Well begun is half done‭, ‬it is said‭. ‬And with photography being perhaps the most accessible of art forms‭, ‬you can begin without any special training‭ ‬–‭ ‬you only need to equip yourself with the right tools and then give free rein to your imagination‭. ‬A tool such as the new Leica‭ ‬SL3-S‭.    ‬

The art of photography is also all about the image‭. ‬And with a legendary name such as Leica in your hands‭, ‬you convey the right‭ ‬one‭, ‬both in the pictures that you take and in the intent that you project‭. ‬An intent of style and substance in equal measure‭.‬

Connoisseurs of the art of photography know the significance of the storied Leica brand‭. ‬The legendary German camera maker has been the purveyor of fine photographic equipment for exactly a hundred years now‭. ‬Along the way‭, ‬its cameras and lenses have been‭ ‬used by some of the most iconic photographers to ever pick up a camera‭. ‬Think greats like the genius Frenchman Henri Cartier-Bresson or‭, ‬more recently‭, ‬Steve McCurry‭, ‬the eye behind much of National Geographic’s fabled images‭.‬

While the indisputable numero uno of cameras in the age of film‭, ‬Leica has extended its excellence into the digital age as well‭,‬‭ ‬keeping step with the changing times and developments of the photographic art form‭ - ‬and its extension into videography‭. ‬And this year‭, ‬as it turns 100‭, ‬the brand has introduced the SL3-S‭, ‬a 24-megapixel‭, ‬full-frame system camera that builds on its SL system‭, ‬combining photography and videography in a unique way‭. ‬

With fast autofocus and enhanced video functions‭, ‬the SL3-S builds on the full-frame system based on Leica’s L-Mount standard‭, ‬which has firmly established the brand in the world of professional audiovisual production‭.‬

According to Leica‭, ‬when developing this camera‭, ‬the process centred on the high demands of professional photography and videography‭. ‬The key focus was on speed‭, ‬flexibility and versatility‭. ‬And it shows‭. ‬What this camera offers is combination of the highest image quality for both photography and videography with optimum working speed and reliability‭. ‬

But let’s start with the look and feel‭ ‬–‭ ‬things that the Leica legend is based on‭. ‬If you have ever held a Leica in your hands‭, ‬you can appreciate balanced ergonomics and know what premium quality feels like‭. ‬The camera is also noticeably light and compact‭, ‬falling beautifully to your hand with‭ ‬a feel that is‭ ‬“just right”‭. ‬The premium materials‭ ‬–‭ ‬metal and rubber‭ ‬–‭ ‬are all great to the touch‭, ‬both satiny and sturdy in equal measure and securely protected by an IP54-certified solid all-metal‭ ‬body‭, ‬which give ample hints from the get-go as to how Leica achieved its reputation for quality that lasts generations‭.    ‬

When you take your eyes off the display and look through the viewfinder‭, ‬your subject is crystal clear for you to compose a shot‭  ‬perfectly thanks to the sophisticated optical systems from a manufacturer that has become the benchmark for optics‭. ‬The function buttons are all in the right places ergonomically and are freely assignable‭, ‬while optimised touch interaction throughout the‭ ‬camera menu allows for intuitive and convenient operation‭. ‬When taking photos and filming‭, ‬the entire user interface of the SL3‭-‬S aligns itself in landscape or portrait format according to the camera position‭. ‬

When it comes to shooting your shot‭, ‬a new BSI CMOS full-frame sensor with 24-megapixel native resolution‭, ‬48-‭ ‬and 96-megapixel‭ ‬multi-shot modes‭, ‬and a new auto focus system form the core of the SL3-S‭. ‬Leica combines the strengths of three focus technologies here‭: ‬the latest generation in phase detection autofocus‭ (‬PDAF‭), ‬depth map‭ (‬object detection AF‭), ‬and contrast detection autofocus‭, ‬which enable continuous shooting at up to 30‭ ‬frames per second with full auto focus support‭. ‬

While this is still a notch down from the professional kit standards of the big-three camera makers‭ ‬–‭ ‬Canon‭, ‬Nikon and Sony‭ ‬–‭ ‬this makes the SL3-S the fastest Leica system camera ever built‭. ‬And seriously‭, ‬you buy a Leica primarily as the brush to paint‭ ‬your photographic dreams into reality‭, ‬not to take that shot of an airborne Premier League goalie for the next morning’s sports pages‭ ‬–‭ ‬although with how capable the SL3-S is‭, ‬even that is possible given its dynamic range of up to 15 stops and an impressive ISO range of 50‭ ‬to 200,000‭. ‬The SL3-S delivers excellent-quality photos and videos in all shooting conditions‭. ‬

And when you do produce that award-winning shot‭, ‬you also get to put your indelible stamp on it with the SL3-S‭, ‬so no one else can claim it in this age of digital piracy‭. ‬The SL3-S is also the first camera in Leica’s SL-System to be equipped with content credentials technology in accordance with the Content Authenticity Initiative‭ (‬CAI‭) ‬for‭ ‬photos‭. ‬Each image can be signed with tamper-proof metadata‭, ‬such as the camera model and author information‭, ‬as well as creation and editing data‭. ‬In order to prove authenticity with verifiable image content and to make edits transparent‭, ‬the content credentials can be checked using freely available verification tools‭.‬

The Leica SL3-S’s EyeRes viewfinder has a painstakingly produced optical system of glass lenses‭. ‬It displayed the subject crystal clear at all times‭, ‬with up to 120‭ ‬images per second‭ ‬and a resolution of 5.76‭ ‬million pixels‭. ‬Thanks to the live preview‭, ‬there is full control over the exposure and composition of‭ ‬shots even before the shutter is released‭. ‬Another new feature of the SL3-S is the tilting 3.2-inch high-res touchscreen with a‭ ‬high-quality tilting mechanism‭, ‬which makes it even easier to take photos and videos from different angles‭. ‬

Hits‭: ‬

‭- ‬Build-quality

‭- ‬Lens family

‭- ‬Imaging features‭ ‬

Misses‭:‬

‭- ‬Autofocus not the fastest on the market‭ ‬

Price: Dh19,800‭ ‬