Leica Q3 43 - Day 0

I like your comments about how you see Leica. I have some of the same views, loving the fact that it’s such a beautiful camera, but wondering is it really worth that kind of money?
I’m especially worried carrying around such a valuable item. You’ll know what I mean if you ever photograph New Orleans.

Leica Gang

This may have been said already, but you’re probably gonna end up buying that 200 pound grip from Leica for the Q3. I have a TL2 which is also nothing but metal and glass (in the extreme) and I almost had to buy a grip for that except that I found a bargain on the leather half case and that helped. I think the Q3 should’ve been designed with a built-in grip, considering how heavy the lens is. But Leica just won’t move away from their “classic” body design, i’m sure they’re afraid of the backlash from the hard-core Leica fanboys. But they should get some sack and just do it.

Also M11 has really bad colors compared to Fuji, there are green blotchines when you start editing with Leica, fuji not have same problem, even canon and sony are clean. so color wise also Leica sucks and again overprices garbabe

I had M11 and i sold it, and yes its garbabe and overprices, so your point about people talking trash about Leica and not using is misleading

The lack of a grip would bother me, and it's part of why I opt to carry my A-1 over my AE-1. There is a very minimal grip that is removable, but it makes a world of difference. For $7k USD you would think this would have been engineered away

Hey, what happened to the gear change video?

Thanks Roman for your honest unbiased opinion those handling problems you mention reflect my experience with a M6 I used briefly years ago I'm not a Leica hater if people wish to spend that much money on a camera hooray I don't require that amount of resolution 60mp amongst other cameras I like to use a Fuji xpro 1 with 16mm /23mm/35mm/50mm or even the 18-55 zoom I get to choose 16mp enough resolution great JPEGs it's fun to use good in the hand feels quality built cost peanuts in comparison to your Q3 to be honest I'd be paranoid about scratching a camera of that value I suppose I just don't buy in to the Leica hype but I'm looking forward to your reports on using it and your conclusions

I always hold the lens too, even with a grippy camera 👍

I have had a Leica M6, M7 and R9 and do not have a Q. That said, I do lust over one. If I did have a Q, I would get the Really Right Stuff grip. I have one for my Fuji x100 (model 0) and it is great. PS, I had my x100 IR converted and it is great. The 35 mm fixed lens has no IR-hotspots and can be used at all apertures. Nice!

I am not sure about the Q3 40 as I have the original Q. I thought I would need a thumb grip and all but it works perfectly for me.

Excellent mini review, waiting for the big one.., being myself a Fuji (and Olympus) shooter, I did purchase a Q3-28 as well. Why? Because I can, sorry for the haters around.. The only problem for me as “the perfect street camera” is the price in case you loose it or damage it, even if it is build like a tank with very good whether resistance, I often end up bringing lees expensive gear, and it is a shame because the Q’s, all of them are a joy to use. And in the Leica world, almost a bargain. Yes..

Buy the grip.

How's the Leica software compared to Fuji's? Specifically, transferring images to your phone.

Really, really like this one (and your channel overall). 👍 Skin in the game immediately ups your credibility. Your walk-and-talk style is extremely engaging, clear, easy to follow. Also love the way you show a) cruising around, hunting the light for best shots; b) run-and-gun composing, firing off a few frames (which we see in original); c) then showing us the final, edited version with your preset or whatever. This is the best approach, I feel, for photographers to show their work. But let me just agree 1000% with your first comment: the feel of this camera is slippery. I remember popping into the high-end Leica shop here in Berlin a couple years ago, asking to hold one of newer models and...realizing immediately that I would never, ever, not in a million lifetimes want to walk around holding this camera. It feels like it's going to fall out of your hands (you mention soap). (P.S. I feel that I can hold my x100v easily - in part, as you mention, because the Fuji doesn't come with a big, heavy lens). I look forward to hearing how this review develops over time. I'm open to having my mind changed. Until then, I'm on Sony and Fuji. I respect the beauty of this metal box, what it can achieve - but if I don't want to hold it, then I won't take it anywhere.

Wait I’m confused, did you leave fujifilm or not?

