Leica SL2-S Review
- Leica SL2-S: Overview
- Leica SL2-S: Design & Handling
- Leica SL2-S: Imaging Capabilities
- Leica SL2-S: Video Capabilities
- Recommended Lenses for the Leica SL2-S
- Final Thoughts on the Leica SL2-S
- Camera Type: Mirrorless
- Sensor: 24.6MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS Sensor
- ISO: 100 - 50,000 (expandable to 50 - 100,000)
- Lens Mount: Leica L Mount
- Speed: 25.0 fps
- Autofocus: 225 focus points
- Video: 4K/60p & 1080p/120p
- Size/Weight: 146 x 107 x 83 mm / 931 grams
- Battery Life: 510 shots
- Stabilization: Yes
- Touchscreen: Yes
- Weather-Sealed: Yes (IP54)
- Used Leica SL2-S Price: $2,669 - $3,029
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If you want an attractive, premium camera, you could do much worse than the Leica SL2-S. It’s the newest camera in a long line of high-end Leica mirrorless cameras, and its combination of photo and video specs left us in awe the first time we used one!
In this Leica SL2-S review, we’ll teach you everything there is to know about this luxury mirrorless camera. We’ll discuss its design and handling, photo specs, video specs, lens compatibility, and more. Additionally, thanks to websites like MPB, buying a used mirrorless camera has never been cheaper and easier.
Who is MPB? It’s a trustworthy and innovative photography company offering high-quality used photo and video gear at unbeatable prices. Better yet, every camera and lens it sells is hand-inspected by highly-trained product specialists with years of experience and backed by a six-month warranty, allowing you to make your purchases confidently and worry-free.
What truly sets MPB apart, though, is its one-of-a-kind online platform. It’s an amazing tool that has helped us save thousands of dollars buying, selling, and trading photography equipment over the years, and we believe it can do the same for you. Now, let’s take a closer look at the Leica SL2-S!
Check out the video above by Steve Huff Photo & HiFi to discover ten reasons why the Leica SL2-S is his favorite camera of all time.
Table of Contents
Leica SL2-S: Overview
The Leica SL2-S debuted on shelves in 2021 as the little sister to the company’s flagship SL2. It features a lower resolution image sensor (24.6MP vs. 47.3MP) but better video performance (that we’ll break down later). Because of this, it’s a popular hybrid camera for digital content creators who like to shoot stills and video.
Furthermore, the SL2-S has a powerful Maestro III image processor, which improves the camera's overall speed (autofocus, burst shooting, video, etc.). Speaking of autofocus, the SL2-S uses an updated object-detection AF system that is reliable and accurate in both photo and video modes.
Built-in Wi-Fi and strong battery life are two other notable productivity features. The Wi-Fi lets you instantly transfer photos and videos to your mobile devices to share them with friends and family via social media or email. At the same time, the above-average battery life (510 shots) helps ensure you never miss a shot in the field.
Now, here’s a closer look at the Leica SL2-S specs and key features:
Leica SL2-S: Design & Handling
Like all Leica cameras, the SL2-S boasts a beautiful, minimalist body that was designed and made in Germany. However, unlike the brand's other cameras, it now has a fully weather-sealed body, making it ideal for people who commonly work outdoors, such as landscape, wildlife, and adventure photographers.
More outstanding design features you’ll love are the high-resolution 5.76M-dot electronic viewfinder (EVF), giant 3.2” touchscreen rear display, and 1.28” top LCD. Shooting with the EVF is perfect for photography while using the live display is better for videography.
Ergonomically, the SL2-S feels comfortable in the hands. You can quickly and easily change its camera settings using one of the dials or customizable buttons. Then, you can view your current settings on the top LCD. Another handling strength is the dual photo and video menu systems, which means you don’t have to constantly adjust settings when switching between modes.
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Leica SL2-S: Imaging Capabilities
One of the signature features of the Leica SL2-S is its 24.6-megapixel BSI (back-side illuminated) full-frame sensor. It’s the first-ever Leica camera with a BSI sensor, which improves its low-light performance and helps reduce unwanted noise. The sensor's lack of a low-pass filter also improves the colors and sharpness of images shot on the SL2-S.
The SL2-S can capture images at an impressive 25 fps when shooting bursts using the electronic shutter. If you prefer working with the mechanical shutter, that number drops to a still-solid nine fps. The fast, continuous shooting and dependable AF make the SL2-S a good choice for sport, action, and street photography.
Other awesome photography features are the multi-shot, panorama, and HDR shooting modes. Multi-shot mode combines eight exposures into one super-high-resolution 96MP image. Panorama mode creates gorgeous panoramic photos directly in the camera. And HDR mode boosts dynamic range, which is better for photo editing.
Leica SL2-S: Video Capabilities
While Leica has long been a major player in the photography industry, its cameras were never known for their video performance. That all changed when they released the Leica SL2-S. It’s, without a doubt, the best Leica video camera ever produced. And it’s not just us saying it—the video options and specs back it up.
For starters, the SL2-S has excellent 4K video capabilities. It records 4K/60p and 4K/30p videos with an APS-C crop factor (1.5x crop) and 4K/24p footage that uses the entire sensor and is oversampled from a 6K area. Moreover, it can film stunning 1080p/120p Full HD slow-motion video.
Other advanced video specs include 10-bit color, various professional codec options, unlimited recording, and two 3.5mm jacks. 10-bit color leads to more vibrant, natural-looking colors and gives you more control when color grading in post-production. Codec options include H.265, V-Log, and HLG. Unlimited recording is great for vlogging and live streaming. Lastly, the two 3.5mm jacks let you attach a microphone or headphones to better monitor audio levels.
Recommended Lenses for the Leica SL2-S
Here’s a quick list of some of the best Leica L mount lenses for photos and video to pair with the Leica SL2-S.
Final Thoughts on the Leica SL2-S
As much as we love the Leica SL2-S, we know its expensive price will limit the number of people interested in it. With that said, it’s the first Leica camera whose video performance genuinely stacks up with its photo performance. So, if you are a hybrid shooter and can find room for it within your budget, we promise you won’t regret it!
Check out the list below to compare and contrast the SL2-S with other popular Leica cameras in stock now at MPB. We’ve included links to Leica SL mirrorless cameras, Leica TL mirrorless cameras, Leica digital rangefinder cameras, and Leica medium format cameras.
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