Leica Q3 43 Formula 1 Edition

Highly Recommended – It's all about quality, a superlative optical performance from this effective reportage camera.

The Leica Q3 43 becomes by far the best quality fixed lens compact I’ve tested, as indeed it should be for the money. The 60 Megapixel sensor and 43mm lens deliver some of the best images I’ve seen from any full-frame system, packed with detail and sharp across the frame, even wide-open at f2. Meanwhile the build quality is excellent and the user interface refreshingly simple. I was also struck by the flexibility of the 43mm focal length. Long enough for flattering portraits, yet wide enough that it never felt cramped. I’m surprised how much I enjoyed it over 35 or 50mm. But don’t get me wrong, the images may look great, but you could achieve similarly good-looking photos given a 60 Megapixel Sony A7C R or A7R V coupled with one of their best G Master lenses, such as the 35 or 50 for roughly two thirds the money. Plus you’ll get a brighter lens, more sophisticated autofocus, a bigger grip and the chance to swap lenses. But the Q3 43 packs this quality into a more compact body with clean controls and menus that avoid the complexity of many modern cameras. It’s all about the experience and the fact is I enjoyed shooting with the Q3 43 more than I did with either of those Sony’s. Ultimately there’s no other camera with this particular combination of features: a 60 Megapixel full-frame sensor with a top quality 43mm prime and a great viewfinder, all packed into a compact but well-built weatherproof body. It’s genuinely unique, but like all high-end or luxury goods, only you can say whether it’s worth the asking price. Personally if I had the money and felt secure carrying something that valuable in the places I shoot, I’d go for it.

The Leica Q3 43 provides a 'normal' alternative to the company's wide-angle fixed lens, full-frame compact. Its image quality is superb, thanks to an excellent lens, and its user interface is pleasantly photography focused. Its video modes and autofocus interface don't live up to these immensely high standards, but neither gets in the way of the camera's core mission.