NEW Leica SL3 versus Leica SL2 | Detailed Comparison
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- Опубліковано 9 бер 2024
- This is my detailed comparison of the new Leica SL3 versus the Leica SL2. I will discuss all differences including
- Design and built
- Specifications like new sensor, new GUI, higher video resolutions and quality etc.
- Autofocus system and object recognition
and many more differences you find when comparing the SL3 versus the SL2 side-by-side.
See also my introductory video on the Leica SL3:
NEW Leica SL3 | Comprehensive Introduction | All you need to know:
• NEW Leica SL3 | Compre...
And here is the link to my review of the new Leica Super-Apo-Summicron-SL 21mm:
The NEW LEICA SUPER-APO-SUMMICRON-SL 21mm f/2 is THE BEST !!!
• The NEW LEICA SUPER-AP...
See also the Leica SL3 videos from other Swiss UA-camrs:
Rafael Zeier:
• Leica SL3: Zwei grandi...
Cris with no H:
• Leica SL3 | First impr...
Music (if applicable):
epidemicsound.com (licensed)
storyblocks.com (licensed)
motionarray.com (licensed)
#Leica #LeicaSL3 - Наука та технологія
Thanks Math, you never disappoint with your reviews. Straightforward and honest. ❤👍
Thank you so much, you are right now making my day:)
As always, an excellent video! I really like the way you do your youtube videos and tutorials. I have learned so much. A sincere thank you!
Thank you so much, you are making my day.
Good video. I am really looking forward to see real life tests on the autofocus and tracking capabilities of the SL3. I have some doubts about the performance, since there was really no setup for testing it at the Wetzlar event last week. Thanks for providing us with your take on this camera.
Fully agree on real live testing, there is still some ground to cover on the new SL3. Thanks for the kind feedback,
Thanks Matt, you do the best camera reviews 👍
Thank you so much.
You say that AF is not a key element of Leica, but at this point it should definitely be able to keep up with eg. a Canon R5. It's 2024. While I love Leica - It's a lot of money to spend on a mirrorless camera, and the competition is very strong. I tried the SL2 as a commercial / editorial + wedding photographer and in the event space it simply was horrendous. Worse than the Nikon Z7II which also was bad. I'm really hoping the SL3 is a significant improvement in this regard, because it was the whole reason I didn't swap to that Leica ecosystem. I think they could attract a much larger crowd with more competitive AF/AI and it's going hopefully in the right direction.
Autofocus as far as I tested it is much improved on the Leica SL3. Maybe worthwhile for you to rent the camera for a weekend for trying it out? I will also do more comprehensive real life testing next weeks and then get back with my conclusions.
Strange that you found it horrendous. I've shot weddings with both the SL and SL2 and was happy with both for that purpose. Great files too that need very little processing. But an improvement in the focusing department is always welcome.
Thorough and well thought out. Easy to follow--even for a non-SL owner. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it!😊
I cannot wait a detailed video on the menu and all functionalities
Excellent video 🎉
Well and complete explained.
Swiss quality review as we are used to get from you.
Thanks for sharing. 😊
Wow RS, hardly I get from you with your high expectations such a nice comment, many thanks. I am glad you liked it.
@@mathphotographer One gets what one deserves
Very complete easy to understand comparison
Many thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Very nice review! Very informative.
Thanks a lot!
Thanks for the great review @mathphotographer! Does the old 24-90mm lens resolve the new 60 MP sensor sufficiently?
Thanks, and yes, the 24-90mm is excellent with 60MP resolution, still heavy and a bit slower than an SL-Apo-Summicron-SL but really good.
Excellent video, thanks! If you had to choose between SL3 and Hasselblad X2D - which one would you choose if money was not an issue?
Both! :) But if I had to choose one camera only, really one only, the SL3 is my choice.
Another great video of an honest assessment
Glad you enjoyed it.
@21:31 I have to step in and comment: You say that Leica is about image quality but of what use is an out-of-focus or missed-focus image because the autofocus is too slow? I would imagine that as a premium brand, autofocusing would be an important part of the image quality standards. Leica has got everything right in my books but it's all pretty much thrown away because of the ailing autofocus system. I had the SL2 and I have to say the AF was the worst I've ever used out of all the cameras I've ever owned, even an old Nikon D70s from 2005 has a faster af system. I would easily pick up a Leica again but I have to see a massive jump in af speed and accuracy...Come on Leica, you're a premium brand, give me premium performance
I agree, the SL2 autofocus was a bit tricky. But the SL3 focus so far did not disappoint me. Maybe time for you to reconsider :)
I completely agree with you. And I mainly use the Canon R5 but have borrowed the Leica SL2 for my work. It was horrendous in comparison. 100% something I don't agree with the video creator, and something Leica needs to continuously work on. The competition is incredibly strong.
