Leica SL3vs Nikon Z8
Leica
Leica SL3 (2024)
Starting from £6499 new
Best for Professional & luxury hybrid shooters
View Leica SL3
Nikon
Nikon Z8 (2023)
Starting from £3999 new
Best for Sports, wildlife & hybrid professionals
View Nikon Z8
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Professional & Luxury Hybrid Shooters — Leica SL3 (2024): Leica's most capable mirrorless — 60MP, 30fps burst, 8K ProRes, and 7.5-stop IBIS with L-mount's growing lens ecosystem.
Sports, Wildlife & Hybrid Professionals — Nikon Z8 (2023): Z9 performance in a compact body — 45MP, 8K/60p RAW, and 20fps burst without the bulk or price of the flagship.
Who should buy what
Leica SL3 (2024)
- Leica photographers who want autofocus full-frame in the L-mount system
- SL2 owners upgrading to 60MP and improved autofocus performance
- Professionals who want Leica build quality with L-mount lens versatility
- Photographers who want to share lenses across Leica, Sigma, and Lumix bodies
Nikon Z8 (2023)
- Professional photographers who want Z9 capability in a smaller body
- Wildlife and sports shooters who want 8K RAW and 120fps burst
- Z6 III or Z7 II owners upgrading to pro-grade performance
- Hybrid professionals who need the best Nikon video and stills in one body
Quick take: The leica sl3 has the highest resolution at 60mp; the nikon z8 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Leica SL3 (2024) | Nikon Z8 (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,499 | £3,999 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 45.7MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | 45.7MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p, Apple ProRes | 8K/60p RAW, 4K/120p, ProRes RAW |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with subject/face/eye detection | Subject detection AF, 493-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | 7.5-stop IBIS | 6-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic | 20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG |
| Battery Life | 410 shots (CIPA) | 330 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 875g body only | 910g body only |
| Dimensions | 146.0 × 104.0 × 42.0mm | 144.0 × 118.5 × 83.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.78" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots | 0.5" Quad-VGA OLED EVF, 3.69M dots, 120fps |
| Screen | 3.2" fixed touchscreen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Leica L-mount | Nikon Z-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD UHS-II | Dual CFexpress Type B / XQD |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.1, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Leica SL3 | Nikon Z8 |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Wildlife | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with Leica SL3
Camera family history