My name is Wilber and I love cameras. However, ever since I pivoted to creating shorts for YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, carrying a full sized camera is often a bit overkill when the iPhone 15 Pro does a good enough job for portrait photos and videos. Just a disclaimer, while the title of this article seems like I am going to do a tech review, I am not going to go into too many specifics as to what the Leica SL3 has to offer. Instead, my colleague, Kevin, and I were invited to Leica’s product launch of the SL3 on the 8th of March. Here was what happened, what we saw and some of my thoughts.
Mention Leica and many superlatives would come to mind. One of those would be premium and another would be quality. Leicas are crafted in Germany and built with solid, quality materials. They are hand-built with precision and hence the premium price tag.
So what is the SL3? It is the latest version of Leica’s very popular SL series of cameras. The last generation, the SL2, had an impressive 47 megapixels, in-body image stabilisation and a very nice OLED electronic viewfinder. This time, the SL3 bumps up the megapixel count to an impressive 60.3 megapixels, the latest Maestro IV image processor and an even more impressive battery life among the many improvements on top of what was an already superb SL2. This package comes in an IP54 water and dust rating. This means that the camera is protected from limited dust ingress and low pressure water jets from any direction. While I would not recommend taking this camera with you for a swim without any appropriate additional waterproof protection, this would certainly be classified as an all weather camera.
The launch event was titled Own The Moment. It was held at the ARTitude Galleria at Dempsey Road. This was a grand event and it was one where Leica got the VP of Global Marketing and Communications, Andrea Michelangelo Pacella, to attend and present. We did an interview with him and will cover that in another article.
One thing about cameras is that it should feel like an extension of the shooter. It should feel good to the hand. At times, when purchasing tech, the way a product feels in your hand is a determining factor as to how the product will perform. While the megapixel count and sensors are increasing seemingly with no end in sight, it is not fretting over every minute specification that will force the hand of consumers to plonk down their hard earned cash for the latest camera. In my humble opinion, the body of the camera, how it feels to pick it up and hold, how user friendly is the interface and how welcoming the camera is when you caress the shutter button in anticipation before actually taking a shot.
This is where we got to have some hands on time with the SL3. Avid photographers and tech reviewers got to play around with the camera and were busy trying out its functions.
Our resident camera junkie in the office, Kevin, was having a field day with the camera. The conclusion, this is a very welcoming camera. Nice to hold and feel, inviting to shoot. Insanely simple user interface. Well thought out layout. Simple and easy to use. If you are someone who is familiar with the SL2, probably the biggest change to the layout would be the addition of the new dial on the top left of the SL3. On the back of the camera, the menu, play and function buttons are also moved to the right. This seems like sensible changes to make the users use of the camera more natural. These dials and buttons are now where the user’s thumbs or fingers that would typically assess them.
One thing I can say when holding the camera is that the craftsmanship of the SL3 is exquisite. The textured grooves on the camera make it a joy to hold while the solid and fully sealed full-metal housing adds a nice heft to the camera without it being too heavy. You have to hold it and use it for you to understand what I mean.
The barometer for me when it comes to cameras? Kevin actually asked about the price and is considering getting this. He is not a Leica user. Yet. The price? SGD$10,400. You can join the waitlist for the SL3 on the Leica Singapore Store.
Yours sincerely,
Wilber
