Leica
Q3 43 2024
Best for Documentary, portrait & reportage photography
£5890
new today at Clifton Cameras
Decision tools · Compare
Q3 43 vs A1 II
Quick take: The Q3 43 has the highest resolution at 60MP; the A1 II is the most affordable.
Where the Q3 43 wins
- Resolution: 60.0MP
Where the A1 II wins
- Price: £5,699
- Burst Rate: 30fps electronic (with full AF/AE), 10fps mechanical
- Battery Life: ~530 shots (CIPA)
- Portrait: 9.0 vs 6.4
- Travel: 6.4 vs 5.8
16 specs side by side·15 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video, Clifton Cameras, MPB, eBay and Amazon UK
How to read this page. Highlighted cells win that row on the spec alone. Genre scores are the engine's base scores (enthusiast, photo and video); Camera Match re-weights them for your level and priorities. Price buttons are affiliate links; the price you pay is the same.
Sony
A1 II 2024
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & high-resolution studio work
£5699
new today at Clifton Cameras
Price buttons are affiliate links — GearFrame may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects a score. Learn more
Size comparedbody only, no lens · drawn to one scale
- Q3 43 130 × 91 × 80 mm · 772 g
- A1 II 136 × 97 × 83 mm · 743 g
The Q3 43 is 6 mm narrower, 6 mm shorter, 3 mm slimmer and 29 g heavier than the A1 II.
Drawn to scale from the makers' dimensions (W × H × D). Front shown, depth on the slanted edge.
Verdictwhich should you buy?
Q3 43 — Documentary, Portrait & Reportage Photography: The Q3 with the most human lens — 43mm, 60MP, and Leica rendering at its most natural and versatile.
A1 II — Professional Sports, Wildlife & High-Resolution Studio Work: The most complete camera ever made — 50MP, 30fps, 8K, and the world's best EVF in a single flagship body.
Who should buy what
Q3 43 (2024)
is the right camera for you if…
- 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 II (2024)
is the right camera for you if…
- Professional sports and wildlife photographers who need 30fps, 50MP, and the best AF available
- Commercial and advertising photographers who demand 50MP resolution alongside pro video specs
- Photojournalists who need a single body capable of handling every assignment
- Sony system shooters ready to invest in the absolute best
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | Q3 43Leica · 2024 | A1 IISony · 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,890 | £5,699Best |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 50.1MP full-frame stacked BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 60.0MPBest | 50.1MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p 10-bit — L-Log | 8K/30p, 4K/120p 10-bit, S-Log3 |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with face and eye detection | AI subject recognition — human, animal, bird, insect, vehicle, aircraft, train |
| Stabilisation | Optical stabilisation in the lens (no IBIS) | 8.5-stop IBIS (with in-lens OSS) |
| Burst Rate | 15fps electronic | 30fps electronic (with full AF/AE), 10fps mechanicalBest |
| Battery Life | ~350 shots (CIPA) | ~530 shots (CIPA)Best |
| Weight | 743g (body only) | 743g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 130.0 × 80.3 × 91.1mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF 0.79× 5.76M-dot OLED | EVF 0.9× 9.44M-dot — the highest resolution EVF available |
| Screen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 1.84M dots | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 2.1M dots |
| Mount | Fixed Summicron-M 43mm f/2 ASPH (43mm — closest to human field of view) | Sony E-mount (full-frame) |
| Memory Cards | Single UHS-II SD slot | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 5.0 | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, HDMI full-size |
Wins the row — price, resolution, burst, battery, weight and sealing are compared; text specs aren't ranked.
How they score by genreengine base scores out of 10
Genre
Q3 43
A1 II
Portrait
6.4/10
9.0/10
Street
6.7/10
6.6/10
Travel
5.8/10
6.4/10
Wedding & Events
6.3/10
8.7/10
Filmmaking
5.8/10
8.2/10
Documentary
6.3/10
8.3/10
Landscape
6.7/10
8.0/10
Casual
4.5/10
5.3/10
Food
6.7/10
8.5/10
Macro
4.6/10
8.1/10
Architecture
6.7/10
8.4/10
Astrophotography
5.4/10
7.2/10
Vlogging & Video
—
6.4/10
Sports & Action
—
9.3/10
Wildlife
—
9.2/10
Scores come from the same engine as Camera Match: verified specifications weighted by what each genre needs, with documented adjustments. The product page and this table show the enthusiast base score. See how scores are calculated →
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