Q3 43vs Sony A9 III
Leica
Q3 43 (2024)
Starting from £6995 new
Best for Documentary, portrait & reportage photography
View Q3 43
Sony
Sony A9 III (2023)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Sports & action professionals
View Sony A9 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.
Sports & Action Professionals — Sony A9 III (2023): A paradigm-shifting camera — the global shutter eliminates every rolling shutter limitation that has constrained action photography for years.
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
Sony A9 III (2023)
- Professional sports photographers who need zero blackout and 120fps burst
- Wildlife photographers who demand the most advanced Sony AF available
- Photojournalists who need flash sync at any shutter speed
- A9 II owners upgrading to the world's first full-frame global shutter
Quick take: The q3 43 has the highest resolution at 60mp; the sony a9 iii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Q3 43 (2024) | Sony A9 III (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,995 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.6MP full-frame Exmor RS CMOS (global shutter) |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | 24.6MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p 10-bit — L-Log | 4K/120p, 4K/60p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with face and eye detection | AI subject recognition AF, 759-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS (combined with OIS) | 8-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 15fps electronic | 120fps blackout-free electronic |
| Battery Life | ~350 shots (CIPA) | 530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 743g body only | 703g body only |
| Dimensions | 130.0 × 80.3 × 91.1mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF 0.79× 5.76M-dot OLED | 0.64" Quad-XGA OLED EVF, 9.44M dots |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.84M dots | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Fixed Summicron-M 43mm f/2 ASPH (43mm — closest to human field of view) | Sony FE (E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single UHS-II SD slot | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 5.0 | USB-C 3.2, HDMI A, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Q3 43 | Sony A9 III |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Street | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — |
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