Leica Introduces Second Stabilized Mirrorless

2020.12.10

Leica just introduced premium Full-Frame Mirrorless Digital Camera sporting their own L-mount and built around a 24 megapixels Full-Frame CMOS sensor mounted on a 5-axis image-stabilization mechanism with 5½-stops of efficiency.

The new Leica SL2-S is essentially a 24 megapixels version of the Leica SL2. It retains the same highly-durable body which is both weatherproof and freezeproof to -10C with an IP54 Dust&Splash Resistant rating. There is a 5.8 megapixels 0.5" EVF with a large 0.78X magnification, 100% coverage and an essential Eye-Start Sensor, plus a 2.1 MP 3.2" LCD at the back and 1.8" Status LCD on top. With its fixed construction, the SL2-S is certain to be among the toughest mirrorless cameras on the market.

A 24 MP BSI-CMOS sensor offers much larger pixels than the 47 MP unit in the SL2 which allows the new SL2-S to reach ISO 100,000 and still managing to have a base ISO 50 sensitivity. This accompanied by a hybrid-shutter which spans a 1/16000s to 30min shutter-speed range which is not quite as fast as the 1/40,000 maximum of the SL2 yet sufficient to freeze very fast action. Bulb exposures are supported too with an unspecified maximum.

With a lower resolution than the SL2, the new SL2-S is able to deliver a much higher throughput. Using the all-electronic shutter-mode, this camera can capture full-resolution images at a whopping 25 FPS, this slows down to a typical 9 FPS with a mechanical-shutter. Continuous AF and AE though require the camera to slow down to 5 FPS. The new sensor cannot handle 5K video for some reason and instead captures Cinema 4K video at 60 FPS. When the resolution is lowered to 1080p, the maximum frame-rate reaches 180 FPS.

Even though this is a high-end camera, Leica streamlined its controls and provides a simpler feature-set than similarly-specified mirrorless. As one would expect from any Full-Frame Camera, the Leica SL2-S provides full manual-controls and dual control-dials to operate them efficiently. This camera has a basic set of drive modes, including 5-Frame AEB. The are dual SDXC UHS-II memory-card slots plus 4GB of internal storage.

Leica cameras are definitely less common due to their high price yet the Leica SL2-S is narrows the gap by coming in at $1000 USD less than the 47 megapixels SL2. There is still a significant premium to the camera body over competing models yet, with the alliance forged between Leica, Panasonic and Sigma, compatible lenses are available at all price-points. The IBIS in the SL2-S allows it to take advantage of any lens in low-light.

The main attraction is that the new Leica SL2-S is built to a higher-standard with an IP54-rating to back it up and a fixed LCD which removed the weakest component which has proliferated among the competition. A simpler interface promises to keep photographers focused on their art.

This new Full-Frame Mirrorless Digital Camera is available for pre-order and is expected to ship within weeks for a price of $4900 USD. Both Adorama and B&H Photo are already accepting pre-orders. These reputable affiliates of ours help support this site while delivering outstanding service and competitive prices for all. They ship internationally too.

• Digital Camera