Q3 43vs A9
Leica
Q3 43 (2024)
Starting from £6995 new
Best for Documentary, portrait & reportage photography
View Q3 43
Sony
A9 (2017)
Starting from £1999 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & action photography
View A9
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.
Professional Sports, Wildlife & Action Photography — A9 (2017): The camera that changed professional photography — the A9's 20fps blackout-free burst and silent shutter proved mirrorless had definitively surpassed the DSLR.
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
A9 (2017)
- Sports photographers who want the original 20fps mirrorless at a lower used price than the A9 II
- Wildlife photographers who need blackout-free burst with fast, reliable tracking
- Sony FE system users who want a professional sports body
- Photographers interested in the camera that changed the industry
Quick take: The q3 43 has the highest resolution at 60mp; the a9 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Q3 43 (2024) | A9 (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,995 | £1,999 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p 10-bit — L-Log | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with face and eye detection | 693 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS (combined with OIS) | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 15fps electronic | 20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE) |
| Battery Life | ~350 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 743g body only | 673g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 130.0 × 80.3 × 91.1mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 63.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF 0.79× 5.76M-dot OLED | EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification, 60fps refresh (blackout-free) |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.84M dots | 3.0" tilting 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 SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 5.0 | USB, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Q3 43 | A9 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 →
More comparisons with Q3 43
Camera family history