It’s been just over a month since getting my hands on the Leica Q3 43, and in this blog, I will share my first impressions having used this camera multiple times a week and even going on a dedicated trip to Bilbao with the Q3 as my only camera.

Please note this isn’t a full final review, and some opinions / findings could change as time goes on. There will be a full detailed review after 6 months of extensive use. With that said, I have used this camera enough to give you a good overview.

For transparency, this camera was purchased by me at full retail price from a generic UK retailer. Leica has nothing to do with me obtaining this camera, nor do I have a relationship with the brand. When the camera was announced, I emailed their social media team in the UK asking for a loan to try it before buying. Although they agreed with no strings attached, I decided to decline the loan and buy it myself given I wanted to test it long-term. Also, having paid for it myself, I will have a different approach to the value aspect compared to if I was given the camera in exchange for content.

Purpose

The first question I asked myself is what’s the point of this camera? Why does it exist and who will ultimately use it? At first I wasn’t sure because even though it’s a compact body with a fixed lens, it isn’t what you’d call compact. The lens protrudes enough to eliminate this as a pocketable option. The camera is also pretty minimal in terms of tech, features, and buttons. Certainly compared to a Sony alternative for the same price, you get a lot less for your money. What this camera does exceptionally well is eliminate any distractions and give you a stripped-back and pure photography experience. Although this is no cinema camera, the video aspect allows you to grab clips from your trips and give more context to the photos.

From my initial impression, the purpose of this camera is to be a high-quality photography experience for those who wish to document their life and travels. With the 43mm focal length, the second purpose of this camera is for street and travel photographers who prefer to shoot at a more natural focal length. By natural, I mean the closest to what a human eye sees. The third purpose of this camera is to be a tool you can bring with you into any condition or environment. A tool that can be beaten up, withstand the elements with its IP52 sealing, and be relied upon for years to come. On paper, this sounds amazing, but like with everything, time will tell. With that said, this camera makes you want to bring it with you everywhere you go and use it all the time.

Build Quality

For now, I can only comment on how this camera feels when it’s new. For a durability report, please come back for the full review in 6-12 months. The first thing you notice is how light the camera is, and this can make you wonder if the build quality has slipped. I’m glad to say that the build quality is top-notch and easily the best-built camera I ever used. I would put it on par with the Hasselblad X2D, which is nearly twice the price when you factor in an equivalent lens.

Although cameras from other brands have good build quality (Sony A7RV), the Q3 feels like a different league. The buttons have a good, solid click, the top dial feels premium, and the screen articulation is solid with no play to report.

The only negative I would highlight is that the FN2 function button is slightly recessed with a more numb feeling when pressing. I suspect this is done to help you distinguish between the two buttons but only using touch; however, I wish that it had the same solid click as the FN1 button.

Handling & Ergonomics

Overall, the camera is small despite the lens protruding a fair bit. The lens prevents it from being pocketable unless you have huge pockets in a giant winter jacket. What this camera is designed for is to be worn around your neck or on a crossbody strap. Due to its lightweight, you can easily carry it on a strap without getting a sore neck or shoulder.

It’s worth noting that this camera is designed to be used with two hands. One hand holding the body and the other on the lens. If you try shooting or even holding this camera one-handed, you will be in for an uncomfortable experience.

There is no front grip, and the thumb recess in the back is not sufficient enough to maintain a solid grasp of the body. It very much feels like holding a bar of soap.

If you plan to shoot one-handed, I would highly suggest getting the optional hot shoe-mounted thumb grip. The official Leica one can run you over £200; however, I managed to find a 3rd-party alternative on Amazon for less than half that price. It isn’t the most pretty accessory, and if you wear the camera on your body, you can feel it. It increases the overall footprint of the camera in a bag depending on how you pack it, and it can make operating the dial more tricky as you need to reach around the grip first.

With that said, the two-handed user experience is comfortable and tactile. The whole system feels nice to touch, hold, and operate. It’s a camera that makes you want to pick up and use it. On the top, you will find two dials, a shutter, and one custom button. The shutter speed dial is self-explanatory.

The shutter button has two solid stages, meaning you won’t accidentally take a shot when you try to half-press it.

The second dial can be set to a specific task, such as exposure compensation, or programmed to automatically change behaviour depending on what shooting mode you’re in. The custom button inside the dial can be programmed to whatever you want.

On the back, you will find two custom buttons, D Pad, play, and menu buttons. You can customise the two function buttons at the top as well as the round button inside the D Pad. The direction buttons are for moving the focus point only, it seems.

What I like about the custom buttons is the ability to long-press them and quickly change the desired option. You can select as few or as many options as you like and then switch between them depending on what you’re doing. For example, FN1 can be assigned to Focus Mode, but with a long press, you can change it to Digital Zoom or any other feature.

The lens has a traditional aperture dial that works as expected. The focus dial has a small switch on the tab that allows you to lock and unlock manual focusing. Finally, there is a macro dial, and I wish it had a similar kind of lock feature. It’s easy to turn, and a few times I switched the camera on only to be greeted with a warning message that the macro dial is not in position.

