New: Firmware Update v.4.0 for Leica SL3 / SL3-S

[LBJ2]

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3 hours ago, mirrorless said:

I wonder what the difference is between Person (Eye/Face/Body) and Person (Eye/Face) Obviously with the first option the body is being recognized in addition, but when should you choose only Eye/Face?

Also is it only me but after the firmware update the Eye-AF works only when the face is quite in the middle of the frame. When pointing on a person that is located in the left or right third area of the frame there is no recognition. Was that before? This is happening in both modes. Field/Spot and Zone.

 

Some initial thoughts, I see potential advantage between prioritizing Eye/Face/Body vs just Eye/Face, YMMV: 

-Eye/Face/Body could be optimal for person/people in motion. E.g., live performances, dancing, sports, large crowds, wildlife etc.

-Eye/Face might be optimal for instance portrait, headshots etc. 

Also, I see active human and animal eye recognition all the way out to the edges of the frame. Do experiment with the difference AF modes to include resizing the area of AF via the AF Quick Setting as noted above. 

*I'm currently experimenting, exploring, discovering, learning v4.0 AF/AI with the SL3 and the SL 90 APO. 

Edited yesterday at 03:39 PM by LBJ2

[Drbajm]

 

I already mentioned how impressed I was with the quality and ease of use of the Multishot mode recently introduced on the SL3.

I'm sharing a few examples with you, without any aesthetic pretensions; these are simply a few test shots.

Configuration: Leica SL3 + Leica APO-SUMMICRON-SL 1:2/35 ASPH.

Image size 19040 x 1272 — 262 MB

Image of the sofa: distance 4 m.

Photo of the clock tower at Colmar train station: distance 113 m.

Of course, the photos in the appendix are offered in a much lower resolution, but probably sufficient to support my point.

Best regards,

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[LD_50]

2 hours ago, SoarFM said:

I also agree that this is undesired behavior. I don't know if it's a bug or intentional. But I'd like it to do standard object tracking if it can't detect any human or animal.

It seems like a bug, though I can’t imagine how they wouldn’t have been aware of it. 

The other modes (field/spot, zone/multi-field) behave normally with detection on and no human or animal in the focus area. 

[LBJ2]

On 12/19/2025 at 6:57 AM, carlosgavina said:

I've only tested this so far very briefly around the house (with subject detection on and off).

I think the change in the AF is definitely in the right direction, way more stickier, separating the modes and subject detection makes sense to me as I described on another post, and it covers many of my main complaints about it! So congrats and thanks to the Leica team!

However I do see some quirks/bugs still.

Tracking mode makes much more sense now, then toggling on/off the subject detection seems promising, however, there seems to be a bug/quirk:
- I I select tracking mode
- If I have subject detection off. Everything works great, I hold the shutter button, starts tracking whatever was behind the tracking indicator, take the photo, if I stop holding the shutter button the indicator returns to its initial location.
- BUT, if I turn subject detection on, the tracking just stops working if there's no subject in the frame. It becomes "useless" and works a bit more like the other modes where it only focus on anything on its initial position, no tracking. Only when a subject overlaps the indicator location, kicks in the tracking to the subject. I was expecting for the tracking to work the same if there's no subject detection in frame.

On the Nikon Z8, in their 3D tracking mode, you have the square tracking indicator (that can be moved), and if subject detection is on, but no subject is in frame, it just defaults to normal tracking whatever there was behind the indicator when you hold the shutter button. I think this makes a lot of sense to me. I believe it's similar to what the Sigma BF does as well.

This way it would make it even less frequent to have to toggle modes/subjects. Not sure how others do, but I do like to be intentional in "locking" into a subject, then press and hold the shutter button to "track" a subject, then recompose and shoot.

Small quirks but this is to me already a big improvement both in AF stickiness and UI. And I love the multi shot mode on the SL3 too 👏

I second @FlashGordonPhotography, we just need EFCS so I can use the 90-280 without having to resort to the electronic shutter or super high shutter speeds.

