Two Leica products, one a camera, one a smartphone, are included in this year’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
Leica’s Q3 43 bags the “Best Premium Compact” category in a well-deserved victory. Says AP’s Andy Westlake:
“How 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 original’s 28mm lens with a brand-new, and absolutely stunning 43mm f/2 optic.”
Xiaomi 15 Ultra
The Leica name also appears in an entirely different context. This time it is with the Xiaomi 15 Ultra.
AP says, “A 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.
“It’s joined by a further three cameras, comprising a 50MP 14mm f/2.2 ultrawide, a 50MP 70mm f/1.8 ‘floating’ telephoto and a 200MP 100mm f/2.6 ‘periscope’ telephoto. All four of the lenses are Leica branded, which gives you an idea of the optical excellence that you can expect.”
FujiFilm X100VI
There is no surprise in AP’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, “if you are looking for a fixed-lens compact, then there’s very little to dislike here, and a lot to love. It’s a joy to look at, enjoyable to hold, and great to shoot with. The photos you get back will look fantastic too. If you’ve been turned cold by cameras that have no soul, this is the perfect antidote.”
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 Q’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.
Panasonic’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.
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