It’s not all great as there is a lack of a joystick. I am not sure why companies leave it out, especially on such high-end cameras. You also don’t have a physical way to recenter the focus point once moved. Of course, you can just double-tap the screen, but I wish there was a physical button or something to do it.

Screen & Viewfinder

Both are fine, but honestly, at this price point, I would have expected a better EVF. The viewfinder is pretty low resolution and feels similar to a Fujifilm system. Certainly, if you compare it to the A7RV viewfinder with nearly twice the resolution, the Q3 feels somewhat outdated. On the plus side, the viewfinder is big, bright, and a pleasure to use.

The screen is also on the lower resolution side, but it’s only noticeable when comparing it to better models side by side. The touch sensitivity is good, and the tilting is solid with no play. The whole system feels very tough and premium.

Battery Life

Battery life is very good, and you can easily get a full day even with frequent use. I am yet to have to change batteries throughout the day. The camera is rated to 350 shots, but I managed to get nearly double with around 25% of the battery still left over.

Performance & Reliability

The first time you turn the camera on after it was sitting for a while can take a good few seconds. However, if you switch it off and then switch it back on a few minutes later, it’s much faster. It’s still a slower camera to switch on than the likes of Sony or Fuji, but it’s not bad. General performance is great, and the camera feels overall snappy. I’ve heard of some horror stories about modern Leicas frequently freezing up or experiencing bugs. Thankfully, I have not experienced any of that even after a firmware update.

Memory

The camera takes a single UHS-II SD card, and there is no onboard memory. This feels a little cheap to me for the price point. Sure, many people might not be using it for pro work where a backup is essential, but it would have been nice to have either a second slot or some built-in memory just in case.

Lens

I’ve often been told by those who have more Leica experience that with the Q3, you buy a lens that comes with a free camera attached. I am not educated enough to sit here and tell you how this lens renders compared to something else, but what I can tell you is this lens has blown me away. Stick it in f2 and the out-of-focus elements are magical. I also love the lens flares and overall feel of the images. When the light, subject, flare, and out-of-focus elements all align, the result can be truly wonderful.

Manual Focusing

The manual focusing experience is good. I would say that it would have been nice to have the focus pull a little looser. I feel that if you use one finger on the focus tab to rack focus, it can be a little tough because of how tight the focusing is. By no means is it difficult, it just takes a bit more effort than what I’d like. On the flip side, the focusing is very precise and accurate. Focus peaking is just right and the overall experience is good.

I also love how the focus markings change when you put the camera into macro mode. That’s very neat and I love seeing it happen.

Autofocusing

I will be blunt and say this isn’t the best autofocusing camera I have used. Not even close. It’s certainly better than a Fuji X100 or a Hasselblad, but compared to almost anything even close to this kind of price, this camera lacks in the AF department.

While it has all the features such as tracking, face detection, and continuous AF, the focus motor technology just isn’t capable enough. Although in many cases it will acquire focus using these modes, I certainly wouldn’t want to depend on it. I have experienced a few false positives too. Not enough to make this a concern, but enough to mention here.

I personally use it in single AF with one square or crosshair in the middle. I’ve come to accept that this is aimed at a slower pace of photography, and for the reasons I got the camera, that is fine by me. This is also an area where my opinion might change as I use it more and really learn the AF system inside out.

With that said, it’s not bad by any means, and it works 90% of the time just as intended. My judgement is very harsh because I am now used to a Sony A7RV focus system, which is one of the best out there.

Photography Features

What I like about this camera is that you have all the necessary features without the gimmicks. No pano modes or childish filters in sight. You have everything you need and nothing more.

Although I shoot only in raw, this camera seems to have a pretty solid JPEG profile section. You can create custom profiles and even download new looks from the phone app. This isn’t as comprehensive as the Fuji, but it’s something. There will be a separate blog later.

There are some features that I’ve not seen before, such as perspective correction that corrects for distortions of vertical lines in the camera. It seems good, but it’s something I’d rather do myself in Lightroom.

One thing I find annoying is just how pronounced some of the screen elements are. For example, zone focusing and grid lines are so overpowering that they distract from the actual composition.

Video Features

For a photo-centric camera, the Q3 has some decent video features. This will never be your main video camera; instead, it’s perfect for capturing little clips of your trip to accompany the photos. Everything you’d expect from a video camera is here, including a great L-LOG profile, OIS and a solid codec.

I really like the dedicated menu for video and the fact that the custom buttons can be separate for photo and video. It’s almost like having two different cameras in one.

However, it’s not all good news, and there is one major annoyance. I hope I am wrong and I’m simply not experienced enough with the camera, but as it stands, I can’t separate the shutter speed and aperture values between photo and video. The only way to adjust the shutter speed and aperture is via the dials, and there isn’t a function that allows you to detach control from the dial. On other cameras, you can have video settings adjusted via the screen so that the physical photo controls stay the same. This isn’t an option here, and it means I have a fair bit of adjusting to do between photo and video.

