Leica SL2-S vs Sigma fp

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Leica SL2-S and the Sigma fp, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

Leica SL2-S was introduced in December 2020 and Sigma fp was introduced in July 2019. Let us first list highlights of the models.

Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Leica SL2-S over Sigma fp.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sigma fp over Leica SL2-S.

We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

Screen

Leica SL2-S has a 3.2" screen with 2,100k dot resolution and Sigma fp has a 3.15" screen with 2,100k dot resolution. Both have Fixed screens. Both models feature touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality allowing users to select a specific point on the screen where they want the camera to focus. This feature can be helpful for achieving precise focus in both photo and video recording.

Electronic (OLED) Viewfinder on Leica SL2-S

Leica SL2-S has a built-in Electronic (OLED) viewfinder with 5,760k dot resolution. It has a 100% coverage and 0.78x magnification. There is no built-in or optional viewfinder available on Sigma fp.

BSI-CMOS Sensor

Leica SL2-S features a 24.6 megapixel Full Frame BSI-CMOS sensor with dimensions of 36 x 24 mm and a total area of 864 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 50,000 and expands to 50 - 50,000 in boosted mode. Sigma fp features a 24.6 megapixel Full Frame BSI-CMOS sensor with dimensions of 35.9 x 23.9 mm and a total area of 571.2 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 25,600 and expands to 6 - 102,400 in boosted mode.

The cameras have BSI-CMOS sensor, short for Backside Illuminated Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor sensor. In traditional CMOS sensors, the wiring and circuitry are located on the front side of the sensor, which can block some of the incoming light. BSI technology flips this design by placing the photosensitive elements (pixels) on the backside of the sensor, allowing more light to reach the pixels. This significantly enhances light sensitivity and improves low-light performance. BSI-CMOS sensors are particularly effective in low-light conditions, as they can capture more light, resulting in brighter and less noisy images. This makes them well-suited for indoor and night photography. BSI-CMOS sensors deliver a higher SNR and reduced cross-talk.

Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

Sensor size chart

	Sensor	Dimensions	Area	Aspect Ratio	Crop Factor
	Medium Format	44 x 33 mm	1452 mm2	4:3	0.79x
	Full Frame	36 x 24 mm	864 mm2	3:2	1x
	APS-H	27 x 18 mm	486 mm2	3:2	1.3x
	APS-C	23.6 x 15.6 mm	368.2 mm2	3:2	1.5x
	APS-C (Canon)	22.3 x 14.9 mm	332.3 mm2	3:2	1.6x
	Micro Four Thirds	17.4 x 13 mm	226.2 mm2	4:3	2x
	1-inch	13.2 x 8.8 mm	116.2 mm2	3:2	2.7x
	1/1.7-inch	7.44 x 5.58 mm	41.5 mm2	4:3	4.7x
	1/2.3-inch	6.17 x 4.55 mm	28.1 mm2	4:3	5.6x

Leica SL2-S is equipped with Maestro III processor and can take pictures up to 6000 x 4000 resolution. Sigma fp can take pictures up to 6000 x 4000 resolution.

Lens Mount

Cameras have Leica L lens mount. Due to their Full Frame sensor their crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is equal to 1x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length.

No Low-Pass Filter on Leica SL2-S

There is no optical low-pass filter (OLPF), also known as an anti-aliasing filter, in front of the sensor on Leica SL2-S. This results in a slightly sharper image but may also introduce moiré patterns and aliasing artifacts when photographing subjects with fine, repetitive patterns or details.

In-Body Image Stabilization on Leica SL2-S

Leica SL2-S has a built-in 5-Axis Sensor Shift in-body image stabilization (IBIS) with 5.5 stops of compensation. This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when camera is paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

Built-in Wi-Fi on Leica SL2-S

Leica SL2-S has a built-in Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 5, 802.11ac/b/g/n, 2.4/5 GHz) which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.

Bluetooth on Leica SL2-S

Leica SL2-S has a built-in Bluetooth (version 4.2 LE) which lets you to connect the camera to a smartphone or a dedicated remote control device. This allows you to remotely trigger the camera, adjust settings and controls remotely through a paired mobile app. While Wi-Fi is generally faster for transferring larger files, Bluetooth can be used for small, selective transfers, it can provide real-time information about your camera's battery status, memory card capacity, and other key settings directly on your paired smartphone or smartwatch.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in Bluetooth.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Both models have USB 3.2 Gen 1x1 (5 GBit/sec) Type-C inputs for data transfer and battery charging. Leica SL2-S has a Full Size HDMI and Sigma fp has a Micro HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Leica SL2-S comes with BP-SCL4 battery pack with battery life of 510 shots and Sigma fp comes with BP-51 battery pack.

External Storage Slots

Leica SL2-S has Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II) card slots. Sigma fp has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II) card slot.

Shutter

Leica SL2-S has Electronic shutter and Mechanical Focal Plane shutter. Sigma fp has Electronic shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/16000 sec with electronic shutter and up to 1/8000 sec with mechanical shutter on Leica SL2-S, and up to 1/8000 sec on Sigma fp. Leica SL2-S can shoot continuously up to 25.0 fps with electronic shutter and up to 9.0 fps with mechanical shutter. Sigma fp can shoot continuously up to 18.0 fps.

Focusing

Leica SL2-S has 225 focusing points and Sigma fp has 49 focusing points. Sigma fp has detection range from -5 to +18 EV.

Exposure

Exposure meterings of Sigma fp ranges from -5 to +18 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±3 EV range on Leica SL2-S and ±5 EV range on Sigma fp. You can also do exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on both models.

Flash

Cameras have no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected to both of them via Hot Shoe. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/250 sec on Leica SL2-S and 1/30 sec on Sigma fp.

Leica SL2-S body has dimensions of 146 x 107 x 83 mm (5.75 x 4.21 x 3.27") and Sigma fp body has dimensions of 113 x 70 x 45 mm (4.45 x 2.76 x 1.77"). Leica SL2-S weighs 931 g (2.05 lb / 32.84 oz) and Sigma fp weighs 422 g (0.93 lb / 14.89 oz).

Leica SL2-S

Sigma fp

146 mm

107 mm

113 mm

70 mm

107 mm

70 mm

83 mm

45 mm