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Leica SL3 Comparison Review

The Leica SL3 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that was announced in March 2024 and is equipped with a full frame sensor. It offers a resolution of 60.3 megapixel.

camera

Is the Leica SL3 a good camera? The Leica SL3 has a Camera Elo of 3052. This very strong rating puts it among the elite group of camera grand masters. The Leica SL3 ranks among the top 10 percent of all mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (full frame cameras), the Leica SL3 ranks among the top 20 percent.

Headline Specifications
Leica SL3
Mirrorless system camera
Leica L mount lenses
60.3 MP, Full Frame Sensor
8K/30p Video
ISO 100 - 100 000
Electronic viewfinder (5760k dots)
3.2 LCD, 2333k dots
Tilting touchscreen
5 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization
Weathersealed body
320 shots per battery charge
141 x 108 x 85 mm, 769 g

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

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Body comparison with a credit card

An illustration of the physical dimensions of the Leica SL3 vis-à-vis a credit card is provided in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are presented. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Leica SL3 vs credit card front
Leica SL3 versus credit card top view
Leica SL3 and credit card rear side

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Leica SL3 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

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Body Specifications
    Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price
Street
Price
1.
 
Leica SL3 141 mm 108 mm 85 mm 769 g 320 Y Mar 2024 US$ 6 999 amazon.com
2.
 
Leica M11 139 mm 80 mm 39 mm 640 g 700 Y Jan 2022 US$ 8 999 amazon.com
3.
 
Leica Q3 130 mm 80 mm 93 mm 743 g 350 Y May 2023 US$ 5 999 amazon.com
4.
 
Leica SL 147 mm 104 mm 39 mm 847 g 400 Y Oct 2015 US$ 7 449ebay.com
5.
 
Leica SL2 146 mm 107 mm 42 mm 953 g 370 Y Nov 2019 US$ 5 999 amazon.com
6.
 
Leica SL2-S 146 mm 107 mm 83 mm 931 g 510 Y Dec 2020 US$ 4 899 amazon.com
7.
 
Nikon Z8 144 mm 119 mm 83 mm 910 g 340 Y May 2023 US$ 3 999 amazon.com
8.
 
Panasonic S5 II 134 mm 102 mm 90 mm 740 g 370 Y Jan 2023 US$ 1 999 amazon.com
9.
 
Sony A1 129 mm 97 mm 81 mm 737 g 530 Y Jan 2021 US$ 6 499 amazon.com
10.
 
Sony A7R V 131 mm 97 mm 82 mm 723 g 530 Y Oct 2022 US$ 3 899 amazon.com
11.
 
Sony A9 III 136 mm 97 mm 83 mm 702 g 530 Y Nov 2023 US$ 5 999 amazon.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Leica SL3 was launched in the US market at a price of $6,999. 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.

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Check Leica SL3 price at
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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

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 tent to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The Leica SL3 features a full frame sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Leica SL3 among the large-sensor cameras that aim for top notch image quality.

Leica SL3 sensor measures

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for most cameras. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of alternatives.

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Sensor Characteristics
    Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Leica SL3 Full Frame 60.3 9520 63368K/30p25.414.8329597
2.
 
Leica M11 Full Frame 60.3 9528 6328none26.314.83376100
3.
 
Leica Q3 Full Frame 60.3 9528 63288K/30p25.414.7321696
4.
 
Leica SL Full Frame 24.0 6000 40004K/30p25.013.4182188
5.
 
Leica SL2 Full Frame 46.7 8368 55844K/60p25.314.3286695
6.
 
Leica SL2-S Full Frame 24.0 6000 40004K/60p25.214.1350495
7.
 
Nikon Z8 Full Frame 45.4 8256 55048K/30p26.314.2254898
8.
 
Panasonic S5 II Full Frame 24.0 6000 40006K/30p25.414.6315896
9.
 
Sony A1 Full Frame 49.8 8640 57608k/30p25.914.5316398
10.
 
Sony A7R V Full Frame 60.2 9504 63368k/24p26.514.83187100
11.
 
