Q3 43vs A7 IV
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.
Portrait & Wedding Photography — A7 IV (2021): The full-frame portrait benchmark — 33MP, AI Eye AF, and exceptional skin-tone rendering in a pro-grade hybrid body.
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
A7 IV (2021)
- Working photographers who want a reliable full-frame all-rounder
- Portrait, wedding, and event photographers needing 33MP and fast AF
- A7 III owners ready for a major upgrade in resolution, AF, and video
- Hybrid shooters who want 4K/60p and 33MP stills in one dependable body
Quick take: The q3 43 has the highest resolution at 60mp; the a7 iv is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Q3 43 (2024) | A7 IV (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,995 | £2,299 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 33MP Full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | 33.0MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p 10-bit — L-Log | 4K/60p oversampled, 10-bit internal, S-Log3, S-Cinetone |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with face and eye detection | 759-point phase-detect, AI subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS (combined with OIS) | 5-axis IBIS, 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 15fps electronic | 10fps mechanical, 30fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~350 shots (CIPA) | ~580 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 743g body only | 659g body only |
| Dimensions | 130.0 × 80.3 × 91.1mm | 131.3 × 96.4 × 79.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF 0.79× 5.76M-dot OLED | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.84M dots | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen |
| Mount | Fixed Summicron-M 43mm f/2 ASPH (43mm — closest to human field of view) | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single UHS-II SD slot | Dual slots: CFexpress Type A + SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 5.0 | USB-C (3.2 Gen 2), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Q3 43 | A7 IV |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Studio Portraits | — | |
| Outdoor Portraits | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| 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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