Leica and FujiFilm both named twice in Amateur Photographerโ€™s Camera of the Year awards

Two Macfilos favourites receive the plaudits in this year's line up of winners

Two Leica products, one a camera, one a smartphone, are included in this yearโ€™s Camera of the Year awards at the venerable British photography magazine, Amateur Photographer. And, for good measure (and unsurprisingly) another of our favourite cameras runs off with a gong.

Leica Q3 43

Leicaโ€™s Q3 43 bags the โ€œBest Premium Compactโ€ category in a well-deserved victory. Says APโ€™s Andy Westlake:

โ€œHow do you improve on the best fixed-lens compact camera in the world? That was the question facing Leica when following up its exceptional Q3. But now the firm has gone even better, by replacing the originalโ€™s 28mm lens with a brand-new, and absolutely stunning 43mm f/2 optic.โ€

Xiaomi 15 Ultra

The Leica name also appears in an entirely different context. This time it is with the Xiaomi 15 Ultra.

AP says, โ€œA range of enticing photographic specifications make this smartphone really stand out. Its headline attraction is a main camera with a 23mm equivalent f/1.63 lens and a large one-inch type 50MP sensor.

โ€œItโ€™s joined by a further three cameras, comprising a 50MP 14mm f/2.2 ultrawide, a 50MP 70mm f/1.8 โ€˜floatingโ€™ telephoto and a 200MP 100mm f/2.6 โ€˜periscopeโ€™ telephoto. All four of the lenses are Leica branded, which gives you an idea of the optical excellence that you can expect.โ€

FujiFilm X100VI

There is no surprise in APโ€™s choice of the FujiFilm X100VI as Best Compact Camera of the year. We are great fans of the X100VI (despite it not being a Leica, of course) and it was a sure-fire winner, judging by its worldwide success.

According to AP, โ€œif you are looking for a fixed-lens compact, then thereโ€™s very little to dislike here, and a lot to love. Itโ€™s a joy to look at, enjoyable to hold, and great to shoot with. The photos you get back will look fantastic too. If youโ€™ve been turned cold by cameras that have no soul, this is the perfect antidote.โ€

Here at Macfilos we tend to agree. The X100VI is a tour de force, and with its new 40MP sensor, it is nearer to the Leica Q than many think. The 35mm focal length sits comfortably in familiar territory between the Qโ€™s 28mm and 43mm options.

Other awards

In the AP Awards 2025, the Nikon Z6 III is hailed as the enthusiast camera of the year. The Pentax 17 is the film camera of the year and another Fuji, the X-T50, is singled out as consumer camera of the year.

Panasonicโ€™s GH7 is the video/hybrid star, while the DJI air becomes the drone camera of the year. A special award goes to OM System for the innovation of the year: the Live ND grad filter.


Full article in Amateur PhotographerMore on the Leica Q3 43
Our review of the FujiFilm X100VI


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