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Leica SL3-S: two-minute assessment
Leica has taken the identical product method as different mirrorless digicam makers, providing a high-resolution mannequin within the 60MP Leica SL3 and a lower-resolution however simpler hybrid digicam within the 24MP SL3-S.
Leica has had an extended know-how partnership with Panasonic, and the SL3-S has rather a lot (no, actually, a lot) in frequent with the Lumix S5 IIx on a technical degree. Bodily, although, it’s very completely different. The SL3-S has an even bigger, heavier physique however with a super-streamlined management format, with solely three buttons on the rear having a selected labelled operate.
It’s customizable to the nth diploma, and it’s straightforward to assign new features to the buttons as you go alongside, too. This method does imply, nonetheless, that you will want the endurance to set it as much as your liking within the first place, and a very good reminiscence for the features you’ve assigned to the assorted buttons and dials.
It’s a pleasant digicam to make use of, if heavy, and the information show panel on the highest plate is a welcome function when so many mirrorless digicam makers don’t hassle with these any extra. The 5.76m-dot EVF might not have the very highest decision available on the market, however it’s clear and sharp and simply ok. The rear display screen is barely disappointing. It has a tilt mechanism solely, not a vari-angle pivot, and in our assessments it simply wasn’t vibrant sufficient for straightforward viewing outside, even with the brightness pushed as much as most.
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I examined the SL3-S with the Leica Summilux-SL50mm f/1.4, and between them, the combo produced photos of remarkable readability and definition for a 24MP digicam. The dynamic vary appears about common for a digicam of this sort, however the JPEGs have superb tonal vary from shadows to highlights, and at ISO 6400 (and past) noise ranges are remarkably low.
The autofocus efficiency appeared fairly good when monitoring people and animals for video, although this is not actually a run-and-gun digicam, and it is most likely slightly heavy for a gimbal too. It’s most likely honest to contemplate this a filmmaking device, not a vlogging digicam.
The stabilization is just rated at 5 stops however appears to ship its claimed most reliably, which you’ll be able to’t all the time say for different cameras. This supplies a really regular platform for handheld static photographs, and may even deal with cautious digicam actions and walking-while-filming, although the outcomes can quickly get slightly ‘uneven’.
General, the SL3-S may be very costly in case you think about its specs alone, however what you’re additionally shopping for is high quality – not simply within the digicam’s construct and end, however within the thought that’s gone into its management format and interface. The outcomes, too, are completely first fee. The Leica SL3-S is actually a category act in each sense.
Leica SL3-S: worth and launch date
- Leica SL3-S physique solely: $5,295 / £4,500 / AU$8,990
- Leica SL lenses begin from round $2,195 / £1,850 / AU$3,490
- On sale now
The Leica SL3-S is undeniably costly, costing nearly thrice as a lot because the Panasonic Lumix S5 II / S5 IIx, which many would say it’s primarily based on. Regardless of the technical similarities, nonetheless, it is a very completely different digicam bodily, with all of the construct high quality and design finesse that you’d count on for the model. Additionally, that is in no way the costliest full-frame mirrorless digicam available on the market; there are a number of which price a very good deal extra, albeit with greater or extra specialised specs.
The general price of possession of the SL system is maybe not fairly as excessive as many may count on, both. Leica’s personal SL lenses are costlier than equally specced options from different manufacturers, however nonetheless in the identical ballpark – and never as terrifyingly costly as some M-mount optics, both. And you may, in fact, use any Sigma or Panasonic L-mount optics – although anybody ready to put money into the SL3-S would most likely favor to stay to Leica SL glassware.
Leica SL3-S: specs
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Sensor: |
24MP full-frame BSI CMOS |
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ISO vary: |
50-200,000, 400-100,000 in L-Log |
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Autofocus: |
Hybrid AF, 779-point phase-detect, 315-point distinction AF, depth map, topic recognition |
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Stabilization: |
5-axis IBIS |
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Video: |
6K open gate, 4K 30p, 4K 60p with crop |
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Cont. taking pictures: |
30fps with AF-C (12-bit uncooked not 14-bit) |
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Viewfinder: |
5.76m-dot EVF, 0.76x magnification |
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LCD: |
3.2-inch tilting, 2.33m-dot |
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Storage: |
CFexpress Kind B, SD UHS II |
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Battery: |
Leica BP-SCL6, 315 photographs (CIPA) |
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Weight: |
768g (with out battery, reminiscence card or physique cap) |
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Dimensions: |
141.2 x 108 x 82.7mm |
Leica SL3-S: design and dealing with
- All-metal magnesium and aluminum physique, artificial leather-based cowl
- IP54 climate sealing
- Tilting rear display screen
The very first thing you discover concerning the Leica SL3-S is the simplicity of its exterior design and controls. On the again there are buttons marked Play, Fn and Menu, however past that each different management is unmarked, and might be set to any operate you select. These embody two giant management dials on the highest, a thumb dial on the again and 5 operate buttons on the entrance, high and again of the digicam. There’s additionally a joystick for AF level choice, menu navigation and extra.