We'll see when there's actually testing out / comparisons (maybe even with another brand such as Sony or Canon for AF) in a irl environment. I'd personally love for you to not just shoot a stationery model but one that is walking toward you, away from you, and street photography where you have people walking in random speeds + directions. In other words...stress testing the AF! @@mathphotographer
@@mathphotographer I might give it a go but it's gonna go up against stiff competitors in my current kit but that wouldn't be fair. What I would like to know is how it can handle AF-C shooting a wide apertures like f1.4 following an active kiddo OR having a subject walking towards me shooting AF-C with a long lens at wide apertures. The SL2 couldn't do that. It would capture the first frame then every other image after the first frame would focus behind the subject and the lens would focus pump looking for focus and completely miss.
@@photoeducationbydaniel I will do more real life testing as said and will get back. Autofocus is super critical for me in certain shooting situations and yes, the competitor brands like Sony, Nikon, etc. are very strong in autofocus technology.
Danke für Deine Arbeit! Super Bericht. Liebe Grüsse Rene
Danke Rene. Ich nehme mir viel Zeit für meine Reviews und freue mich, wenn das geschätzt wird. Vielen Dank dafür.
which one would you choose for portraits and landscape between Hasselblad X2d vs Leica SL3.. Always I enjoy your reviews..
Excellent video. Now that you had the SL3 for a few weeks, I would be very curious to get your point of view regarding this latest iteration vs. the X2D. I had them both in my hands, found the gap closing in somewhat on resolution, but Hassy still being superior in overall image rendering (color depth, smoothness, color rendering, ...), while the SL3 provides an overall better handling experience.
Thanks for the video. I used to have the SL2 but switched to the SL2-S for its better high ISO performance with its 24MP sensor (which was fine for my needs). I'll be curious to see low light ISO/Noise comparisons between the SL3 & SL2-S. On a side note, do you think the SL3 could eliminate the possibly of a SL3-S?
Thanks Peter. I actually keep my SL2-S Reporter because I like the 24MP resolution and the Reporter design on the camera body. Whether Leica will make an SL3-S did not become clear when we spoke with them at Leica Wetzlar. The video specs of the SL3 are very hard to top. Having said that, for me a nice compromise and interesting camera would be an SL3-S with 30MP - a bit more resolution than the SL3 but not too much. Its obvious that a lower resolution will boost autofocus and continuous burst shooting performance. But a 30MP sensor would be a completely new sensor for Leica so I doubt this will happen :)
In the latest dynamic range test by Photons to Photos, the performance of the SL3 is almost identical to the SL2-S, significantly better than SL2. In fact, based on the chart, the SL3 even appears to be better than the Q3. I'm not sure what the reason is.
As usual a great review. As I don't have the SL3 in hand (expected next week, March 13) I cannot see any way to connect a remote cable release!! The manual, pg. 28, shows the remote release as #38, a USB-C port of some type. Can I simply use the same wired cable release I use on the SL2 and SL2-S? If I have to use FOTOS, this may be a show stopper. Thanks for your help Math.
There is a cable release for the SL2 which works on the SL3, ask your Leica Store. Otherwise the Leica Fotos app gets the job done :)
As always, a complete, in-depth knowledgeable and well presented concise review. You do it so well I assume you are a professor. You know your subject and can teach it. Thanks so much. The SL3 is very nice and a great machine. Do you think Leica is keeping RF's but moving into SLR as a main product line?
And will you review the new M 0.8 lenses? They seem magic. Some come in M-mount and can be adapted to L-mount.)
Thanks for your kind words, much appreciated. Leica will definitely keep and further develop rangefinder cameras, its their bread and butter. But they will also continue to develop the SL line as well as the Q line because these cameras are very successful. On your other point, The M 0.8 lenses are hard to get but will talk to Leica about it.