Image Quality - Photography

The image quality is fantastic. Sharp, clean, and contrasty files with plenty of latitude for editing. The images are on the more contrasty side, and there is definitely a look to the files. You’re not starting from a neutral point like Sony, for example. For some people, this is good as it means minimal editing. For others like me, they might need to do some tweaking to undo the Leica look. I’ve said all I can about the photography aspect of this camera, so below are a bunch of recent photos.

Image Quality - Video

I haven’t shot much video with this camera, so my opinion is very limited. From the very brief initial impression, the files are clean and easy to grade. No complaints.

Menu System

Leica menus are the best. From the original quick menu to how logically things are laid out. This is a camera you won’t have much trouble setting up and finding your way around.

Firmware Updates

In my short duration of ownership, I had one major firmware update, which introduced a couple of new features and fixed one painpoint I had with the AFL feature. This is a good sign from a longevity perspective.

Unboxing & Accessories

I personally don’t care for unboxing experiences; however, many people do. I am pleased to report that the unboxing experience is one of the best I have come across, and it feels like you’re unboxing a luxury product and not a consumer good. Inside, you will find plenty of accessories, including a nice leather strap, a lens hood, and a bunch of cables, a charger, and so on… all the usual.

Connectivity

The connection to the Leica Fotos app is pretty seamless and straightforward. I managed to get it to talk on the first attempt without needing to Google anything. I am yet to properly explore the app and all the options, so I will save that for another blog.

Experience

Many people buy Leicas for the experience. While they might not be the most technically advanced or capable cameras on the market, the user base is happy to pay over the odds for the experience of using a Leica. Having used the camera for a month, do I feel the same? I don’t know. I can definitely see this point of view, as this is a camera that makes me want to hold and use it, however I can’t say it makes me want to use it any more than my Sony A7RV. This is something that can change with time and I feel I will give a more accurate feedback after extended use.

Feeling Like a Target

I would like to touch on one aspect that I didn’t have with my Sony or Fuji cameras. Feeling like a target. In my time using the camera, I have noticed more glances from passersby. Of course, most people are curious or they recognise the brand, and while these interactions are totally innocent, this does raise concern a little. Once you’ve used this camera for a bit, perhaps added a few scratches and then spilled wine on it at the Christmas drinks (like I did), you can forget just how expensive it is. Even if sold for half the original value, you’re still carrying a month’s wages in a small, easy-to-steal, easy-to-sell, and hard-to-trace package. How this impacts your use of the camera will vary. For me, I know for a fact I won’t be taking it to many places I feel are a little on the risky side.

Who Is This Camera For?

There are three specific users who this camera is aimed at. The first is a wealthy hobbyist who wants to take photos of their travels, family, and life. They want a simple, high-quality camera that just works. They don’t want to drudge through endless menus or spend hours editing. They value high-quality items, want the best, and don’t have an issue paying for that.

The second user is a serious photographer who wants a camera for street, travel, and documentary photography. For them, this isn’t just a hobby; it’s a huge part of their life. However, they don’t want to be drowning in gear and lenses. They will use this camera almost daily in any weather conditions, and within a year, it will look like it’s been through a war.

The third user is a professional photographer who might use a more technically advanced camera like a Sony for their bread and butter but wants something more stripped back and involved for their personal fun photography on weekends.

Value For Money

This is a difficult topic and one I can’t answer yet. I still feel like you’re paying a heavy price for the privilege of owning a Leica camera. For this money, you can buy a Sony A7RV, a GM lens, and have change left over. That system is objectively superior in every possible way; it just doesn’t have a red dot nor was it hand-assembled in Germany.

Do I think this camera is good value for money? At this moment in time, I don’t know, but I am open to having my mind changed as time goes on. However, my definition of value for money might be different from other people. To me, £6000 is a LOT of money and a sum that can pay for an unforgettable multi-month trip that will result in amazing photos and memories. For other people, £6000 is easier to justify, and this camera represents fantastic value as a high-quality all-in-one package that will last.

I personally couldn’t care less about history or heritage. I don’t have an attachment to brands nor do I see Leica as aspirational or special. My definition of value is solely based on how well it does its job. Many other people place a lot of value in heritage, hand assembly, and brand image. They will happily pay a premium for that and see value in it.

For most people, even in the Western world, this camera is between 2 and 3 times the average monthly income. If you need to stretch to afford this, I suggest not getting it. You will be so worried about scratching it or exposing it to the elements that you won’t use it as much as a system you deem more affordable. There is no point in owning a camera that you’re scared of using, at least in my opinion.

It is worth noting though that out of all brands, Leica does seem to hold their value the most. As long as you keep all the boxes, don’t scratch it, or put 100,000 shutter actuations, you can get a lot of your money back, especially if the camera is backordered.

So is it good value? I don’t know yet… but I’m leaning towards no.