Customization is super-easy. An extended press on a operate button brings up a menu the place you may change the assigned operate to one thing else. It’s a intelligent and environment friendly little bit of interface design that’s typical of Leica, though it won’t swimsuit everybody. Some will favor labelled buttons and dials which have a particular operate, even in case you can’t change them, to having to recollect the way you set the assorted buttons up.
Additionally, on condition that it is a hybrid digicam the place you should be particular about whether or not you are in stills and video mode, wouldn’t it have been higher to have a clearly labelled swap for that? An unmarked operate button hardly appears satisfactory.
One other subject I had throughout testing was that I used to be consistently discovering the main target level was someplace apart from the place I left it – a standard subject with touchscreens, in fact – and on one event I discovered the main target space kind had modified, and I don’t know why. I additionally discovered the zoom magnifier activating randomly whereas the shutter launch was half-pressed, and I by no means might determine what I used to be urgent to make that occur. All that is consumer error, in fact, however it’s only a pity that the SL3-S design, stunning as it’s, leaves so many alternatives for such errors.
The 5.76m-dot EVF is superb, however the 2.33m-dot rear display screen much less so. Even at full brightness it’s not all the time straightforward to see clearly for out of doors taking pictures. For video, you may need to rely extra on the EVF than you desire to – although in fact for any form of critical filmmaking you’ll fairly doubtless have the SL3-S rigged up with an exterior monitor anyway.
- Design and dealing with rating: 4/5
Leica SL3-S: efficiency
- Excellent stills high quality
- Nice high-ISO efficiency
- Glorious JPEGs
- Extremely efficient stabilization
- Good AF monitoring, although not the very best
You may argue that the SL3-S is ‘solely’ a 24MP digicam, however it produces the crispest, clearest photos you’re ever more likely to see from a digicam with this decision. A part of the credit score undoubtedly has to go to the 50mm f/1.4 Summilux lens Leica supplied for this assessment – it is a huge lens for a 50mm f/1.4, however it’s spectacularly sharp and aberration-free, and from edge to edge too. It is a lens you may confidently use vast open at f/1.4 with none hesitation.
The JPEGs from the SL3-S are very good certainly. The digicam achieves a wonderful tonal vary proper into darker areas with out seeming to sacrifice any midtone distinction. You may get blown highlights in JPEGs from overexposed skies, however you may get well spotlight element from the uncooked recordsdata, in fact – although the SL3-S’s uncooked dynamic vary appears no higher or worse than that of rival cameras.
Excessive-ISO efficiency is superb. I shot a sequence of low-light interiors at ISO 6,400 anticipating to see some important deterioration in picture high quality, however the photos appeared actually, actually good. I ought to have set the ISO rather a lot greater!
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I used to be impressed by the IBIS too. Leica solely claims 5 stops of compensation, however I feel you most likely get all of this beautiful reliably, so that is maybe Leica simply being conservative. I’ve used loads of different manufacturers that declare greater ranges of shake compensation however merely don’t ship it.
Some have remarked that the SL3-S’s AF monitoring is not fairly pretty much as good as that of the Lumix S5 II/S5 IIx, however I couldn’t see any apparent weaknesses in my testing with human face / eye monitoring, and the animal monitoring, although it’s nonetheless solely in beta, was extraordinarily good at maintaining with my feisty younger terrier on a seaside stroll. In fact, it’s one factor the AF system realizing what it ought to be specializing in, however it is going to additionally rely in your lenses having quick sufficient AF actuators to maintain up.
I actually suppose, although, that in case you’re into quick and immersive POV filming, this isn’t the form of digicam you’ll select; the SL3-S will likely be far more at house on a tripod for extra staged video productions.
Leica SL3-S: testing scorecard
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Worth: |
The SL3-S is pricey in comparison with similarly-specced rivals, however you are not simply shopping for know-how; you are shopping for design and high quality too. |
3/5 |
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Design: |
The SL3-S’s minimalist management format is infinitely customizable and remarkably fast and environment friendly to make use of, although it does demand a very good reminiscence for management settings. |
4/5 |
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Efficiency: |
The picture high quality from the SL3-S is sort of excellent, helped alongside by glorious Leica SL glassware for our assessment and very good high-ISO efficiency. |
5/5 |
Ought to I purchase the Leica SL3-S?
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
How I examined the Leica SL3-S
- I had a one week SL3-S mortgage from Leica
- It was despatched together with the Leica Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 ASPH lens
- I made photographs and movies of assorted topics, together with animals and landscapes
I used to be in a position to make use of the Leica SL3-S for a number of days to shoot a wide range of topics. For one shoot I selected a rustic stroll through a yachting marina, and for an additional I took the SL3-S to a rustic property to take a look at its low-light capabilities for inside photographs. I additionally took it on an city structure expedition to get an thought of its dynamic vary and element rendition.
I examined its video capabilities too, significantly its stabilization and autofocus monitoring, with a dog-walk on a windy seaside. The goal was to learn how effectively the stabilization labored for static handheld photographs and likewise a strolling run-and-gun fashion. My pet canine was a giant assist in testing the AF monitoring efficiency, together with Leica’s animal monitoring AF system, which continues to be in beta.
Specifically, I needed to attempt the SL3-S in taking pictures situations that required a wide range of settings modifications, usually from one shot to the subsequent, to get a correct thought of how the Leica’s modern management system truly labored within the subject.