Q3 43vs A7R III
Leica
Q3 43 (2024)
Starting from £6995 new
Best for Documentary, portrait & reportage photography
View Q3 43
VS
Sony
A7R III (2017)
Starting from £1799 new
Best for Landscape, studio & commercial photography
View A7R III
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.
Landscape, Studio & Commercial Photography — A7R III (2017): The camera that converted professionals to mirrorless — 42MP, IBIS, and 10fps in a body that still competes today.
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 III (2017)
- Landscape and studio photographers who need 42MP resolution at a used-price discount vs A7R IV
- Canon/Nikon DSLR professionals considering a mirrorless switch at a lower investment
- Commercial and product photographers who want full-frame resolution with IBIS for handheld work
- Portrait photographers who want the sharpest possible full-frame files for large print work
Quick take: The q3 43 has the highest resolution at 60mp; the a7r iii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Q3 43 (2024) | A7R III (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,995 | £1,799 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 42.4MP full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | 42.4MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p 10-bit — L-Log | 4K/30p (full-frame readout), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with face and eye detection | 399 phase-detect + 425 contrast AF points — real-time Eye AF |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS (combined with OIS) | 5-axis IBIS — 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 15fps electronic | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | ~350 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 743g body only | 650g body only |
| Dimensions | 130.0 × 80.3 × 91.1mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm |
| 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" touchscreen, tilting |
| 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 SD slots (one UHS-II) |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 5.0 | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic jack |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Q3 43 | A7R III |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Street | ||
| Travel | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Sports | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Wedding | — |
More comparisons with Q3 43
Camera family history