We are comparing the Leica SL3-S camera side by side with the Panasonic S5 IIX. Before we begin, I must tell you that there is a significant price difference between them. Starting with the design part. Next, we will move to the photography part, where we will compare the major core specifications that build up a camera’s character map. This will help photographers decide which camera to buy. In the final part of the comparison, in the third table, we have the video core specifications compared against each other.
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1. Design Comparison
| Feature | Leica SL3-S | Panasonic S5IIx |
|---|---|---|
| Lens Mount | L-Mount | L-Mount |
| Build Material | Aluminum, Magnesium Alloy | Magnesium Alloy |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | Not specified | 5.29 x 4.03 x 3.55″ (13.44 x 10.24 x 9.02 cm) |
| Weight | 4.72 lb (2139 g) with battery | 1.64 lb (744 g) with recording media |
| Monitor Display | 3.2″ Tilting Touchscreen LCD, 2,332,800 dots | 3″ Free-Angle Tilting Touchscreen LCD, 1,840,000 dots |
| Viewfinder | Built-In Electronic OLED, 5,760,000 dots, Approx. 0.76x magnification | Built-In Electronic OLED, 3,680,000 dots, Approx. 0.78x magnification |
| Eye Point | 21 mm | 21 mm |
| Weather Sealing | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless Connectivity | 2.4 GHz MIMO Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 | 2.4 / 5 GHz Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| GPS | Yes (via connected smartphone) | No |
| Dual Card Slots | 1x CFexpress Type B, 1x SD (UHS-II) | Dual SD (UHS-II) |
Conclusion: So, from the design part, it’s very clear that Leica excels with its design. The most visible thing is the red logo and tank-like design that promises a very well-built quality camera. Besides that, we have a superior resolution electronic viewfinder with 5.7 million dots and a higher-resolution display screen. But again, there are some limitations in the display. It is tiltable but cannot be used for filming yourself. So, for content creators, the Leica SL3-S is not made for you.
The biggest difference you can spot, apart from all this, is that the Panasonic S5IIx camera features an active cooling mechanism with a built-in fan inside the camera. That’s why the camera can handle heat, whereas the Leica SL3-S has no active onboard cooling mechanism.
Now let’s compare the photographic core specifications of both cameras.
2. Photography Comparison
| Feature | Leica SL3-S | Panasonic S5IIx |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor Resolution | 24.6 MP effective (Full-Frame BSI CMOS) | 24.2 MP effective (Full-Frame CMOS) |
| ISO Range | 100 to 200,000 (Manual Mode) | 100 to 51,200 (Extended: 50 to 204,800) |
| Image Stabilization | Sensor-Shift, 5-Axis | Sensor-Shift, 5-Axis |
| Shutter Speed | Mechanical: 1/8000 to 30 sec, Electronic: 1/16000 to 60 sec | Mechanical: 1/8000 to 60 sec, Electronic: 1/8000 to 60 sec |
| Continuous Shooting | Up to 30 fps [Latger Buffer] | Up to 30 fps for 200 frames (JPEG/RAW) |
| Autofocus Points | 779 (Phase Detection and Contrast Detection) | 779 (Phase Detection and Contrast Detection) |
| Metering Modes | Center-Weighted, Highlight Weighted, Multi-Zone, Spot | Center-Weighted, Highlight Weighted, Multiple, Spot |
| Aspect Ratios | 3:2, 16:9, 17:9 | 1:1, 2:1, 3:2, 4:3, 16:9, 65:24 |
| Image Formats | DNG, JPEG | JPEG, RAW |
| Bit Depth | 14-Bit | 14-Bit |
| White Balance | Auto, Cloudy, Color Temp, Daylight, Flash, Fluorescent (Cool/Warm), Manual, Shade, Tungsten | AWB, Cloudy, Color Temp, Daylight, Flash, Incandescent, Shade, Custom (4 presets) |
Conclusion: In our table, we can see that there is a kind of negligible difference between these two. But if you consider the Leica body, the superior electronic viewfinder, the higher-resolution display screen, and budget doesn’t matter to you, then for sure, the Leica SL3-S is a great camera between the two. However, if you love to save $2,000, then the S5IIx is the best.
The alternatives of the Leica SL3-S camera
The best alternatives to the Leica SL3-S camera in this price range are the Nikon Z8 camera and the Canon R5. These are some of the best cameras available. Specification-wise, these are far better than the Leica SL3-S, and you have to pay almost a similar or a bit less price compared to the two.
3. Video Comparison
| Feature | Leica SL3-S | Panasonic S5IIx |
| Max Resolution | UHD 6K (5888 x 3312) at 23.98/25/29.97 fps | 5.9K (5952 x 3968) at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97 fps |
| Video Formats | H.264/H.265 Long GOP, MP4 (4:2:0 8/10-Bit), ProRes 4:2:2 | H.264/H.265, MOV/MP4, ProRes 4:2:2/4:2:0 8/10-Bit |
| External Recording | 4:2:2 12-Bit via HDMI | 4:2:212-Bit via HDMI |
| Frame Rates | Up to UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 59.94 fps | Up to UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 59.94 fps |
| Slow Motion | Slow Motion Only | Yes |
| Gamma Curve | Rec709, Rec2020 | Panasonic V-Gamut, V-Log |
| Built-In Microphone | Stereo | Stereo |
| Audio Formats | AAC, LPCM | MOV: LPCM 24-Bit, MP4: AAC 16-Bit |
| Recording Limit | No | No |
| IP Streaming | No | RTP, RTSP (up to 4K at 25 Mb/s) |
| Bitrate | Not specified | Up to 800 Mbps |
| Heat Management | Not specified | Active Cooling |
| Autofocus in Video | Phase Detection | Phase Detection with AI Tracking |
| HDMI Port | Full-Size HDMI | Full-Size HDMI 2.1 |
| Timecode Support | No | Yes |
| Vertical Video Support | Yes | Yes |
Conclusion: Both camera offers 6k at 60fps and 4k 30FPS uncropped as well as 4k60fps with crop [1.5x]. Again, in the video core specification part, you can see there is very little difference to spot. Other than that, I prefer the Panasonic S5 series camera’s V-Log. At the same time, we also have an active cooling mechanism that prevents it from overheating. So, more or less, for video core specification-wise, the Panasonic S5IIx camera is more recommended.
Also see – Sony FX30 vs Panasonic S5 IIX
“Conclusion: Both camera offers 6k at 60fps”
*correction: both cameras can max out at 6k 30fps