Two months ago, photos and specs of the new Leica SL2 surfaced and seemed like a dream. Now that dream has become a reality! Leica has made their official announcement of the new groundbreaking SL2 camera, standing at 47.3 megapixels and capable of shooting still images at up to 20fps, 4K video at 60fps, and do we even need to say the slow-mo capture rates? We do! 1080p HD slow motion at up to 180fps!

Our point: You might want to pre-order this camera & get your hands on one as soon as possible!

The Groundbreaking Leica SL2 Mirrorless Digital Camera

At first glance of the new Leica SL2, it appears to have taken its predecessor and bumped everything up to eleven! The old 24-megapixel sensor has practically doubled, coming to a whopping 47.3MP and the resolution on this thing is absolutely mind-blowing.

[Related Reading: Leica ‘Unofficially’ Confirms The M10 Monochrom Coming With A New 41MP Sensor]

But that’s not all, because Leica’s new camera is pushing the limits of digital video recording with “Cine mode”. Leica says cine mode “Transforms the SL2 into a manually controlled cine camera.” That’s a game-changer for content creators.

For video, the camera shoots in 5K, but it also shoots 10-Bit 4K DCI or UHD at up to 59.94fps, and 1080p at up to 180fps! Look out Panasonic GH5, because these resolutions are at FULL FRAME. And if you’re looking for more standard video resolutions, Leica has you covered there, as well with 8-bit h.264 at 4K UHD up to 59.94fps and 1080p up to 180fps. You really can’t go wrong with this camera!

The all new Leica SL2 camera. Photo by www.leica-camera.com

Great for Still Shots

The Leica SL2 is an L Mount camera, with a 47.3-megapixel CMOS sensor inside shooting 14-bit DNG raw files. It’s compatible with multiple L mount lenses as well as Leica’s M, S, and R systems.

But the really crazy part about this new camera? Leica says that the SL2 doesn’t weigh any more than it’s predecessor, nor is it any larger.

Pricing & Availability

So what are you waiting for? You can preorder the Leica from B&H or Adorama for $5,995 and Leica will begin shipping on November 21st.

Photo of a martial arts school, taken with a Leica SL2 camera. Photo by www.leica-camera.com

Technical Specs

  • Lens Mount Leica L
  • Camera Format Full-Frame (1x Crop Factor)
  • Pixels Effective: 47.3 Megapixel
  • Maximum Resolution 8368 x 5584
  • Aspect Ratio 3:2
  • Sensor Type CMOS
  • Image File Format DNG, JPEG
  • Bit Depth 14-Bit
  • Image Stabilization Sensor-Shift, 5-Axis
  • ISO Sensitivity Auto, 100 to 50000 (Extended: 50 to 50000)
  • Shutter Speed
    • Mechanical Shutter – 1/8000 to 1800 Seconds
    • Electronic Shutter – 1/40000 to 1 Second
  • Continuous Shooting
    • Up to 20 fps at 47.3 MP for up to 78 Exposures (Raw)
    • Up to 20 fps at 47.3 MP for up to 100 Exposures (JPEG)
    • Up to 10 fps at 47.3 MP
    • Up to 6 fps at 47.3 MP
    • Up to 3 fps at 47.3 MP
  • Recording Modes
    • MOV/H.26410-Bit
    • 5K (4992 x 3744) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p
    • DCI 4K (4096 x 2160) at 24.00p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p
    • UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p
    • Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p/100p/119.88p/180p
    • MP4/H.26410-Bit
    • UHD 4K (3840 x 2160)23.976p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p
    • Full HD (1920 x 1080)23.976p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p/100p/119.88p/180p
  • External Recording Modes 10-Bit
    • DCI 4K (4096 x 2160) up to 59.94p
  • Recording Limit Up to 29 Minutes
  • Video Encoding NTSC/PAL
  • Audio Recording Built-In Microphone (Stereo)
    • External Microphone Input (Stereo)
  • Audio File Format AAC, AC3

So what do you think? Now that we’ve got all the information, does this new beastly camera peak your interest? Given it’s specs and what the camera is capable of, i’m actually REALLY impressed with its price point. How about you? Let me know in the comments below