Introduction
The Q has been a remarkable success for Leica, which is absolutely deserved. It was a brave move in the face of the almost complete demise of compact cameras. So Leica made an expensive, full frame model which was not all that compact, but which had a peerless lens and incredible image quality, and it sold like hot cakes! Now, further expanding the Q-family, we have the Leica Q3 43.
Ever since the Q first arrived with its 28mm f/1.7 lens and 24MP sensor, there have been people who have said “It should have had a 35mm lens”, or “I want a 50mm version”.
Leica have been very aware of these requests, but I think they were wary of spoiling the clarity of purpose of the Q models. Finally, they have been convinced, and today we have the release of the Q3 43.
In this article, I’m going to have a look at the implications of the new camera. If you would like to know more about the previous Q cameras, or more information about the Q3 specifically, then here are links to some older articles,
However, I think that there are many Q2 users out there who resisted the temptation to upgrade to the Q3, so it’s worth briefly mentioning some advantages:
The Changes from Q2 to Q3:
- New 60mp BSI Back Illuminated CMOS Sensor (similar to M11)
- USB-C and Mini HDMI connectors
- Phase Detect Auto Focusing
- Tilting LCD
- Improved Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
- Small, Medium and full sized DNG and/or JPG files 60,3, 36.5, 18.6 mp
- Reliable Geotagging in conjunction with Leica Fotos

f/2 ISO 100
- 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 Wi-Fi 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
Why 43 mm?
Well, I just wondered if it was because it was halfway between 35mm and 50mm, but I thought there must be more to it than that, so I asked Leica!
43 mm is the diagonal of the full frame 24 × 36 sensor. It is also approximately the focal length of the human eye. It is a better focal length for both portrait and street photography (keep your Q3 for landscapes!).
There are also historical connections for Leica who have made many lenses around 40mm. There was the Leitz Milar 42mm f/4.5 from 1905. The Ur-Leica used the Mikro-Summar 42mm f/4.5 (replaced by a 50mm lens in series 1). Then, later on in 1973 the original CL used a 40mm Summicron-C f/2 lens and the lens on the Minilux was around 40-42mm.
Finally, there are practical considerations. Leica wished to create a lens with the best possible quality and bokeh characteristics, but they wanted to keep the Q3 size and weight.
All these factors combined to lead towards the new 43mm APO Summicron.

f/2 ISO 100
The difference between 28 and 43mm
28mm is such a versatile focal length. You can always crop, but you can never make it wider. Ricoh understood this with their popular and versatile GR range of cameras.
When the Q2 came with it’s 48mp sensor and the Q3 (60mp) this cropablility became more and more true; with the Q3 it’s quite reasonable to crop to 75mm for portrait images (even if you don’t get the isolation of a true 75mm lens). Indeed, even the 5.8mp of the 90mm crop is just about enough for a good A3 sized print (or to look at full screen on an Apple Studio display).
Q3 Crop vs MP
28mm | 9520 × 6336 px | 60.3 MP |
35mm | 7616 × 5072 px | 38.6 MP |
50mm | 5328 × 3552 px | 18.9 MP |
75mm | 3552 × 2368 px | 8.4 MP |
90mm | 2960 × 1968 px | 5.8 MP |
Q3 43 Crop vs MP
43mm | 9520 × 6336 px | 60.3 MP |
60mm | 6816 × 4544 px | 31 MP |
75mm | 5456 × 3632 px | 19.8 MP |
90mm | 4544 × 3024 px | 13.7 MP |
120mm | 3408 × 2272 px | 7.7 MP |
150mm | 2736 × 1824 px | 5.0 MP |

f/2 ISO 800
Crop in action
The Lens: APO Summicron 1:2/43 Asph.
The lens is almost the exactly same size as the lens on the normal Q3, with the same 49mm filter thread.
In macro mode it focuses down to 27cm, and the maximum aperture in macro mode is f2.8 (even if you have the lens set to f2) this aperture change is the same as the 28mm Q lens.
Changing to and from macro mode changes the distance display for manual focusing in just the same delicious manner as the Q3!
In normal mode, the minimum focusing distance is 60cm. The Q3 focuses closer (17cm in macro mode, 30 cm in normal mode.)
So the maximum magnification on the Q3 43 is 0.25 – 1:4
While the maximum magnification on the Q3 is 0.26 – 1:3.8
Pretty similar in fact!

