Q3 43vs ZV-E1
Leica
Q3 43 (2024)
Starting from £6995 new
Best for Documentary, portrait & reportage photography
View Q3 43
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.
Video Creators, Vloggers & Filmmakers — ZV-E1 (2023): Full-frame video quality in a vlogging body — exceptional low-light performance and a genuinely compact form factor.
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
ZV-E1 (2023)
- Video creators who want full-frame low-light quality in a compact body
- Vloggers stepping up from APS-C who prioritise image quality over resolution
- Filmmakers who want S-Log3 and cinematic colour in a run-and-gun package
- A7S III users who want the same sensor in a smaller, lighter body
Quick take: The q3 43 has the highest resolution at 60mp; the zv-e1 is the most affordable; only the q3 43 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Q3 43 (2024) | ZV-E1 (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,995 | £1,999 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 12.1MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS Exmor R |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | 12.1MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p 10-bit — L-Log | 4K/60p (S-Cinetone, S-Log3), 4K/120p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with face and eye detection | Real-time Tracking AF with subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS (combined with OIS) | IBIS — Active Mode for video |
| Burst Rate | 15fps electronic | 10fps |
| Battery Life | ~350 shots (CIPA) | ~570 shots (CIPA) / ~105 min video |
| Weight | 743g body only | 483g (with battery) |
| Dimensions | 130.0 × 80.3 × 91.1mm | 121.4 × 71.6 × 54.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | EVF 0.79× 5.76M-dot OLED | None — screen only |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.84M dots | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen |
| 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 | Single CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 5.0 | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3.5mm mic, Multi-Interface Shoe |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Q3 43 | ZV-E1 |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Street | ||
| Travel | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Low Light | — |
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