Leica
Q3 43 2024
Best for Documentary, portrait & reportage photography
£5890
new today at Clifton Cameras
Decision tools · Compare
Q3 43 vs A1
Quick take: The Q3 43 has the highest resolution at 60MP; the A1 is the most affordable.
Where the Q3 43 wins
- Resolution: 60.0MP
- Street: 6.7 vs 6.1
Where the A1 wins
- Cheaper new: £4,199 vs £5,890
- Burst Rate: 30fps electronic with full AF/AE
- Battery Life: ~430 shots (CIPA)
- Weight: 737g (with battery and card)
- Portrait: 8.2 vs 6.4
16 specs side by side·14 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 2021
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
£4199
new today at Wex Photo Video
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 129 × 97 × 81 mm · 737 g
The Q3 43 is 6 mm shorter and 35 g heavier than the A1.
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 — Professional Sport, Wildlife, Portrait & Hybrid Shooting: 50MP, 30fps, 8K — the Sony A1 is the most complete professional camera ever made.
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 (2021)
is the right camera for you if…
- 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
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | Q3 43Leica · 2024 | A1Sony · 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,890 | £4,199Best |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 60.0MPBest | 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 | Optical stabilisation in the lens (no IBIS) | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 15fps electronic | 30fps electronic with full AF/AEBest |
| Battery Life | ~350 shots (CIPA) | ~430 shots (CIPA)Best |
| Weight | 743g (body only) | 737g (with battery and card)Best |
| 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" tilting 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 |
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
Portrait
6.4/10
8.2/10
Street
6.7/10
6.1/10
Travel
5.8/10
5.9/10
Wedding & Events
6.3/10
7.9/10
Filmmaking
5.8/10
7.8/10
Documentary
6.3/10
7.6/10
Landscape
6.7/10
7.6/10
Casual
4.5/10
4.8/10
Food
6.7/10
7.4/10
Macro
4.6/10
7.3/10
Architecture
6.7/10
7.9/10
Astrophotography
5.4/10
6.8/10
Sports & Action
—
8.8/10
Wildlife
—
8.7/10
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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