Q3 43vs A7S II
Leica
Q3 43 (2024)
Starting from £6995 new
Best for Documentary, portrait & reportage photography
View Q3 43
Sony
A7S II (2015)
Starting from £799 new
Best for Low-light video, documentary & available-light filmmaking
View A7S 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.
Low-Light Video, Documentary & Available-Light Filmmaking — A7S II (2015): A landmark in mirrorless history — the first Sony with IBIS and internal 4K, its low-light video capability still impresses today at a used-market price.
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
A7S II (2015)
- Filmmakers and videographers who want legendary low-light performance at a used-price discount
- Documentary shooters working in unpredictable available light conditions
- A7S III shooters who want a second Sony FE body for backup or B-camera use
- Budget-conscious video producers who want full-frame 4K with S-Log at an accessible price
Quick take: The q3 43 has the highest resolution at 60mp; the a7s ii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Q3 43 (2024) | A7S II (2015) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,995 | £799 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 12.1MP full-frame BSI Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | 12.1MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p 10-bit — L-Log | 4K/30p internal (full sensor readout), 1080p/120p, S-Log2/S-Log3 |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with face and eye detection | 169 phase-detect + 25 contrast AF — limited by modern standards |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS (combined with OIS) | 5-axis IBIS — 4.5 stops (first Sony mirrorless with IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 15fps electronic | 5fps continuous |
| Battery Life | ~350 shots (CIPA) | ~370 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 743g body only | 584g body only |
| 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, 2.36M dots, 0.71× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.84M dots | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots |
| 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 UHS-I slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 5.0 | USB Micro-B, Bluetooth (via app), Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic jack |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Q3 43 | A7S II |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Street | ||
| Travel | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Sports | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Low Light | — | |
| Wedding | — |
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