You wrote:

"- I select tracking mode
- If I have subject detection off. Everything works great, I hold the shutter button, starts tracking whatever was behind the tracking indicator, take the photo, if I stop holding the shutter button the indicator returns to its initial location.
- BUT, if I turn subject detection on, the tracking just stops working if there's no subject in the frame. It becomes "useless" and works a bit more like the other modes where it only focus on anything on its initial position, no tracking. Only when a subject overlaps the indicator location, kicks in the tracking to the subject. I was expecting for the tracking to work the same if there's no subject detection in frame."

I tried to replicate with the SL3+SL 90 APO but had different results: ( If I understand your process correctly):

1. Selected tracking mode 

2. Selected AF Detection OFF

3. Pressed the shutter button and started tracking whatever was behind the tracking indicator. Just as you described. ( Subject used = man's face with specs) 

4. With the camera in tracking mode and the same subject, I selected AF Detection from OFF to Human Eye/Face and the human eye/face recognition kicked in and tracked as expected. *** I noticed w/both AFS and AFC and in Tracking mode I was not able to manually toggle the EYE indicators( little boxes) from one eye to the other--seems the camera decides which eye while in Tracking mode.

Did I replicate your process correctly? 

Edited yesterday at 05:44 PM by LBJ2

[romaing]

Hey!

How is the AFc with the new firmware??
Is it now as good as Nikon / Canon or Sony?

[LD_50]

2 hours ago, LBJ2 said:

You wrote:

"- I select tracking mode
- If I have subject detection off. Everything works great, I hold the shutter button, starts tracking whatever was behind the tracking indicator, take the photo, if I stop holding the shutter button the indicator returns to its initial location.
- BUT, if I turn subject detection on, the tracking just stops working if there's no subject in the frame. It becomes "useless" and works a bit more like the other modes where it only focus on anything on its initial position, no tracking. Only when a subject overlaps the indicator location, kicks in the tracking to the subject. I was expecting for the tracking to work the same if there's no subject detection in frame."

I tried to replicate with the SL3+SL 90 APO but had different results: ( If I understand your process correctly):

1. Selected tracking mode 

2. Selected AF Detection OFF

3. Pressed the shutter button and started tracking whatever was behind the tracking indicator. Just as you described. ( Subject used = man's face with specs) 

4. With the camera in tracking mode and the same subject, I selected AF Detection from OFF to Human Eye/Face and the human eye/face recognition kicked in and tracked as expected. *** I noticed w/both AFS and AFC and in Tracking mode I was not able to manually toggle the EYE indicators( little boxes) from one eye to the other--seems the camera decides which eye while in Tracking mode.

Did I replicate your process correctly? 

The issue is:

Eye/Face ON

Tracking ON

If there is no eye or face, the camera won’t track anything. 

Expected result would be if there is no eye or face under the AF tracking field, track whatever is under the field. 
 

This is how the non tracking modes work. 

Edited yesterday at 07:52 PM by LD_50

[LD_50]

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1 hour ago, romaing said:

Hey!

How is the AFc with the new firmware??
Is it now as good as Nikon / Canon or Sony?

You probably need to be more specific to get a useful answer. 

[LocalHero1953]

10 minutes ago, LD_50 said:

The issue is:

Eye/Face ON

Tracking ON

If there is no eye or face, the camera won’t track anything. 

Expected result would be if there is no eye or face under the AF tracking field, track whatever is under the field. 
 

This is how the non tracking modes work. 

I agree - this looks like a bug, or a poorly thought through design. My current preference is to use Zone and Body, but if I want to change Zone to Tracking, I have to make two changes: Zone to Track and AF Detection to Off. I can't believe this is intentional.

[Smogg]

25 minutes ago, LD_50 said:

The issue is:

Eye/Face ON

Tracking ON

If there is no eye or face, the camera won’t track anything. 

Expected result would be if there is no eye or face under the AF tracking field, track whatever is under the field. 
 

This is how the non tracking modes work. 

In firmware 4.0 on Q3 43, this behavior is just as strange. It's unclear what the developers were thinking behind this decision.

[BillCB]

I note that switching to Multi-Shot mode automatically engages the self timer. There does not seem to be an option to  turn it off for hand-held shooting (admittedly something I'd rarely do). Am I missing something?

And Season's Greetings to all the participants who are so helpful in this forum.

