Question about using Q3 for simple video production

[Alexia]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Q2 owner here looking to move to a Q3 for my photography 80% and video work 20%.

Given that external mics are possible now, would the video function be good for simple videos?

The SL series is perhaps the better video camera but I prefer to stay in the Q line as I want something compact for trade shows.

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[Alexia]

Any thoughts?  Would the Q3 do a decent job?

I would love to stay on the Q if possible.

[Cogito]

12 minutes ago, Alexia said:

Any thoughts?  Would the Q3 do a decent job?

I would love to stay on the Q if possible.

I love my Q3 43, but personally I think the video stabilization and AF look better on an iPhone than a Q3(or Q343,) have a look at the sample videos from YouTubers when the camera came out. I wouldn't upgrade to a Q3 for video. Any modern sony or canon is exponentially better than a Q3 for video, though I realize you don't want to carry more gear. 

[PhotoCruiser]

I made some personal videos with my Q2 and image quality was fantastic,
but overall usability is below standard and far from a camera with advanced video functions.

Not sure what changed with the Q3, however it depends what you understand by "simple videos" 

Yes you can record videos for personal use and with some experience also for professional use,
but with a much cheaper camera you can do faster and less error prone videos for advanced use.
It depend of what kind of videos you want to do and how much time and effort to grab and edit them.

What about the SL3-S, as far i understood this camera was designed for advanced video use.

Chris

[Jonas Larsson]

I am struggling to get decent videos. Autofocus is not good (acceptable). Don't buy a Q3 to shoot video. 

[Alexia]

On 1/18/2025 at 5:04 AM, PhotoCruiser said:

I made some personal videos with my Q2 and image quality was fantastic,
but overall usability is below standard and far from a camera with advanced video functions.

Not sure what changed with the Q3, however it depends what you understand by "simple videos" 

Yes you can record videos for personal use and with some experience also for professional use,
but with a much cheaper camera you can do faster and less error prone videos for advanced use.
It depend of what kind of videos you want to do and how much time and effort to grab and edit them.

What about the SL3-S, as far i understood this camera was designed for advanced video use.

Chris

You can use external microphones now.  That’s what changed.

[Alexia]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Maybe some explaining on my part is in order.  The reason I want to ideally press the Q3 into video service is that I shoot a lot of audio trade shows and I am on my feet for 10-12 hour days so the compactness and lightweight make a difference.  I used to shoot with a Nikon D750 and f2.8 glass and it was really heavy over the course of a day.  My worry is that an SL system would be similar in that respect and I am also mindful of the cost of the SL lenses.

[Jeffry Abt]

 

I did not purchase the Q3 43 to make videos. But I'm now looking to use the Q3 43 to create videos as well. I am a long-time user of the SL2, which is a fine camera but far too heavy to make handheld videos that I hope to create. Video is a whole new world for me. I may fail in my attempts at videos. But I will try nonetheless... I do wish that there was a part of the forum devoted to creating videos with Leica cameras.I genuinely wish there was a dedicated section of the forum for creating videos using Leica cameras. Regarding the Leica Q3 43, its lens is exceptional. It’s of the highest quality, and the macro function is incredibly useful.