Leica SL2-S Reporter wants to tell the whole story
High-end CSC is ready for war zones - and is joined by a 35mm baby brother
Depending on who you ask, the name “SL2” either conjures up memories of the early 90s rave scene or some of the best digital cameras money can buy. Sorry, DJ Slipmatt fans – we’re talking about the latter here. The SL2-S is the latest Leica to receive the Reporter treatment, upping its durability to survive life in the field.
Like the previously ruggedised M10 and Q2, the SL2-S Reporter gets an all-metal body which will better cope with the extreme temperatures, water, dust and impacts that video and photojournalists are likely to encounter while reporting from disaster zones. The dark green paint is scratch resistant, and the aramid fibre adds extra grip, so shouldn’t be so susceptible to drops.
Internally things haven’t changed from the vanilla SL2-S, which itself is speedier alternative to the original SL2. It has a 24.6MP full-frame sensor that’s capable of 25fps continuous shooting, ISO100,000 stills and 4K/60p recording (albeit cropped) in 10-bit, 4:2:2 colour with no footage length limit. The L-mount system supports Leica’s own glass, as well as those from Panasonic and Sigma.
An L-Mount lens
The Leica SL2-S Reporter is on sale right now from Leica stores worldwide, and directly from the Leica website. Prices start from £4700 here in the UK. Only 1000 units are earmarked for production.
The analogue alternative
The SL2-S Reporter arrives alongside a new version of one of Leica’s long-serving film cameras, the M6. The 35mm mainstay has been updated for 2022 with a 0.72x magnification rangefinder, redesigned top cover milled from solid brass, and a battery warning indicator.
The light meter adds a red dot to the original twin arrows for extra legibility, and the exposure meter should be more accurate. All the optical elements have been given an anti-glare treatment, too. Otherwise this new M6 is much like the 1980s original, with a slanted film rewind crank and iconic Leitz logo.
Like any camera that carries the famous red dot, though, the new M6 won’t come cheap. Analogue film fans can expect to pay £4500 when it goes on sale in Leica stores worldwide from the 3rd of November.
Tom Morgan-Freelander
Deputy Editor