I had the chance to try this one out a few weeks ago under NDA (which was a privilege and a lot of fun). At first glance, it seemed like a really attractive package and I was tempted, but after digging into it, I wish Leica would have gone with a more modern and cutting-edge sensor with fast read-out speed. At this price range and it being the middle of 2026, I would expect a fully stacked sensor, or at least something reads out as fast as the sensor of the Canon R5 II.
I applaud Leica for keep going with the SL line. For example, I'm sure the new SL 50'lux will be stunning (not available until later in the year). My initial assessment, after only an hour to use it, is that the SL3P is not for me at this point, but it does fix a lot of stuff for the SL line.
Some were expecting (hoping?) that the SL3-P would be lighter than the SL3. Based on the official specifications the weight has in fact been reduced, from 769g to 768g. I doubt that many will notice.
By the way, the weights published by Leica do not include the battery or memory cards. For comparison, the S1Rii weighs about 70 grams less.
Interesting tidbit from David Imel’s hands on write up:
“I tested this mode pretty extensively during my time with the camera, and half the time the would freeze up, forcing me to take the battery out and put it back in, and the other half of the time it would store the images but the screen would be black and unusable for multiple seconds. There's a long delay while it moves the data from the buffer to storage, but nothing on screen tells you that's happening or how long it'll take.” https://www.davidimel.com/newsletter/testing-leicas-new-sl3-p/
I’ve had Q3s freeze up on me a bunch. I hear M11s are notoriously freeze-prone too. What is up with this generation of cameras from Leica?
The SL3-P (P=Professional?) "But is it enough" IMO probably not yet for some, particularly some forum discussions. But clearly, Leica & Panasonic's co-development is getting there--just much slower than Sony, Canon, Nikon for example in some key performance areas. E.g., according to this PetaPixel video, the SL3-P sensor scan readout speed is just under 40ms which I suspect he is talking about sensor read out for stills, not the various video modes. I am sure there will be much more scrutiny and precise testing on this forum-popular spec to come.
What does this camera bring that other brands can’t? Great menus and some great, but large/heavy glass, will mount with adapters ‘M’ glass.. and what else? It appears to me that it is about the glass, but other manufacturers also have some great glass and serve other niche such as sports, BIF and macro photography. So, why do you buy an SL? Is it because you already own lenses? I’m guessing that is your familiarity with the shooting experience. This is why I shoot ‘M’ cameras..
I’d buy one in a heartbeat if money weren’t a factor. I had an SL2-S for a short while; holding that camera is simply a dream. It’s just fun to shoot with. The viewfinder is impressive. And the connection (and setup) between the phone and camera works so seamlessly and easily that I thought: "Okay, this is what it would look like if Apple built a camera."
Overall, Leica’s menus are incredibly clear and intuitive. Sure, Leica cameras might have some downsides when it comes to technical specs, but shooting with them is just an absolute joy. And that counts a lot. It’s not because of the Leica badge on the front, but because of how fascinating they feel to handle. If I could bring myself to mount Panasonic or Sigma glass on one, it would be my go-to system. But since I’ve got my heart set on Leica SL lenses, the cost just becomes too steep (for me).
RomanMF wrote:
Interesting tidbit from David Imel’s hands on write up:
“I tested this mode pretty extensively during my time with the camera, and half the time the would freeze up, forcing me to take the battery out and put it back in, and the other half of the time it would store the images but the screen would be black and unusable for multiple seconds. There's a long delay while it moves the data from the buffer to storage, but nothing on screen tells you that's happening or how long it'll take.” https://www.davidimel.com/newsletter/testing-leicas-new-sl3-p/
I’ve had Q3s freeze up on me a bunch. I hear M11s are notoriously freeze-prone too. What is up with this generation of cameras from Leica? ...Show more →
The M11 was the first M with live metering from the sensor, so they had a lot of new firmware to write snd sort out. Hopefully they’ll do better with the stability of the firmware for the M12. Q cameras have always been finicky about SD cards, but I didn’t have any freezes with my Q3 43 thankfully.
I've been reading the early reviews and announcements of the Leica SL3-P, but I didn't notice any direct comparison to the Panasonic Lumix S1R II, which feels like the elephant in the room given the shared L-mount and similar specs.
Aside from the obvious differences in handling, build, menus, and overall Leica design, I'm curious if there are any meaningful advantages to the SL3-P over the S1R II in real-world photography. (Don't care much about video)
Fred Miranda wrote:
I've been reading the early reviews and announcements of the Leica SL3-P, but I didn't notice any direct comparison to the Panasonic Lumix S1R II, which feels like the elephant in the room given the shared L-mount and similar specs.
Aside from the obvious differences in handling, build, menus, and overall Leica design, I'm curious if there are any meaningful advantages to the SL3-P over the S1R II in real-world photography. (Don't care much about video)
The only meaningful advantage that comes to mind has to do with the performance of M-mount lenses. While the S1Rii sensor stack is thinner than the typical Sony sensor stack, the SL3-P sensor stack should be even better. At some point I may rent (or borrow) an SL3-P to do a comparison with my S1Rii. I doubt that it will be worth it to me to "upgrade" from my S1Rii, but I would like to try it out before deciding. One advantage to the S1Rii is weight, but the difference is only about 70 grams.
bwcolor wrote:
What does this camera bring that other brands can’t? Great menus and some great, but large/heavy glass, will mount with adapters ‘M’ glass.. and what else? It appears to me that it is about the glass, but other manufacturers also have some great glass and serve other niche such as sports, BIF and macro photography. So, why do you buy an SL? Is it because you already own lenses? I’m guessing that is your familiarity with the shooting experience. This is why I shoot ‘M’ cameras..
Primarily for the APO-SL lenses. They are special and my favorite all time glass.
Also for build, weather rating, workflow, and compatibility with my entire Leica lens collection including M and screw mount.
dan98 wrote:
The only meaningful advantage that comes to mind has to do with the performance of M-mount lenses. While the S1Rii sensor stack is thinner than the typical Sony sensor stack, the SL3-P sensor stack should be even better. At some point I may rent (or borrow) an SL3-P to do a comparison with my S1Rii. I doubt that it will be worth it to me to "upgrade" from my S1Rii, but I would like to try it out before deciding. One advantage to the S1Rii is weight, but the difference is only about 70 grams.
That's definitely a real advantage if someone is adapting, and in my experience it holds up. Aside from Leica M bodies, the SL offers the second-best compatibility with M lenses.
