Q3 43vs A5100
Leica
Q3 43 (2024)
Starting from £6995 new
Best for Documentary, portrait & reportage photography
View Q3 43
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.
Casual & Travel — A5100 (2014): The A5100 is one of the smallest APS-C mirrorless cameras ever made. Its 24MP sensor, phase-detect AF, and selfie-friendly flip screen pack remarkable capability into a shirt-pocket-sized body. No EVF or hot shoe limits it for serious use, but as a compact travel camera or beginner's first mirrorless, it punches well above its price on the used market.
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
A5100 (2014)
- Beginners stepping up from a smartphone
- Compact travel photographers
- Casual vloggers who want APS-C quality
Quick take: The q3 43 has the highest resolution at 60mp; the a5100 is the most affordable; only the q3 43 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Q3 43 (2024) | A5100 (2014) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,995 | £200 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.3MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | 24.3MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p 10-bit — L-Log | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with face and eye detection | Hybrid phase-detect / contrast-detect AF, face detection |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS (combined with OIS) | None |
| Burst Rate | 15fps electronic | 6fps |
| Battery Life | ~350 shots (CIPA) | ~400 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 743g body only | 224g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 130.0 × 80.3 × 91.1mm | 109.6 × 62.8 × 35.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | EVF 0.79× 5.76M-dot OLED | None |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.84M dots | 3.0" flip-up touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Fixed Summicron-M 43mm f/2 ASPH (43mm — closest to human field of view) | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Single UHS-II SD slot | Single SD / MemoryStick PRO Duo slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 5.0 | Micro USB, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Q3 43 | A5100 |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Street | ||
| Travel | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Casual | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
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