Sony A9 III Full Frame 24.0 6000 40004K/120p25.414.7324396
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 Leica SL3 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the Leica SL3 can use is 8K/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. For example, the Leica SL3 has an electronic viewfinder with a resolution of 5760k dots. The viewfinder offers a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.76x. The following tables report on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Leica SL3 and comparable cameras.

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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 SL35760 Y3.2 / 2333 tilting Y 1/8000s 5.0/s n Y
2.
 
Leica M11optical n3.0 / 2333 fixed Y 1/4000s 4.5/s n n
3.
 
Leica Q35760 n3.0 / 1840 tilting Y 1/2000s 15.0/s n Y
4.
 
Leica SL4400 Y3.0 / 1040 fixed Y 1/8000s 11.0/s n n
5.
 
Leica SL25760 Y3.2 / 2100 fixed Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
6.
 
Leica SL2-S5760 Y3.2 / 2100 fixed Y 1/8000s 20.0/s n Y
7.
 
Nikon Z83690 Y3.2 / 2089 full-flex Y 1/32000s 30.0/s n Y
8.
 
Panasonic S5 II3680 n3.0 / 1840 swivel Y 1/8000s 9.0/s n Y
9.
 
Sony A19437 n3.0 / 1440 tilting Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
10.
 
Sony A7R V9440 n3.2 / 2100 full-flex Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
11.
 
Sony A9 III9440 n3.2 / 2100 full-flex Y 1/80000s 120.0/s n Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The LCD screen on the Leica SL3 is flexibly attached to the body. In particular, the LCD can be tilted vertically to facilitate odd-angle shots in landscape orientation. This tilting design is often preferred, for example, by street photographers to a fully articulated, swivel type of LCD attachment, as it is more unobtrusive during shooting than a screen that flips out to the side.

articulated screen
Flexible screen on the Leica SL3

One useful feature of the Leica SL3 is a presence of a top-level LCD. While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

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Connection 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 SL3 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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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 SL3Ystereo / monoYYfull3.1Y-Y
2.
 
Leica M11Y- / ----3.2Y-Y
3.
 
Leica Q3Ystereo / mono--micro3.1Y-Y
4.
 
Leica SLYstereo / monoYYfull3.0Y--
5.
 
Leica SL2Ystereo / monoYYfull3.1Y-Y
6.
 
Leica SL2-SYstereo / monoYYfull3.2Y-Y
7.
 
Nikon Z8Ystereo / monoYYfull3.2Y-Y
8.
 
Panasonic S5 IIYstereo / monoYYfull3.2Y-Y
9.
 
Sony A1Ystereo / monoYYfull3.2Y-Y
10.
 
Sony A7R VYstereo / monoYYfull3.2Y-Y
11.
 
Sony A9 IIIYstereo / monoYYfull3.2Y-Y

It is notable that the Leica SL3 has a microphone port. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Further information on the features and operation of the Leica SL3 can be found in the free online Leica SL3 Manual or on the Leica support site.

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Expert reviews

While the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the Leica SL3 handle or perform in practice. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased. This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The table below summarizes the assessments of some of the best known camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

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Review Scores
     Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price
Street
Price
1.
 
Leica SL3....4.5/5....4.5/5 Mar 2024 US$ 6 999 amazon.com
2.
 
Leica M114.5/5..4.5/5..4.5/54.5/5 Jan 2022 US$ 8 999 amazon.com
3.
 
Leica Q35/5..4.5/5....4.5/5 May 2023 US$ 5 999 amazon.com
4.
 
Leica SL4/5..4/584/1004.5/54/5 Oct 2015 US$ 7 449ebay.com
5.
 
Leica SL24/5..4.5/5..4.5/54/5 Nov 2019 US$ 5 999 amazon.com
6.
 
Leica SL2-S4/5..4/5..4.5/54.5/5 Dec 2020 US$ 4 899 amazon.com
7.
 
Nikon Z85/5..5/594/1005/54.5/5 May 2023 US$ 3 999 amazon.com
8.
 
Panasonic S5 II4.5/5+ +5/590/1004.5/55/5 Jan 2023 US$ 1 999 amazon.com
9.
 
Sony A15/5o4.5/593/1004.5/55/5 Jan 2021 US$ 6 499 amazon.com
10.
 
