Q3 43vs Lumix S9
Leica
Q3 43 (2024)
Starting from £6995 new
Best for Documentary, portrait & reportage photography
View Q3 43
Lumix
Lumix S9 (2024)
Starting from £1299 new
Best for Travel photographers, content creators & L-mount entry buyers
View Lumix S9
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.
Travel Photographers, Content Creators & L-Mount Entry Buyers — Lumix S9 (2024): The most compact full-frame camera available — a perfect travel and content creation companion with brilliant colour science.
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
Lumix S9 (2024)
- Travel photographers who want full-frame quality in the most compact package
- Content creators attracted to Real-time LUT and 10-bit video
- Photographers already in the L-mount ecosystem wanting a lightweight second body
- Lumix S5 II users who want something smaller for travel and casual shooting
Quick take: The q3 43 has the highest resolution at 60mp; the lumix s9 is the most affordable; only the q3 43 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Q3 43 (2024) | Lumix S9 (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,995 | £1,299 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame CMOS |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p 10-bit — L-Log | 4K/60p (10-bit), C4K/60p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with face and eye detection | Contrast-detect AF with subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS (combined with OIS) | IBIS — up to 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 15fps electronic | 30fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~350 shots (CIPA) | ~310 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 743g body only | 413g (with battery) |
| Dimensions | 130.0 × 80.3 × 91.1mm | 124.6 × 73.9 × 52.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | EVF 0.79× 5.76M-dot OLED | None — rear screen only |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.84M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen (touch drag AF) |
| 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 | Single SD UHS-II slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 5.0 | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Q3 43 | Lumix S9 |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Street | ||
| Travel | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Sports | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history