NEWS: Leica’s Latest Compact Full-Frame Q3 Meets Mixed Reception

By Molly Kate

Leica has released the latest in the Q series with upgraded features accompanied by a Summilux 28mm F1.7 ASPH lens. The Q3 is packed with impressive functions but it will cost you with a suggested retail price from Leica starting at €5,950.00 including TAX.

We found a mixed reception to the camera after initial release, some raving about the joy of use and some confused by Leica’s intended target audience with others going so far as to say it’s not worth the upgrade for Q2 users.

New Leica Q3 product image on white background
Image courtesy of Leica

Features and Specifications

The Leica Q3 is a compact full-frame camera housing a new BSI-CMOS sensor that can shoot at three different resolutions. Photographers can choose between 60, 36, or 18 MP in either raw (DNG) format or JPEG mode. The ISO range available runs from 50 to 100,000. The luxury camera brand says “significant developments” have been made to the autofocus system in the form of a high-precision contrast autofocus accompanied by phase detection and intelligent subject recognition. They have also added a new OLED viewfinder, now at 5.75 MP along with a 3-inch tiltable touchscreen.

New Leica Q3 product image on white background
Image courtesy of Leica
New Leica Q3 product image on white background
Image courtesy of Leica

If you are looking for video capabilities, the Q3 can record up to 8K using codecs including H.265 and Apple’s ProRes. Connections are available for external accessories with USB-C and HDMI ports and tethered shooting is supported with USB-C. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections are also available and Leica says they have increased the transfer speed to the FOTOS app by up to 10 times from the Q2 model. This is thanks to their MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) technology.

“With a stable connection and high data transfer rates to the Leica FOTOS app, videos can now be loaded from the camera to a smartphone, or special ‘Leica Looks’ can be imported onto the camera for beautiful JPEG images. Various connection modes from ‘Eco’ to ‘Performance’ improve the mobile workflow and energy management of the Leica Q3. The Apple certification “Made for iPhone® and iPad®” accessory and the included Leica FOTOS cable, make the Leica Q3 the ideal tool to express the creative vision of users working with it daily.” – Leica Q3 Press Release

New Leica Q3 product image on white background
Image courtesy of Leica

Wireless charging of the Q3’s new battery (BC-SCL6) can be performed with the Leica Charging Pad and camera handgrip. There are many other accessories available in various colours for the camera as well including protectors, lens caps, thumb rests, soft-release buttons, lens hoods, and flash shoe covers. If you want to have a bare-bones camera without a protector, Leica does say the Q3 has protection against dust and spray water which is certified with IP52.

New Leica Q3 product image on white background
Image courtesy of Leica

Let’s talk about the lens that has been paired with the new camera body. Joining the Q3 is the Summilux 28mm F1.7 ASPH lens featuring an integrated macro mode allowing users to get within 17cm of their subject. While a fixed optical 28mm focal length, there is an extended digital zoom option that allows photographers to shoot at focal lengths of 28, 35, 50, 75, and 90 mm. New to the Q3 are two tools, the Leica Perspective Control (LPC) and Leica Dynamic Range (LDR) which the company says help ensure “perfect JPEG images without any post-processing.”

The Q3 is available now from all Leica Stores globally as well as the Leica Online Store and authorised dealers. For more information, head over to their company website here.

Mixed Reception for the Q3

While there is excitement about the next generation of the Q series, including a positive first look from Ondřej Vachek at Fstoppers, some Leica users are not convinced. Sebastian Oakley at Digital Camera World doesn’t think the Q3 is worth upgrading for Q2 users:

“In my opinion, the Leica Q3 has been stuffed with specs to fill a popular need, and bring them closer in specs and functions to rivals, but while doing that the Q-series is becoming just like other systems. 

What makes Leica different to me and other users is that it does things its way, different to the rest of the crowd. And while this new approach might sit well with many, I honestly can’t see the Leica Q3 being that big upgrade option that many Leica Q2 owners were expecting.” – Sebastian Oakley, Digital Camera World

Read more of Oakley’s thoughts here. His opinions have been echoed by some in the Leica Camera Forum with a few mentions about the disappointing choice of focal length and the unnecessarily high 60 MP resolution. Internal memory was also something enthusiasts would have liked to see in the upgrade.

Screenshot from Leica Camera Forum
Screenshot from Leica Camera Forum

Additionally, while there are new video specs and Leica’s website states, “The Leica Q3 is now even better for video creators”, there are a few misses here, such as the lack of an external mic input. While the camera is equipped with an onboard stereo microphone, many video creators use external mics to capture higher-quality audio in their process. There may be an option to connect an external mic through an adapter to the USB-C port but as Oakley states:

“It is said that there will be a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter for some of the best shotgun microphones in the market – but that just seems like a lazy approach and an ill-thought-out plan.”

Shaminder Dulai wrote in this initial review on DPReview:

“For Q-series fans, it’s an incremental improvement over the Q2, which itself was already a very robust and fun camera to use.”

Going on to say Leica made an attempt to attract video creators but might fall short with certain features like the fixed wide angle lens:

“A camera with a fixed 28mm lens isn’t the obvious choice for shooting video, but Leica has squeezed all it can out of the 60MP sensor.”

The review ends on a positive note, referencing the joy the user felt in using the Q3, but a question hangs at the end leaving it up to readers to decide, is this camera worth the price tag?

