Q3 43vs A1
Leica
Q3 43 (2024)
Starting from £6995 new
Best for Documentary, portrait & reportage photography
View Q3 43
VS
Sony
A1 (2021)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
View A1
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 Sport, Wildlife, Portrait & Hybrid Shooting — A1 (2021): 50MP, 30fps, 8K — the Sony A1 is the most complete professional camera ever made.
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
A1 (2021)
- Professional photographers who need resolution and speed without compromise
- Sports and wildlife photographers demanding the absolute fastest Sony
- Studio and fashion photographers who also shoot sport or events
- A9 III or A7R V owners who want a single body that does everything
Quick take: The q3 43 has the highest resolution at 60mp; the a1 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Q3 43 (2024) | A1 (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,995 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | 50.1MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p 10-bit — L-Log | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with face and eye detection | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS (combined with OIS) | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 15fps electronic | 30fps electronic with full AF/AE |
| Battery Life | ~350 shots (CIPA) | ~430 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 743g body only | 737g (with battery) |
| Dimensions | 130.0 × 80.3 × 91.1mm | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF 0.79× 5.76M-dot OLED | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.84M dots | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Fixed Summicron-M 43mm f/2 ASPH (43mm — closest to human field of view) | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single UHS-II SD slot | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 5.0 | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Q3 43 | A1 |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Street | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Sports | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Wedding | — |
More comparisons with Q3 43
Camera family history