With the release of the third generation Q, Leica, manufacturer of some of the world’s most revered digital and film cameras (the latter including the M6), has significantly (and successfully) added a host of new features and functionality without losing the magic and simplicity that made the previous Q iterations so brilliant to begin with. No easy feat.
The Q was an instant hit upon its release in 2015, and the second-gen Q2 was no different, so it’s reassuring to find that the new Q is still a 28 mm, full-frame, mirrorless camera with a superb autofocus, Summilux lens, and classic rangefinder look. At first glance, it’s nearly identical to the previous model; the giveaway that this is a new camera is the placement of the function buttons on the back, now reduced to just two and placed to the right of the screen. Leica did a clever job of integrating all the new features and utility within a familiarly minimalist and easy-to-use form.
The most significant change is the addition of a tiltable display, a first for Leica, which pleasingly lifts off the back of the camera and tilts with reassuringly smooth and sturdy action, and gives photographers new opportunities for shooting when not using the viewfinder. The high-resolution OLED touchscreen is noticeably brighter and crisper than its predecessor while remaining dust- and water-spray protected.
Multiple new ports have been added behind a removable panel along the side of the camera, allowing for enhanced connection possibilities with gimbals or tethering, and wireless charging is now possible with Leica’s Charging Pad—all good news for the advanced user. But for anyone still judging cameras based on megapixels, the Q3 is now up to 60 (the Q2, released in 2019 with 47, already had more than enough) but it allows users to operate at 36 MP or 18 MP for faster operation and lighter files. In video mode, the camera now records at 8k resolution.
The genius of the Q was that it made photography simple while giving you image quality that rivals the best cameras on the market. Three generations later, that still remains true today.
Click here for more photos of the Leica Q3 camera.
