LEICA Q3 REVIEW - HANDS ON IN LONDON 

The Q3 is much more than a 'casual camera'! I've taped over the red dot - and the camera becomes much less noticeable. I'm retired now from pro shooting after 50 years - traded in all my other gear and loving the Q3. I only do personal projects and shoot for stock now and the Q3 is perfect - nothing casual about it for me.

The images in this video are straight up bonkers, my man. Stunning work ❤

Q3 is awesome, but like you I can't justify it alongside the M11 especially for casual stuff where I might be having a few drinks in a social setting and want to leave it on a table, or I'm at a festival and don't want to stress about a camera/lenses. X100VI or Ricoh GR3 as a casual snapper for me. I can go all photographer mode if I want but it's great to just go semi-auto and snap away, remain in the moment and grab memories.

Welcome back! That camera does really look too good. The photos are perfect and so colorful. Cheers!

Great to have you back! Q3 is amazing, but I'm having exactly same doubts.

I love my Q3 and Q2M. I use them for personal work all the time. Only use the M11 when I need 50 or 75mm and a large file size. The Q2 and Q3 are both IP53 rated, which is far beyond the usual ‘Weather Resistant’ claims of other manufacturers. The SL2 is even IP54 rated. You can take it out to almost every kind of weather. I used it in a NY snow storm last winter without any problem. Leica is on the expensive side, but they’re build to last.

He's back with a banger. Great video, I love the Q3 as well but will have to settle for the Q2

Hey Goughie, nice to have you back and thanks for the review! Last December I've had the opportunity to test the Q3 for half a day myself, and personally it didn't feel right, because taking pictures with a left-dominant eye I have found my nose to get in the way of the thumb for reaching the d-pad far too often when using the AF. Concerning the excellent quality of the camera's optics and output I completely share your opinions.

your edits are on point. They really suit my aesthetic 👏👏

Lovely video…enjoyed the sunny shots from London. Good point on a really pricy casual camera.

Great to see you on here again…. An excellent and fair review; I adore my Q3, difficult to fault it really. Disk space is so inexpensive, so I do shoot at 60meg, I’ve got it, so may as well use it! Keep up the excellent channel…. C.

Sold my Q2 yesterday, got a Q3 today. By some weird miracle, found a brand new one (the only one they have) with an online authorized dealer for retail price and no tax. Obviously, I clicked the buy button so fast, I may have sprained a finger. I even splurged on overnight shipping. For all those that say the price is too high, all I can say is that my other choice was the new GFX 100s II. But with just the body and 1 lens, it was already more than the Q3. I also recently sold my Sony A7R V and 1 of my GM lens, and that is almost the same price as the Q3. So the retail price for the Q3 is better or comparable to any of my other systems. The only question is this: Are you there yet in your photography journey to want something like a Leica Q3, M11, etc...? For me, that answer is, yes. And so, the adventure continues.

I'm in the same boat, having a hard time justifying getting a Q3 along side my M11. Great images and video as always. Would be nice to have AF for moving subjects at times.

Welcome back. As always, great review. The Q3 was also a lot of fun for me, but the M11 is something special compared to the Q3.

Q3 supremacy. Much more practical as an everyday camera ❤

Good review - thanks. I have the Q2 and really like it, the best feature for me is the Leica Finger Loop which screws into the Leica (additional) grip and along with the Thumb Grip makes it a delight to use and carry, without the need for a strap - which I prefer

def agree that the 60mp files later on is a big turn off, besides the price tag of course haha! awesome photos in this video, london just looks sooo cooool

Good insightful video as always Goughie. I came to the same conclusion as well after having a Q2 and M10. I had the same “requirements” for a casual camera and started looking at X100V’s just as they became unobtainium. I ended up being lucky enough to get a new X100VI at launch so the casual shooter role is now fulfilled by that camera and my M11 stays for when I know I’ll be able to enjoy it more.

Nice to see you online again. Good luck with the new place. Also nice to see more pics around my city. No matter how many times I go out every week, RU-vid always throws up new things to see that I have not noticed before. As to the camera, VERY nice but as I have recently bought an X-H2, 2 Nikon Zfs and pre-ordered a Fuji X100VI, I would find it hard to justify getting another system. I would quite like one though.

Images are purple but they are super fantastic. You are just a fan-boy!

Hi, I’m in the market for a Q3 and have to say I just love your content and your amazing pics. Your GR iii to X100V comparison led me to buy the Ricoh (what an amazing camera) and now I also have a X100VI. Admitting to be somewhat of a pixel peeper I am drawn to the 60 mp sensor but have been doubtful about the 28mm focal length as I prefer shooting at 35mm at least or narrower. Enter Q3 crop modes 😀 Keep up the good work! Cheers from a fan in Sweden.

