Q3 43vs FX3
Leica
Q3 43 (2024)
Starting from £6995 new
Best for Documentary, portrait & reportage photography
View Q3 43
Sony
FX3 (2021)
Starting from £3799 new
Best for Professional video, documentary & cinematic filmmaking
View FX3
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 Video, Documentary & Cinematic Filmmaking — FX3 (2021): The definitive run-and-gun cinema camera — A7S III sensor quality in a body built specifically for video professionals.
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
FX3 (2021)
- Professional videographers and filmmakers who need cinema-quality colour science in a compact body
- Documentary and run-and-gun shooters who need 4K/120p and built-in XLR audio
- Sony A7S III owners who want a purpose-built video body alongside their stills camera
- Gimbal and drone operators who need a compact full-frame cinema camera
Quick take: The q3 43 has the highest resolution at 60mp; the fx3 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Q3 43 (2024) | FX3 (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,995 | £3,799 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 12.1MP full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS (same as A7S III) |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | 12.1MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p 10-bit — L-Log | 4K/120p, 4K/60p 10-bit, 12-bit RAW output, S-Log3, S-Cinetone |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with face and eye detection | Real-time tracking with subject recognition (human, animal) |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS (combined with OIS) | 5-axis IBIS — 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 15fps electronic | 10fps mechanical, 10fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~350 shots (CIPA) | ~640 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 743g body only | 715g body only (with XLR handle) |
| Dimensions | 130.0 × 80.3 × 91.1mm | 129.7 × 78.0 × 84.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF 0.79× 5.76M-dot OLED | None — monitor/external EVF use only |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.84M dots | 3.0" touchscreen, fully articulating |
| 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 CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 5.0 | USB-C (10Gbps), full-size HDMI, XLR via handle, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Q3 43 | FX3 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 →
More comparisons with Q3 43
Camera family history