Leica Q3 43 in real life: Resistance is futile, so I gave in and got the thing after all

As a Leica Q fan for the past nine years, I admit to some heart-searching when the latest variant, the Leica Q3 43, presented itself with its longer focal length. I thought my views were sensibly fixed on 28mm, and I had long since suppressed any feelings for a slightly longer lens in the Q. But I discovered resistance was futile and took the Leica Q3 43 in real life.

Yet in the end, I gave up and got the thing. Resistance was indeed futile. I bought it not because I thought it was better than the Leica Q3. It’s not; it is merely different. But in a perfectly delightful way. That’s what I learned soon at my first outings with the Leica Q3 43 in real life.

I have used every Leica Q to the full since the original with the 28mm focal length was released in 2015. And the output was then stunning even then, if you consider the special features of a wide-angle lens. 

With the higher resolutions of the Q2 and most recently the Q3, it has become more and more realistic to use the digital zoom and expand the possible uses. The cameras stand on their merits.

Anyone who has a system camera will know in principle that you can adjust to any focal length after a short period of getting used to it. No else was it with the Leica Q3 43 in real life.

Q3 43 or Q3 28: Real life preferences

That doesn’t mean that you are not allowed to have preferences. Many people, indeed, prefer 50mm. And I had become accustomed to having my 35mm APO-Summicron in front of the M11-P — unless specific subjects required otherwise. 

The fifty, on the other hand, always gives me tunnel vision. But that’s the point: it’s entirely subjective! In that respect, the discussions about the better focal length and which Q3 is the right one are fruitless. And sorry, but I have to say that this is just comparing apples with oranges.

The 43mm APO-Summicron – excellence in real life

My inner resistance to buying the Leica Q3 43 crumbled, the more I looked into the optics of the 43mm APO-Summicron. I have always liked the “intermediate” focal length and I knew that it is extremely versatile. When I tested the Contax G system 45mm lens (adapted for Leica M by Funleader), it was suitable for shooting in all situations on the M10-P for months. I didn’t miss a thing. 

My Rolleiflex (equivalent focal length 41mm) and the Rollei 35 (40mm) had fully acclimatised me to this odd-ball focal length. Jörg-Peter Rau has written often about cameras with focal lengths around 40mm (Olympus 35 RC, Rollei 35 and Ricoh GR IIIx), not to mention his report on the Leica Q3 43.

Everything has already been said about the advantages of the operating concept, the handling, the connectivity, the sensor, the special features that a central shutter brings with it (flash exposure times!) and much more that makes the Leica Q3 special. 

Leica Q3 43 in real life, first stop on a Christmas Market

All those advantages are continued in the Q3 43. But the new and fascinating thing for me is the lens. After using the camera over Christmas 2024 and New Year, I have to say: I’m blown away by what Leica has put in front of the Q3.

High resolution, contrast, and sharpness right into the corners of the image even at full aperture. And what is added when stopping down is delightful. Chromatic aberrations and other image errors are minimised by the apochromatic design. Distortion at this focal length is insignificant, but it is corrected by FW (SDC) (which you can strip from the DNGs if you want to go to the trouble, see Sean Reid). For the Leica Q3 43 in real life, it doesn’t really matter…

Apochromatic designs and real life benefits

The isolation abilities of apochromatic designs are often comparable to those of brighter lenses (for instance, the Summilux designs). And, in the case of the Q3 43, this is instantly obvious. The “falloff”, the transition from the sharpest area to the background, occurs rapidly and offers a bokeh that can be truly described “creamy”, to coin a cliché.

Digression: What is the point of apochromatic optics? The important thing is the simple fact (the lens developers will crucify me for using the word “simple” in this context) that an apochromatic design ensures that light rays of different wavelengths (colours) are all refracted to the same place. This minimises annoying colour fringes and increases the resolution of the respective lens. If you want to got into details: Read there Jonathan Slack’s article on this subject.

I am not normally a great fan of showing MFT curves, but those of the 43mm APO-Summicron are so impressive that they can’t go unmentioned. They are virtually on a par with those of Peter Karbe’s flagship, the 35mm SL APO-Summicron. 

