Review Leica Q3: What are the key features of the Leica Q3?

The Leica Q3 is a flagship camera from the Leica brand, launched in May 2023. This compact full-frame camera is equipped with a 28mm f/1.7 Summilux fixed lens and a 60-megapixel sensor.

But is it really worth the price? Like most Leica cameras, the Q3 represents a significant investment, so the question is a legitimate one.

In this article, discover the Leica Q3’s main features, performance and detailed technical specifications.

1. Design and interface

As with all its cameras, Leica has focused on the aesthetics and quality of finish of the Leica Q3. Visually, it remains close to its predecessors, the Q1 and Q2, while incorporating a number of improvements.

The main new feature is the tilting rear screen, a welcome improvement that facilitates low-angle shots, while maintaining a high level of user comfort, particularly useful for street photography.

Getting to grips with the Leica Q3 can take some getting used to, not least due to the absence of a classic hollowed-out grip. However, the well-marked thumb rest ensures a good grip, and specific accessories such as the thumb support or the dedicated Leica Q3 grip enhance comfort and stability.

As for the interface, Leica retains its tried-and-tested menu system: clear, fluid and intuitive, it reflects the brand’s philosophy inherited from its manual bodies.

2. Storage and autonomy

The Leica Q3 features a single SD card slot, compatible with cards up to 512 GB, providing ample storage capacity for your files.

In terms of autonomy, the Leica Q3 allows around 350 shots according to the CIPA standard. Its battery, now integrated into the body, is easily removed and inserted thanks to a click mechanism, simplifying replacement in the field.

An interesting new feature under the camera is wireless recharging. Three small connectors located near the SD card door allow the HG-DC1 handle to be connected. Only with this accessory is wireless recharging via the Drop XL charger possible.

3. Summilux 28 mm f/1.7 ASPH lens and image quality

The Leica Q3 is distinguished in particular by its fixed Summilux 28 mm f/1.7 ASPH lens.

In interchangeable-lens cameras, optical quality plays a decisive role in the final result. With the Leica Q3, the fixed lens is an integral part of the photographic experience.

The 28 mm f/1.7 Summilux ASPH not only delivers excellent image quality, it also offers unique advantages over other fixed-focus systems.

Bright, wide-angle full-format lenses are often expensive, especially when they offer an aperture greater than f/2. As an example, a Leica 28 mm f/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH lens sold on its own can cost several thousand euros.

The fact that the Leica Q3 incorporates this 28 mm f/1.7 Summilux ASPH makes it a camera that, despite its high price, offers excellent value for money.

At full aperture, the lens produces a characteristic image: a wide field of view combined with a beautiful depth of field, enabling the subject to be precisely isolated.

4. Autofocus

The Leica Q3 incorporates L² technology, developed in partnership with Panasonic. It is the first Leica camera to feature “hybrid” autofocus, combining phase detection and contrast detection (DFD). It also inaugurates subject detection and tracking, including eye recognition, a significant advance for the Q series.

In the field, theLeica Q3’s autofocus performance varies. In full light, on still subjects, focus is fast and precise. It also performs well in low-light conditions.

However, when it comes to moving subjects, its limitations become apparent: autofocus tracking is only active in bursts of 4 frames per second, and focusing speed remains moderate.

In short,the Leica Q3’s autofocus is a clear improvement on its predecessor, but still lags behind competitors such as the Hasselblad X2D 100C and Fujifilm GFX100RF.

5. Sharpness and ISO performance

At full aperture f/1.7, the Leica Q3 lens is surprisingly sharp. Even at f/1.7, rendering remains precise, allowing you to take full advantage of the light while maintaining excellent image quality. In landscape photography, the foreground can be slightly blurred to create a softer, more immersive ambience, even at close to maximum aperture.

The 28mm f/1.7 Summilux ASPH combines sharpness and softness, with a natural, unobtrusive rendering. Aberrations are well controlled, and the depth of field keeps the image clear, even with a relatively close subject. The Leica Q3 offers a good balance between optical performance and ease of use.

At high sensitivity, the Leica Q3 performs well up to ISO 1600-3200. Noise is kept under control, with a film-like grain that adds character to the image. Above these values, the loss of detail in shadows becomes more noticeable.

Despite its 60-megapixel sensor, the rendering retains a natural texture, without excessive effects or digital over-processing.

6. What are the technical specifications of the Leica Q3?

7. How much does the Leica Q3 cost?

The Leica Q3 is priced at 6250€. For comparison, the Leica Q2 is priced at 5850€, while the Q3 43 costs 6750€.

You can order the Leica Q3 now from 50.8 Shop. Order online or visit us in-store to discover and purchase the camera.

What’s our final verdict on the Leica Q3?

The Leica Q3 is aimed at photographers looking for a compact, high-end camera with a simple, straightforward approach to shooting. It doesn’t aim to compete with high-performance hybrids or medium-format cameras like the Hasselblad X2D100C or Canon R5 Mark II.

Its fixed 28mm lens imposes a certain discipline, sometimes perceived as restrictive, but this is also what encourages the development of a personal style. This constraint encourages you to get closer to your subject, rethink your composition and capture the moment with precision.

Thanks to its 60-megapixel full-frame sensor, the Leica Q3 offers great flexibility in post-processing, enabling cropping without any noticeable loss of quality. It combines ease of use, high-quality optics and exceptional images in a compact format.

Discreet yet powerful, the Leica Q3 is ideal for street photographers, light travelers and everyday photographers who always have a reliable camera at hand.