Stuff - UK (2021-03)

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TESTED LEICA SL2-S

GOOD

MEH

EVIL

Attractive

minimalist

styling

But it’s

really very

expensive...

...and

really very

heavy

Equally

great for

video

Focus

can be

troublesome

[^ W

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au

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At nearly £4K the SL2-S is not a cheap camera...

but since the nights out have tailed off, perhaps

it’s the perfect companion to bubble with

It feels like a welcome bonus on

a Huawei phone, but nobody buys

a ‘proper’ Leica camera without

very careful consideration.

Being engineered to the highest

standards is a given, but you also

get the impression that each one

has been crafted with the luxury

of giving little or no thought to

the cost.

The SL2-S is being pitched

as an alternative to the SL2, the

key difference being a new 24MP

full-frame BSI-CMOS sensor

instead of the SL2’s mammoth

47MP one... and with it comes

a slightly less scary price.

Whether you’re looking for an

entry into L-mount lenses or just

don’t want to deal with colossal

files, the SL2-S is a tempting

proposition – and with the latest

firmware updates it gives the SL2

a run for its £5300 of money on

video and light sensitivity.

So, bringing a new meaning to

‘neighbourhood watch’, we spent

a week swinging it around on our

daily lockdown walks.

£3975 (body only) / stuff.tv/SL2S

What’s not to Leic?

This is what it feels Leic

The lovely textured grip would

make it possible to hold this

camera one-handed if it weren’t

for the heavy lenses, and that

same mesh-like texture (2) runs

across the entire body. There are

three buttons devoid of markings,

which is a little intimidating but

good for stylish minimalism.

I Leic the way you move

With no mode dial on top, you

press a rear one inwards to

switch between modes. There’s

a joystick (3), which is a stretch

for small hands but a huge asset.

Throw in a 3.5mm mic socket,

HDMI port, USB-C charging port

and two SD card slots, and that’s

a well-connected bit of kit.

Leica rolling stone

Made in Germany, this is an

angular, imposing solid block

of metal that’s seriously chunky

and weighty at almost 1kg (1). It’s

actually a pinch heavier than the

larger-sensored SL2, has an IP54

waterproof rating, and feels more

like a pro DSLR as opposed to a

full-frame mirrorless.

Excellent

image

quality