A newly developed 64MP 30x45mm CMOS sensor and the Leica Maestro II image processor are at the heart of the S3 announced today. The camera was first seen in prototype form at Photokina in 2018. This medium-format DSLR offers 15 stops of dynamic range and ISO sensitivity up to 50,000. It features a dual shutter system and a “huge” optical viewfinder. It is also dust and spray-water sealed.
The new sensor improves colour reproduction by utilising new colour filters. There is no low-pass filter, improving detail reproduction, and the sensor includes a super-fast pixel readout to reduce rolling shutter effects. It also consumes less power than the previous sensor, thus minimising sensor heating.
Leica’s S system now includes 16 native lenses but the camera can also be used with lenses from Hasselblad H, Hasselblad V, Pentax 67 and Mamiya 645. In all, there are 96 lenses, including 80 from third-party manufacturers, which can be used. Leica lists five adapters to support compatibility.
(Image Leica Camera AG) 
(Image Leica Camera AG) 
(Image Leica Camera AG)
The S3 costs £16,500, including VAT in the UK, and is available immediately.
| LEICA PRESS RELEASE | |
| Leica Camera launches the new Leica S3 | |
| Wetzlar, 6 March 2020. Leica Camera launches the latest model of its medium format system, having previously announced the development of the Leica S3 at Photokina 2018. With the market release of the Leica S3, Leica once again lives up to the ambitious quality standards the brand’s customers have come to expect. In addition to the most prominent improvement – an increase in resolution from 37.5 to 64-megapixels – the medium format camera boasts several technological developments. Just like its predecessors, the Leica S3 also features the Leica ProFormat sensor with 64MP resolution, which was developed exclusively for the Leica S-System. With dimensions of 30 x 45mm, it corresponds to the classic 3:2 aspect ratio of the 35mm full-frame format, but offers a 56% larger sensor area. In comparison to its predecessor, the new 64-megapixel sensor offers a 71% increase in resolution, a dynamic range of 15 f-stops and a maximum ISO sensitivity setting of 50000 – delivering outstanding image quality in any imaginable lighting situation while fully exploiting the strengths of medium format. Whenever required, the LCD screen displays a Live-View image with a refresh rate of up to 60 fps. The entire area of the sensor can be used not only for videos in full-HD but also for 4K cinema resolution. When capturing video footage, 48 kHz,16-bit stereo sound with automatic or manual level adjustment can be recorded with either the integrated microphone or an external microphone. In addition to the integrated GPS function, the Leica S3 also has Wi-Fi which allows for the camera to be remotely controlled via the Leica FOTOS 2.0 app. As with other members of the Leica S-System, the Leica S3 features superior-quality and extremely resilient materials such as the magnesium body, the Corning®Gorilla®Glass cover plate of the 3-inch monitor screen as well as the lens bayonet, which is made from particularly solid stainless steel. Furthermore, the numerous seals that protect the camera against the ingress of moisture or dust contribute to the reliability and long service life of the camera when shooting on location. With a special construction concept that ensures protection against dust and spray, the S-Lenses are an integral element of the Leica S-System. Just like any other Leica lens, S-Lenses are designed to offer the best possible performance to meet the demands of future generations of imaging technology and to retain their value as a long-term investment. A further highlight of the S-System is the central shutter. In contrast to a focal plane shutter with a maximum sync speed of 1/125s, a central shutter allows flash synchronisation even at its fastest shutter speed of 1/1000s. This offers considerably greater exposure leeway for creative photography, particularly when working with professional studio flash systems or shooting in bright ambient light. | |
TECHNICAL DATA
| Leica S3 | |
| Sensor | |
| Dimensions | 30 x 45 (Leica ProFormat) |
| Aspect ratio | 2:3 |
| Resolution | 64-megapixels |
| Dynamic range | Up to 15 f-stops |
| White balance | Presets: Daylight, cloudy, shade, incandescent, fluorescent, HMI, halogen warm, halogen cool, flash, tungsten grey card, grey card Live View, automatic, colour temperature (Kelvin) |
| Low-pass filter | No (for maximum detail resolution/sharpness) |
| IR filter | On the sensor |
| ISO sensitivity | ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600, ISO 3200, ISO 6400, ISO 12500, ISO 25000, ISO 50000, auto ISO |
| Focusing | |
| Type | Predictive TTL autofocus with central cross sensor and phase detection |
| AF modes | AFs (single) = focus priority, AFc (continuous) = predictivefocus tracking, manual override of AF settings is possible at any time |
