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Leica SL2 Comparison Review

The Leica SL2 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that was revealed to the public in November 2019 and is equipped with a full frame sensor. It offers a resolution of 46.7 megapixel.

camera

Is the Leica SL2 a good camera? The Leica SL2 has a Camera Elo of 2960. This rating puts the Leica SL2 among the top 20 percent of all mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (full frame cameras), the Leica SL2 ranks among the top 30 percent.

Headline Specifications
Leica SL2
Mirrorless system camera
Leica L mount lenses
46.7 MP, Full Frame Sensor
4K/60p Video
ISO 100 - 50 000
Electronic viewfinder (5760k dots)
3.2 LCD, 2100k dots
Fixed touchscreen
10 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization
Weathersealed body
370 shots per battery charge
146 x 107 x 42 mm, 953 g

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

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Body comparison with a credit card

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size of the Leica SL2 vis-à-vis a credit card. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Leica SL2 vs credit card front
Leica SL2 versus credit card top view
Leica SL2 and credit card rear side

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Leica SL2 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

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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 SL2 146 mm 107 mm 42 mm 953 g 370 Y Nov 2019 5,999 amazon.com
2.
 
Leica SL3 141 mm 108 mm 85 mm 769 g 320 Y Mar 2024 6,999 amazon.com
3.
 
Leica SL2-S 146 mm 107 mm 83 mm 931 g 510 Y Dec 2020 4,895 amazon.com
4.
 
Leica Q2 130 mm 80 mm 92 mm 718 g 370 Y Mar 2019 4,995 amazon.com
5.
 
Leica SL 147 mm 104 mm 39 mm 847 g 400 Y Oct 2015 7,450ebay.com
6.
 
Nikon Z7 134 mm 101 mm 67 mm 675 g 330 Y Aug 2018 3,399ebay.com
7.
 
Panasonic S1 149 mm 110 mm 97 mm 1017 g 400 Y Feb 2019 2,499 amazon.com
8.
 
Panasonic S1R 149 mm 110 mm 97 mm 1016 g 380 Y Feb 2019 3,699 amazon.com
9.
 
Panasonic S1H 151 mm 114 mm 110 mm 1052 g 400 Y May 2019 3,999 amazon.com
10.
 
Pentax K-1 II 137 mm 110 mm 86 mm 1010 g 670 Y Feb 2018 1,999 amazon.com
11.
 
Sony A99 II 143 mm 104 mm 76 mm 849 g 490 Y Sep 2016 3,199ebay.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 listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Leica SL2 was launched in the US market at a price of $5,999. 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.

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Check Leica SL2 price at
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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant 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. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The Leica SL2 features a full frame sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Leica SL2 among the large-sensor cameras that aim for top notch image quality.

Leica SL2 sensor measures

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for most cameras. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of alternative cameras.

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Sensor Characteristics
#   Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Leica SL2 Full Frame 46.7 8368 55844K/60p25.314.3286695
2.
 
Leica SL3 Full Frame 60.3 9520 63368K/30p25.414.8329597
3.
 
Leica SL2-S Full Frame 24.0 6000 40004K/60p25.214.1350495
4.
 
Leica Q2 Full Frame 46.7 8368 55844K/30p26.413.5249196
5.
 
Leica SL Full Frame 24.0 6000 40004K/30p25.013.4182188
6.
 
Nikon Z7 Full Frame 45.4 8256 55044K/30p26.314.6266899
7.
 
Panasonic S1 Full Frame 24.0 6000 40004K/60p25.214.5333395
8.
 
Panasonic S1R Full Frame 46.7 8368 55844K/60p26.414.13525100
9.
 
Panasonic S1H Full Frame 24.0 6000 40006K/30p25.214.2280594
10.
 
Pentax K-1 II Full Frame 36.2 7360 49121080/60i25.114.0269893
11.
 
Sony A99 II Full Frame 42.2 7952 53044K/30p25.413.4231792
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.
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Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. The Leica SL2 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the Leica SL2 can use is 4K/60p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the Leica SL2 has an electronic viewfinder with a resolution of 5760k dots. The viewfinder offers a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.78x. The adjacent tables list some of the other core features of the Leica SL2 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

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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 SL25760 Y3.2 / 2100 fixed Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
2.
 