By the way: Interestingly, Panasonic apparently holds the patent rights for the design of the lens. At least the lens sections in the patent specification match. To what extent a transfer of knowledge has taken place between Leica and Panasonic remains speculation.

Just for comparison: MTF curves for the APO-Summicron-SL 35, one of the world’s best lenses.

Jonathan Slack mentioned the lens’s extraordinary qualities in his long-term review of the Q3 43, but it’s worth reiterating. That’s why the 43mm APO-Summicron is inexpensive within the Leica price range, considering that you’re buying it together with a high-end camera. It’s futile to resist.

A real life question of economics

The 35mm APO-Summicron-M alone costs a whopping €8,090 ($8,495 | £7,120), far more than the price of the entire Q3 43 (€6,250 | $6,895 | £5,500. The old principle of lens construction plays a role: fast, compact, high imaging performance, low production costs. You can choose any three of these properties, but all four together are impossible. Yet in the case of the 43mm APO-Summicron, “low manufacturing costs” can probably be ruled out.

The fact that the Leica engineers managed to produce an optic of this quality and speed for the Q3 without exceeding its dimensions is certainly due to experience gained recently. After the construction of special super-compact apochromatic lenses — such as the 35mm APO-Summicron for the Leica M — the experience and know-how was already there. This knowledge simply did not exist at the time of the original Leica Q (classic). Thus, the “Ur-Q” was equipped with the fast 28mm Summilux f/1.7. It is still unrivalled today. 

Sweet Spot

Forty-three is almost certainly the “sweet spot” of what is now possible. Yet, at the same time, it provided a convenient opportunity to market it as the “normal focal length, original Leica” and so forth. Enough has been said about that. 

Nevertheless, any longer focal length with a widest aperture of around f/2 would not only make the barrel longer, but also thicker and that would be like putting an SL lens in front of the relatively svelte Q body. The barrel of the Leica Q3 43 is 5mm longer due to its design, which is concealed by the fact that the lens hood is shorter than the Q3 when the lens hood is attached. 

That lens hood

It was a bad decision. They should have accepted the extra 5mm. Why? The new design means that only a slim filter fits under the “new” standard lens hood. This blocks the macro feature (where the front lens slides out slightly). Incidentally, the deeper lens hood of the Q3 (if you are tempted to use it as a workaround) does not fit on the thread. So you would have to do without the filter or unscrew the lens hood every time. 

This is mentioned in the manual (that no filter fits under the hood), but it is no excuse for a faulty design. After all, what owner of a Leica Q3 43 doesn’t want to protect their sensitive front lens? For example, I rarely have a lens cap on any of my lenses, but always have a clear filter.

The only way to get out of trouble is to buy the €230 accessory circular vented hood. You may argue that this is proportional to the base price of the camera, but I find the circumstances downright provocative. I noticed that a similar cover is available from JJC for a fraction of the price, so maybe I’ll give this one a try.

But that’s all I have to complain about. Incidentally, Macfilos editor Mike Evans tells me he did buy the Leica round hood in a fit of wanton extravagance. He much prefers it to the standard fitting. It avoids filter problems and, he says, enhances the appearance of the camera. Still, he agrees with me that a third-party hood would do the job just as well.

Leica Q3 43 in real life: first impressions

Just before Christmas, my rational resistance to the Q3 43 collapsed (once again) and a purely private “unboxing” event took place at my place. If you watch something like this on YouTube, you will see that Leica (in common with other manufacturers) has saved a few pennies on removing the charger. 

But that’s pretty cheap in my opinion, even if I have to admit that I have been charging cameras with a USB-C connection directly since the M11. But there are photographers who have a second battery and don’t want to immobilise the camera to charge it.

The next day, I took my new Q3 43 out for the first time, namely to the Christmas market in Rinteln. There we also attended a concert by the “Voktett Hannover” in the Nikolai Church. 

I didn’t have to relearn which settings a Q3 needs in the special lighting conditions. By the way, there are two automatic settings in the camera to protect highlights: the exposure meter setting “Bright areas emphasised” and “iDR” in the JPG settings. Insidiously, this JPG setting also affects the DNGs, even if you don’t take any JPGs. You should choose just one; I can’t imagine that two automatic settings that are supposed to do the same thing serve a purpose.