I would like to see how you set up your Q343

In 2020 I decided I wanted to get away from cameras with complicated menus and which gave me the urge to buy more lenses. I sold my Oly EM-5 mk2 and decided to buy a Q2 using some money I had from an inheritance and it’s a fantastic camera. It led me to buying an M11 and a couple of lenses a couple of years later. That was also a great camera but no better than the Q2 other than in high ISO situations. I came to my senses and recently sold the M11 kit and reverted to using the Q2. No regrets and no regrets staying with the 28mm lens either. Its cropping ability is good enough for me to get pics I like with a 100mm+ focal length.

In a moment of madness, I bought a Fuji XT-50 after I convinced myself I needed a telephoto zoom for landscape photography. It just sat in my bag unused so I sold that too. A Q2 is all I need for street, landscape and general purpose photography.

Been watching you channel for sometimes but this video push me to subscribe. Respect your "brave" move. Also glad you just paid a visit to my country - Vietnam (I'm fm Hanoi btw). Hope you had good trip. Eager to see your next video. I'm sony, fuji shooter and wondering to try Leica for its "leica looks". Not sure whether should I buy Q3 28mm or this Q3 43mm.

Really nice video Roman, my first I've saw of yours.

I used to shoot Fujifilm, I was all in from the X-Pro 2, using that and the XT2, then two XT3's, a GFX50r (loved that) and and X100V for weddings and everything else. I loved the cameras and met so many goofdfriends from the community online (hard to meet in person in Scotland really)

Around 2-3 years ago I started to get frustrated by the cameras at weddings- the autofocus being the main one- really pissed me off having to work so hard for bridal processionals , even portraits - it just got so frustrating. Speaking to friends, I eventually tried Sony and I'm still there for weddings, they just work so so well, but away from weddings I never pick them up. When I sold my GFX50R I had some cash and decided to get a Q2. I loved it so much. Used it for eveyrthing and it really was my dream camera.

Then the X100VI comes along and I fell for the hype- got one on launch day and was prepared for the huge improvement to AF, that people said it had. A few days in, and I hated it. I couldn't get into it at all, and had sold the Q2, getting a good price for it.

So, a week later the X100VI was away, and in its place- a Leica Q3 28mm 1.7 and I've never been happier with a camera. I really would like a Q343, and to take that and the 28mm to weddings- we shall see what happens.

I love the edits you've done on these although I admit I don't really like street photography., I'd love to see you do some portraits with it.

Look forward to more of your work on here

The Leica Q3 looks surprisingly bulky compared to e.g. Sony's A7C line of bodies.

inb4 Roman gets an A7C 2/R as his secondary Sony body and ditches the Leica 😅

Dude where did your video announcing youre moving away from fuji and in to leica/sony go?

Where did the goodbye fooj video go 😢

i dont like that its perfect

Just gave you a like for the OF joke. Love your sense of humor 😂

It is not about about the camera, it is about the person behind the camera. Like your photo style.

Woah. Leaving Fujifilm shouldn't have made such a positive impact on the images. These are great. I recommend a front handgrip for soapy cameras like this.

Personally, I think it's a bit of a false assumption to believe that price = best of the best in terms of technical value. You're more paying for a niche product or experience. Fujifilm is the same, Ricoh is the same. Don't get me wrong, if there were a Canon or Nikon option, my money wouldn't choose a Q — but there's not, is there?

I own the Ricoh GRIII purely because nothing else does what it does at that size, and the lens quality is just better than the Fuji equivalents. The bonus is that they are very clever with usability work arounds. Why everyone hasn't introduced some form of DoF Priority mode and snap focus I do not know. Ricoh are fantastic at squeezing every bit out of that system.

I owned Fujifilm purely because of the fiddliness. I had sweet f all to do for a while so I was perfectly happy twiddling dials, and tweaking white balances to get involved in the "get it right in-camera" zero post-processing shooting process. Perfectly content slowing down and being present in the tactile experience of missing the shot, but in 🌈Astia✨.

So what do I expect of these cameras, really? Should they be the Canon R5II, Nikon Z8, Sony A7IV? Nah, not really. Those already exist, not everything needs to be the same. I don't even expect good AF from Ricoh, Fujifilm, or Leica, like I do proper pro-featured and targeted brands like Olympus and Panasonic. Just be a little smaller than other options, produce nice images with little extra work, don't break easily, maybe have IBIS because I don't want to carry a tripod for slow shutter shots. Sorted.
✌

I swear. The image quality out of this blows all of your Fuji gear out of the water. Not even close. I’m a Fuji owner.. I can’t afford Leica.. yet 😅

Live with a Q for 6 years, it’s been a fantastic journey in photography. Love it. Saving for a 43.