Shot Leica M for 30 something years .Currently a 246 and BPM4.The Q3 is really just what I`m looking for at my time of life especially as its got an MF option if required . Nice review as always .

If I had an M11 I would'n buy a Q3 either. But I don't so bought a Q3 and I love it!

Welcome back mate. I’ve got the Q2 not sure if it’s worth upgrading?😊

I own an M11 and a Q3. I hate to say that, but I love the Q3 and use it 90% of the time. Having a daughter running around is hard to track with manual focus. The thing is…I can’t get enough of this 60mp sensor. Yeah, the files are huge, but they are undeniably beautiful. It’s overkill most of the time, but I guess I prefer to have them in maximum resolution in case I need to crop in post.

I sold my Q2, my most loved ever camera and got an X100vi, as I had the V before the Q2. It’s only made me want a Q3 more now. Just cant see past the Q series now

could you explain please how it works with the shooting from the hip / focal length trick?

Fuji x100 VI incoming 😂

Beautiful work, my man!!!!

In the same position, M10 user with 13 month old twins - I’m looking for something with af that’s smallish, Nikon zf seems like it’s worth a look

I sold all my Canon equipment (R5 + several lenses ++++) and my FujiFilm 100V and now own a Q3. So, the Q3 is my main camera and I am very happy. If I still had the Canon, I agree, I could not see me buying the Q3 as a ‘casual’ camera - that was the job of the 100V.

I agree with your verdict. That's also my personal conclusion: The Q3 is probably the best camera I ever bought and sold. I had it for over 6 months and enjoyed it every day. But since I like to play around also with other cameras (reason why I started my own small channel), I realised this camera is too good for my hobby level photography + it didn't meet all my personal expection - not optimal AF (worse then Lumix S5II, which I expected to be at least at that level) and a lot of technical issues as early adaptor had a bad taste for that price. They fixed a lot of these issues to be fair, but it also took 3/4 year. But still, if I had infinite money, I would buy one again. But for now the X100VI is filling this gap perfectly for my needs next to my Nikon Zf. The Leica setup with M6 + M9 will also stay for now :D And I have the feeling, your new camera is exactly that one, am I right? :D

My M11 has a textured surface and purchase for thumb so I don’t really need any accessories. My Q2 is slick with nothing to grasp with my thumb and this is the same with the 3. This necessitates adding on assists for grasping, making an already chunky camera even more so. This is a factor I have to consider in deciding which one to take when I go out.

The way You rendering skies makes my skin crawl. Good camera though, just can't get my hands on one.

The Q3 looks like a beautiful camera but for the price I feel like the X100VI is almost the perfect EDC camera. The one thing I do wish it had was a 28mm equiv lens. That's the only change i would make.

Your taste in clothes is as good as your taste in cameras. I have the very same Barbour shirt

Very expensive camera, but might be worth it.

Yeah for a casual camera, the Ricoh is perfect. A Leica is about the experience, so an M11 has the right experience for a more photography-centric mood, and then when you just need to snap quickly and casually, get something pocketable.

I was curious to know if you still own/use the Ricoh GR?

The price of this camera is hilarious!

Nice video … are these images JPEGs btw Tilt screen does work in portrait 😊

I pray that there will never be a 35mm variant because I‘d have to buy that and I don‘t really wanna afford it.

Are those photos shared edited or straight from the camera

Forgot to mention the stocked focus possibilities (180 mp images)

hiya! are these right out of the camera?

Respectfully, I think the idea of the Q3 as a “casual” camera and the M as a non-casual camera is just… off. The M is very casual. It’s all in your mind. It’s small and quiet and you can put a little pancake lens on it and put it at f/8 and make it a snapshot camera. Buy that Brightin Star 28mm and slip the camera in your coat pocket. I’ve been down the same road with trying to justify a Q alongside an M for “lifestyle” reasons…. It’s just GAS. Take full advantage of the flexibility of the M system instead.

In my opinion, owners of Leica,Hasselblad, and Fujifilm should never edit their pictures but develop better skills in taking close to perfect images. Other cameras lack the colour science technology these three have, and further editing is necessary in their case. By the way, I read that the Q3 captures more details in an image than the M11

The only place I've ever seen one of those Q cameras is in the hands of youtube reviewers 😂. Do they sell any of theses at all? If yes, who the heck buy them? I mean, 8k for a point and shoot, in the days when any cheap phones take great photos, is... I'm lost for words.

What? M11 is big!

Man oh man too much boost on the shadows !

I'm quite surprised you don't know why people were noticing your q3 camera, it's quite simple really, those damn frauditors or vloggers/ bloggers often have a fixed camera on them at the front, that's almost certainly the reason. Simples.