Why did you buy the Q3 43?

[anonymoose]

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On 1/2/2025 at 10:52 AM, Olaf_ZG said:

I had to. 
 

I told the forum here that I would buy a q40/50, so when Leica finally made it… I had to.

The classic Self-Bamboozle™

[Rhyser]

I’m a long-term amateur and I’ve had the Q3 43 for only a couple of weeks, so the purchase reasons are clear in my mind.  I didn’t set out to buy a Leica.  In fact, the Leica cost has stopped me from even considering the brand.  Instead, I was looking for any camera that met a specific set of requirements.

First, I wanted a camera with a 40ish focal length.  Over the years, I’ve developed an affinity for this focal length born out of my film days.  My first real camera was the Canon Canonet G-III QL17 with its 40mm 1.7 lens.  When this camera died, I moved on to the Leica Minilux, again with a 40mm lens.  In all, I spent about 20 years seeing the photographic world at 40mm!  For the last 10 years or so I’ve been shooting Fuji xPro cameras, favoring the 40mm equivalent 27mm F2.8 and more recently, the Viltrox AF 27mm F1.2.  For walk around, I’ve been using the 40mm equivalent Ricoh GRIIx for the last two years.  According to Lightroom, more than 80% of my photos taken during 2024 were at this focal length.

Second, I wanted something smaller and lighter than the xPro-Viltrox combination.  I wanted a camera small enough to fit in the ThinkTank Mirrorless Mover 10 bag. I realize that too big and too heavy are subjective,  but the Fuji-Viltrox  combination is huge and heavy!   I also don’t feel the lens balances well with the Fuji body.  I love images from the Viltrox and would be perfectly happy shooting with this setup for the foreseeable future.  But I found I was reluctant to take this combo on the road, particular when the Ricoh was do pocketable.  But wide open on the Ricoh doesn’t compare to wide open on the Viltrox.

Third, I wanted something that would excel in low light.  To me this meant moving to full frame or better.  My son is a professional photographer shooting top-of-the-line FF Nikon.  His low light portraits were exceptional.  The Viltrox 1.2 is roughly 1.8 on full frame and I was shopping for something similar.

In the end, the Q3 43 is the only camera that ticks all the boxes!  Sony didn’t have a lens that would meet my criteria and medium format was too big.  I bit the bullet, paid the price, and I’m very happy with my choice!  I’m also discovering additional benefits of Leica that I didn’t think about, like a more rational menu system, ease of DNG raw processing (compared to Fuji) and reliable geotagging.  Still learning….

[anonymoose]

On 1/11/2025 at 6:38 AM, Rhyser said:

I’m a long-term amateur...

Don't sell yourself short my friend--you are a professional amateur.

[mecsw500]

It was a Christmas Gift from my wife.

I had a whole bunch of Fujifilm gear, but I ended up using an XT-30ii body with the 23mm f/2 lens 90% of the time and the 35mm f/2 or the 50mm f/2 the other 10%. All the zoom lenses, wide angles and other bodies I carted everywhere, and never used them.

This Q3 43 covers just about everything I'm likely to do, so I sold the Fujifilm gear. Nothing particularly wrong with the Fujifilm system but I just use less gear as I get older.

I always wanted a Leica, but I was never a rangefinder fan and my eyes are too old to start now. It turns out the Q3 43 is just what I needed and so far the images are truly excellent.

My wife is very observant. Best Christmas ever.

[boojum]

I had hoped/expected a pocket sized X2D.  It is not.  It's an OK camera but about as exciting as kissing your sister.  It's fun to be with, it does OK with the images and sometimes quite well but it sure does not make me breathe heavily.   And then, in the background, there is the ever-present fear of having to get it repaired.  If I had it to do all over again I'd have gone with the Sony A7CR for half the price, better AF, IBIS that works, and also good images in about the same form factor.  The US$3500 saved I could spend on black cigars, loose women and strong drink.

It Q3 is just not that significantly better to warrant the price and there is always the dread of Leica "support".  I do dread ever having to send any of my Leicas off to Leica for repair.  The cost-benefit ratio is just not good enough for me.  For me.  I know that lots of folks, maybe all others here, have no problems with Leica and Leica service.  And my hat is off to you.

