See our interview with Leica’s Stephan Schulz

See our Leica SL (Typ 601) Hands-on First Look

A key feature of the aluminium-bodied Leica SL is its 4.4-million-dot ‘EyeRes’ electronic viewfinder, the magnification of which is ‘reminiscent of a medium-format camera’, according to Leica.

There is also a 2.95in back-panel display boasting a viewing angle of up to 170°.

The camera is built to protect against dust, moisture and spray and includes a built-in ultrasonic sensor-cleaning function.

An 11-frames per second (at full resolution) burst rate is made possible through a combination of the Maestro II processor and the camera’s 2GB buffer memory. This is according to Leica, which is showcasing the camera at an event at its HQ in Wezlar, Germany this evening.

The SL, which is due to go on sale on 16 November priced £5,050, also includes built-in Wi-Fi and GPS, a top shutter speed of 1/8000sec, ISO of 50-50,000 and an AF-speed trumpeted as the ‘fastest in the full-frame system-camera class’.

Images can be saved to an SD card, simultaneously in JPEG and DNG format, using one of two SD slots.

Meanwhile, the new Leica SL app should allow remote control from a camera or smartphone and sharing of images to social networks.

Leica has unveiled dedicated lenses for the SL, but stresses that the camera is also compatible with Leica R, S and M lenses via separate adapters. An external light sensor is designed to optimise image performance using M lenses, according to Leica.

However, T lenses do not require an adapter because the SL and T cameras share the same L-mount, the firm explained, adding that the SL changes sensor format to APS-C size when T lenses are attached.

The first of the SL-system lenses will be the Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-90mm f/2.8-4 Asph, billed as an ideal standard zoom and expected out on 16 November, priced £3,150.

This will be followed by the APO-Vario-Elmarit-SL 90-280mm f/2.8-4 optically stabilised telezoom, due out in the second quarter of 2016; and the Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 Asph, expected to be available in the last quarter of next year.

Leica claims that the SL is much more than a professional stills camera with video recording capability. In a statement, Leica added: ‘It fulfils even the most stringent demands of moviemakers as a fully-fledged video camera.’

The SL shoots 4K video at a frame rate of 30fps and 120fps in full HD.

Furthermore, the use of PL adapters enables use of Leica’s Summicron-C and Summilux-C cine lenses.