Want a leica buy a leica. Want 99% leica ability and much better everything else, get an Olympus PEN-F in my opinion.

Yep... I bet it hurt!

"I'm not paying that much money for a camera without AF". 😆

Everyone has different priorities but IMHO, that's about 50 % of the appeal of an M. To me, the M is the most enjoyable camera to use (and I've tried about every concept from bridge over compact to DSLR). It is compact enough to be an EDC and it is really challenging to use. Any mistake is my mistake.

Suggest you get a handgrip or a half-case for the Q. Will make it much more convenient to use.

Oh, the Nikon Z50mm f1.8. is great value, looks smaller than the lens on the Q3 and is razor sharp. What is the point of the Leica Q3 with a massive fixed lens? It is a status symbol for conspicuous consumption. If you still have the camera in a year's time I'll eat my 50mm F1.8.

Your Leica has a sleek appearance that would be ruined by a grip? You must be looking at a different camera. The one I am looking at has a massive lens protruding from the body.

I bought a Nikon Z8 from Hong Kong over a year ago for £2700. It is so much more camera than the Leica ( I do shoot wildlife as well as street).

I could buy 6 Leicas with the increase in value of my shares since Trump unfortunately won the election but Leica is not on my radar. It won't make you a better photographer.

Badass! I love the questions you’re asking as you explore Leica. Your reasoning mirrors my own.

I came to you for Fuji. I was looking for a fun to touch/use camera as a 10 year Nikon/Canon user in my profession.

I’m glad you didn’t hesitate to follow your own interests with the channel. While it may distance some, it endears others.

Evolution is our nature. Boredom is our death.

I sold my Q and regretted it ever since. It seems expensive but I bought it used for less than one of my RF zooms. I used mine for tons of projects and it just worked. The Q3 must be super good based on my experience with the Q. It blew my Fuji stuff out of the water.

That's it. He has finally arrived.

q3 is a perfect camera, and the price is too expensive thats my problem not its .

If at some point you are missing the Fujifilm colours or look, I recommend to have a look at the Cobalt Image profiles for both, the Sony and the Leica. They are providing base packs specific to a camera and colour grading packs, e.g. Fuji Digital (film simulations). They are not cheap, but great.

Great video. Thanks! Just a recommendation for secure handling and the macro/filter issue: a) it hurts, i know, but the original thumb rest is a must have. Original, because often the third party ones might ruin the flash shoe. You have been warned 😉. b) Regarding the handgrip I recommend the one from JJC. It's a solid built, fits perfectly, is arca swiss compatible and features access to the sd card slot and battery. c) Now, let's talk about the unfortunate macro / filter issue. If you plan to use any filter on the Q3 43 and use the provided lens hood, you're out of luck, when it comes to using the macro mode. It won't work, because the lens moves forward and the hood does not provide enough space. Leica chose not to stick to form follows function. Too bad. But, there is a great solution from JJC (again). They provide an alternative hood for a lot less money than the Leica one. Great built and looks good - of course enough room for one or two stacked filters. Last but not least, if you are looking for a lens cap to use with the alternate hood, search for a Leica E49 cap on eBay. It is ok to put on and off with the JJC hood and it features the Leica logo 🙂.

A bonus tip: When you are thinking about buying an additional battery and a (dual slot) charger, look for the Leica "USB-C Power-Set 18867". It includes a battery, a dual slot charger, cable, and an AC-Adapter with multiple international plugs. Just saves some money.

Can I ask why you seem to twist the camera after each image? Is it because of the autofocus?

What difference does it make with what camera to take bad pictures?
Good shots can also be made with a tin can.
The most important thing in a camera is the pleasure of using it

This is hands down my favourite camera of all time, having spend a week in Venice with it and falling in love with the focal length. The lens is a gem too.

brother be aware of camera thieves, laica is a very common target unfortunately

Thanks for your first impressions. There are people out there, who are neither Leica fanboys nor Leica haters. Weired 😂. I put a link to your video in the inofficial LeicaQforum. Hope more Leica Q users will find your channel.

Thanks Buddy, what are you using please for your head shots in the City? Rock ON!