The full-frame Leica SL3-S has a need for speed
Fast-snapping sensor also promises top video skills
Photographers that shoot with Leica mirrorless cameras have seriously high standards – and that’s doubly true for the professionals that make a living from squeezing their shutter buttons. The firm has been listening, and has given its SL3 full-frame system camera a speed-focused overhaul to better appeal to sports, wildlife and action snappers who can’t afford to miss the moment.
The Leica SL3-S (£4500, from Leica) is the fastest camera ever to wear the Red Dot, with a rapid 30 frames per second continuous shooting with full autofocus. That’s a serious step up from the Leica SL3, which topped out at 5fps with a mechanical shutter.
An all-new full-frame CMOS sensor and autofocus system help the SL3-S break speed records. The former has a 24MP resolution, which might be lower than the 62MP SL3, but it makes up for it with 48 and 96MP multi-shot modes. The latter uses a mix of phase detection, object detection and contrast detection, so should be as quick to lock onto subjects as its (arguably more mainstream) rivals.
Leica has also added new content credentials tech, which meets Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) standards for photos. The tamper-proof metadata guarantees the image hasn’t been altered, which can be crucial for photojournalists at a time where AI generated images are fuelling fake news.
The all-metal body carries over its IP54 dust and water resistance from the SL3, and continues to support Leica’s L-mount lens collection, which get five stops of in-body image stabilisation. There’s a handy LCD top plate for quickly checking settings, and the articulating 3.2in touchscreen display sits beneath a 5.76m-dot, 120fps electronic viewfinder. Leica has tweaked the button layout to make handling that little bit easier, too.
Inside, the full-frame sensor has an ISO range of 50 to 200,000 and can record video at up to 6K resolution. Open-gate recording is handy for cropping for different aspect ratios, and it’ll output 5.9K RAW at 30fps to an external recorder through the full-size HDMI port. CFexpress type B cards can swallow 5.8K 30fps ProRes footage, with no limits on clip length. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are on board for fast file transfers through the Leica FOTOS app, too. Camera-to-Cloud uploads through Adobe frame.io will follow later in 2025.
The smaller sensor has helped lower the barrier for entry a little compared to the £5920 SL3. The Leica SL3-S will set you back £4500 / €5190 / $5295 – putting it up against the likes of Canon’s EOS R5 Mark II, the Nikon Z8, and Sony A7R V. It’s on sale right now through Leica’s website, physical stores and dealer network.
Tom Morgan-Freelander
Deputy Editor 
