With the introduction of the Leica Q3 43, a new tool was introduced to us street photographers. The narrower field of view of the 43mm lens (compared to the excellent 28mm Q lens) is a welcome change. It works well for street photographers like me. We really like the Q-series cameras from Leica, but prefer a little more distance from the subject.
A smorgasbord of street photography images
This article provides some suggestions for Leica Q3 43 street photographers. It covers camera settings, shooting techniques and accessory recommendations, as well as some sample images from this remarkable camera.
I can now say with confidence that the new 43mm APO-Summicron lens is terrific. Given its sharpness, bokeh, autofocus, and auto-exposure performance capabilities, it’s difficult to beat.
My “preferred” street shooting philosophy is to try to get candid images of people in public places. But I will also engage with people when the opportunity arises. When I do engage with a subject, I usually ask them not to look at the camera when I take their picture. If I sense a negative reaction, then I avoid shooting their picture.
Camera settings for street photographers:
After some thought, I decided that the best way street photographers can take advantage of this camera’s capabilities and lens for spur-of-the-moment street shots is to set the camera up as follows:
- Auto ISO, minimum shutter speed 1/250s
- Exposure metering Multi-field
- Exposure compensation -0.7, to protect the highlights
- Aperture priority auto exposure, with the lens set at f/2 or f/2.8. This often results in high shutter speeds, which the electronic shutter handles nicely.
- Auto Focus, set on the lens
- Auto Focus mode Eye/Face/Body detection
- Macro lens mode can be useful, believe it or not. See the parrot example below.
To reduce the chance of making errors setting up the camera, I created a user profile named “STREET”. The AF ability of the camera means manual focus is seldom necessary. I have found that even at f/2, the AF typically nails the focus on the subject’s face. If I have multiple subjects, I will stop down to f/2.8 or f/4 to get the needed depth-of-field. As you can see from the images in this article, the shallow depth of field yields a very nice bokeh and separates the subject from the background.
Framing the image:
I carry the Q3 43 in hand. It normally takes too long to grab the camera when hanging at your side. The best way to get an impromptu shot is by using the EVF. I’m not alone in the ranks of street photographers adopting non-polarized sunglasses to allow better EVF viewing. Two other techniques are very much worth practising for any street shooter:
- Shooting from the hip. This takes practice to develop an acceptable aim. To better capture the subject, it is better to be farther away to allow for the inevitable framing errors.
- Using the rear LCD display instead of the EVF to frame the image. This is a rapid method that can be useful and rather more discreet than using the EVF. The extendable feature of the Q3 LCD rear screen is helpful.
Accessories
I value a firm grip when carrying any camera. For the Q3, I use both a hand grip and a thumb grip. Either a neck strap wrapped around your wrist or a wrist strap is essential to prevent a disastrous drop.
Fancy case or bag? No, thanks. Street photographers should travel light! A neoprene case works very well to protect the camera until you are ready to shoot. Then it can be wadded up and stuffed into your pocket, out of the way. I use the Leica Neoprene Case M, which fits quite well and has pockets for extra SD cards.
The lens hood that comes with the camera is excellent and compact. I found out, though, that the macro lens mode is not selectable with a filter on the lens. This is due to interference with the lens hood. Leica, I understand, is issuing a modified hood in the future to solve this issue.
Bottom line?
The Q3 43 is a pricey, but extremely capable camera with a terrific lens. For street photographers and for scenic work, it is very difficult to beat!
I have provided some technique and exposure information for each of the photographs, all taken using autofocus. Four images were taken in the Los Angeles area, during my visit during the October 2024 Leica Society International meeting. I was using a prototype Q3 43 camera that Leica generously loaned me. The rest, including the parrot macro shot, were taken in my home town, Prescott, Arizona, using my own camera.
Generative AI
I should also mention that generative AI is a valuable tool for street photographers. It can be used to improve image framing and remove distracting elements. In the image of the card player above, I cropped the left side of the image to hide a person only partially in the frame. I then used Generative AI to expand the image on the left using Photoshop (Beta version).
The Leica Q3 43 on Macfilos
Leica Q3 43 goes to Crete
Long-term review of the Leica Q3 43
Leica’s new Q3 43 answers a demand that has grown since 2015
The camera that sees the world like the human eye
Winter journey in Provence: Travel with the Leica Q3 43
Multifunctional protector for the Leica Q3 43
Read more from Bill Royce
What do you think? Are you still committed to 28mm, or do you agree with the author that the new Q3 43 is a boon for street photographers? Let us have your views and…
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Lovely photos, Bill. I agree with Kathy that these seem more posed than candid, but they are all taken ‘in the street’. I recently acquired one of these cameras, my first digital Leica purchase in over 7 years. In that time I would have purchased over 20 vintage film Leicas. The endless parade of new digital camera models usually leaves me completely disinterested. When I got this camera in December I had some doubts about the fact that it had, for me, a large range of menu options. I often jokingly say that ‘menus are for restaurants’. I think the settings you are using seem about right, particularly for the amount of light available where you are, which is considerably greater than the amount of light where I live. I tend with any digital camera to find the settings that I like for the photography that I do and then not to change them ever again, except for night photography when I go completely manual, so having a lot of settings available is usually wasted on me. I was persuaded to get this camera as Jono had said to me that the lens was as good as my favourite 50 Summilux. For me the jury is still out on that, as I am still not sure how much is down to the lens and how much is down to the electronics inside the camera, but the results I am getting are very good, indeed. I am sure that over time, even as a user of mainly traditional type cameras, I will gel with the camera and it will gel with me.
As you know, I am not a big fan of the use of AI in photography. Perhaps we should invent a new word for it, such as ‘electrography’ rather than ‘photography’, ie drawing with electronics rather than drawing with light. You are lucky to have so much lovely light where you live.
William
Thanks William, your comments are spot on as usual. To avoid the fixation on menus, I use the User Profiles feature to set things up in advance, in a setting where I can think about the best options. The Q3 43 AF performance is so good I have started using the lens wide open or at f/2.8 to get nice bokeh and separate the subject from the background. With an M camera, I usually shoot at f/5.6 or f/8 to make sure the subject will be in focus, given the rapidity of these type shots. This results in the background being too much in focus and little to no bokeh. In 2013 I sold my 50 ‘lux and got a 50 APO M. I love the smaller size and amazing performance, although I agree the 50 ‘lux is a great lens and the newest version seems even better.
Thank you for this. In truth, several of your ‘candid’ blurred the line into ‘posed’, and the ‘posed’ seemed almost like studio portraits. And what wonderful portraits they all are!
Given that all of these were auto-focus, the series really shows off the Leica — and the photographer behind it.
Thanks for your kind comments, Kathy. I agree several of the “candid” shots are close to “posed” in their appearance. Often I am close to the subject and wait for them to be distracted and not looking at me. The Q3 43 makes it easy to capture these moments.