Leica SL2-S vs Nikon Z6 III

The Leica SL2-S and the Nikon Z6 III are two enthusiast cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in December 2020 and June 2024. Both the Leica SL2-S and the Z6 III are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that are equipped with a full frame sensor. The Leica has a resolution of 24 megapixels, whereas the Nikon provides 24.3 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Leica SL2-S		Nikon Z6 III
Mirrorless system camera		Mirrorless system camera
Leica L mount lenses		Nikon Z mount lenses
24 MP – Full Frame sensor		24.3 MP – Full Frame sensor
4K/60p Video		6K/60p Video
ISO 100-50,000 (50 - 100,000)		ISO 100-64,000 (50 - 204,800)
Electronic viewfinder (5760k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (5760k dots)
3.2" LCD – 2100k dots		3.2" LCD – 2100k dots
Fixed touchscreen		Swivel touchscreen
20 shutter flaps per second		14 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization		In-body stabilization
Weathersealed body		Weathersealed body
510 shots per battery charge		380 shots per battery charge
146 x 107 x 83 mm, 931 g		139 x 102 x 74 mm, 670 g

Check Leica SL2-S price at
amazon.com
Check Z6 III price at
amazon.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Leica SL2-S and the Nikon Z6 III? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Leica SL2-S and the Nikon Z6 III are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Nikon Z6 III is notably smaller (9 percent) than the Leica SL2-S. Moreover, the Z6 III is markedly lighter (28 percent) than the Leica SL2-S. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

Concerning battery life, the Leica SL2-S gets 510 shots out of its Leica BP-SCL4 battery, while the Z6 III can take 380 images on a single charge of its Nikon EN-EL15c power pack. The battery packs of both cameras can be charged via USB, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Leica SL2-S	146 mm	107 mm	83 mm	931 g	510	Y	Dec 2020	EUR 4 499	amazon.com
2.		Nikon Z6 III	139 mm	102 mm	74 mm	670 g	380	Y	Jun 2024	EUR 2 999	amazon.com
3.		Canon R3	150 mm	143 mm	87 mm	1015 g	760	Y	Sep 2021	EUR 5 999	amazon.com
4.		Leica SL	147 mm	104 mm	39 mm	847 g	400	Y	Oct 2015	EUR 6 899	ebay.com
5.		Leica SL2	146 mm	107 mm	42 mm	953 g	370	Y	Nov 2019	EUR 5 999	amazon.com
6.		Nikon Z5	134 mm	101 mm	67 mm	675 g	470	Y	Jul 2020	EUR 1 549	amazon.com
7.		Nikon Z6	134 mm	101 mm	67 mm	675 g	310	Y	Aug 2018	EUR 2 449	ebay.com
8.		Nikon Z6 II	134 mm	101 mm	70 mm	705 g	410	Y	Oct 2020	EUR 2 199	amazon.com
9.		Nikon Z7 II	134 mm	101 mm	70 mm	705 g	420	Y	Oct 2020	EUR 3 399	amazon.com
10.		Nikon Zf	144 mm	103 mm	49 mm	710 g	380	Y	Sep 2023	EUR 2 499	amazon.com
11.		Olympus E-M1X	144 mm	147 mm	75 mm	997 g	870	Y	Jan 2019	EUR 2 999	ebay.com
12.		Panasonic S1	149 mm	110 mm	97 mm	1017 g	400	Y	Feb 2019	EUR 2 499	amazon.com
13.		Panasonic S1H	151 mm	114 mm	110 mm	1052 g	400	Y	May 2019	EUR 3 999	amazon.com
14.		Panasonic S1R	149 mm	110 mm	97 mm	1016 g	380	Y	Feb 2019	EUR 3 699	amazon.com
15.		Panasonic S5	133 mm	98 mm	82 mm	714 g	440	Y	Sep 2020	EUR 1 999	amazon.com
16.		Sony A9 II	129 mm	96 mm	76 mm	678 g	690	Y	Oct 2019	EUR 5 399	amazon.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The Z6 III was launched at a markedly lower price (by 49 percent) than the Leica SL2-S, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a full frame sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the Z6 III is 1 percent smaller. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Despite having a slightly smaller sensor, the Z6 III offers a slightly higher resolution of 24.3 megapixels, compared with 24 MP of the Leica SL2-S. This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 5.94μm versus 6.00μm for the Leica SL2-S). However, it should be noted that the Z6 III is much more recent (by 3 years and 6 months) than the Leica SL2-S, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the Leica SL2-S has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The Z6 III has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

Both cameras have the capacity to capture high quality composite images by combining multiple shots after shifting the sensor by miniscule distances. This multi-shot, pixel-shift mode is most suitable for photography of stationary objects (landscapes, studio scenes).

