Leica SL2 vs Leica SL2-S
Every published spec side by side, with today's lowest prices for the market you've chosen.
Key differences
- Announced: Dec 2020 on the SL2-S, against Nov 2019 on the SL2.
- Resolution: 47.3 MP on the SL2, against 24.6 MP on the SL2-S.
- Native ISO: 50–100,000 on the SL2-S, against 50–50,000 on the SL2.
- Burst (mechanical): 10 fps on the SL2, against 9 fps on the SL2-S.
- Burst (electronic): 25 fps on the SL2-S, against 20 fps on the SL2.
- Fastest shutter (elec.): 1/40,000s on the SL2, against 1/16,000s on the SL2-S.
SL2 or SL2-S: which should you buy?
Choose the SL2 for its resolution, burst (mechanical), fastest shutter (elec.) and max resolution. It leads on 5 specs in all.
Choose the SL2-S for its native ISO, burst (electronic) and battery (CIPA shots).
On paper the SL2 wins more rows (5 to 3); if the SL2-S's strengths are the ones you shoot with, and its price is lower where you buy, it can still be the better buy.
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest price today | $3,934.95 new $1,207.29 used | $3,269.95 new $2,118 used |
| Overview | ||
| Type | Mirrorless | Mirrorless |
| Announced | Nov 2019 | Dec 2020 (best) |
| US launch priceUS list price when announced, body only. Today's prices are in the offers table. | $5,999 | $4,895 |
| Lens | Interchangeable | Interchangeable |
| Sensor & image | ||
| Sensor size | Full frame | Full frame |
| Sensor type | CMOS | BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 47.3 MP (best) | 24.6 MP |
| Native ISO | 50–50,000 | 50–100,000 (best) |
| In-body stabilisation | Yes, 5.5 stops | Yes, 5.5 stops |
| Speed & autofocus | ||
| Burst (mechanical) | 10 fps (best) | 9 fps |
| Burst (electronic) | 20 fps | 25 fps (best) |
| Fastest shutter (mech.) | 1/8,000s | 1/8,000s |
| Fastest shutter (elec.) | 1/40,000s (best) | 1/16,000s |
| AF pointsMakers count points differently, so this is not ranked. | 225 | 225 |
| Subject detectionMakers group subjects differently (Canon's "animal" includes birds), so only having it is ranked. | Human | Human |
| Video | ||
| Max resolution | 5K (best) | 4K |
| 4K frame rate | 60p | 60p |
| 10-bit internal | Yes | Yes |
| Internal raw video | No | No |
| Mic input | Yes | Yes |
| Headphone jack | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder & screen | ||
| Viewfinder | Electronic, 5.76M dots | Electronic, 5.76M dots |
| Rear screen | 3.2", 2.10M dots | 3.2", 2.10M dots |
| Screen articulation | Fixed | Fixed |
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| Body & battery | ||
| Weight (with battery) | 920 g (best) | 931 g |
| Dimensions (W×H×D) | 146.4 × 107.5 × 82.3 mm | 146 × 107 × 83 mm |
| Weather sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Battery (CIPA shots) | 450 | 510 (best) |
| Card slots | 2 · SD UHS-II + SD UHS-II | 2 · SD UHS-II + SD UHS-II |
| USB-C | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in flash | No | No |
| Wi-Fi / Bluetooth | Wi-Fi + Bluetooth | Wi-Fi + Bluetooth |
Green marks the better figure where “better” is unambiguous. A dash means the maker doesn't publish it or we haven't verified it yet.
Price history: is the newer one cheaper?
Low light & noise
SL2
4.3 µm pixels
47.3 MP on a full frame sensor, ISO up to 50,000
SL2-S
5.9 µm pixels
24.6 MP on a full frame sensor, ISO up to 100,000
Bigger pixels gather more light each, so they tend to show less noise at high ISO, but sensor design matters as much. For real noise at ISO 6400, these sites measure it:
- Photons to Photos: dynamic range vs ISO ↗Photographic dynamic range measured at every ISO, bodies on one chart
- Photons to Photos: noise vs ISO ↗Read noise at every ISO from lab tests: lower is cleaner in the shadows
- DPReview studio scene ↗The same scene shot by each camera at the ISO you pick, side by side
- DPReview reviews ↗Full reviews with high-ISO samples
- Low-light video tests ↗Real-world high-ISO footage on YouTube
Size, to scale
Front (width × height)
Top (width × depth)