f/2.8 ISO 100 – macro mode
Bokeh is rather a subjective matter, but the bokeh on the new lens reminds me very much of the M APO lenses. Very creamy with a quick but very gentle transfer to the incredible detail where the lens is in focus. Many of the images in the linked gallery were shot at f/2, so you can check this out.

MTF figures can’t tell you everything about a lens, but at least looking at these graphs gives you an idea how technically accomplished this lens is: Right up there with the 35 APO Summicron SL (perhaps the best lens Leica have ever made).

f/2.8 ISO 100 Macro Mode
Leica Fotos
The connection with Leica Fotos is now very fast, and file transfer is lightning quick over the cable, and very satisfactory over Wi-Fi, even for full sized DNG files.
You can easily drop images into the Leica Gallery (and thus Apple Photos if you are on an iPhone). You can also send images directly to Lightroom without needing to clutter up your Phone or Tablet (or your Apple Photos application): My technique is as follows:
- Connect the camera to your device using the supplied USB-C cable
- Go through the images, marking the best as favourites
- Set the filter to Favourites
- Choose Select — then Select all
- Press the Share button and choose DNG — files transferred to a buffer
- From the Share dialog, choose Lightroom
- Then, in Lightroom Mobile, go to imports and choose your import
- Select the files and then choose Add To at the bottom of the screen
- Choose the Collection you wish to add them to.
The DNG files will appear on your home computer via Adobe Cloud in the mobile backup folder, and in the collection you selected from your phone / tablet.
I’ve started to use this method for all my photography, except for Event Shooting. This is because you can only transfer 50 images a time to Lightroom using the share button. So for event work, I import from the SD card to my MacBook Pro.
Leica have been doing a lot of excellent work with Fotos over the last year or so, and I intend to write an article about incorporating it into a device to Lightroom Classic workflow at a later date.
Conclusion
This camera has been a long time a-coming, indeed, many photographers had assumed that Leica were going to stick to the one focal length, the development of the Q3 43 has been a well-kept secret.
The obvious advantages of the Q3 43 over the Q3 are more control over depth of field, and slightly more than twice the resolution for any given focal length. Of course, you lose the wide-angle view of the Q3.
The design of the Q is an evolution from Kaoru Mokunaka’s perfect concept in the Leica X1, it has developed into a really well-thought-out camera aimed solidly at photographers rather than ticking technical boxes! I would challenge anyone not to love it.