[Cogito]

1 hour ago, boojum said:

I had hoped/expected a pocket sized X2D.  It is not.  It's an OK camera but about as exciting as kissing your sister.  It's fun to be with, it does OK with the images and sometimes quite well but it sure does not make me breathe heavily.   And then, in the background, there is the ever-present fear of having to get it repaired.  If I had it to do all over again I'd have gone with the Sony A7CR for half the price, better AF, IBIS that works, and also good images in about the same form factor.  The US$3500 saved I could spend on black cigars, loose women and strong drink.

It Q3 is just not that significantly better to warrant the price and there is always the dread of Leica "support".  I do dread ever having to send any of my Leicas off to Leica for repair.  The cost-benefit ratio is just not good enough for me.  For me.  I know that lots of folks, maybe all others here, have no problems with Leica and Leica service.  And my hat is off to you.

I did it the other way around, bought the A7CR first. great images, far better A/F, I have all the lenses, but was buying for a personal camera and found no joy in it, mostly because of the inconceivably bad EVF. returned after one week. Glad I had the little Sony first, otherwise like you I’d be wondering which camera is better for me. 

[boojum]

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22 hours ago, Cogito said:

I did it the other way around, bought the A7CR first. great images, far better A/F, I have all the lenses, but was buying for a personal camera and found no joy in it, mostly because of the inconceivably bad EVF. returned after one week. Glad I had the little Sony first, otherwise like you I’d be wondering which camera is better for me. 

 

Interesting.  I could put up with the lesser EVF as it is transitory.  It is not the finished image.  I do appreciate your input and your perspective.

[Ertos]

For the joy of having a single 43mm combo that eliminates the question of ‘what lens do I take’. This is my only camera for 80% of what I shoot. It’s light, a joy to handle and produces great images. For when I want more focal length variation, I take a Q 28 and a Nikon Z7ii with either a 85mm or 105mm. This has made my shooting life very simple. I love it. 

[Jeff S]

2 hours ago, Ertos said:

For the joy of having a single 43mm combo that eliminates the question of ‘what lens do I take’. This is my only camera for 80% of what I shoot. It’s light, a joy to handle and produces great images. For when I want more focal length variation, I take a Q 28 and a Nikon Z7ii with either a 85mm or 105mm. This has made my shooting life very simple. I love it. 

Seems you need to update your product profile. 😉

[Ertos]

6 minutes ago, Jeff S said:

Seems you need to update your product profile. 😉

I do

[Jeff S]

6 minutes ago, Ertos said:

I do

Sure, now… minutes ago showed Q and M10 only.

[Ertos]

3 hours ago, Jeff S said:

Sure, now… minutes ago showed Q and M10 only.

So yes, and I said you are right.  Case closed.

[mmk60]

A fixed lens camera with a great low light ISO performance, AF (portraits), Lux lens, simple menu, full frame >>> Q3.

I bought the Q3(28) about a year ago as I wanted to simplify my camera gear and have been using it since then. It’s a great camera that produces stunning DNG files but I’ve never been satisfied with its FoV. More than 90% of my shots prior to the Q3 were done with 35 and 50. Some of you may say I shouldn’t have got the original Q3 in the first place! 

the Q3 43 came and my head started spinning. Its focal length is right in the middle of my “naturally preferred focal lengths!

I contacted Leica Store in Washington DC yesterday and asked how long I would have to wait for a Q3 43 and they said they had one that I could buy. What is going on??? Anyways, It will be delivered on Wed this week. 

[M11 for me]

vor 11 Stunden schrieb mmk60:

A fixed lens camera with a great low light ISO performance, AF (portraits), Lux lens, simple menu, full frame >>> Q3.

I bought the Q3(28) about a year ago as I wanted to simplify my camera gear and have been using it since then. It’s a great camera that produces stunning DNG files but I’ve never been satisfied with its FoV. More than 90% of my shots prior to the Q3 were done with 35 and 50. Some of you may say I shouldn’t have got the original Q3 in the first place! 

the Q3 43 came and my head started spinning. Its focal length is right in the middle of my “naturally preferred focal lengths!

I contacted Leica Store in Washington DC yesterday and asked how long I would have to wait for a Q3 43 and they said they had one that I could buy. What is going on??? Anyways, It will be delivered on Wed this week. 

I like your story.

I was clearly a 50mm shooter in film times as my Voigtländer has fixed 50mm and later with canon A1 I had only 1 lens for a long time: 50mm.

Only much later I bought my first 35mm but I did not feel well with it. It was much too wide. Only much later I opend myself to wider angles and nowadays a 50mm normally is a lens that is too long. 28mm is my main focal length.