Building on the foundation established in 2015 with the Leica SL-System, Leica Camera introduced the Leica SL2 all-purpose camera.

The SL2 is the only mirrorless camera designed and crafted in Germany, with an all metal solid construction and leather wrap to withstand the time.

The main recording parameters can be viewed on the rear display and adjusted quickly with a simple finger tap. A click wheel, a joystick and three individually configurable buttons also contribute to a straightforward operation. Thanks to two dedicated status menus for stills and video recording, the parameters for either shooting mode can be adjusted entirely separately from each other.

The SL2’s IP54 certification ensures an elevated weather sealing for more rugged situations, while a new option to turn off noise reduction during long exposures allows for more hands-free shooting.

The SL2’s 47 MP CMOS image sensor has an enormous dynamic range, a color depth of 14 bits per RGB channel and a sensitivity of up to ISO 50,000. Even when combined with Leica TL lenses, which are designed for the smaller sensor format of the Leica TL2 and CL, the SL2’s sensor still promises to deliver an excellent image resolution of over 20 megapixels.

The new Leica Object Detention AF ensures a fast and reliable AF. In addition to an array of modes and features, including face recognition, the SL2’s AF system also automatically detects whether a subject is stationary or in motion, and subsequently switches between motion and focus priority.

In an evolution of the SL, the Leica SL2 features a suspended sensor which adjusts its position in order to quickly compensate for camera shake. This in-camera method even makes image stabilization available to lenses that are not equipped with their own.

Additionally, in multishot mode, the tripod-mounted camera can record up to eight consecutive frames, whereby the sensor is shifted in half-pixel increments in between every exposure. This key feature results in images with a quadrupled resolution of around 187 megapixels.

The camera’s electronic viewfinder now boasts a resolution of 5.76 megapixels. Simultaneously, the experience is further enhanced when using the touchscreen, which has increased in size to a 3.2-inch diagonal, and now offers a higher resolution of 2.1 megapixels.

The autofocus is significantly faster and allows for a virtually lag-free shutter release in any shooting situation, which is further complemented by the new Smart AF mode, which autonomously switches between focus priority and shutter release priority. Full-resolution recordings of consecutive images are possible at 10 frames per second with the focal plane shutter, and 20 frames per second with the electronic shutter. Thanks to two UHS-II-compatible SD card slots, raw files can be saved simultaneously in DNG and JPEG format.

In addition, the camera is able to record up to 60 frames per second in Cine 4K mode, and up to 180 frames per second in Full-HD mode. Activating Cine mode transforms the SL2 into a manually controlled cine camera as ISO becomes ASA, the shutter speed is marked in degrees on the rotary disk shutter, and the f-stops indicating the aperture ratio are replaced by T-stops, which measure the actual amount of light transmitted through the lens. Connecting audio equipment to the Leica SL2 no longer requires the use of adapters, as the camera now features a build in headphones and mic jack, complemented by a fully-fledged HDMI connector for external monitors.

Featuring an L bayonet lens mount, the Leica SL2 is not only compatible with the portfolio of SL-System lenses, but also with lenses of the TL-System and with the lenses of Leica’s M, S and R-Systems via adapter. The L-Mount Alliance expands this scope of possibilities even further, by giving SL2 photographers access to L-mount-compatible lenses from Sigma and Panasonic.

The new Leica SL2 is supported by Leica FOTOS, the app available for Android and iOS Smartphones. Leica FOTOS connects directly to the camera via Wi-Fi (Bluetooth is supported where available) and saves the registration details to make future connections between the camera and the app as fast and convenient as possible. Leica FOTOS enables photographers to access the Live View function of the camera and remotely change exposure-relevant settings such as aperture, ISO value, shutter speed and exposure compensation from a smartphone. It naturally also allows wireless control of the shutter release.

Thanks to the high-resolution displays of modern smartphones, pictures can be viewed immediately at full size to assess their sharpness. The exposure parameters are also displayed, which can be helpful for adjusting the settings for subsequent exposures.

As soon as a personal selection has been made, the pictures can either be shared in social networks, or saved for mobile post processing in the smartphone. Leica FOTOS can be used for this in combination with many post processing apps. To exploit the full potentials of digital image processing, the pictures can also be transferred to the respective app in DNG RAW data format. If users wish to save the finished pictures after processing on their smartphone, they can take advantage of the option for saving them to a separate Leica Gallery – this keeps composed and processed pictures from the Leica FOTOS app separate from simple snapshots. Expect many new features and a whole new mobile workflow experience on the iPad when Leica FOTOS will be available in version 2.0 from November 21, 2019.

The Leica SL2 will be available on November 21st at a list price of $5995.

The Leica SL2 is available beginning November 21, 2019.