Leica Q3vs A7R III
Leica
Leica Q3 (2023)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Travel, street & premium compact shooters
View Leica Q3
VS
Sony
A7R III (2017)
Starting from £1799 new
Best for Landscape, studio & commercial photography
View A7R III
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.
Landscape, Studio & Commercial Photography — A7R III (2017): The camera that converted professionals to mirrorless — 42MP, IBIS, and 10fps in a body that still competes today.
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
A7R III (2017)
- Landscape and studio photographers who need 42MP resolution at a used-price discount vs A7R IV
- Canon/Nikon DSLR professionals considering a mirrorless switch at a lower investment
- Commercial and product photographers who want full-frame resolution with IBIS for handheld work
- Portrait photographers who want the sharpest possible full-frame files for large print work
Quick take: The leica q3 has the highest resolution at 60mp; the a7r iii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Leica Q3 (2023) | A7R III (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £1,799 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 42.4MP full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | 42.4MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p, C4K/60p | 4K/30p (full-frame readout), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with subject/face/eye detection | 399 phase-detect + 425 contrast AF points — real-time Eye AF |
| Stabilisation | 5.5-stop IBIS | 5-axis IBIS — 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 15fps | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | 380 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 743g | 650g body only |
| Dimensions | 130.0 × 80.3 × 91.0mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.787" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen | 3.0" touchscreen, tilting |
| Mount | Fixed Summilux 28mm f/1.7 ASPH | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II | Dual SD slots (one UHS-II) |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.1, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic jack |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Leica Q3 | A7R III |
|---|---|---|
| Travel | — | |
| Street | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wedding | — | |
| Sports | — |
More comparisons with Leica Q3
Camera family history