The familiar feeling of a Q3 43 in real life

The focal length and the associated angle of view were also not at all strange when I first used the new Leica Q3 43 in real life. The autofocus (I had set it to spot) was fast and reliable despite the confusing lighting conditions. Still, in the hustle and bustle, you should check whether you have actually caught the subject you are aiming for. 

On other days I tried face, person and animal recognition, and they worked perfectly. I took all the photos at f/2 and was later impressed by the optical properties of the APO-Summicron when I opened the DNGs in LR. 

The fact that the DNGs from a Q3 (even at high ISO and possibly “pulling up” by up to three stops in Lightroom) are already excellent is something you take for granted, spoiled as you are. For fun, I also saved JPGs with the Leica “Eternal” look and that worked for some images, but not at all for others. You can try that, but you should always have DNGs as a backup.

Family photos

Over the Christmas period and “between the years” I took a many photographs, but almost all of them are pictures of family and friends. I have always used the Qs a lot for this because I don’t need the “rangefinder experience”, I just want the snapshots. Nevertheless, I am making an exception in publishing a few pictures, since the portrait properties of the APO-Summicron can’t go unmentioned. 

The Q3, even at 28mm, is by no means portrait-unfriendly, but you have to be rather careful to stay in the 35mm or, better, the 50mm crop area. With the 43mm Apo-Summicron, there are no restrictions, and the bokeh at f/2 is outstanding.

Dull days

The weather was rainy, cloudy and foggy the whole time, so there were no landscape photos (not that you would want to see). That’s what also can happen to you, even with a beautiful Leica Q3 43, in real life.

But when we visited relatives in East Frisia, we made a detour to Groningen, a beautiful city, but one that looks rather uninspiring in dull light. Even in the city, I didn’t have the feeling that the longer focal length limited me; you instinctively look for the right subjects or crops. Using the Q3 with 28mm Summilux, I would have positioned myself differently (without thinking about it).

In mid-February, we’re going on a skiing holiday and the Q3 43 will definitely be to the fore. Maybe a blog post will come out of it.

Conclusion

So, my answer to the 28 or 43 question is: Both variants of the Q3 have their justification. I can’t even say which of them is more versatile. But there is no doubt that the 43mm lens of the latest Q3 model is really outstanding. What about the idea of buying an extra lens for your Q system, with the nice advantage that it has an excellent body attached to it? Resistance is futile.

Above and below: Frosty winter mornng on the banks of the Weser, demonstrating the “depth effect” of the Apo-Summicron lens.

Leica Q3 43 (Leica website)

Macfilos covers the Q3 43 in depth

Read Claus Sassenberg on Leica

Visit Claus’s website: Besuchen Sie Messsucherwelt



5 COMMENTS

  1. The Q3 43 appears to come with a little too much of a clinical contrast that makes it less appealing to my eyes than the Q3. I’m not so sure the APO design was the best choice, but I’m sure many who have a certain tasted are loving it.

    Someone me ruined the 43 being sharper, well, that’s just not the case

  2. Before taking the plunge I searched my Lightroom catalogue for images around 40mm to see if I had naturally used that focal length within a zoom range. I found a surprisingly large number. But it turned out many were taken with a Canon EF 17-40mm f4 zoom, where 40mm is the end of the zoom range. I love the 43mm focal length and if I need wider I just take 2-3 images for a panoramic stitch.

    • When I had the Q3 28 I relied on a digital M for longer lenses, usually choosing the 50 Apo. Now, with the Q3 43 the tables are turned. It represents a good alternative to the M for 35-75mm (relying on crop for longer focal lengths). And it’s the 28mm that now sits on the M11-D. On balance, I am won over by the 43mm focal length, and I also prefer the sharpness and overall performances of that Apo-Summicron lens.

      The difference in maximum aperture (f/1.7-f/2.0 is minima} and is more than compensated by the greater subject-separation capability of the longer lens.

      Mike

      • For travel I found that sometimes the Q2 wasn’t wide enough. So if I carry two cameras and want to be as light as possible I will carry the Leica CL and the 11-23mm lens or an iPhone of course.

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