That little red dot on Leica’s cameras has become synonymous with quality, history, and some of the best cameras you can get. The German company has been perfecting its craft since the late 1800s, and continues to innovate to this day. Now, they’re back with the Leica SL3, a mirrorless full-frame system camera boasting powerful specs and a more compact design.
Building upon the powerful SL2 and made in Germany, this full-frame mirrorless camera boasts a 60-megapixel sensor that gives you a dynamic range of up to 15 stops, 14-bit color depth, 8K video, and improved noise reduction for higher-quality images. It’s also equipped with a hybrid autofocus system that combines phase detection, object detection, and contrast detection for more precision. A programmable dial has also been added to the mix, and the tiltable 3.2-inch LCD touchscreen can be customized to suit your needs. Built with professionals in mind, you’re getting plenty of connectivity options as well, with slots for CFexpress Type B and SD UHS-II cards, a USB-C port, Bluetooth and WiFi, and an HDMI output.
It’s not just the guts getting improvements, as the SL3 is more compact compared to the SL2, and has a more ergonomic design overall. The UX is also ergonomic in its own right, with separate modes for videos and photos (using a red color scheme for photos and yellow for videos), and the buttons can be customized to execute different functions depending on your preferences. Given the build quality and customizable features (and price), it’s clear that this was made for professionals (Leica even states, “The functions of the SL3 have been developed in close cooperation with professionals”).
The Leica SL3 is available now for $6,995 (which just includes the body), and you can head on over to Adorama to grab it online or check out Leica’s own site to locate a dealer near you.
