By Ked · June 2026
June 2026
Most Leica conversations stay in the M-mount world or the SL world. The S system, Leica's professional medium-format-style DSLR line, barely gets discussed outside the small community of working pros who own it. There are reasons for that: the S has always been priced for advertising agencies and high-end commercial studios rather than enthusiasts; the body count is small; and Leica's marketing has never positioned the S as the "must-have" headline product the M-line continues to be. But the S system is a genuinely serious tool that ran from 2008 until Leica wound the line down, ending production of the final S3 in 2023, and it deserves a clean writeup.
This post walks every S body chronologically: the S2 (2008), the S (Typ 006) and S-E (Typ 006) (2012-2015), the S Typ 007 (2015-2020), and the final S3 (2020-2023). For each one, it covers what the body is, what changed between them, and what they cost on the used market right now.
The S system uses a 30×45mm sensor, which Leica calls "ProFormat." That's substantially larger than a full-frame 35mm sensor (24×36mm) but smaller than true medium-format sensors (typically 33×44mm in Hasselblad H, Phase One, and Fuji GFX bodies, or larger in older Hasselblad and Pentax 645 systems). The 30×45mm size was a Leica-specific design choice: large enough to give meaningfully shallower depth-of-field rendering than 35mm, yet small enough to allow a body that handles closer to a 35mm DSLR than to a medium-format camera.
The S-mount lens lineup is exceptional and small. About a dozen primes and a handful of zooms, all designed specifically for the 30×45mm sensor, all built to the same construction tolerances as Leica's other professional optics. Many of the S-mount lenses include leaf shutters (CS variants, Leica's product name for the leaf-shutter versions) that let the S bodies sync flash at any shutter speed up to 1/1000s. That is a major advantage for studio and on-location flash photography. The S-mount lens prices reflect their quality: most range from $4,000 to $8,000 used.
The S was designed for fashion, advertising, architecture, and high-end commercial work where the bigger sensor and the leaf-shutter lens advantage justified the system cost. It was never a tool for hobbyists, and the used market reflects that. Surviving examples are mostly former working bodies sold by photographers replacing them with newer technology, not collector pieces.
The original S2 was unveiled in 2008 and began shipping in 2009. 37.5-megapixel CCD sensor, ISO 80-1250, a 3-inch LCD on the back, and Leica's first AF system designed specifically for the S mount. Construction was full Leica build: magnesium alloy body, weather-sealed, the kind of physical quality you'd expect at the original ~$22,000 launch price.
What the S2 did right: the sensor produced files with the color rendering, dynamic range, and tonal smoothness that defined Leica's pitch for the system. Studio and architecture photographers who shot S2 files alongside contemporary Canon 1Ds Mark III and Nikon D3X files consistently described the S2 output as more cinematic and three-dimensional.
What the S2 did wrong: high-ISO performance was modest by 2008 standards and weak by 2026 standards. The CCD sensor limited usable ISO to about 800; pushing past that produced visible noise. Live view was minimal. Autofocus was slower than the competing Canon and Nikon flagships, particularly in low light.
As of May 2026 we track 8 active Leica S2 listings typically asking around $3,142. For a body that retailed around $22,000 at launch, the S2 is the cheapest path into the S system today. The catch is that the technology is meaningfully dated. A working photographer needing modern AF and ISO range will likely want a Typ 007 or later.
The S (Typ 006) was the mid-cycle refresh. Same 37.5-megapixel CCD sensor and the same basic body architecture, but with refined electronics, faster autofocus, improved image processor, a slightly extended ISO range (to 1600), and minor cosmetic updates. The Typ 006 is more usable than the S2 in real working situations even though the sensor resolution and CCD design are unchanged.
As of May 2026 we track 1 active S (Typ 006) listing at $3,074. The combined "S" / "Typ 006" bucket runs slightly higher; see the note at the end of this post about parser-grouping. For practical purposes the Typ 006 is the modestly better S2, at similar used pricing.
Leica positioned the S-E (Typ 006) as a slightly cheaper entry into the S system, sold alongside the standard Typ 006. The differences are cosmetic and minor: a different finish (an anthracite-gray top plate and silver detailing) and a slightly trimmed feature set. The sensor and core image-making chain are identical to the Typ 006. The S-E rarely appears on the used market; it had a short production run and a small audience.
For a buyer choosing between a used S-E and a used S Typ 006 today, the practical difference is minimal. Whichever you find at the right price and condition is the right buy.
The S (Typ 007) is the body where the S system genuinely caught up to its 35mm competitors. The big change is the sensor: Leica replaced the CCD that had defined the S2 and Typ 006 with a 37.5-megapixel CMOS sensor. The pixel count looks unchanged, but the sensor's actual capabilities are dramatically different: higher usable ISO (the Typ 007 is usable up to ISO 6400 with manageable noise, where the CCD bodies fell apart by 1600), faster readout, live view that actually works, video capture (4K-capable), and a much more responsive autofocus system.
The Typ 007 is the first S body that's a credible working tool by 2026 standards. The CCD bodies have a specific cinematic look that some photographers specifically prefer, but the Typ 007's CMOS files match them for color depth and tonal smoothness while delivering modern ISO range and operational speed. For commercial photographers who actually use their S system to make a living, the Typ 007 was the version that justified switching from a contemporary Nikon D850 or Canon 5DS R for the larger-sensor advantage.
As of May 2026 we track 5 active S (Typ 007) listings typically asking around $3,501. The Typ 007 is roughly the same price as the CCD-era S2 and Typ 006, a remarkable value if you specifically want a working S body. The Typ 007 used at $3,500-ish replaces a $20,000-when-new commercial camera.
The S3, introduced in 2020 and produced until Leica discontinued the S system in 2023, is the last and most capable S body. Major changes from the Typ 007: a 64-megapixel CMOS sensor (Leica's largest pixel count in any S body), refined autofocus, improved live view, USB-C, and updated electronics throughout. The lens mount, body architecture, and leaf-shutter lens compatibility are all preserved from earlier S bodies.
The S3's 64MP sensor produces files with exceptional resolution, sufficient for billboard-scale enlargements and the kind of detail crops that commercial retouchers expect. Color rendering remains the S-line signature: smooth, warm, and somehow more "drawn" than equivalent files from larger-sensor competitors. The S3 is the last and most advanced S body Leica made, and the one a buyer wanting the most capable S would choose.
As of May 2026 we track 5 active S3 listings typically asking around $7,277 and an upper range of $24,500 for unusually fitted or recently discontinued examples. Compared to the new S3 retail (substantially north of $20,000) the used S3 at $7,000-ish is a strong value, but the practical entry barrier for the S system is still the lens cost: a single S-mount prime can run $4,000-$8,000 used.
The S has always been a niche product. The reasons:
None of these are criticisms of the S as a camera. The S system produces files that hold their own against anything in the medium-format-style category, and the lens lineup is genuinely exceptional. The S just landed in a market that valued different things at different price points than what Leica was selling.
The S system in 2026 is mostly a working-tool market, used by commercial pros and occasionally by serious enthusiasts who want a specific look without paying full medium-format retail. It's the most under-discussed Leica system precisely because it was never built for the audience that does most of the discussing. For the buyer it's actually right for, the value proposition is one of the strongest in Leica's catalog.
Browse current S2, S, S (Typ 006), S Typ 007, and S3 listings on UsedCameraTracker to compare prices and conditions across the full market.