| AF lock | Shutter release or five-way joystick |
| MF | Via lens with electronic focusing aid |
| Exposure settings | |
| Exposure metering | Exposure metering through the lens (TTL) |
| Metering modes | Multi-segment (five fields), centre-weighted,selective/spot metering (3.5% of image frame) |
| Exposure control | Programme AE (with manual shift) (P), shutter speed priority (T), aperture priority AE (A), manual exposure control (M) |
| (M) Exposure compensation | +/- 3 EV (in half-stop increments) |
| Exposure bracketing | 3 or 5 exposures; 1/2, 1, 2, 3 stop(s) |
| Shutter | |
| Shutter | Focal plane shutter, central shutter with LeicaCS lenses |
| Drive modes | Single, continuous, interval, self-timer2 s /12 s (with mirror pre-release) |
| Shutter speeds | 2 minutes (depending on ISO setting) to 1/4000 s, in half-stop increments |
| Burst rate | Up to 3 fps |
| Self-timer | 2 s or 12 s, with mirror pre-release |
| Mirror pre-release | Yes |
| Video | |
| Video recording | 4K cinema and full-HD in Leica ProFormat (large format video) |
| Resolution | Full-HD: 1920 x 1080 p, 4K cinema: 4096 x 2160 p |
| Frame rate | Full-HD: 24, 25, 30 fps, 4K cinema: 24 fps |
| File format | MOV (motion JPEG) |
| Colour subsampling | 4:2:2 |
| Exposure control | Manual and automatic |
| Audio level | Manual and automatic |
| Audio (onboard) | Integrated stereo microphone. 48 kHz, 16 Bit |
| Audio (external) | Audio-in (3.5 mm stereo jack), Audio-out (3.5 mmstereo jack), with Leica Audio-Adapter-S |
| Time code | Internal |
| Miscellaneous | Focus peaking, clean uncompressed full-HD (1080p) 8-Bit, 4:2:2, HDMI video stream for recording on off-camera HDMI recorders |
| Live View | |
| Refresh rate | Up to 60 fps |
| Focusing | Manual, AF metering field shift to any part of the viewfinder image |
| Exposure control | Multi-segment (five fields), centre-weighted, selective/spot (linked to AF metering field) |
| Exposure simulation | Yes |
| Miscellaneous | Histogram with clipping, focus peaking, levelling aid (horizon), exposure information |
| Viewfinder | |
| Type | Pentaprism viewfinder with high-eyepoint eyepiece, illuminated LCD bar |
| Magnification | 0.87x (with 70 mm lens at infinity, 0 dpt.) |
| Viewfinder coverage | Approx. 98% |
| Dioptre compensation | –3 to +1 dioptres |
| Focusing screens | Exchangeable: standard focusing screen with AF cross hairs and spot marking (supplied with the camera), focusing screen with engraved grid, microprism focusing screen |
| Viewfinder information | Levelling aid (horizon), shutter speed, exposure control mode, aperture, flash status, exposure compensation scale, flash sync display, focus indicator, exposure compensation, remaining exposures (on storage medium), buffer memory, error messages, ISO settings display |
| Display panels | |
| Monitor screen | 3-inch TFT LCD display |
| Resolution | 921,600 pixels |
| Colour space | sRGB, 16 million colours |
| Oblique viewing angle | 170° |
| Display cover glass | Corning®Gorilla®Glass |
| Top-deck display panel | Monochrome LCD display |
| Flash | |
| Connections | Lemo® flash sync socket, hot shoe with centre and control contacts |
| Flash synchronisation with focal-plane shutter | 1/125 s |
| Flash synchronisation with central shutter (leaf shutter) | Up to 1/1000 sn |
| High-speed sync | HSS function up to 1/4000 s (with compatible external flash units) |
| Flash triggering point | Sync on first or second curtain (FPS) |
| Shooting | |
| Drive modes | Single, continuous, interval, self-timer 2 s with mirror pre-release, self-timer 12 s with mirror pre-release |
| Data recording | |
| Image data formats | Lossless compressed DNG, DNG + JPEG |
| Buffer memory capacity | 2 GB buffer memory, up to six lossless compressed DNG image files, JPEG no limit (dependent on memory card type, shutter speed and ISO setting) |
| Storage media | SD card (SDXC), CF card (UDMA7), external (PC) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Playback mode | Full image, histogram with clipping, focus peaking, exposure information |
| GPS | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Integrated in camera body (remote camera control and image assessment by smartphone app), IEEE802.11n |
| Date/time | Manual or automatic date/time setting with GPS module |
| Levelling aid (horizon) | Display sensitivity < 1° (at ambient temperatures from 0–40°C) |
| Interfaces | |
| USB | Lemo® USB 3.0 SuperSpeed |
| HDMI | HDMI type C socket |
| Audio | With Audio-Adapter S (audio-in, audio-out) |
| Flash synchronisation | Lemo® flash sync socket |
| Remote release | Lemo® cable remote release |
| Wi-Fi | Integrated in camera body |
| Body | |
| Materials | Magnesium body with non-slip rubber armouring. Magnesium top deck, aluminium baseplate. Stainless steel bayonet and control elements |
| Dimensions | 160 × 80 × 120 mm |
| Weight | ~ 1260 g (without battery) |
| Dust-proof/splash-proof sealing | Yes |