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Panasonic S1H vs Leica SL2

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Panasonic S1H

24 MP | Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

Panasonic S1H
$3997.99

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Leica SL2

47 MP | Full frame (36 x 24 mm) CMOS Sensor

Leica SL2

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Panasonic S1H vs Leica SL2 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing S1H and SL2, two Pro Mirrorless cameras from Panasonic and Leica. Panasonic S1H was introduced to market in August 2019 and Leica SL2 was launched in November 2019. There is only 3 months difference between S1H and SL2 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Both cameras have Full frame sensors but Panasonic S1H has a 24.0 MP and Leica SL2 has a 47.0 MP resolution. We can expect this to be a close match up because both models are ranked amongst the best in Pro Mirrorless cameras. Out of 41 cameras in this class, Panasonic S1H is ranked #0 with an overall score of 82 and Leica SL2 is ranked #0 with an overall score of .

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Panasonic S1H and Leica SL2 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic S1H Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2019-08-28
  • 24MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 51200
  • Leica L Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.2" Fully Articulated Screen
  • 5760k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 9.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 5952 x 3988 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 1052g. 151 x 114 x 110 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Leica SL2 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2019-11-06
  • 47MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 50000
  • Leica L Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.2″ Fixed Type Screen
  • 5760k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 20.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 4096 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 835g. 146 x 107 x 42 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Leica SL Compare

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic S1H and Leica SL2 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DC-S1H over Leica SL2
Articulating Screen Yes vs No Flexible shooting positions
Max ISO 51.200 vs 50.000 2% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Resolution 2.330k dots vs 2.100k dots 10% higher resolution screen
Max Electronic Shutter 1/8000s vs 1/1/40000 secs faster electronic shutter
Battery Life 400 shots vs 370 shots 30 more frames with a single charge
Sensor Pixel Area 35.30µm2 vs 18.49µm2 90% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution 5952 x 3988 vs 4096 x 2160 Higher Resolution Video
Selfie Friendly LCD Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
Pixel Shift High Resolution Mode Yes (96.0MP) vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
4K Photo Mode Yes vs No Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video
Focus Bracketing Yes vs No Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Focus Stacking Yes vs No Stacks photos in-camera to maximize depth of field
Post Focus Mode Yes vs No Change focus point after taking a shot
Illuminated Buttons Yes vs No Find the buttons easily in dark
Reasons to choose Leica SL2 over Panasonic Lumix DC-S1H
Max Sensor Resolution 47 MP vs 24 MP 95% more pixels
Continuous Shooting 20.0fps vs 9.0fps 11 fps faster
Weight 835 g vs 1052 g 217 g lighter
Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DC-S1H and Leica SL2
Wireless Connection Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Bluetooth Connection Yes vs Yes Connect to other devices via Bluetooth
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift All the lenses are stabilized
External Flash Shoe Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Touch Screen Yes vs Yes Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic) Better framing and control
RAW Support Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution 24 MP vs 47 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Size 3.2" vs 3.2″ Large display
Microphone Port Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port Yes vs Yes better video control
Environmental Sealing Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording Yes vs Yes creative shooting
Top LCD Display Yes vs Yes Help viewing and changing settings easily
AE Bracketing Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Flash Sync Port Yes vs Yes Connect off-camera flash
Storage Slot 2 vs 2 Extra Storage Slot
Smartphone Remote Control Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Support for UHS Memory Cards UHS-II vs UHS-II Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DC-S1H and Leica SL2
Built-in Flash No vs No Require external flash
Panasonic S1H vs Leica SL2: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Panasonic S1H and Leica SL2 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic S1H and Leica SL2. Leica SL2 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 5mm narrower, 7mm shorter and 68mm thinner than Panasonic S1H.

Panasonic S1H vs Leica SL2 Camera Size Comparison - Front View


Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic S1H and Leica SL2.

