Leica SL3-S on January 16th?

[Quentinquirelino]

Merry Christmas everyone!

According to a new rumor, the Leica SL3-S will be announced on January 16th, what would be about three weeks from now. Nothing about specifications though.

Because Leica and Panasonic cameras are closely related they makes me questioning, what will be the relative in that Panasonic lineup? The S5II is probably to old.
Will there be an S1 successor before or after the SL3-S? Hopefully not as long after, like we still wait for the S1R successor after the SL3.
What's about the sensor? The SL2-S was mainly a lower resolution SL2. But hopefully they are going with a new sensor and not the old 24 Mpix we know from the S5II. Maybe something in the mid 30 Mpix range, like the A7IV. But personally I hope for something faster. The 33 Mpix Sensor of the A7IV is as much a step forward as it is a step backwards in my opinion. Maybe they are going with something like the Z6III. That would be faster, but at the cost of image quality. I personally I hope for a full frame variant of the GH7/G9II sensor. That would improve the speed and the image quality along.

All in all, I think we will see some new L-Mount cameras very soon. Hopefully from Leica and Panasonic. And hopefully the progress we need in the system.


Source: https://leicarumors.com/2024/12/24/...ed-to-be-announced-on-january-16th-2025.aspx/

 

[xaviergut]

I hope you are right, but I don't see a semi stacked sensor like the Z6iii in the new Leica.

Could be like the new Leica Sl3-s will be a much more expensive Lumix S5II. I mean a S5 with PDAF and very good video features. Or a Leica Sl2-s with PDAF and very good video features...

It was like this until now:

Lumix S1R - - - Leica SL2
Lumix S5 - - - Leica SL2-s

 

[Quentinquirelino]

...

Lumix S1R - - - Leica SL2
Lumix S5 - - - Leica SL2-s

I think more like

Lumix S1R - - - Leica SL2

Lumix S1 - - - Leica SL2-s

The SL2-s has a way better view finder, better screen and better mechanical shutter compared to the S5. The S1 is much closer in hardware. And as the SL2-S, the S1 is more fitted to demanding photographers. The S5 is more entry level. Something Leica probably don't want to offer and don't want to compete with.

If we go back to 2018/19, when Panasonic released the S1 series, those cameras where placed for higher end in terms of build quality, handling and durability and Panasonic was company the first to do this with mirrorless cameras. Canon and Nikon first attempts to mirrorless, where more entry oriented. Z8/Z9 and R6/R5 came later. Even Sony was more about keeping the cameras compact and compromised that for build quality, handling and durability. They are still, but there cameras are getting a little bit bigger with every generation.

Now, almost six years later, Canon, Nikon and Sony updated there game and introduced many professional bodies while Panasonic's professional bodies got outdated.

 

[xaviergut]

Lumix S1 - - - Leica SL2-s

I guess you are right

 

[pdk42]

I just wish Panasonic would get on with releasing the S1ii.

 

[pdk42]

L mount rumours site reckons it’s 24Mp with PDAF - so sounds like an S5ii in an SL body. That’s not a crazy proposition. That 24Mp sensor is really very good.

 

[Quentinquirelino]

L mount rumours site reckons it’s 24Mp with PDAF - so sounds like an S5ii in an SL body. That’s not a crazy proposition. That 24Mp sensor is really very good.

Yes, I have read that. If it's the sensor of the S5II, it's still good for many types of photography, but also it's outdated. Personally I don't care much about, if Leica will release a camera with that old sensor. But a S1 or S1H successor with that sensor would be a big disappointment.

However, the specifications on L rumors sounds like a wild guess from the admin of that side. The specifications doesn't even work together. He also stated it would shoot cropped 8k, what wouldn't be possible with a 24 Mpix sensor.

 

[Jonathan-Mac]

The 24MP sensor in the S5 II is a little on the old side but it still stands up well. I wouldn't say it's outdated at all, in fact I'd rather have that than the DR impact of a semi-stacked sensor like the one in the Z6III. I do think that for the top-of-the-range model, the S1 replacement, a higher resolution sensor would make a lot more sense, otherwise many people would just by the S5II.

 

[Quentinquirelino]

The 24MP sensor in the S5 II is a little on the old side but it still stands up well. I wouldn't say it's outdated at all, in fact I'd rather have that than the DR impact of a semi-stacked sensor like the one in the Z6III. I do think that for the top-of-the-range model, the S1 replacement, a higher resolution sensor would make a lot more sense, otherwise many people would just by the S5II.

Outdated sounds hard, because the sensor is definitely up to more modern competitors in terms of image quality. That's why it's still a good choice for many photographers. But it's legging behind in terms of read out speed, what limits it's potential for photography with fast burst and videography. And at those aspects, it's definitely outdated. With that sensor 4k on full sensor readout is limited to 30 fps and the rolling shutter is to noticeable for shooting fast burst. Also the AF tracking is limited by sensor speed.

All that said, in my eyes a sensor similar to the 33 Mpix sensor in the A7IV would also be a disappointment, because it suffers from the same drawbacks. The semi stacked Sensor of the Z6III wouldn't be a perfect solution neither, because of the disadvantages in terms of image quality.

I'm still hoping for a all new sensor, based on the GH7 sensor.

 

[RBecker]

.

I'm still hoping for a all new sensor, based on the GH7 sensor.

Sensors are similar in production by single pixels and electronics, not by the total amount of MP! If we get a senser like the one from the GH7 in 24x36 it will be nearly a 100 MP sensor and that sounds not good to me…

I hope for a sensor about 24 like before just faster read out and maybe a bit more DR. Thats all. The camera around this sensor will be the intersting part…

 

[xaviergut]

I'm going to take a risk with a future prediction: if it has the 24mpx sensor, that is, it is a Lumix S5II but in the body of a Leica SL3, the price will be €5,000. If it has the 33 mpx Sony A7IV sensor, the price will be €6,000.