The Leica SL2-S has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 50000, which can be extended to ISO 50-100000. The corresponding ISO settings for the Nikon Z6 III are ISO 100 to ISO 64000, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 50-204800.

In terms of underlying technology, the Leica SL2-S is build around a CMOS sensor, while the Z6 III uses a BSI-CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Leica SL2-S	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/60p	25.2	14.1	3504	95
2.		Nikon Z6 III	Full Frame	24.3	6048	4024	6K/60p	25.4	14.8	3318	97
3.		Canon R3	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	6K/60p	25.0	14.7	4086	96
4.		Leica SL	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	13.4	1821	88
5.		Leica SL2	Full Frame	46.7	8368	5584	4K/60p	25.3	14.3	2866	95
6.		Nikon Z5	Full Frame	24.2	6016	4016	4K/30p	25.3	14.3	2929	95
7.		Nikon Z6	Full Frame	24.3	6048	4024	4K/30p	25.3	14.3	3299	95
8.		Nikon Z6 II	Full Frame	24.3	6048	4024	4K/60p	25.0	14.4	3303	94
9.		Nikon Z7 II	Full Frame	45.4	8256	5504	4K/60p	26.3	14.7	2841	100
10.		Nikon Zf	Full Frame	24.3	6048	4024	4K/60p	25.4	14.7	3243	96
11.		Olympus E-M1X	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.2	13.0	1254	75
12.		Panasonic S1	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/60p	25.2	14.5	3333	95
13.		Panasonic S1H	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	6K/30p	25.2	14.2	2805	94
14.		Panasonic S1R	Full Frame	46.7	8368	5584	4K/60p	26.4	14.1	3525	100
15.		Panasonic S5	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/60p	25.1	14.5	2697	94
16.		Sony A9 II	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	14.0	3434	93
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. The two cameras under consideration both have sensors whose read-out speed is fast enough to capture moving pictures, but the Z6 III provides a better video resolution than the Leica SL2-S. It can shoot movie footage at 6K/60p, while the Leica is limited to 4K/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The Leica SL2-S and the Z6 III are similar in the sense that both feature an electronic viewfinder, which is helpful when framing images in bright sunlight. Moreover, their viewfinders offer an identical resolution of 5760k dots. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Leica SL2-S and Nikon Z6 III along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Leica SL2-S	5760	Y	3.2 / 2100	fixed	Y	1/8000s	20.0/s	n	Y
2.		Nikon Z6 III	5760	Y	3.2 / 2100	swivel	Y	1/8000s	14.0/s	n	Y
3.		Canon R3	5760	Y	3.2 / 4150	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
4.		Leica SL	4400	Y	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/8000s	11.0/s	n	n
5.		Leica SL2	5760	Y	3.2 / 2100	fixed	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
6.		Nikon Z5	3690	n	3.2 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/8000s	4.5/s	n	Y
7.		Nikon Z6	3690	Y	3.2 / 2100	tilting	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
8.		Nikon Z6 II	3690	Y	3.2 / 2100	tilting	Y	1/8000s	14.0/s	n	Y
9.		Nikon Z7 II	3690	Y	3.2 / 2100	tilting	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
10.		Nikon Zf	3690	n	3.2 / 2100	swivel	Y	1/8000s	14.0/s	n	Y
11.		Olympus E-M1X	2360	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/8000s	18.0/s	n	Y
12.		Panasonic S1	5760	Y	3.2 / 2100	full-flex	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	n	Y
13.		Panasonic S1H	5760	Y	3.2 / 2330	swivel	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	n	Y
14.		Panasonic S1R	5760	Y	3.2 / 2100	full-flex	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	n	Y
15.		Panasonic S5	2360	n	3.0 / 1840	swivel	Y	1/8000s	7.0/s	n	Y
16.		Sony A9 II	3686	n	3.0 / 1440	tilting	Y	1/8000s	20.0/s	n	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, both cameras under consideration feature an electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Leica SL2-S and the Nikon Z6 III both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