f/5 ISO 200
However, I’m sure that plenty of photographers are like me — we tend to go hunting for pictures with a 35mm or 50mm lens and stick with what’s on the camera for the shoot. The 28mm of the Q was very flexible, but eventually a lot of cropping meant that it was more like an 18MP file at 50mm (okay). Or 8MP at 75mm, which was a compromise for me, and still one had the depth of field characteristics of a 28mm lens.
I had not shot with a 43mm lens before (or 40mm, come to that!), and it’s been an absolute joy! Having 20MP for a 75mm portrait lens with a narrow depth of field is quite enough. Add to that the wonderful bokeh of this APO lens and, quite honestly, I’m in camera heaven!
Although I loved the Q3, in the end I didn’t buy one, but in this case, I’m certainly doomed, and when Leica manage to recover the kidnapped test camera I’m afraid I’ll have to stump up. Pictures from Crete coming up in the coming days!
More images here
Leica Q3 43 announcement with full technical specification and press release
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In the end, it was always somewhat easy for me to pass on the Q series because lenses 28 or wider are not really my favorites ( even for landscapes I like to mostly stick with a 35mm for a more natural perspective ) but this 43 Apo and the ability to have higher resolution crops at around 90mm and beyond for portraits and details, is just too much temptation. Not sure how long I can resist. Probably only until your Crete images appear which are likely to push me over the edge! I’m guessing there is an awful lot of Peter Karbe in this Lens design to the point where it may have been a personal project or at least a labor of love to perfect it. The way it handles light and shade in the posted images is wonderful. Reminds me of what some of the very best painters could do with oil paint.Thanks for sharing so many images that show clearly the versatility and capability of the new Q. Can’t stop looking at them. After spending all day trying to find a reason not to get one of these cameras and so far coming up blank, I am also left feeling… happily doomed!
Hi there Stephen
I guess that in the final analysis I’m in the same position as you are. Not so much that I have a problem with 28mm, but I really do want around 75mm for portrait and of course the crop from 43 is just fine at 20mp.
It certainly is a stunning lens. Pictures from Crete coming up next week!
All the best
Hi Jono, I did a comment on this and the prior blog post and they disappeared yesterday. So I will try again.
Your typical high quality review and I love the evocative images. You are certainly talented and competent aesthetically and technically and possess rare common sense. You can wire me money later…
I hate your reviews as they often cost me money. This review has me considering selling my amazing Fuji X100 VI. I hope there is a market for it😂. This is the camera I have dreamed of for forever. The only thing that would improve it is flush all video functions down the toilet. The other issue is this is the first camera product that I had no clue was coming so did not get on a pre announcement waitlist. I am particularly irritated that you are so honest and did not give me a heads up. I will forgive you if you sell me your open box at a discount when it arrives. 😂
Cheers, Brian
Sorry for my humour. I am 70 and I do not need to be politically correct anymore as I am nearing the end if the hypen on my headstone.
Leica Mayfair seem to have plenty. picked mine up today. try their online shop first…
Hi there Brian
What a nice message. Thank you. As far as the video functions go, I couldn’t agree more, on the other hand it is quite easy to relegate them to the nether regions of the menu!
I’m 72 and I’m trying to navigate the knife edge between being politically incorrect and avoiding becoming a grumpy old man!
I can’t help you with your dilemma as I haven’t used the Fuji, but I would have thought that the really wonderful lens together with the extra resolution makes the croppability of the Leica more attractive, and then there is Kauru Mokunaka’s beautiful concept.
Maybe Ivor has one?
All the best and thanks again. The cheque is in the post!
Thanks for this. . . it clarified a great deal. My excuse for opting out was ‘well, I can change to longer lenses on my M, so I’m bettre off just keeping that’. Your series of crops proves me wrong! Especially as carrying around an M with the 135 M lenses would likely put out my back.
Yet, great review as it is, it seems I always finish treading your reviews wanting to go out for a fine dinner — suddenly, I’m craving lobster.
Hi there Kathy
It was particularly good lobster. A family dinner where everyone had lobster except Roo (6) and Lily (4 months)
I’m glad to have clarified something!
All the best from Crete
Jono Slack
Kathy. my early 135 4.0 weighs next to nothing and is still a lot of fun
Thanks for reminding me — I did have fun with the 135/4. But I found it an odd compromise between my 90/2.8 and an actual zoom — say 200. In the end I kept the M and the 90, but picked up an APS-C camera where the zooms work a bit better for e.
Jono, another terrific review! This is definite another winner from Leica, but you sold me on your Q2m review, and in the words of the late great Charlton Heston, younwoill have to prior it from my cold dead hands. I love that camera and really enjoy mono, I am contemplating an M mono used, but at 77 beginning to question my eyes. Anyway please keep your reviews coming and I hope your vacationing someplace warm and sunny.
Thank you John and glad you’re enjoying your Q2 Mono. As far as the years are concerned I’m not far behind you (72). And If you enjoyed the review I’m a happy man!
Thanks, Jono. I have both the 40mm M Summicron and the 42mm Mikro Summar (a few examples) and both feel ‘ natural and standard’ . I use the Mikro Summar mainly for close up work, which was its original purpose. The focal length is fine, but the modern design should make the new lens many times better. I might surprise you one of these days by turning up with one of the new cameras.
William
William
Hi William
I think this might just be the camera for you!