Q3 43vs Leica SL3
Leica
Q3 43 (2024)
Starting from £6995 new
Best for Documentary, portrait & reportage photography
View Q3 43
VS
Leica
Leica SL3 (2024)
Starting from £6499 new
Best for Professional & luxury hybrid shooters
View Leica SL3
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Documentary, Portrait & Reportage Photography — Q3 43 (2024): The Q3 with the most human lens — 43mm, 60MP, and Leica rendering at its most natural and versatile.
Professional & Luxury Hybrid Shooters — Leica SL3 (2024): Leica's most capable mirrorless — 60MP, 30fps burst, 8K ProRes, and 7.5-stop IBIS with L-mount's growing lens ecosystem.
Who should buy what
Q3 43 (2024)
- Portrait and documentary photographers who find 28mm too wide and 50mm too tight
- Q3 owners who prefer a natural 43mm perspective over the iconic 28mm Summilux
- Reportage photographers who want the discreet Q3 form factor with a more intimate focal length
- Leica system users who want a fixed-lens body that excels across multiple genres
Leica SL3 (2024)
- Leica photographers who want autofocus full-frame in the L-mount system
- SL2 owners upgrading to 60MP and improved autofocus performance
- Professionals who want Leica build quality with L-mount lens versatility
- Photographers who want to share lenses across Leica, Sigma, and Lumix bodies
Quick take: The leica sl3 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Q3 43 (2024) | Leica SL3 (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,995 | £6,499 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | 60.0MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p 10-bit — L-Log | 8K/30p, 4K/60p, Apple ProRes |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with face and eye detection | Phase-detect AF with subject/face/eye detection |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS (combined with OIS) | 7.5-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 15fps electronic | 30fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~350 shots (CIPA) | 410 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 743g body only | 875g body only |
| Dimensions | 130.0 × 80.3 × 91.1mm | 146.0 × 104.0 × 42.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF 0.79× 5.76M-dot OLED | 0.78" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.84M dots | 3.2" fixed touchscreen |
| Mount | Fixed Summicron-M 43mm f/2 ASPH (43mm — closest to human field of view) | Leica L-mount |
| Memory Cards | Single UHS-II SD slot | Dual SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 5.0 | USB-C 3.1, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Q3 43 | Leica SL3 |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Street | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — |
More comparisons with Q3 43
Camera family history