Jono Slack on the Leica Q3
Introduction
The Original Leica Q was released on June 10th 2015, It was a real surprise, with lots of novel features and was a big success for Leica.
The Q2 arrived on 7th March 2019, it was the same basic concept with a lot of useful updates:
New Full Frame 47mp Image sensor
Weather sealed dust and splash-proof
New, faster Maestro family processing engine
Same Summilux f1.7 28mm Asph lens
New OLED EVF 3.68mp (same resolution as Q but clearer)
Extended ISO range from 50-50,000 ISO
Video Recording C4k24p/4k30p/FHD120p/FHD60p/FHD30p/FHD24p
Higher speed AF
Higher capacity battery (the same as the Leica SL)
Faster top electronic shutter speed (1/40,000th sec)
New 3 button User Interface (similar to Leica CL)
Touch screen functionality on the LCD
Improved digital zoom with framelines for (28),35,50 and 75mm
Improved Wifi and Bluetooth
Leica Q3 1/640, f2.8 ISO 100
It was a big list! The Q2 has become a hugely popular travel camera, and is in use today with hundreds of photographers, sometimes as a second camera but often as a first camera. It's so good that I know several professional photographers that use it as their primary camera.
I've just been to the LSI (Leica Society International) Spring Shoot in Rome, where I think there were more Q2s visible than M cameras and L cameras put together!
The Q2 was such a success that Leica then brought out the Q2 Monochrom
The Leica Q3
So, today (May 25th 2023) Leica have released the Q3. I've had one for several months now, and in this article I'll discuss the improvements (or otherwise) in relation to the Q2.
Changes:
New 60mp BSI Back Illuminated CMOS Sensor (similar to M11)
USB-C and Mini HDMI connectors
PDAF Focusing
Tilting LCD
Improved Bluetooth and WiFi
Small, Medium and full sized DNG and/or JPG files 60,3, 36.5, 18.6 mp
Reliable Geotagging in conjunction with Leica Fotos
Rear Button Layout change
Long exposures possible (with any combination of ISO and shutter speed) Long Exposure NR can be disabled.
One additional function button
USB-C Charging
Optional Grip enabling WiFi charging
Better resolution EVF 5,760,000 dots magnification 0.79
Better resolution Display 3" 1,843,200 dot
Digital Zoom now has 28, 35, 50, 75 and 90mm framelines
Leica Looks
The Body
The Leica Q3 has the same, wonderful, 28mm f1.7 Summilux lens as it's predecessors, This is certainly a case of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".
However, there are changes to the rear of the body
Tilting LCD
Leica has been doing their research, and the most requested new feature was a tilting rear monitor (it doesn’t twist).
This will save you dirty knees when photographing that toadstool and allow you to take photographs over the heads of the crowd at any event or concert.
This has been very nicely implemented: Most of us will have the screen behaviour set to EVF Extended (so that menus and review come up on the rear screen LCD and the EVF is used for framing and shooting). If you pull out the tilting LCD, then the camera assumes that's how you will be framing and the LCD switches on. When you push it back in, it reverts to EVF Extended. Excellent!
To continue reading Jono’s review, click here.