First Look at the Leica SL

Earlier today Leica introduced a completely new camera system and its first ever true mirrorless (unless you want to call a rangefinder mirrorless) called Leica SL together with a new line of AF lenses.

Above is a quick first look by Lori Grunin from Cnet who had a chance to look at the new Leica SL and has some thoughts. Below are the specs of the new camera:

  • Full Frame, 24MP CMOS sensor.
  • Sensitivity: 50 –50,000 ISO.
  • Maestro II processor.
  • Viewfinder: 4.4 million dot EVF @60fps referesh rate (0.8x magnification).
  • Video: 4K @30p (10-bit 4:2:2) and 1080p @ 120fps.
  • Continuous shooting – 11 fps max (2GB buffer).
  • Memory – 2X SD (UHS II support).
  • Connectivity – USB 3, HDMI, WIFI/GPS.
  • Shutter – 30min(bulb)-1/8000s.
  • Dust and water-proof body.
  • 2.95 inch touch LCD (very few physical buttons).

The Leica SL is a very uniqe camera in a lot of respects but it does seem to take a few features from the latest Leica S medium format, however for the most part this is a compltly new camera. One thing which to us seems even more interesting than the camera itself is the new line of lenses Leica is introducing.

Official product video introducing the Leica SL

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTA5SxpW0vc[/youtube]

Currently there is only one lens the will be introduced with the SL and that is the 24-90mm f/2.8-4 (fast lens with a very useful focal range which no other manufacturer have tried so far). Another interesting lens for this camera that will come in 2016 is the 90-280mm f/2.8-4 (again an interesting focal range which is longer than the conventional 70-200mm). Besides the price (which we will talk about in a second), these lenses seems quite large – which has always been the main problem with going for a full frame mirrorless cameras (and possibly the reason why Sony waited for so long to release its 24-70mm and 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses for its A7 series…).

Now we can talk about price – as you would expect from Leica this system is not going to be cheap and to get all these features with the Leica logo you will need to shell $7450 (body) and almost $5000 more to buy the 24-90mm F2.8-4 (still much less than a Leica S will cost you).

We will try and get our hands on a test unit later on this year and do our own review of the camera to let you know what we think of this new system.

You can find many more previews and reviews on our Photography review section here on LensVid.

Iddo Genuth
Iddo Genuth is the founder and chief editor of LensVid.com. He has been a technology reporter working for international publications since the late 1990's and covering photography since 2009. Iddo is also a co-founder of a production company specializing in commercial food and product visual content.

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