Leica’s medium format S3 DSLR is out and it can be yours for “only” $19,000
Mar 6, 2020
Dunja Đuđić
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, concerts, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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First photos of Leica S3 leaked ages ago, and earlier this year we saw the specs leak as well. But now it’s official: Leica S3 is out. It’s a medium format DSLR with 64MP 30 x 45mm CMOS sensor and 4K and full HD video, and as you have probably expected, it’s a pricey piece of gear. Let’s dive in and find out more about what Leica’s new medium format camera has to offer.
The Leica S3 sports a 64MP 30 x 45mm CMOS sensor, with dynamic range rated for up to 15 stops. This “Leica ProFormat” sensor also omits an optical low-pass filter. This means that it offers “the greatest sharpness possible.” The ISO ranges between 100 and 50,000 and the camera supports continuous shooting up to 3 fps. When it comes to autofocus, the S3 packs a predictive phase-detection autofocus system.
Other than shooting photos, the S3 can also be used for video. It features a DCI 4K recording at 24 fps and full HD up to 30 fps. You can add an external microphone via the 3.5mm port and external recording at Full HD is supported via HDMI Type-C with 4:2:2 8-bit color sampling.
Here are the full specs of the camera:
| Imaging | |
| Lens Mount | Leica S |
| Camera Format | Medium Format |
| Pixels | Effective: 64 Megapixel |
| Aspect Ratio | 1970-01-01 03:02:00 |
| Sensor Type | CMOS |
| Sensor Size | 30 x 45 mm |
| Image File Format | DNG, JPEG |
| Bit Depth | 14-Bit |
| Exposure Control | |
| ISO Sensitivity | Auto, 100 to 50000 |
| Shutter Type | Focal Plane Shutter, Leaf Shutter |
| Shutter Speed | Mechanical Shutter |
| 1/4000 to 120 Second | |
| Metering Method | Center-Weighted Average, Multi-Zone, Spot |
| Exposure Modes | Aperture Priority, Manual, Program, Shutter Priority |
| Exposure Compensation | -3 to +3 EV (1/2 EV Steps) |
| Metering Range | 1.2 to 20 EV |
| White Balance | Auto, Cloudy, Color Temperature, Daylight, Flash, Fluorescent, Halogen, Incandescent, Shade, Tungsten |
| Continuous Shooting | Mechanical Shutter |
| Up to 3 fps at 64 MP for up to 6 Frames (Raw) / Unlimited Frames (JPEG) | |
| Interval Recording | Yes |
| Self-Timer | 2/12-Second Delay |
| Mirror Lock-Up | Yes |
| Video | |
| Recording Modes | MOV/M-JPEG 4:2:2 8-Bit |
| DCI 4K (4096 x 2160) at 24.00p | |
| Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 24.00p/25p/29.97p | |
| External Recording Modes | 4:2:2 8-Bit |
| Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 24.00p/25p/29.97p | |
| Video Encoding | NTSC/PAL |
| Audio Recording | Built-In Microphone (Stereo) |
| External Microphone Input (Stereo) | |
| Focus | |
| Focus Type | Auto and Manual Focus |
| Focus Mode | Continuous-Servo AF (C), Manual Focus (M), Single-Servo AF (S) |
| Viewfinder and Monitor | |
| Viewfinder Type | Optical (Pentaprism) |
| Viewfinder Coverage | 0.98 |
| Viewfinder Magnification | Approx. 0.87x |
| Diopter Adjustment | -3 to +1 |
| Monitor Size | 3″ |
| Monitor Resolution | 921,600 Dot |
| Monitor Type | Fixed LCD |
| Flash | |
| Built-In Flash | No |
| Flash Modes | First-Curtain Sync, Hi-Speed Sync, Second-Curtain Sync |
| Maximum Sync Speed | 1/125 Second (Focal Plane Shutter) |
| 1/1000 Second (Leaf Shutter) | |
| Dedicated Flash System | TTL |
| External Flash Connection | Hot Shoe, Proprietary |
| Interface | |
| Memory Card Slot | Slot 1: SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Slot 2: CompactFlash (UDMA 7) | |
| Connectivity | Leica S Remote Terminal (USB 3.0), HDMI C (Mini), 3.5mm Microphone |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi |
| GPS | Yes |
| Environmental | |
| Operating Temperature | 32 to 113°F / 0 to 45°C |
| Operating Humidity | 15 to 80% |
| Physical | |
| Battery | 1 x S BP-PRO1 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion, 7.3 VDC, 2300 mAh |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 6.3 x 3.15 x 4.72″ / 160 x 80 x 120 mm |
| Weight | 2.77 lb / 1260 g (Body Only) |
And here are more photos of the Leica S3:
The Leica S3 is available for preorders and it can be yours for $18,995. It’s expected to start shipping in late March, hopefully without any delays.
Dunja Đuđić
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, concerts, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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8 responses to “Leica’s medium format S3 DSLR is out and it can be yours for “only” $19,000”
So what part makes this camera worth $19,000?
Michael Estwik name onl
Nothing like affordable camera equipment!
One word: Fuji.
How much is that FB picture worth?
My Olympus SLR camera is 15 years old now. I am currently making a short film and using a DV Canon Camcorder that’s over 20 years old.
For people with more money than common sense.
For people with more money than common sense, and the ego to match.