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Leica’s SL family has always had the most “mirrorless” look of the company’s cameras, offering professional photographers a similar usability to rivals like Canon and Sony. This also follows the launch of his SL3, a 60 megapixel (MP) model that bears no resemblance to the famous rangefinder camera, offering a new phase detection autofocus system, 8K video capabilities, and more.
The new model has the same sensor as the M11 rangefinder and Q3 compact model, but is very similar to the SL2 and weighs a hefty 767 grams. It’s also IP54 rated, so you can shoot in weather conditions from 14 to 104°F without worrying about dust or moisture.
The biggest change to the layout is the addition of a new dial in the top left (all dials are blank so you can customize them however you like). Leica moved her three key buttons on the back (play, function, menu) to the right and changed the power switch to a button.
The SL3 features a new 3.2-inch 2.3m-dot LCD that, unlike past models, can be tilted (but not rotated). The EVF has also been updated to a high resolution 5.76 million dot 0.78x OLED version. As for storage, it supports both CFexpress type B and SD UHS-II memory cards. It comes with full-size HDMI and USB-C charging ports, as well as a microphone/headphone jack.
With the new sensor, the resolution has increased from SL2’s 47 MP to 60 MP, which is a significant increase. This is likely similar to the sensor Sony uses in his A7R V, which supports a wide native ISO range of 50-100,000 and delivers 15 stops of dynamic range.
The company says it is capable of burst shooting up to 15fps, but more importantly, it offers a new phase-detection AF system that is faster and more intelligent. Combines phase detection, contrast and object autofocus for faster and more stable performance. This includes new animal detection features in addition to face and eye detection. Leica says it should also be better at tracking action.
As for video, the SL3 can internally record DCI 8K 8192 x 4320 at 30 fps, DCI 4K up to 60p, and a maximum bitrate of 600Mb/s. You can also record externally in DCI 8K and DCI 4K at up to 60fps via the HDMI output. All of these resolutions are available in 10-bit by selecting L-Log Rec. 2020 and HLG Rec. 2020. Supports ProRes recording, but only up to 1080p.
As you can probably imagine, the SL3 isn’t cheap at $6,995, but it’s significantly cheaper than the $9,000 M11.Currently available at B&H Photo Video And elsewhere too.
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