Leica SL3-S

Announced at CES in January 2025, the Leica SL3-S is a speed-oriented companion to the 60MP SL3. Where the SL3 prioritizes resolution, the SL3-S uses a 24MP sensor tuned for high-ISO performance and faster continuous shooting — the "-S" suffix following the Leica convention established by the SL2-S. At $5,295 it is also the most affordable current SL body, making it the practical entry point into the SL system.

For photographers familiar with other mirrorless systems: the SL3-S follows a pattern common in the industry — Sony A7R vs A7, Canon R5 vs R6 — where the manufacturer offers a high-resolution variant and a lower-resolution, faster variant of the same body. The SL3-S keeps the phase-detect AF and L-mount of the SL3 while optimizing for situations where speed and low light matter more than pixel count.