I saw the stills from "The Zone of Interest". I will watch the film. The M 0.8 seems to float somewhere between the finest old CZJ's and current tech. Lovely almost pastel colors yet also true colors. Schade ein kostet US$9k fuer ein 50mm f/1.4. @@mathphotographer
Thank you, as always; this is great, in-depth information I can rely on. I sold my SL2 due to the unreliable AF-C (especially in video recording) and am curious to know if that is reliable enough so I can return to SL3. I would really appreciate it if you could test and demonstrate it in your future video.
Thanks for the kind feedback. I will definitely test the autofocus system out in the field in the next weeks and then come back with my conclusions.
❤danke für den Vergleich. Gruß, Carsten VP
Thank you very much for the detailed and super useful review. As a concert shooter I mainly use the SL2s for its low light capability. Any chance that you will review the SL3 wrt to this? Also keen to know when you scale down the DNG resolution whether that will have a positive effect on high ISO and noise performance. Many thanks for considering!
Thanks, I will consider looking into the topic SL2-S vs SL3 in low light, good proposal.
Cool! Many thanks @@mathphotographer
Thank you for the video, very interesting to see all the differences. I received my SL3 last week and have recently paired it with the new Sigma 500mm 5.6 prime to test the “beta” animal autofocus (I sold my Canon R5 and 4 lenses to fund the camera and lens purchase). It’s great to now be in only one system for most of my photography along with my Q3.
I can confirm the autofocus is awful relative to Canon, there is no eye recognition at all. However, I’m sure it will improve with software updates and never expected to be as good as the R5 anyway. It seems to get the eye in focus but you do not get the boxes on the eyes that appear on the people eye recognition, so you never know if you nailed the shot till you check in post, which is irratating. Appreciate this is not a wildlife camera but was hoping it would be a bit better……..other gripes, disappointing flash speeds and high iso performance; but otherwise a step up from the SL2-S, which I absolutely loved to use. Looking forward to your deep review of the sensor performance and dynamic range similar to the one you did on the Q3.Cheers Ken
Hello Matt, thanks a lot for video. Please review autofocus of the SL3. I don't find anything about how to work autofocus on the SL3. Thanks!
In this video you find some narrative already about the new autofocus system but I will post more on that topic, promise :)
Thanks! People are looking for Lenses for the SL3 besides the very expensive Apos. Could you do a comparison including Sigma I series, Art, Lumix and Leica?
Good idea, let me see what fits into the video pipeline.
Greetings, do you think there will be an SL3-S? If so any predictions when and with what differences? Would make for good content.
Whether Leica will make an SL3-S did not become clear when we spoke with them at Leica Wetzlar. The video specs of the SL3 are very hard to top. Having said that, for me a nice compromise and interesting camera would be an SL3-S with 30MP - a bit more resolution than the SL3 but not too much. Its obvious that a lower resolution will boost autofocus and continuous burst shooting performance. But a 30MP sensor would be a completely new sensor for Leica so I doubt this will happen :)
Hi Matt. I’m considering switching to this from Sony r series… but I’ve seen a lot of people complain that the UI and focus assists for manual lenses aren’t that great, and definitely aren’t up the assistance Nikon provides with their Zf.
Do you have any comment about this… or could you perhaps show how manual focussing works with something like an adapted M lens, if you’re shooting some further reviews?
Thank you!
Sure, I will do a video on the SL3 plus M-lenses next weeks. Focusing M-lenses via the EVF of the SL3 is actually very easy and fast.
@@mathphotographer that’s great - thank you!
@albedo0point39 from what all the Zf users say the Zf's eye AF for manual lenses is unbeatable
@@mipmipmipmipmip yeah, it sounds great… but I’m looking for a 60mpix+ camera, not another 24.
Now if Nikon put that Z8/9 sensor in the Zf body…
Is any of the L-mount third-party glass worthy of a 60 MP sensor?
Sigma make some of the sharpest primes in the world.
@Animalinfotainment plus some of the Leica lenses are rebadged Sigmas 😀
The Sigma lenses are really good as are some of the Panasonic lenses.
Admirable camera, yet a flush LCD design, similar to the one observed in the SL series, would have been my choice. The eyepiece also seems ripe for a durability-focused redesign. I find the tactile feedback of switches superior to that of power buttons, and when it comes to materials, brass trumps aluminum for intensive usage. There have been reports suggesting that the camera occasionally fails to eject the battery smoothly after being dropped, highlighting the need for a more resilient mechanism. Curiosity also piques at the thought of comparing the native image outputs from the SL, SL2, and SL3 models. Predominantly, I'm drawn to the aesthetic qualities of the 601.