Sony A7R V5/5+ +4.5/592/100.... Oct 2022 US$ 3 899 amazon.com
11.
 
Sony A9 III4.5/5....91/100.... Nov 2023 US$ 5 999 amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Leica SL3 FAQ

Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the Leica SL3.

What technology is the imaging sensor in the Leica SL3 based on?

The camera features a CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor.

Which image processing chip is used in the Leica SL3 to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?

Leica equipped the Leica SL3 with the Maestro IV image processor.

What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Leica SL3?

The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 100000, which can be extended to ISO 50-100000.

Is completely silent shooting possible with the Leica SL3?

The camera has an electronic shutter option, so that it is indeed feasible to capture images without any shutter noise.

Do I need to purchase an external camera trigger to shoot time-lapse sequences with the Leica SL3?

No, the Leica SL3 has an intervalometer built-in, so that low frequency shooting (for example, flower blooming, sunset, moon rise) can be undertaken without the need to purchase a separate external intervalometer and related software.

Is it difficult to use manual focus lenses with the Leica SL3?

The Leica SL3 offers focus peaking as a manual focus aid. This feature works by placing a colored highlight on in-focus zones within the image.

Does the Leica SL3 feature an autofocus assist light?

Yes, the camera has a lamp built-in that can illuminate the subject and improve autofocus in low-light settings.

What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with the Leica SL3 for flash photography?

The Leica SL3's flash sync speed is 1/200 sec.

Does the Leica SL3 support the Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus interface for SD cards?

Yes, the camera can indeed use UHS-II cards (data transfer speed of up to 312 MB/s).

Which battery does the Leica SL3 use?

The camera gets its power from the Leica BP-SCL6 (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.

Is there a vertical grip available for the Leica SL3?

Yes, Leica offers the HG-SCL7 as an optional accessory to facilitate shooting in portrait orientation and to provide additional battery power.

Camera to camera comparisons

If you would like to see a side-by-side review with another camera, just use the search menu below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

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    Specifications Summary
    Camera Model Leica SL3
    Camera Type Mirrorless system camera
    Camera Lens Leica L mount lenses
    Launch Date March 2024
    Launch Price USD 6 999
    Sensor Specs
    Sensor Technology CMOS
    Sensor Format Full Frame Sensor
    Sensor Size 36.0 x 24.0 mm
    Sensor Area 864 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 43.3 mm
    Crop Factor 1.0x
    Sensor Resolution 60.3 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 9 520 x 6 336 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 3.79 μm
    Pixel Density 6.98 MP/cm2
    Moiré control no AA filter
    Movie Capability 8K/30p Video
    ISO Setting 100 - 100 000 ISO
    ISO Boost 50 - 100 000 ISO
    Image Processor Maestro IV
    Screen Specs
    Viewfinder Type Electronic viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 100%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.76x
    Viewfinder Resolution 5760k dots
    Top-Level Screen Control Panel
    LCD Framing Live View
    LCD Size 3.2 inch
    LCD Resolution 2333k dots
    LCD Attachment Tilting screen
    V-logging Friendliness No front-flip
    Touch Input Touchscreen
    Shooting Specs
    Focus System On-Sensor Phase-detect
    Manual Focusing AidFocus Peaking
    Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000s
    Continuous Shooting 5 shutter flaps/s
    Silent ShootingElectronic Shutter
    Time Lapse PhotographyIntervalometer Built-in
    Image StabilizationIn-body stabilization
    Fill Flash no On-Board Flash
    Storage Medium CFexB or SDXC cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Dual card slots
    UHS card support UHS-II
    Connectivity Specs
    External Flash Hotshoe
    USB Connector USB 3.1
    HDMI Port full HDMI
    Microphone Port External MIC port
    Headphone Socket Headphone port
    Wifi Support Wifi built-in
    Bluetooth Support Bluetooth built-in
    Body Specs
    Environmental SealingWeathersealed body
    Battery Type Leica BP-SCL6 power pack
    Battery Life (CIPA)320 shots per charge
    In-Camera Charging USB charging
    Body Dimensions 141 x 108 x 85 mm
    (5.6 x 4.3 x 3.3 in)
    Camera Weight 769 g (27.1 oz)

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