Leica SL35760 Y3.2 / 2333 tilting Y 1/8000s 5.0/s n Y
3.
 
Leica SL2-S5760 Y3.2 / 2100 fixed Y 1/8000s 20.0/s n Y
4.
 
Leica Q23680 n3.0 / 1040 fixed Y 1/2000s 10.0/s n Y
5.
 
Leica SL4400 Y3.0 / 1040 fixed Y 1/8000s 11.0/s n n
6.
 
Nikon Z73690 Y3.2 / 2100 tilting Y 1/8000s 9.0/s n Y
7.
 
Panasonic S15760 Y3.2 / 2100 full-flex Y 1/8000s 9.0/s n Y
8.
 
Panasonic S1R5760 Y3.2 / 2100 full-flex Y 1/8000s 9.0/s n Y
9.
 
Panasonic S1H5760 Y3.2 / 2330 swivel Y 1/8000s 9.0/s n Y
10.
 
Pentax K-1 IIoptical Y3.2 / 1037 full-flex n 1/8000s 4.4/s n Y
11.
 
Sony A99 II2400 Y3.0 / 1229 full-flex n 1/8000s 12.0/s n Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.
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One useful feature of the Leica SL2 is a presence of a top-level LCD. While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

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Connection 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 SL2 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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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 SL2Ystereo / monoYYfull3.1Y-Y
2.
 
Leica SL3Ystereo / monoYYfull3.1Y-Y
3.
 
Leica SL2-SYstereo / monoYYfull3.2Y-Y
4.
 
Leica Q2Ystereo / mono----Y-Y
5.
 
Leica SLYstereo / monoYYfull3.0Y--
6.
 
Nikon Z7Ystereo / monoYYmicro3.1Y-Y
7.
 
Panasonic S1Ystereo / monoYYfull3.1Y-Y
8.
 
Panasonic S1RYstereo / monoYYfull3.1Y-Y
9.
 
Panasonic S1HYstereo / monoYYfull3.1Y-Y
10.
 
Pentax K-1 IIYstereo / monoYYmicro2.0Y--
11.
 
Sony A99 IIYstereo / monoYYmicro2.0YYY
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It is notable that the Leica SL2 has a microphone port. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Further information on the features and operation of the Leica SL2 can be found in the free online Leica SL2 Manual or on the Leica support site.

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Expert reviews

While the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the Leica SL2 in practical situations. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate. This is where reviews by experts come in. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

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Review Scores
#    Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Leica SL24/5..4.5/5..4.5/54/5 Nov 2019 5,999 amazon.com
2.
 
Leica SL3............ Mar 2024 6,999 amazon.com
3.
 
Leica SL2-S4/5..4/5..4.5/54.5/5 Dec 2020 4,895 amazon.com
4.
 
Leica Q2....4.5/584/1004.5/54/5 Mar 2019 4,995 amazon.com
5.
 
Leica SL4/5..4/584/1004.5/54/5 Oct 2015 7,450ebay.com
6.
 
Nikon Z75/5+4.8/589/1004.5/55/5 Aug 2018 3,399ebay.com
7.
 
Panasonic S14.5/5+ +4.5/588/1004.5/54/5 Feb 2019 2,499 amazon.com
8.
 
Panasonic S1R4.5/5..4.6/589/1004.5/54.5/5 Feb 2019 3,699 amazon.com
9.
 
Panasonic S1H....4/590/100.... May 2019 3,999 amazon.com
10.
 
Pentax K-1 II....4.5/579/1004.5/54.5/5 Feb 2018 1,999 amazon.com
11.
 
Sony A99 II....4.5/585/1004.5/54.5/5 Sep 2016 3,199ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.
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Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. 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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Check Leica SL2 price at
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Leica SL2 FAQ

Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the Leica SL2.

What technology is the imaging sensor in the Leica SL2 based on?

The camera has a CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor at its core.

Which image processing chip is used in the Leica SL2 to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?

Leica equipped the Leica SL2 with the Maestro III image processor.

