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Leica launched the SL3 60mp camera back in March and has sold pretty well by all accounts. You do pay the Leica tax, but the non-Sigma rebrand lenses from Leica are terrific. Autofocus performance is dependant on Panasonic however and I wouldn't exactly call it “great”, and I'd still have a hard time even calling it good.
Just like the SL2 series, Leica is going to announce a lower megapixl SL3-S this week. It promises to have better autofocus performance, though I'm not sure who the customer is for such a camera. If you want autofocus speed, you're much better going with the Canon, Sony or Nikon.
I owned an SL2-S and it was one of the worst performing cameras I have ever had. Here's hoping Leica/Panasonic have come up with a much better performing autofocus setup.
Leica SL3-S Specifications (Rumored)
- 24MP BSI Sensor
- ISO range: 50–200,000
- “New high-speed AF system” (Here's hoping)
- Continous frame rates of up to 30fps
- 48/96 MP Multishot Mode
- Leica Content Authenticity
- Identical ergonomics to the Leica SL3
- Blacked out front Leica wordmark (Should black out the red dot too)
- €5200/$5995
Buying a Leica body to use Sigma lenses? Better get a Canon and fit it with Canon lenses. You get a much more advanced camera with excellent RF lenses.
Leica is about lenses, original lenses. The SL bodies fine fine, but 5-10 years late...
The M is a different story. There's no alternative to it, if you like rangefinder cameras.
I wouldn't invest too much into L-mount, but manual focus works great.
While the M has its charm (especially if one shoots 28, 35 or 50), the SL2-S is usable on a much wider range of focal lengths with a the far better EVF and powerful stabilisation. (Yes the Leica is heavier, but it aids stability, too, easier to keep it level.)
All in all, not a mainstream choice and new prices are too high, but buying an older one with heavy depreciation may not be a bad choice.
Once you have experienced Summiluxes, Summicrons, Elmarits and Apo Telyts or Apo Makros Elmarits, it's hard to put money in a Sigma Leica copy.
Sadly, adapting Canon EF to Leica SL3 no longer works the way it did with the first SL (confirmed by Wetzlar).
And yes, the SL3 is beautifully made!
I'm expecting the 24-70 2.8 II to be rebranded as well at some point, and it looks quite decent.
While the AF can't bother me either (had the 24-90/2.8-4, worked fine in single-AF), there are many other body features that annoy the hell out of me (changing some settings are just slow and more tedious next to Canon).
Looking forward to the R6 III, should be a lot closer to an "all-round midrange" camera, but they will find ways to cripple it.
(It could remain dual SD slots limiting RAW recording, C-Log 3 only, still no level or histogram during recording, switching modes has always been inferior to the R5 line, lesser LCD, jada, jada).
* NEW Leica SL3-S vs SL2-S vs SL3
I'd rather have him "ganz weg"!
I can no longer feed my starving wife and son on dry bread and rain water! 😢