Excellent video. Please comment: what is the value of this camera for M ecosystem users who do not use autofocus and who usually don’t care about the video recording features. Is this new SL3 a useful additional camera for such M users?
Yes it is, will do a video on that topic as said. The EVF of the SL2 and SL3 is great for shooting M-lenses and M-lenses are very well capable for a 60MP resolution.
@@mathphotographerDo you feel any difference between SL3 vs SL2 EVF performance?
The SL2 and SL3 have IBIS, which provides more choice in shutter speed value.
@@shawnj8765 No, by specifications the EVF is the same on the SL3 and SL2.
Hello, could you check to see if the S lens functions on the SL3 with the S-Adapter-L please?Thank you
Good point, I will look into that.
Good point, I will look into that
BRILLIANT
Thanks!
The leatherette on the Silver SL2 looks much better than the one of the SL3 IMHO, very important for nicer pictures ;)
Thanks for the excellent as always review and congrats on the manicure.
Thanks!
Did they indicate whether the new menu system may also be brought to Q3
So ... this is a really good question, Donald. I asked exactly that in the Q&A at Leica Wetzlar. And my take-away is yes, the Q3 will get a firmware update with the revamped menu and icons.
Thank you, I enjoyed the video. Nice upgrades but prefer the clean design of the SL2 as well as the fixed LCD and classic power switch. 👍
Thanks for the kind feedback. I also think the SL2 does not deserve to be retired and if you like the SL2 design more then the SL2 is your camera to go for :)
How does it's direct competitor, the Sony A7rV compare to the SL3? I would say it has better AF, similar IQ, and it's GM lenses rival those of Leica. Thoughts?
That's kind of spot-on what you wrote here. A big difference though is that the SL3 is much easier to operate than the A7RV. If you have seen my 2 hour tutorial on the A7RV on my channel, you know what I mean by that. The Sony menus are complicated, multi-layered and in order to unfold the full potential of a Sony camera you need to understand these settings very well, that's why I made a 2 hour tutorial on the topic so people find their way through the camera menus.
Hi had a doubt . Which is best monochrome camera below 5000€ ?
The Leica Monos are all really good and a 2nd hand Mono will be significantly below EUR 5k.
Pentax K3iii Monochrome 😀
Hat die sl3 den Sensor der Sony a7r4/5 ?
Think I'll wait for the sl4 or sl3s. Looks great but i'm not blown away...
The SL4 will come in about 4 years. Until then, if you don't need the beefed-up specs of the SL3, stay happy with your SL2, the SL2 is a fantastic system camera.
Thanks for another great video, I can see you are putting a lot of work into them.@@mathphotographer
@@frankanda2049Yes indeed, thanks for the positive feedback.
The new screen looks like developed in a home workshop, Leica :it's nothing wrong to check other manufacturers like Fujilim
And plrase give is the menu buttons from the 1st Generation back, I really enjoyed them
I find nothing wrong with the new GUI but is a matter of taste and getting used to of course :)
Will leica SL3-S come soon?
So it looks like Leica has built a taller midget, compared to the four year old SL2. Since you are familiar with the Sony A7R V, Nikon Z9, etc., do you plan to do a comparison of the SL3 with these benchmark cameras?
I would love to see a comparison between the SL3 and the hasselblad X2D 100c, as they’re pretty close in price.
The SL3 is superior. I love my Hasselblad cameras a lot, really a lot, but if I would not be able to afford both, I would decide for the Leica SL3.
@@mathphotographerI have SL2 and X2D. Considering an upgrade to SL3. Would you mind to elaborate in what way you think X2D is not better than SL3? I quite like the Color Science of Hasselblad but also like the Leica’s. They aren’t substitute to each other.
@@Whatever-f6v Its actually hard to compare these two cameras since they are totally different. I will consider doing a video on this but it is hard to compare them side by side since the Hasselblad is a medium format camera and the Leica SL3 is a full frame sensor camera.
@@mathphotographerthank you! ! Look forward to your review.