What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Leica SL2?

The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 50000, which can be extended to ISO 50-50000.

What is the life expectancy of the shutter in the Leica SL2?

Leica mentions a shutter rating of 400 000 actuations for the Leica SL2. This number represents a Mean Time before Failure, that is an average value. The shutter might fail earlier, or it might last longer. Anyway, in order to exhaust the expected shutter life of the Leica SL2 over, say, three years, one would have to take about 400 pictures each and every day.

Is completely silent shooting possible with the Leica SL2?

The camera has an electronic shutter option, so that it is indeed feasible to capture images without any shutter noise.

Do I need to purchase an external camera trigger to shoot time-lapse sequences with the Leica SL2?

No, the Leica SL2 has an intervalometer built-in, so that low frequency shooting (for example, flower blooming, sunset, moon rise) can be undertaken without the need to purchase a separate external intervalometer and related software.

Is it difficult to use manual focus lenses with the Leica SL2?

The Leica SL2 offers focus peaking as a manual focus aid. This feature works by placing a colored highlight on in-focus zones within the image.

Does the Leica SL2 feature an autofocus assist light?

Yes, the camera has a lamp built-in that can illuminate the subject and improve autofocus in low-light settings.

What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with the Leica SL2 for flash photography?

The Leica SL2's flash sync speed is 1/250 sec.

Does the Leica SL2 support the Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus interface for SD cards?

Yes, the camera can indeed use UHS-II cards, which provide for data transfer speed of up to 312 MB/s, in both of its card slots.

Which battery does the Leica SL2 use?

The camera gets its power from the BP-SCL4, which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.

Is there a vertical grip available for the Leica SL2?

Yes, Leica offers the HG-SCL6 as an optional accessory to facilitate shooting in portrait orientation and to provide additional battery power.

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities with other camera models, just make your choice using the following search menu. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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    Specifications Summary
    Camera Model Leica SL2
    Camera Type Mirrorless system camera
    Camera Lens Leica L mount lenses
    Launch Date November 2019
    Launch Price USD 5 999
    Sensor Specs
    Sensor Technology CMOS
    Sensor Format Full Frame Sensor
    Sensor Size 36.0 x 24.0 mm
    Sensor Area 864 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 43.3 mm
    Crop Factor 1.0x
    Sensor Resolution 46.7 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 8 368 x 5 584 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 4.30 μm
    Pixel Density 5.41 MP/cm2
    Moiré control no AA filter
    Movie Capability 4K/60p Video
    ISO Setting 100 - 50 000 ISO
    ISO Boost 50 - 50 000 ISO
    Image Processor Maestro III
    Screen Specs
    Viewfinder Type Electronic viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 100%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.78x
    Viewfinder Resolution 5760k dots
    Top-Level Screen Control Panel
    LCD Framing Live View
    LCD Size 3.2 inch
    LCD Resolution 2100k dots
    LCD Attachment Fixed screen
    Touch Input Touchscreen
    Shooting Specs
    Focus System Contrast-detect AF
    Manual Focusing AidFocus Peaking
    Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000s
    Continuous Shooting 10 shutter flaps/s
    Shutter Life Expectancy400 000 actuations
    Silent ShootingElectronic Shutter
    Time Lapse PhotographyIntervalometer Built-in
    Image StabilizationIn-body stabilization
    Fill Flash no On-Board Flash
    Storage Medium SDXC cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Dual card slots
    UHS card support Dual UHS-II
    Connectivity Specs
    External Flash Hotshoe
    Studio Flash PC Sync socket
    USB Connector USB 3.1
    HDMI Port full HDMI
    Microphone Port External MIC port
    Headphone Socket Headphone port
    Wifi Support Wifi built-in
    Bluetooth Support Bluetooth built-in
    Body Specs
    Environmental SealingWeathersealed body
    Battery Type BP-SCL4 power pack
    Battery Life (CIPA)370 shots per charge
    In-Camera Charging USB charging
    Body Dimensions 146 x 107 x 42 mm
    (5.7 x 4.2 x 1.7 in)
    Camera Weight 953 g (33.6 oz)

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