Leica Q3vs A1 II
Leica
Leica Q3 (2023)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Travel, street & premium compact shooters
View Leica Q3
VS
Sony
A1 II (2025)
Starting from £6500 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & high-resolution studio work
View A1 II
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Travel, Street & Premium Compact Shooters — Leica Q3 (2023): 60MP, Summilux 28mm, IBIS, and weather sealing — the Q3 is the ultimate fixed-lens camera for those who can justify the cost.
Professional Sports, Wildlife & High-Resolution Studio Work — A1 II (2025): The most complete camera ever made — 50MP, 30fps, 8K, and the world's best EVF in a single flagship body.
Who should buy what
Leica Q3 (2023)
- Photographers who want a fixed-lens full-frame camera with no compromises
- Q2 owners upgrading to articulating screen and improved autofocus
- Travel photographers who want one premium compact that does everything
- Street and documentary photographers who want Leica quality without changing lenses
A1 II (2025)
- Professional sports and wildlife photographers who need 30fps, 50MP, and the best AF available
- Commercial and advertising photographers who demand 50MP resolution alongside pro video specs
- Photojournalists who need a single body capable of handling every assignment
- Sony system shooters ready to invest in the absolute best
Quick take: The leica q3 has the highest resolution at 60mp; the leica q3 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Leica Q3 (2023) | A1 II (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £6,500 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 50.1MP full-frame stacked BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | 50.1MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p, C4K/60p | 8K/30p, 4K/120p 10-bit, 4K/240p super slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with subject/face/eye detection | AI subject recognition — human, animal, bird, insect, vehicle, aircraft, train |
| Stabilisation | 5.5-stop IBIS | 8.5-stop IBIS (with in-lens OSS) |
| Burst Rate | 15fps | 30fps electronic (with full AF/AE), 10fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | 380 shots (CIPA) | ~530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 743g | 743g body only |
| Dimensions | 130.0 × 80.3 × 91.0mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.787" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots | EVF 0.9× 9.44M-dot — the highest resolution EVF available |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 2.1M dots |
| Mount | Fixed Summilux 28mm f/1.7 ASPH | Sony E-mount (full-frame) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.1, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, HDMI full-size |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Leica Q3 | A1 II |
|---|---|---|
| Travel | ||
| Street | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | — |
More comparisons with Leica Q3
Camera family history