully agree to the exceptional image quality of the SL2-S as you describe. In fact, I’ve been using it over the past 4y or so and it is still one of my ab fav cameras. I’ve used it mainly for fashion/beauty work outside the studio and the colors and tonality are amongst the best. Not sure if I’ll get into the SL3-S, as I’m kind of retired now, but the great thing is that pre-owned SL2-Ss will now become a lot more affordable. So, when you prefer available light and low light photography and you’re not into wildlife or sports, the SL2-S is one of the best cameras I know. Still…
What do you mean as long as you don’t need the resolution?
😂😂😂
SL3 has 60mp sensor SL3-2 is 24mp. Having a 60mp sensor allows you to crop in a lot more and see more detail in the photos. But the file sizes are double the size. So professional photographers need/want the absolute most resolution for editing.
@ and the S?
You can buy Lieca sticker to Lumix camera, then you get even more better photos!😂👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks Ted, a very fair and balanced initial review. I'm not going to watch the Negative Nancy PetaPixel review!
I've been an SL shooter since inception, that's a decade of the 100 year history of Leica. This isn't a camera that has the stacked sensor tech of the others, for sure. Although, Leica has never really kept up with the competitors in that regard. Nikon, Canon, the other Japanese global camera brands dove into different tech 70 years ago and Leica never really did that. Their relationship with first Minolta, bought by SONY and the reason we have the A9 III, then Panasonic LUMIX, now L mount Alliance companies like the afrementioned Panasonic, SIGMA, Blackmagic, DJI, SAMYANG and ASTRO point to the core values of Leica right now and as always in it's 100 years: as you say, Ted. the image quality. I released my SL, SL2 and kept my SL2-S waiting for this camera. I usually don't jump right away and wait for bundles or something to make me want to switch (new firmware improvements etc). I kept my OG SL until the SL2-S came out and I didn't pick up a SL2 until I could get one on the used market. Like you, my primary "all arounder" is my M11-P, then my M10-M for a little faster shooting with enough sensor resolution to still print big. I was a little disappointed that Leica stuck with the 24 MP variant (I was hoping for at least the 50MP of SONY's A1), but I don't hate it. I have only had a chance to use the SL3 in New York during the launch of the new flagship store (thank's Rob!) and I hope to get a test-run of this camera soon. That said, will it replace my SL2-S? Not sure. Eventually, yes. But with video specs with L Mount offering with the BMCC 6k and the very professional PYXIS (which I own), I am not even sure I would utilize it as a B CAM! Yes, the internal PRORES is useful, the grading in L Log on my SL2-S is pretty tight, and I expect the SL3-S to be even better with the higher sensativity to ISO 200,000 - and I shoot a lot in practically pitch black darkness - but I would have to really see. Who is this camera really for? A Leica shooter, that has a bevy of L, M, R or even S glass that wants to have a powerful production camera to compliment their lenses and M, Q3, or other bodies. The seamless Leica Look across all devices is the MAIN reason to pick this up, IMO. ESPECIALLY if you can diminish the cost by trading in or selling your SL2/SL2S. Which MEANS, a lot more people will be able to get into the SL system on the used market. WIth the SL2-S now likely coming way way down in price!
Considering i just sold my A7iv and got an A1ii, this SL3-S looks like a great compliment. My A1ii has huge files and gets the job done, the GM lenses are fast and sharp… but I think the APO primes Leica has really gives a nice look. My Voigtlander APO is sharp on my Sony but the color seems dull compared to Leica. So my A1ii could be king of zooms and this SL3S can be the king of primes in my bag while still being a B cam for video. Nice!
As an owner of two SL2S's - which I love, using just M lenses, the quality is great. So the back layout on this, like the SL3 is so much better - the play button on the right for example. So a reason to upgrade, can only really be - using just M lenses - the High iso performance. Is it a lot better? By that I mean, worth the cost?
greetings is 12 bit external video open gate?