The Leica SL2-S writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the Z6 III uses CFexpress (type B) or SDXC cards. Both cameras feature dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. Both cameras support UHS-II cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 312 MB/s.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Leica SL2-S and Nikon Z6 III and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Leica SL2-S	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
2.		Nikon Z6 III	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
3.		Canon R3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
4.		Leica SL	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.0	Y	-	-
5.		Leica SL2	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.1	Y	-	Y
6.		Nikon Z5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
7.		Nikon Z6	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
8.		Nikon Z6 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
9.		Nikon Z7 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
10.		Nikon Zf	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
11.		Olympus E-M1X	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.0	Y	-	Y
12.		Panasonic S1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.1	Y	-	Y
13.		Panasonic S1H	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.1	Y	-	Y
14.		Panasonic S1R	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.1	Y	-	Y
15.		Panasonic S5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
16.		Sony A9 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.1	Y	Y	Y

Both the Leica SL2-S and the Z6 III are recent models that are part of the current product line-up. The Z6 III replaced the earlier Nikon Z6 II, while the Leica SL2-S does not have a direct predecessor. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official Leica and Nikon websites.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Which of the two cameras – the Leica SL2-S or the Nikon Z6 III – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Advantages of the Leica SL2-S:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (20 vs 14 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (510 versus 380) on a single battery charge.
• More solid recording: Has a full-sized HDMI port for a sturdy connection to an external recorder.
• More prestigious: Has the Leica luxury appeal, which ensures a high resale price.
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in December 2020).

Arguments in favor of the Nikon Z6 III:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (6K/60p vs 4K/60p).
• Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.80x vs 0.78x).
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 261g or 28 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (49 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 3 years and 6 months of technical progress since the Leica SL2-S launch.

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the Z6 III emerges as the winner of the match-up (9 : 6 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Leica SL2-S and the Nikon Z6 III place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the Leica SL2-S and the Z6 III in practical situations. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Leica SL2-S	4/5	..	4/5	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Dec 2020	EUR 4 499	amazon.com
2.		Nikon Z6 III	..	..	..	..	..	..	Jun 2024	EUR 2 999	amazon.com
3.		Canon R3	5/5	o	4.5/5	..	5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2021	EUR 5 999	amazon.com
4.		Leica SL	4/5	..	4/5	84/100	4.5/5	4/5	Oct 2015	EUR 6 899	ebay.com
5.		Leica SL2	4/5	..	4.5/5	..	4.5/5	4/5	Nov 2019	EUR 5 999	amazon.com
6.		Nikon Z5	4/5	..	4/5	89/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jul 2020	EUR 1 549	amazon.com
7.		Nikon Z6	5/5	..	5/5	89/100	4.5/5	5/5	Aug 2018	EUR 2 449	ebay.com
8.		Nikon Z6 II	4.5/5	..	4/5	89/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2020	EUR 2 199	amazon.com
9.		Nikon Z7 II	4.5/5	..	4.5/5	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2020	EUR 3 399	amazon.com
10.		Nikon Zf	4.5/5	..	4.5/5	90/100	4.5/5	5/5	Sep 2023	EUR 2 499	amazon.com
11.		Olympus E-M1X	4.5/5	o	5/5	85/100	4.5/5	..	Jan 2019	EUR 2 999	ebay.com
12.		Panasonic S1	4.5/5	+ +	4.5/5	88/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2019	EUR 2 499	amazon.com
13.		Panasonic S1H	..	..	4/5	90/100	..	..	May 2019	EUR 3 999	amazon.com
14.		Panasonic S1R	4.5/5	..	4.6/5	89/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2019	EUR 3 699	amazon.com
15.		Panasonic S5	4.5/5	+ +	4.5/5	88/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2020	EUR 1 999	amazon.com
16.		Sony A9 II	..	..	5/5	90/100	5/5	5/5	Oct 2019	EUR 5 399	amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

Check Leica SL2-S price at
amazon.com
Check Z6 III price at
amazon.com

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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Check Leica SL2-S price at
amazon.com
Check Z6 III price at
amazon.com

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