\n<\/p>\n
Leica has a new camera for pros who shoot both video and stills. The $5,295 Leica SL3-S, which launches today, is a full-frame mirrorless hybrid camera optimized for fast-action stills and 6K video. Like the SL3<\/a> it\u2019s based on, the SL3-S has a compact body and 3.2-inch tilting touchscreen display. But where the SL3 with its 60mp sensor is mainly for still photography, the SL3-S is optimized for speed: its 24mp sensor can shoot video at 6K with 12-bit raw footage, and it can capture stills at up to 30fps with continuously tracking autofocus.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The SL3-S\u2019s newfound video chops mean it supports open-gate 6K (5952 x 3968 resolution) recording of its full 3:2 sensor at up to 30fps, or up to 60fps in 4K, and it can record directly to an SSD via USB-C connection. While it doesn\u2019t have an especially high-resolution sensor for stills, it makes up for that with speed and focusing ability. The SL3-S has 779 phase-detect autofocus points, more than double the SL3\u2019s 315 points. It also has improved object detection and tracking focus, and it shoots fast enough to enable 48- and 96-megapixel high-res multi-shot composites without a tripod. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Otherwise, the SL3-S shares a lot with the SL3 \u2014 utilizing the same body design with dual card slots (one UHS-II SD and one CFExpress Type B), tilting touchscreen, color-coded menu system (red for photo \/ yellow for video), and that quirky light-up power button. (Seriously, why is the power button not a nice physical switch like every other camera?) It\u2019s a similar approach to the one Leica took with its last-generation SL2<\/a> and SL2-S<\/a>, with the SL3-S once again looking identical to its pricier counterpart, aside from some blacked-out Leica lettering.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The SL line is aimed at pros who need their fancy German camera to be more of an all-around workhorse, with high-res video recording and autofocus, instead of a slower-paced, specialized tool for photography like a Leica M rangefinder. So it makes sense that Leica is baking its Content Credentials into the SL3-S, utilizing Adobe\u2019s Content Authenticity Initiative for image verification like it first did on the M11-P<\/a>. Strangely, this feature isn\u2019t available in the standard SL3, which launched in March 2024, and won\u2019t be added via firmware upgrade. Leica spokesperson Nathan Kellum-Pathe told The Verge<\/em> that the SL3 lacks the necessary hardware and that while software-based content authentication is possible, it \u201cdoes not meet Leica\u2019s standard for encryption of this important data.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n