exploring the multishot mode in the Leica SL3-S :

We explore the high resolution capability of the 24 Mp Leica SL3-S with the multishot mode, which is capable of delivering images at 96 Mpages at 96 Mp.

TGIFriday: exploring the multishot mode in the Leica SL3-S

We just returned from a trip to India, where we had the opportunity to visit the HQ and manufacture of the Titan Watch company. We also attended the launch of their new Nebula by Titan Jalsa watch. This 10 piece limited edition features a métiers d’art dial, hand painted in miniature painting by famous Indian artist Shakir Ali, and features a tourbillon movement which is designed by Titan watchmakers and constructed in India.

We had originally wanted to make this trip with the loaner 100 Mp Fujifilm GFX 100RF, but the trip was postponed several times, and by the time it finally came to fruition, we had returned the GFX 100RF. So we took our trusty Leica SL3-S for the trip. We shot the entire trip with the Leica Summicron-SL 35mm ASPH, and the Summicron-SL 50mm ASPH, with the Meike extension tube for close ups of the watches. Our hands-on review of the Jalsa and trip report on the manufacture will be released next week. But in the meantime, we used the SL3-S in multishot mode to take high resolution photographs of the magnificent sights we had seen in Jaipur.

Multishot with the Leica SL3-S

In multishot mode, the SL3-S uses pixel shift technology to produce a raw or jpeg file which is 4 times larger than the sensor. This feature is not new. Hasselblad has used it in special versions of their H cameras as far back as 2009 with the H4D-200MS.

However, the Hasselblad images are captured as 6 individual files and only when the camera is tethered to a computer running Phocus. It uses the leaf shutter in the lens, making capture possible at all shutter speeds with flash synchronisation. This special camera was popular in museums and educational institutions for reproduction photography in their studios.

Leica introduced this technology the SL2, but subsequently deleted in the SL3, and now made its re-appearance in the SL3-S. The Leica technique uses the image stabilisation feature to move the sensor eight times, shifting it by half a pixel each time, and combining the 8 images into one raw file in-camera. This is then blended in-camera to produce a photograph 4 times the number of pixels that is native to the sensor. In the SL2, Leica required the camera to be perfectly still. This means that the usage was relegated to a sturdy tripod. The camera gives a warning if it detects any camera shake, and will not take the picture. Leica’s implementation also requires the camera to be in electronic shutter mode, thus is not possible for studio use with strobes.

In the SL3-S, the multishot mode is offered when the camera is either on a tripod, or hand held. The feature is built on the SL2, producing a single blended image in-camera. The feature still required the camera to be in electronic shutter mode. But the hand held mode is new, and particularly interesting. The camera’s processor uses technology to figure out the camera shake and negates it. It will still not take the photograph if there is excessive camera shake, but I found that it is very useful and is able to handle being hand held quite well.

In the SL3-S, this image is 96 Mp. Almost equal to the 102 Mp images from the GFX 100RF that I originally wanted to use for the India scenery. Here is a sample of the photographs I took in Jaipur. All the photographs are made in multishot mode with the Summicron-SL 35mm ASPH.

Taj Rambagh Palace Hotel

We stayed in the magnificent Taj Rambagh Palace Hotel, a real palace hotel once inhabited by the Maharaja and his family. But now a top class hotel. Shown below is the three quarter shot of the hotel, taken with the SL3-S in multishot mode. The original image is 12,000 pixels across, and if printed at 300dpi without upsizing, will yield a print of 40 inches wide by 26 inches high.

Here is a center cut of the image, shown at 1:1 without any resizing or processing. Tiny details of dirt on the structure is captured.

Another full size image of the inner courtyard of the Rambagh Palace, through the arches of the corridor. This vertical image is 8,000 pixels across and 12,000 pixels high, making a print at 300dpi which measures 26.7 inches wide and 40 inches high.

And of the top of the tower in the center. Notice how the algorithm of the multishot handles the birds on the roof. These creatures are moving, and yet, the algorithm is able to discern this and does not display any artefacts.

Another 1:1 crop. This one is taken from the side of the image.

Another image of the inner courtyard of the hotel.

Center 1:1 crop.

Hawa Mahal

The Hawa Mahal is a magnificent structure built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh built the palace in 1799. This palace is featured in the Nebula by Titan Jalsa watch as a miniature painting. We visited the building and I took this photograph from the third storey of Tattoo Cafe just across the road. This image is slightly adjusted for perspective. Again, the full image is 12,000 pixels across and will make a 40 inch print at 300dpi.

Center 1:1 crop, with no processing. Note the texture of the bamboo scaffold and the wall surface is captured in detail.

And a 1:1 crop from bottom right.

Concluding thoughts

The multishot mode is a very useful tool in the photographer’s arsenal. This enables the 24 Mp SL3-S to be able to handle the demands of large prints as required, while staying within the sweet spot of 24 Mp. At this smaller megapixel count, the sensor readout if fast, enabling less obvious rolling shutter effects. And the resolution is still enough for most professional work. In my case, in single shot mode, the image will print to 20 inches x 13 inches, larger than the standard A3 paper size. And which can at the flick of a switch, the camera can be made to produce images of 96 Mp. This is very handy, especially when this can be done when hand holding the camera. The images produced are very detailed, with good colour and excellent contrast and sharpness.

In examination of these hand held photographs, I see no artefacts of camera shake. The processor is also able to figure out how to treat objects within the scene which is moving, like leaves, or birds. The resultant image is clean of artefacts of subject motion. When examined pixel by pixel, the image shows more resolution than upscaling using Adobe Camera Raw AI Up resolution feature, which is already very good. All the details of a high resolution capture is there, with excellent colour rendition. Contrast and sharpness are also superb. The final 96 Mp image looks like it came from a single capture.