@@mathphotographer I now have both the SL3 and an X2D and I’ve decided to sell my X2D. It has made me lazy in ways I didn’t expect, for example I can get away with not exposing correctly because I can just recover everything in the edit. I also really enjoy being able to use a zoom lens and the option for the hasselblad is just too big and doesn’t offer enough performance for me.
That SL2 looks so clean. You didn’t show eye tracking on SL2 in comparison.
I am waiting for a real live shooting very soon with one of my photo models :)
@@mathphotographer we would appreciate that. thanks in advance. you mentioned Leica miami, that's my local store. we're great people.
Is the SL-2 still viable for landscape, architecture and Astro? Or has the sl3 blown it away for the long term?
Why is it that good cameras are obsolete when a new model comes out, were we never able to make beautiful pictures with the sl2?
The SL2 is way off too good to be retired. I bought the SL3 but also kept my SL2-S Reporter. If you have an SL2 and do not necessarily need the beef up in specs, stay with your SL2, it will serve you well!
I’m another step closer
The on/off switch is sadly poor design. They should’ve kept it around the shutter button as in the M cameras.
I, as well as many other people turn the camera off between shots to preserve battery. This would be an absolute pain with the camera.
I heard similar comments during my time at the Leica campus on the event. One-handed operation of cameras is easy if the on-off switch is integrated around the shutter release button as on various other cameras.
What I gather is the SL2 still shoots more FPS than the SL3. Correct me if I’m wrong
Conclusion: Not much of an upgrade for photography; more of an upgrade for video. Hardly a reason to spend $8,000 to upgrade from the SL2 for photography unless you have money to burn. AF improved, adapting Panasonic S5II tech, but still best suited for studio and general photography and not wildlife/BIF.
Im probably in the minority but the old power switch always seemed backwards. Up should on , down should be off….✌️out
Peace out :)
The indicator and ON OFF markings made the power status clear to me.
@johnkasianowicz6536 I have a Canon and it always reports as a Bluetooth device even when it's off. I guess on and off aren't as black and whitr
@@mipmipmipmipmip We were talking about the Leica SL2, which has clearly marked ON and OFF states. What Canon defines as On and OFF isn’t relevant here, but even if the SL2 behaved in the same manner as your Canon, there would be a functional difference in how the camera acted in the ON or OFF states (which would be defined in the camera’s manual). Does your Canon shoot photos via the on camera button in the OFF state?
SL2 silver is BEST
Seem Leica does make true Leica SL lens for a year or two. Not reskin lens
On SL cameras I recommend Apo-Summicron-SL and Super-Apo-Summicron-SL lenses, they are fantastic.
@@mathphotographer any new for new line up ? Like F1.4 lens ?
Leica cheaped out, not enough of an upgrade to justify the purchase if you already own an SL2.
Considering that you own a SL-2, is the eye AF reliable for candid portraits of walking pedestrians?
There is indeed no need to retire the SL2 if you have one. If you want maxed out specs, or want to have the newest gear, the SL3 is a must have :)
One less person on the waiting list for the SL-3 👍
A lot of poor design choices for a 5 year update. The on off switch is a bad joke, reminds me of my toothbrush. The new topplate is a dustcatcher, the tilt screen (only landscape orientation 😂😂) is a failure. The new sensor is nice though. I wish they made the new sensor in the old case. The CFexpress card is expensive, but ok, so is the camera. Over all I'm not impressed😢
Give me some time please to post more observations to convince you :)
You’re worried about the on off button?
🤣
@@morganmiller7777 the tilt screen is only usable in landscape Mode, this edge on the topplate is useless, why no milled Aluminium case anymore, and yes, the on/off switch is odd. What I feel is that Leica is going from a premium product to a Sony copy and try to hide this in Software fancies. I will buy one though, as I need the new sensor and it's dynamic range
No mention of SL-3 battery life?, which is more important than anything else because without a decent battery life a camera's features are useless. I would have preferred the SL-3 to have been the same size as the SL-2 but with a larger powerful battery.
I need to test more to report on battery life. Will clearly look into it next weeks. What I find disappointing is that the SL3 handgrip hosts only one battery and not two batteries. This means the handgrip will not help for longer shooting sessions.
I am very surprised that the price of the SL-2 has barely dropped upon launch of the SL-3; and that the silver version is still being sold at it's launch price; the SL-2 should have been reduced to £5,000.
I did not notice that pricing of the SL2 is unchanged. I think its natural that the price of the SL2 should come down as you correctly say.