[Paul2660]

Glad to see this update and MS. I had hoped for focus bracketing to be added also. As for EFC I believe the shutter in the camera for some reason cannot support it. Leica has never had this available and it really needed with long glass especially in portrait mode. Just should not be that hard to add.  Happy to see one out of three needed features added. I will also add that if you are willing to down sample the MS to 100MP resolution many times the results are excellent.  
 

Paul
 

Paul

[Elliot Harper]

6 hours ago, BillCB said:

I note that switching to Multi-Shot mode automatically engages the self timer. There does not seem to be an option to  turn it off for hand-held shooting (admittedly something I'd rarely do). Am I missing something?

And Season's Greetings to all the participants who are so helpful in this forum.

Isn't that always the case?

[romaing]

18 hours ago, romaing said:

Hey!

How is the AFc with the new firmware??
Is it now as good as Nikon / Canon or Sony?

Tracking music player on stage with continuous AF?
Tracking erratic objects / animals / people with "high speed" (skier, birds, basket balls / players)?

That was the reason why I sold my SL3 and SL2s 8 months ago.

[LBJ2]

17 hours ago, LD_50 said:

The issue is:

Eye/Face ON

Tracking ON

If there is no eye or face, the camera won’t track anything. 

Expected result would be if there is no eye or face under the AF tracking field, track whatever is under the field. 
 

This is how the non tracking modes work. 

Yes. Not sure if this is a bug or at a minimum unexpected Tracking behavior. 

For now, one way to approach the new Tracking feature with AF Detection modes On/Off in v. 4.0:

-Turn On one of the AF Detection modes human or animal, for the more precise human and animal eye/face/body detection and tracking 

-Turn Off AF Detection to track everything else. *In the "general" tracking mode, we can also track people and animals just not with the precision of eye/face/body detection.

[menschfotograf]

Has anyone tried filming with the SL3 yet? Does the AF now work reliably with FW 4.0? Can you now reliably film people with AF using the SL3?

[Bernd-B]

Am 20.12.2025 um 15:48 schrieb BernardC:

Just curious, where do you find that the difference is most obvious: prints, post-processing (highlight/shadow recovery), fine gradations in areas of even tone, etc.?

For me it is obvious when I have high contrast scenes and need to pull the shadows where the Hasselblad X2D II delivers very good detail without color shift and noise even if I pull the shadows by 3 stops.

Edited 5 hours ago by Bernd-B

[Bernd-B]

vor 21 Stunden schrieb LD_50:

The issue is:

Eye/Face ON

Tracking ON

If there is no eye or face, the camera won’t track anything. 

Expected result would be if there is no eye or face under the AF tracking field, track whatever is under the field. 
 

This is how the non tracking modes work. 

I have shot yesterday (SL3-S and Apo-Summicron-SL 90 at f2, 1/250 - 1/400 sec and AutoISO) a fire show with exactly that setting:

AF-C ON

Tracking ON

Eye/Face/Body ON

When the dancer (dressed quite dark) turned her back to me and went down forming a ball with her body there was obviously no body of face to detect anymore, the tracking frame stayed where it was and did not track anything. In the moment when the dancer stood up, her body was detected immediately and when she turned around, her eye was detected in the same moment. That was exactly what I expected. I do not want that the tracking window tries to track something when a body cannot be detected anymore. That gives me much more control in this situation.

When there is no human being around, I would switch the Tracking OFF to track anything else, e. g. a car.

Overall, I am highly impressed by the new AF-system:

 

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Edited 5 hours ago by Bernd-B

[RBB]

Did some testing today between the SL3 and SL3s at dusk, allmost dark, both responded pretty good but the SL3 still some hunting (not like before 4.0) and the SL3s no hunting at all, very impressive!

[stbeyer]

On 12/20/2025 at 9:04 PM, LocalHero1953 said:

I agree - this looks like a bug, or a poorly thought through design. My current preference is to use Zone and Body, but if I want to change Zone to Tracking, I have to make two changes: Zone to Track and AF Detection to Off. I can't believe this is intentional.

The tracking behavior with subject detection enabled is the same as on the Panasonic system (S1R II). It's not ideal, but it seems intentional. 

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