The Apo lenses and the manual experience with the Ms is the probably the important thing to justify the package. But I would argue that even there, Nikon has cought up in quality (but not in price) with lenses like the Plena, the 85 1.2 and 50 1.2 Z and with the manual Voigtländer Nokton lenses with Z mount for the Z8 and ZF.
How I love the Leica hype (irony may occur), because it's a bit like the Tesla hype, and obviously there are some reviewers (not you) who always give a slightly better rating because of the name and here also the price.
It is gradually becoming difficult for me to take the Leica hype seriously when there are cameras that can do more for less money with much better autofocus, etc., so how about taking us consumers a little more seriously in the future!
It is interesting that when video specs are talked about no one ever mentions sound quality of the inbuilt mics or preamps. If it were a piece of hifi equipment there would be specifications and testing of frequency response or signal to noise ratio. I have a Panasonic Gx camera who's preamp/microphone has more noise (hiss) than Niagara falls making it useless for video
As a pro shooter with SL2-S’s it makes it quite ridiculous for me to upgrade
I have 7 batteries for the SL2-S and I guess I would have to upgrade those, plus new cards and I get what in return?
Some fancy AF that makes shooting images boring because all the skill disappears.
BTW does it have the bug that the SL2-S has which is that it won’t track objects moving towards you at 25fps
So ; as i just got the SL-3 , I see no need to replace that with an SL-3S ; my best work right now is in FILM using TLR Rollei's and 6x12 , 6x9 , 6x6 and 6x4.5 , in addition to the 4x5 format , and my vast collection of rare vintage lenses calls out for more completion. The only Leica I might consider would be a used Leica Q monochrome right now.
I refuse to be caught up in the Arms Race of photography.
What a beautiful camera, I am sure the output is very good. How do you move the focus point, i did not see a joystick
There’s a button on the back the is both a joystick and AF-On button.
@ Oh I see, thanks for the feedback
I’ve never seen a picture taken by a Leica where you could tell it was something different or special. And I’m a pixel peeper from way back and am super fussy.
I adore the people who post on any and every Leica video…..all cocked and spring loaded to state basic bile against Leica. Does the world really need to hear your irrelevant junk for the trillionth time?
No internal memory?
Here we are in 2025 and the big dog of camera companies is still saying 24megapixels is enough....... Just like you did in your book I think. Great job on that btw.
well.... I guess it has that pixel shift black magic stuff in it.. Which I think is actually the way to go.
If I want a Leica then I buy a Leica.
Simple as that!
Whiners just shut up and stick to your own pet camera system. Skip the red dot and move on.
Very good 👍 thank
Leica needs to stop rebadging Lumix stuff and make new S series medium format
Low light king eh? Make a comparison with R6/R6ii from Canon or R1 😌
Ei hän uskalla, koska Canon on huomattavasti parempi👍🏻💪
Very sexy camera!
SL4 needs to have a Z8/A93 screen. F**k "Traditionen".
a very expensive Sony A7III or Lumix S5II(x)
নাইস
king of overpricing
A camera that’s $1500 more than the competitors and is behind the curve…if you’re buying this camera you are wrong.
What a foolish thing to say, let alone believe.
This camera is very disappointing. I have a soft spot for Leica as I have some of their M and R lenses. Was hoping to get a hybrid Leica to replace my aging s1h for video with M lenses. Lack of full frame 60P in 4k in 2025 is embarrassing.
underwhelming release
:-)
I'm like it's expensive it must be brilliant but at the same time I'm not buying this having many similar cameras on the market providing with the same image quality or better, nah I'm not stupid
Just another overpriced Panasonic. Not going to be a big seller.
1st
Well done.
So the 60MP or 100MP cameras yield fine details which can be advantageous for landscape or extreme cropping plus scientific use etc. These tend to have a Pixel Pitch of around 3.75
As for the 24MP and high Pixel Pitch (5.94 here) cameras they seem to yield images more natural and authentic to me which could also be described as less digital looking . I find this output more useful for street and portrait use where it has more of a film like feeling. That's just me.