Panasonic S1H vs Leica SL2 Camera Size Comparison - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic S1H and Leica SL2.
Panasonic S1H vs Leica SL2 Camera Size Comparison - Top View

Panasonic S1H vs Leica SL2 Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Leica SL2 is significantly lighter (217g ) than the Panasonic S1H which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since both Panasonic S1H and Leica SL2 have the same Full frame sized sensor, their lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will be similar in size and weight.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

S1H
SL2
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

S1H
SL2
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Both S1H and SL2 have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Panasonic S1H and Leica SL2's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.2".

On the other hand, Panasonic S1H sports a Fully Articulated screen which you can change the angle and position of the screen almost freely, making it possible to shoot from waist or over the head levels, and especially very useful for shooting selfies and video. Leica SL2's LCD screen is a fixed type which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to S1H.
Panasonic S1H vs Leica SL2: Sensor Comparison

Panasonic S1H has a 24.0MP Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine processor. On the other hand, Leica SL2 has a 47.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Maestro III processor.

Leica SL2's sensor provides 23MP more than Panasonic S1H's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

One other difference between these two cameras that is worth mentioning is that Leica SL2's sensor doesn't have an anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the S1H and SL2 sensor size comparison.

Panasonic S1H vs Leica SL2 Sensor Size Comparison


Panasonic S1H and Leica SL2 have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Panasonic S1H and Leica SL2 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic S1H and Leica SL2 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Panasonic S1H for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Leica SL2 for Portrait Photography

POOR
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 47.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Panasonic S1H for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Leica SL2 for Street Photography

POOR
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Panasonic S1H for Sports Photography

GOOD

Leica SL2 for Sports Photography

POOR
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 9.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
225 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 20.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
225 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Read the details

Panasonic S1H for Daily Photography

GOOD

Leica SL2 for Daily Photography

POOR
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
1052g
Body Thickness 110mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
835g
Body Thickness 42mm
Read the details

Panasonic S1H for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Leica SL2 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 47.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details


Leica SL2 vs Panasonic S1H Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. Panasonic S1H and Leica SL2 have the same Leica L and have total of 29 lenses to choose from.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Panasonic S1H and Leica SL2 has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies.

Lens Type # of Panasonic S1H Lenses # of Leica SL2 Lenses
Standard Zoom 3 (3 Full Frame) 3 (3 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 7 (7 Full Frame) 7 (7 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 3 (3 Full Frame) 3 (3 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 7 (7 Full Frame) 7 (7 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 3 (3 Full Frame) 3 (3 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime 4 (4 Full Frame) 4 (4 Full Frame)
SuperZoom n/a n/a
Wideangle Fisheye Prime n/a n/a
Macro Prime 1 (1 Full Frame) 1 (1 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime n/a n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 29 (28 Full Frame) 29 (28 Full Frame)
Panasonic S1H vs Leica SL2: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Panasonic S1H and Leica SL2, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Panasonic S1H and Leica SL2 scores compare:

Panasonic S1H
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #0 out of 68 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #0 out of 1190 in all Cameras
Leica SL2
This camera is not rated yet!

Panasonic S1H
Panasonic S1H
$3997.99

Leica SL2
Leica SL2

Leica SL2 vs Panasonic S1H Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Panasonic Lumix DC-S1H Leica SL2
Brand Panasonic Leica
Announced 2019-08-28 2019-11-06
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame Full frame
Dimensions 35.6 x 23.8 mm 36 x 24 mm
Area 847.28mm2 864.00mm2
Megapixels 24 megapixels 47 megapixels
Max Resolution 6000 x 4000 8368 x 5584
Max Native Light sensitivity 51,200 ISO 50,000 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 204800 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 50 ISO 50 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 225 225
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Leica L Leica L
Number of Available Lenses 29 29
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Fixed type
Size 3.2" 3.2″
Resolution 2,330k dots 2,100k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 5,760k dots 5,760k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78 0.78
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync 1/320s no built-in flash
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 9.0 fps 20.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 5952 x 3988 4096 x 2160
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264, H.265 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 1052g 835g
Dimensions 151 x 114 x 110mm 146 x 107 x 42mm
Battery Life 400 shots 370 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
Report a correction Report a correction
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