Q3 43vs A7R II
Leica
Q3 43 (2024)
Starting from £6995 new
Best for Documentary, portrait & reportage photography
View Q3 43
Sony
A7R II (2015)
Starting from £799 new
Best for Portrait, landscape & studio photography
View A7R II
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, Landscape & Studio Photography — A7R II (2015): The A7R II transformed the A7R series — adding IBIS, 4K video, BSI sensor tech, and phase-detect AF in one generation. A landmark Sony camera.
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
A7R II (2015)
- Landscape and architecture photographers who want 42MP with IBIS for handheld shooting
- Portrait and studio photographers who need high resolution with improved AF reliability
- Sony FE system users who want a capable high-resolution body at a used price
- A7R I owners who need the stabilisation, 4K, and improved AF the original lacked
Quick take: The q3 43 has the highest resolution at 60mp; the a7r ii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Q3 43 (2024) | A7R II (2015) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,995 | £799 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 42.4MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS Exmor R |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | 42.4MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p 10-bit — L-Log | 4K/30p (S35 or full-frame), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with face and eye detection | 399 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points, face detection |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS (combined with OIS) | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 4.5 stops (first A7R with IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 15fps electronic | 5fps |
| Battery Life | ~350 shots (CIPA) | ~290 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 743g body only | 625g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 130.0 × 80.3 × 91.1mm | 126.9 × 95.7 × 60.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF 0.79× 5.76M-dot OLED | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.84M dots | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots (no touch) |
| 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 | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 5.0 | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Q3 43 | A7R II |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Street | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Architecture | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with Q3 43
Camera family history