Holy moley! You’re not going to believe this, but Leica just announced the fastest camera they’ve ever made. The Leica SL3-S is available for pre-order now and is expected to arrive imminently. In fact, by the time you read this, it may just be “order!”
Leica’s SL system, launched in 2015, blends the unique Leica photographic user experience with high-end videographic capabilities and has firmly established territory in the world of professional audio-visual capture and creation. The SL3-S features a 24 MP BSI CMOS full frame sensor (capable of producing images up to 96 MP with handheld multi-shot modes), the versatile L mount bayonet, PDAF hybrid AF, numerous ports, all-metal body, IP54 certification for water- and dust-resistance, and the efficiency and reliability we’ve come to expect from that little red dot over the years. And, yes, the SL3-S is made in Germany.
Max video quality is 6K, with clever features to allow a variety of aspect ratios and orientations at the best possible quality (4K vertical 16:9, for example). It is also possible to record ProRes 4:2:2 HQ in 5.8K at 30 fps or C4K video sat 60 fps internally with CFexpress type B memory. If you’d prefer to use an external recorder, the SL3-S is also compatible with USB-C or HDMI interfaces for those. Noise in the L-Log color space has been pleasantly managed for extraordinary output.
What was that about the SL3-S being the fastest ever? Thanks to the Maestro IV’s extreme processing power and the hybrid PDAF/contrast/depth-map AF system, the SL3-S is capable of shooting continuously, with AF, at up to 30 frames per second. Combine this speed with the camera’s high dynamic range and gorgeous colors, the Leica SL3-S is ready to excel in all situations.
For the pros out there, the SL3-S is also the first SL-sytem camera to feature the Content Credentials system. Veracity is increasingly rare in the modern technical landscape; it’s nice to see more advanced verification tools coming into play.
Click here to order yours now or to read full specifications.
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