So, who is the Leica Q3 for? What we typically see with next-generation upgrades is a targeting of owners of the previous models. However, it seems Leica wants to cast a wider net and bring in new fans for the Q system, opting for features popular in other systems such as the tilting screen and remaining at the 28mm focal length. Some Q2 users are hoping for the upgrades they wanted in a future Q4 and have already started making a wishlist here. Will Leica heed the call for a different focal length amongst other requests or will they push forward with features to win over a wider customer base? We will have to wait and see.

Let us know your thoughts on the Leica Q3 below!

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About The Author

By Molly Kate
Photographer, writer, and CPA currently running a Youtube channel called Eclectachrome. I'm a huge fan of shiny new objects which makes writing news a perfect fit. Favorite cameras are often mechanical rangefinders, folders, and compacts and I love most film stocks. I enjoy developing and scanning my own film as well as printing in the darkroom when there's extra time!
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Comments

Mark on NEWS: Leica’s Latest Compact Full-Frame Q3 Meets Mixed Reception

Comment posted: 30/05/2023

There is one feature probably worthy of an upgrade. The tiltable electronic finder.
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Tim Wainwright on NEWS: Leica’s Latest Compact Full-Frame Q3 Meets Mixed Reception

Comment posted: 30/05/2023

I am not lucky enough to be able to buy a Q3 (or Q2 or any other Leica) but I think the Qs are very interesting series of cameras. I understand why they have increased to 60mg sensor, which does seem excessive BUT it does mean that when cropping to 35, 50 or even 75mm, the resolution is sufficient for large prints, thus making the camera usable at those focal lengths rather than them being a little 'gimmicky'. Street shooters are aways talking about how useful waist level shooting with a flip screen is. To me it odes seem quite some thought went into the specs, but I am not sure it would convince me to upgrade from a Q2....if I had one in the first place.
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Huss on NEWS: Leica’s Latest Compact Full-Frame Q3 Meets Mixed Reception

Comment posted: 30/05/2023

With the lock up, random over exposure, and auto white balance issues the M11 is still plagued with after multiple firmware releases, I wouldn't touch any new Leica digicam until it has been on the market for a few years.

75 pages of that nonsense here:

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/357248-m11-freeze-issues-merged/

Good luck to the beta testers with the new Q3.

It's why I have no desire to move on from my M10-r - bought used and sorted. Awesome camera that works correctly.
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Hamish Gill replied:

Comment posted: 30/05/2023

Yeah, I’m happy with my m10-p.

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Paul Bennett replied:

Comment posted: 30/05/2023

I had the q2 sold it, the lieca magic wasn't there for me, biggest depreciation of any brand I have sold on. Also using high density sensors crop function doesn't give different fields of veiw equivalent to 35/50 mm etc it is a crop of a 28 mm lens

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commiebiker on NEWS: Leica’s Latest Compact Full-Frame Q3 Meets Mixed Reception

Comment posted: 30/05/2023

"is this camera worth the price tag?"

Isn't that the primary question about everything they make?
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Molly Kate replied:

Comment posted: 30/05/2023

I would say so! but this is me :)

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Ad Hox on NEWS: Leica’s Latest Compact Full-Frame Q3 Meets Mixed Reception

Comment posted: 31/05/2023

I’ve been waiting for the Q3 before deciding whether to pony up for a new Q3, or to buy a cheaper Q2. I’ve opted for the Q3.

For me, the availability of 60Mp allows me to crop aggressively to 50mm or even 75mm equivalent, but if I’m staying at 28mm or 35mm I can consider using the reduced resolution with the bump in DR.

The tilting screen is useful for shooting low - so I accept the less clean line of the Q3 as the price for that feature.

I liked the port-free exterior of the previous Qs, With Qi charging through the optional grip, I probably don’t have a need for the ports, but I accept that some ports are necessary for a camera that provides 8K video &c.

And with the general vibe of Q2 owners being that they’re not in a hurry to upgrade to Q3, I’m not expecting a flood of cheap Q2 to hit the used market.
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Gary on NEWS: Leica’s Latest Compact Full-Frame Q3 Meets Mixed Reception

Comment posted: 31/05/2023

I bought a Ricoh GR III several years ago and was surprised at how useful the 28mm (equiv.) fixed lens turned out to be. When the GR IIIx came out, with its 40mm (equiv.) fixed lens, I bought that one also. Now I find myself going out with the IIIx much more often than with the III. 40mm is a versatile focal length.
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Molly Kate replied:

Comment posted: 31/05/2023

I usually like wider focal lengths but recently I have been shooting a lot with a 40mm lens and it's super versatile like you said! It's not often I find myself looking for the extra width except in rare moments with street photography. Love a 28mm for street but also a 35 or 40 are more flexible for general use.

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Jonny on NEWS: Leica’s Latest Compact Full-Frame Q3 Meets Mixed Reception

Comment posted: 31/05/2023

I would disagree with the mixed receptions - I think people seems to be quite happy about it and the Q seems to have found his 'niche' (compared to the reception of the original Q!)

Is it worth the upgrade from Q2? Not at all. It wasn't even worth the upgrade from Q to Q2 if you ask me - the lens it's still exactly the same and all the excess megapixels are just faff!

The great thing to be happy about the release of the Q3 is that the original Q can now be purchased for less than £2k - Summilux lens and 24MP absolute combo and relatively affordable if you ask me.
Still rocking my Q, the lens is an absolute beauty.
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denny on NEWS: Leica’s Latest Compact Full-Frame Q3 Meets Mixed Reception

Comment posted: 10/07/2023

Price sounds good to me. This might be my cross over from film.
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