NEW Leica S3 – Now Shipping

Leica’s new flagship medium format DSLR  has arrived.

The excellence of the Leica S3 is the result of a comprehensive system conceived and built from the ground up in the age of digital photography, proven for 10 years running. All of its individual components are precisely matched to one another to create perfect harmony, for both the iconic Leica design in their handling and signature Leica look in the images.

Developed in close collaboration with professional photographers, the Leica S3 expertly fulfills their particular needs with its exceptional picture quality and outstanding flexibility, paired with uncomplicated handling and an extremely robust build.


  • Features
  • Specs
  • Videos

Introducing the Leica S3

Leica S-Lenses are the highest quality optics in the medium format world, and with fast autofocus and burst shooting, the S3 is a system that can excel in just about any application.

High-speed lenses such as the Leica Summicron-S 100 f/2 ASPH. encapsulate the benefits of the S-System – the Leica look and falloff from incredible sharpness to beautifully blurred bokeh that is a signature style of S Cameras, now at an even higher resolution with the S3.

With 16 lenses to choose from, some equipped with Central Shutters for high-speed flash sync, the Leica S3 is equipped to meet the needs of any pro in need of a workhorse system.

  • New 64mp medium format sensor for unprecedented image quality from Leica S-Lenses
  • 4K video recording across the full width of the sensor for the signature Leica look in video
  • ISO range of 100 – 50,000 for working in any lighting scenario
  • Dual shutter system with Focal Plane Shutter or Central Shutter lens options
  • Rugged and weather-sealed build for use in the field and withstanding the elements
  • Tethered shooting workflow options for use in the professional studio
  • Leica FOTOS connectivity for mobile editing solutions on iPad, iPhone, and Android

Sensor


Dimensions:
30 x 45 (Leica ProFormat)
Aspect ratio:
2:3
Resolution:
64 million pixels
Dynamic range:
Up to 15 f-stops
White balance: Presets:
Daylight, cloudy, shade, incandescent, fluorescent, HMI,halogen warm, halogen
cool, flash, tungsten, gray card, gray card Live View, automatic, color temperature (Kelvin)
Low-pass filter:
No (for maximum detail resolution/sharpness)
IR filter:
On the sensor
ISO sensitivity:
ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600, ISO 3200, ISO 6400, ISO 12500, ISO 25000, ISO 50000, auto ISO


Focusing


Type:
Predictive TTL autofocus with central cross sensor and phase detection
AF modes:
AFs (single) = focus priority, AFc (continuous) = predictive focus tracking, manual override of AF
settings is possible at any time
AF lock:
Shutter release or five-way joystick
MF:
Via lens with electronic focusing aid


Exposure settings


Exposure metering:
Exposure metering through the lens (TTL)
Metering modes:
Multi-segment (five fields), center-weighted, selective/spot metering (3.5% of image
frame)
Exposure control:
Program AE (with manual shift) (P), shutter speed priority (T), aperture priority AE (A),
manual exposure control (M)
(M) Exposure compensation:
+/- 3 EV (in half-stop increments)
Exposure bracketing:
3 or 5 exposures; 1/2, 1, 2, 3 stop(s)


Video


Video recording:
4K cinema and full-HD in Leica ProFormat (large format video)
Resolution: Full-HD:
1920 x 1080 p, 4K cinema: 4096 x 2160 p
Frame rate: Full-HD:
24, 25, 30 fps, 4K cinema: 24 fps
File format:
MOV (Motion JPEG)
Color subsampling:
4:2:2
Exposure control:
Manual and automatic
Audio level: Manual and automatic
Audio (onboard):
Integrated stereo microphone. 48 kHz, 16 Bit
Audio (external):
Audio-in (3.5 mm stereo jack), Audio-out (3.5 mm stereo jack), with Leica Audio-Adapter-S
Time code:
Internal
Miscellaneous:
Focus peaking, clean uncompressed full-HD (1080p) 8-Bit, 4:2:2, HDMI video stream for
recording on off-camera HDMI recorders


Shutter


Shutter:
Focal plane shutter, central shutter with Leica CS lenses
Drive modes:
Single, continuous, interval, self-timer 2 s /12 s (with mirror pre-release)
Shutter speeds:
2 minutes (depending on ISO setting) to 1/4000 s, in half-stop increments
Burst rate:
Up to 3 fps
Self-timer:
2 s or 12 s, with mirror pre-release
Mirror pre-release:
Yes
Live View Refresh rate:
Up to 60 fps
Focusing:
Manual, AF metering field shift to any part of the viewfinder image
Exposure control:
Multi-segment (five fields), center-weighted, selective/spot (linked to AF metering field)
Exposure simulation:
Yes
Miscellaneous:
Histogram with clipping, focus peaking, leveling aid (horizon), exposure information


Viewfinder


Type:
Pentaprism viewfinder with high-eyepoint eyepiece, illuminated LCD bar
Magnification:
0.87x (with 70 mm lens at infinity, 0 dpt.)
Viewfinder coverage:
Approx. 98%
Diopter compensation:
–3 to +1 diopter
Focusing screens:
Exchangeable: standard focusing screen with AF crosshairs and spot
marking (supplied with the camera), focusing screen with engraved grid, micro prism focusing screen
Viewfinder information:
Levelling aid (horizon), shutter speed, exposure control mode, aperture, flash
status, exposure compensation scale, flash sync display, focus indicator, exposure compensation,
remaining exposures (on storage medium), buffer memory, error messages, ISO settings display


Display panels


Monitor screen:
3-inch TFT LCD display
Resolution:
921,600 pixels
Color space:
sRGB, 16 million colors
Oblique viewing angle:
170°
Display cover glass:
Corning®Gorilla®Glass
Top-deck display panel:
Monochrome LCD display


Shooting


Drive modes:
Single, continuous, interval, self-timer 2s with mirror pre-release, self-timer 12s
with mirror pre-release


Data recording


Image data formats:
Lossless compressed DNG, DNG + JPEG
Buffer memory capacity:
2 GB buffer memory, up to six lossless compressed DNG image files, JPEG no limit (dependent on memory card type, shutter speed, and ISO setting)
Storage media:
SD card (SDXC), CF card (UDMA7), external (PC)


Flash

Connections: Lemo® flash sync socket, hot shoe with center and control contacts
Flash synchronization with focal-plane shutter: 1/125 s
Flash synchronization with a central shutter (leaf shutter): Up to 1/1000 s
High-speed sync HSS function: up to 1/4000 s (with compatible external flash units)
Flash triggering point: Sync on the first or second curtain (FPS)


Miscellaneous

Playback mode: Full image, histogram with clipping, focus peaking, exposure information
GPS: Yes
WLAN: Integrated in the camera body (remote camera control and image assessment by a smartphone app),
IEEE802.11n
Date/time: Manual or automatic date/time setting with the GPS module
Leveling aid (horizon): Display sensitivity < 1° (at ambient temperatures from 0–40°C)


Interfaces

USB: Lemo® USB 3.0 SuperSpeed
HDMI: HDMI type C socket
Audio: With Audio-Adapter S (audio-in, audio-out)
Flash synchronization: Lemo® flash sync socket
Remote release: Lemo® cable remote release
WLAN: Integrated into the camera body


Body

Materials: Magnesium body with non-slip rubber armor. Magnesium top deck, aluminum baseplate.
Stainless steel bayonet and control elements
Dimensions: 160 × 80 × 120 mm
Weight: ~ 1260 g (without battery)
Dust-proof/splash-proof sealing: Yes