Leica SL – Mirrorless System Camera Sets New standard

Leica SL – Mirrorless System Camera Sets New standard

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A new milestone in professional photography

Leica Camera has today announced the Leica SL (Typ 601), marking the beginning of a new era in professional photography. Made in Germany, the Leica SL mirrorless system camera offers an impressive set of specifications and innovative features, delivering exceptional Leica quality. The camera’s 24 MP full-frame CMOS sensor and perfectly matched components – from the premium-quality SL lenses to the built-in electronic viewfinder – guarantee exceptional imaging performance for professional photographers.

EyeRes viewfinder and touchscreen display for total control of every picture

Developed specifically for the Leica SL, the electronic viewfinder is the first of its kind to feature Leica EyeRes technology. With an imperceptible latency time, an impressive resolution of 4.4 million pixels and magnification reminiscent of a medium format camera, this electronic viewfinder offers an entirely new visual experience and numerous advantages: the final image is visible in the viewfinder before the shutter release is pressed, which enables optimum control over the final picture in any situation. The EyeRes viewfinder is activated simply by looking through it. In addition, the Leica SL features a 2.95” back panel display with a viewing angle of up to 170°, enabling reliable viewing of pictures and efficient touchscreen menu navigation.

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Maestro II processor for maximum performance

The high-performance Maestro II Series processor guarantees that photographers will never miss even the fastest-moving subject, and that the camera responds instantaneously to all commands. Combined with the 2GB buffer memory, the processor makes it possible to capture consecutive exposures at rates of up to 11 frames per second at full 24 MP resolution, and 4K video with a frame rate of 30 frames per second. Pictures can be saved simultaneously to an SD card in both JPEG and DNG format, in line with the fast UHS II standard. Thanks to this exceptionally fast processor, the Leica SL achieves the best performance currently possible in the professional camera category, and further highlights the innovative nature of the camera.

24 MP CMOS sensor for exceptional picture quality in 35 mm full-frame format

The Leica SL’s 24 MP CMOS full-frame sensor guarantees impressive dynamic range, excellent contrast rendition, exceptional sharpness, the highest resolution, and noise-free images in almost all lighting conditions. The shutter provides speeds from 30 minutes to 1/8000 sec. The sensor reveals its full potential in combination with Leica SL lenses, especially in available-light situations, and captivates users with atmospheric exposures in superior quality at ISO settings up to a maximum of 50,000. Furthermore, the Leica SL is optimised for use with Leica M-Lenses and, in addition to supporting all their functionality, delivers the excellent picture quality with which Leica has been synonymous for more than 100 years.

The new movie star: professional video in cinematic resolution

The Leica SL is much more than a professional still-picture camera with video recording capability: it fulfils even the most stringent demands of moviemakers as a fully-fledged video camera. Thanks to its 24 MP CMOS sensor and high-performance Maestro II series processor, the Leica SL enables the production of professional videos in 4K resolution. Videos can be recorded in UHD at 30 frames per second or even in Cine4K at 24 frames per second.

In full HD, the Leica SL records video at up to 120 frames per second and makes use of the entire sensor area. Here, the logical and intuitive handling of the camera makes a clear distinction between still- and motion-picture recording. As soon as the camera is in video mode, the display shows only the relevant information for video, such as safe area, aspect ratio, zebra function or the recording level of the microphone. An optional audio adapter allows the user to connect an external microphone and the audio recording level can be set without accessing the menu. Videos can be output in 4:2:2 10-bit format in 4K resolution over HDMI 1.4.

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Aluminium body for robust performance in everyday photography

From the beginning, resilience and durability were a key focus in the development of the Leica SL. Body components machined from solid aluminium, and precisely-engineered seals around the controls and in the lenses, provide optimum protection for the sensitive technology inside against dust, moisture and spray. Furthermore, the integrated ultrasonic sensor cleaning function removes dust and dirt from the sensor, when required. The glass covering the back panel display is extremely scratch-resistant and features an anti-reflex coating. All these properties make the camera an ideal tool for use in the challenging conditions faced by professional photographers on a daily basis.

A new generation of lenses for excellent picture quality

The combination of outstanding imaging performance and the fastest autofocus currently available makes working with the Leica SL an entirely new experience, and enables photographers to produce images at a quality level never before seen in 35 mm format. In line with Leica’s high standards of production, the new Leica SL lenses are distinguished by superior optical and mechanical precision.

With its wide range of focal lengths and high speed, the Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 24–90 mm f/2.8–4 ASPH. is the ideal standard zoom lens in the Leica SL-System portfolio, and will be available at launch. Following this comes the fast Leica APO-Vario-Elmarit-SL 90–280 mm f/2.8–4, and the current lens portfolio is rounded off by the Leica Summilux-SL 50 mm f/1.4 ASPH. – the new reference lens for this focal length. Additional Leica SL lenses will follow.

Furthermore, the exceptional compatibility of the Leica SL-System gives photographers access to almost all Leica lenses ever made. For example, all lenses for the Leica T camera can be used without an adapter. In addition, appropriate adapters allow Leica S, M, and R system lenses and lenses from other manufacturers to be mounted on the Leica SL.

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Availability and pricing

The Leica SL (Typ 601) body is scheduled to be available in the UK from authorised Leica stockists from 16 November 2015, at a suggested retail price of £5,050 including VAT.

The Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 24–90 mm f/2.8–4 ASPH. zoom lens is scheduled to be available at the same time, at a suggested retail price of £3,150 including VAT. The Leica APO-Vario-Elmarit-SL 90-280mm f/2.8–4 will be available in Q2 2016, and the Leica Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. will be available in Q4 2016. Prices will be announced nearer to the date of availability.

Additional information can be found at uk.leica-camera.com

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