Leica S3 vs S2

The Leica S3 and the Leica S2 are two professional cameras that were announced, respectively, in September 2018 and September 2008. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with a medium format sensor. The S3 has a resolution of 64 megapixels, whereas the S2 provides 37.5 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Leica S3		Leica S2
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Leica S mount lenses		Leica S mount lenses
64 MP – Medium Format sensor		37.5 MP – Medium Format sensor
4K/24p Video		no Video
ISO 100-50,000		ISO 80-1,250
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
3.0" LCD – 922k dots		3.0" LCD – 460k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
3 shutter flaps per second		1.5 shutter flaps per second
Weathersealed body		Weathersealed body
160 x 120 x 80 mm, 1260 g		160 x 120 x 80 mm, 1410 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Leica S3 and the Leica S2? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Leica S3 and the Leica S2 is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

In this particular case, the Leica S3 and the Leica S2 have exactly the same width and height, and, thus, have identically-sized bodies. However, the S2 is markedly heavier (12 percent) than the S3. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

Body Specifications

#		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Leica S3	160 mm	120 mm	80 mm	1260 g	..	Y	Sep 2018	18,995	ebay.com
2.		Leica S2	160 mm	120 mm	80 mm	1410 g	..	Y	Sep 2008	22,995	ebay.com
3.		Leica Q2	130 mm	80 mm	92 mm	718 g	370	Y	Mar 2019	4,995	amazon.com
4.		Leica M-E Typ 240	139 mm	80 mm	42 mm	680 g	500	Y	Jun 2019	3,999	ebay.com
5.		Leica M10-P	139 mm	80 mm	39 mm	660 g	210	Y	Aug 2018	7,995	ebay.com
6.		Leica M10	139 mm	80 mm	39 mm	660 g	210	Y	Jan 2017	6,595	ebay.com
7.		Leica S-E Typ 006	160 mm	120 mm	80 mm	1260 g	..	Y	Sep 2014	16,900	ebay.com
8.		Leica S Typ 007	160 mm	120 mm	80 mm	1260 g	..	Y	Sep 2014	24,490	ebay.com
9.		Leica S Typ 006	160 mm	120 mm	80 mm	1260 g	..	Y	Sep 2012	21,950	ebay.com
10.		Leica S1	339 mm	214 mm	119 mm	2500 g	..	n	Aug 1996	21,490	ebay.com
11.		Nikon D6	160 mm	163 mm	92 mm	1270 g	3580	Y	Feb 2020	6,499	amazon.com
12.		Sony RX10 IV	133 mm	94 mm	145 mm	1095 g	400	Y	Sep 2017	1,699	amazon.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The S3 was launched at a somewhat lower price (by 17 percent) than the S2, which makes it more attractive for photographers on a tight budget. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a medium format sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 0.8. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the large-sensor cameras that aim for top notch image quality. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the S3 offers a higher resolution of 64 megapixels, compared with 37.5 MP of the S2. This megapixels advantage translates into a 31 percent gain in linear resolution. On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the S3 has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 4.59μm versus 6.00μm for the S2). In this context, it should be noted, however, that the S3 is much more recent (by 10 years) than the S2, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that compensate for the smaller pixel size. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that neither of the two cameras has an anti-alias filter installed, so they are able to capture all the detail the sensor resolves.

The resolution advantage of the Leica S3 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the S3 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 49 x 32.7 inches or 124.5 x 83 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 39.2 x 26.1 inches or 99.6 x 66.4 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 32.7 x 21.8 inches or 83 x 55.3 cm. The corresponding values for the Leica S2 are 37.5 x 25 inches or 95.3 x 63.5 cm for good quality, 30 x 20 inches or 76.2 x 50.8 cm for very good quality, and 25 x 16.7 inches or 63.5 x 42.3 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Leica S3 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 50000. The corresponding ISO settings for the Leica S2 are ISO 80 to ISO 1250 (no boost).

In terms of underlying technology, the S3 is build around a CMOS sensor, while the S2 uses a CCD imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Sensor Characteristics

#		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Leica S3	Medium Format	64.0	9800	6533	4K/24p	25.6	14.4	3143	98
2.		Leica S2	Medium Format	37.5	7500	5000	none	23.9	12.5	2224	82
3.		Leica Q2	Full Frame	46.7	8368	5584	4K/30p	26.4	13.5	2491	96
4.		Leica M-E Typ 240	Full Frame	23.7	5952	3976	1080/25p	25.2	14.2	2821	94
5.		Leica M10-P	Full Frame	23.8	5952	3992	none	25.1	14.1	2739	93
6.		Leica M10	Full Frame	23.8	5952	3992	none	24.4	13.2	2133	86
7.		Leica S-E Typ 006	Medium Format	37.5	7500	5000	none	25.1	13.7	2763	93
8.		Leica S Typ 007	Medium Format	37.5	7500	5000	4K/24p	25.1	13.7	2763	93
9.		Leica S Typ 006	Medium Format	37.5	7500	5000	none	23.9	12.2	824	76
10.		Leica S1	Medium Format	26.4	5140	5140	none	..	..	..	..
11.		Nikon D6	Full Frame	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	25.3	14.3	2886	95
12.		Sony RX10 IV	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.0	12.2	408	63
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The S3 indeed provides movie recording capabilities, while the S2 does not. The highest resolution format that the S3 can use is 4K/24p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The S3 and the S2 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinder in the S3 offers a wider field of view (98%) than the one in the S2 (96%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. In addition, the viewfinder of the S3 has a higher magnification (0.87x vs 0.86x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Leica S3 and Leica S2 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

