Leica has recently announced its SL3, the successor to its last-gen SL mirrorless camera that was launched all the way back in 2019. The new shooter is already on the company’s official online store in Malaysia but is currently listed as “sold out”, while its local availability has yet to be confirmed.
The Leica SL3 shares the same 60MP sensor as the M11 rangefinder and Q3 models. In terms of design, the new camera resembles the SL2 but with some differences. Most notable being a new dial positioned at the top left, and the relocation of the three primary buttons (play, function, and menu) to the right at the back. It also comes with IP54 dust/water resistance, and weighs in at around 767g.
Additionally, on its back is a new tiltable 3.2-inch 2.3M-dot LCD screen, and an updated OLED electronic viewfinder (EVF) which boasts 5.76m-dot resolution and 0.78x magnification. Storage options include support for CFexpress type B and SD UHS-II memory cards, accompanied by full-sized HDMI and USB-C charging ports, as well as mic/headphone jacks.
The camera boasts an ISO range of 50-100,000, 15 stops of dynamic range, and up to 15fps of continuous shooting. Leica also introduced a new phase-detect AF system, which combines phase detection, contrast, and object autofocus for improved speed and consistency. There’s also face and eye detection, along with a new animal detection feature, as well as enhanced action tracking capabilities.
For videos, the SL3 can internally record in DCI 8K (8192 x 4320 px) at 30 fps and DCI 4K at up to 60p, with a maximum bitrate of 600Mb/s. External recording is also possible via HDMI output, supporting DCI 8K and DCI 4K up to 60fps, all in 10-bit with options for L-Log Rec. 2020 and HLG Rec. 2020. ProRes recording is supported, albeit limited to 1080p.
In Malaysia, the new Leica SL3 is priced at an eye-watering RM36,400, which is substantially pricier than its predecessor, by the way. While there’s no way to pre-order the camera at this time, interested buyers are invited to register their interest via the brand’s official website in order to get notified of its local availability.
