When a camera brochure begins with the words “Unlimited in possibilities and powerful in performance,” you’re bound to take notice, no matter the brand. When it’s a brochure for the latest Leica digital camera, you know you’re in for a treat. Leica has just announced the new Leica SL3-S, a faster autofocusing, 24-megapixel, exceptional low-light performing camera. But this isn’t the only set of specs that will make you crave this new beauty. Read on to find out what will make this model one of the most desired cameras in 2025.
The Leica SL3-S
Before we discuss what makes this camera exceptional, let’s take a quick look at why its older brother, the Leica SL-3, won our Editor’s Choice Award. When we reviewed it, we found it to have everything a working professional could want in a camera in 2024. In our review, we said:
“There’s a lot to really like about it. Leica has truly been listening to their customers and the market while incorporating feedback into the camera’s design. It’s smaller and lighter than the previous version — yet they also packed an extra dial onto the top of the camera. This makes it feel a bit more retro while also keeping the very modern and sleek look. Additionally, they gave the camera a tilting touchscreen. Yes, the menu is now touch capable. Plus, they improved the grip, gave it an incredible imaging sensor that rivals the Sony a7r V, majorly improved the autofocus, and built in some of the best battery life I’ve ever experienced. It’s hard to say no to the Leica SL3”
Now imagine all the goodness of this camera but with a lower resolution that would help produce the cleanest files at higher ISOs, coupled with Leica’s latest high-speed AF system (Advanced PDAF + Contrast Detection + Object Detection). In addition to that, you get 30fps burst mode (in AF-C!), 48 and 96MP files in the new Handheld Multishot Mode, and Content Credentials baked into your Leica SL3-S files, in accordance with the Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) for photos. It’s packed with specs to make anyone desire it and also stamped with the logo of the most desirable brand for photographers. The Leica SL3-S comes nearly a decade after Leica launched the SL-System in 2015 to offer photography and videography in a single camera in their own signature way
The Amazing Specs Of The Leica SL3-S
Taken from the provided spec sheet:
| Material | Full metal housing: magnesium and aluminum, leatherette covering, splash water protected in accordance with IEC Standard 60529 (protection type IP54) |
| Lens mount | Leica L bayonet with contact strip for communication between lens and camera |
| Weight | Approx. 768 g (without battery, SD card, body cap) |
| Sensor size | CMOS sensor, 25.3 MP/24.6 MP (total/effective) |
| IBIS | 5-axis image stabilization up to 5-stops |
| Processor | Leica Maestro series (Maestro IV) |
| Viewfinder | Resolution: 5,760,000 dots, 60 fps or 120 fps, magnification: approx. 0.76x at aspect ratio: 3:2 / approx. 0.78x at aspect ratio: 4:3, frame coverage: 100% |
| LCD | 3.2” (backlight LED) with anti-fingerprint and anti-scratch coating, 2,332,800 dots, format 3:2, touch panel |
| Top display | 1.28” highly reflective trans-reflective monochrome LCD, 128 x 128 pixels, viewing angle 120°, anti-fingerprint coating |
| Shutter type | Electronically controlled focal plane shutter |
| Shutter speeds | Mech. shutter: 30 min to 1/8000s electr. shutter function: 60 s to 1/16000s flash synchronization: up to 1/200s |
| Autofocus system | Hybrid-AF due to combination of contrast metering, depth mapping, and phase comparison metering with AF metering points in the sensor. |
| AF modes | Intelligent AF (automatically refocuses as soon as something changes in the scene), AFs, AFc, AF setting can be saved, optional Touch AF |
| Autofocus metering fields | Contrast-AF: 315/Phase detection-AF: 779 |
Who Is The Leica SL3-S For?
If the Leica SL3 was a camera that caught your eye last year, but you didn’t want to deal with large file sizes and even better low light / high ISO quality than the stellar SL3 gave us, then the Leica SL3-S is a camera that could very well be on your purchase list for this year. If Content Credentials and image authenticity matter to you (as they should to any working professional these days), then this camera ticks that box. Do you have the need to produce ultra-high-resolution images occasionally but don’t want to deal with upscaling software and the artifacts they can produce? Then the 48 and 96 megapixel handheld multishot modes in this camera can very well help you with that.
Do you also occasionally dabble in video production as part of your work? The Leica SL3-S records videos in a resolution of up to 6K and can record HDMI- RAW in 5.9K at 30 fps to external display recorders. Or skip a recorder and have your video files directly written to an external SSD via the USB-C port. If you desire camera-to-cloud functionality, this is coming to the Leica SL3-S later in 2025 via Adobe frame.io
This camera would be particularly attractive to photojournalists, street photographers, and event photographers for whom speed and versatility take precedence over resolution. The 24-megapixel sensor would be more than sufficient for most professional needs while enabling faster data processing, which would lead to quicker shooting and reduced lag, both of which are essential for capturing fleeting moments. You don’t usually see them at such events, but I am willing to wager that the improved autofocus system of the Leica SL3-S could make it ideal for action and sports photography.
This is easily Leica’s best all-rounder camera to date. At USD 5295, it is $1700 less than the Leica SL3 when it launched. Pair it with any of these lenses from our L-Mount selection guide for exceptional image results. If you can’t wait until our review to decide if you want one, head to Adorama right away to place an order.
Images seen in this article were provided for us by our Leica reps