#		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Leica S3	optical	Y	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	n
2.		Leica S2	optical	Y	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/4000s	1.5/s	n	n
3.		Leica Q2	3680	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	n	Y
4.		Leica M-E Typ 240	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	n
5.		Leica M10-P	optical	n	3.0 / 1037	fixed	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	n	n
6.		Leica M10	optical	n	3.0 / 1037	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	n	n
7.		Leica S-E Typ 006	optical	Y	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/4000s	1.5/s	n	n
8.		Leica S Typ 007	optical	Y	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.5/s	n	n
9.		Leica S Typ 006	optical	Y	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/4000s	1.5/s	n	n
10.		Leica S1	optical	n	none / none	none	n	..	0.01/s	n	n
11.		Nikon D6	optical	Y	3.2 / 2359	fixed	Y	1/8000s	14.0/s	n	n
12.		Sony RX10 IV	2359	Y	3.0 / 1440	tilting	Y	1/2000s	24.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The S3 writes its imaging data to Compact Flash or SDXC cards, while the S2 uses Compact Flash or SDHC cards. Both cameras feature dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. The S3 supports UHS-II cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 312 MB/s), while the S2 cannot take advantage of Ultra High Speed SD cards.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Leica S3 and Leica S2 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

#		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Leica S3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	Y	-	-
2.		Leica S2	Y	- / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Leica Q2	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	-	Y	-	Y
4.		Leica M-E Typ 240	Y	mono / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
5.		Leica M10-P	Y	- / -	-	-	-	-	Y	-	-
6.		Leica M10	Y	- / -	-	-	-	-	Y	-	-
7.		Leica S-E Typ 006	Y	- / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Leica S Typ 007	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	Y	-	-
9.		Leica S Typ 006	Y	- / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
10.		Leica S1	-	- / -	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
11.		Nikon D6	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.1	Y	-	Y
12.		Sony RX10 IV	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-

It is notable that the S3 offers wifi support, while the S2 does not. Wifi can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location.

Both cameras feature a PC Sync terminal to control professional strobe lights, which will be appreciated by studio photographers.

Travel and landscape photographers will find it useful that the S3 has an internal geolocalization sensor and can record GPS coordinates in its EXIF data.

Both the S3 and the S2 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The S2 was replaced by the Leica S Typ 006, while the S3 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the S3 and S2 can be found, respectively, in the Leica S3 Manual (free pdf) or the online Leica S2 Manual.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is the Leica S3 better than the Leica S2 or vice versa? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Advantages of the Leica S3:

• More detail: Offers more megapixels (64 vs 37.5MP) with a 31% higher linear resolution.
• Broader imaging potential: Can record not only still images but also 4K/24p movies.
• More complete view: Has a viewfinder with a larger field of view (98% vs 96%).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.87x vs 0.86x).
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (922k vs 460k dots).
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (3 vs 1.5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 150g or 11 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• Easier geotagging: Features an internal GPS sensor to log localization data.
• Faster data transfer: Supports a more advanced USB protocol (3.0 vs 2.0).
• Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
• Faster buffer clearing: Supports Ultra High Speed (UHS-II) SDXC cards.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced segment (17 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 10 years of technical progress since the S2 launch.

Reasons to prefer the Leica S2:

• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in September 2008).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the S3 is the clear winner of the match-up (13 : 1 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Leica S3 and the Leica S2 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the S3 or the S2. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

#		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Leica S3	..	..	..	..	..	..	Sep 2018	18,995	ebay.com
2.		Leica S2	..	..	..	..	..	..	Sep 2008	22,995	ebay.com
3.		Leica Q2	..	..	4.5/5	84/100	4.5/5	4/5	Mar 2019	4,995	amazon.com
4.		Leica M-E Typ 240	..	..	..	..	..	..	Jun 2019	3,999	ebay.com
5.		Leica M10-P	..	..	3/5	..	..	4/5	Aug 2018	7,995	ebay.com
6.		Leica M10	4.5/5	..	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	6,595	ebay.com
7.		Leica S-E Typ 006	..	..	..	..	..	..	Sep 2014	16,900	ebay.com
8.		Leica S Typ 007	4/5	..	..	..	..	..	Sep 2014	24,490	ebay.com
9.		Leica S Typ 006	..	..	..	..	..	..	Sep 2012	21,950	ebay.com
10.		Leica S1	..	..	..	..	..	..	Aug 1996	21,490	ebay.com
11.		Nikon D6	..	..	4/5	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2020	6,499	amazon.com
12.		Sony RX10 IV	5/5	+	3.5/5	84/100	4.5/5	5/5	Sep 2017	1,699	amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Other camera comparisons

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