Question about using Q3 for simple video production

[Alexia]

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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.

[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]

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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.  

[TealWayFilms]

I have been using my Q3 28 and Q3 43 for short video clips more and more. Current settings:

C4K 30p, manual shutter speed of 60th, manual focus, 58mm variable ND with step-up ring (easier to handle), L-log with -2 sharpening and Natural LUT. There is a sensor crop with C4K, but it is about 32mm so not too bad.

The following video was handheld on a boat to see if the OIS worked in a challenging environment. Created in Resolve which recognizes the L-log clips, unlike FCP.

I assign function button #2 to User Profile which makes it easy to switch between stills and video profiles. Function button #1 is framing and the camera will shoot C4K at 35mm and 50 mm as well. The close up of the oysters being shucked is at 50mm.

 

[TealWayFilms]

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[RQ44]

IMO, Don't use it for video. Better with a camera designed for the job. The only time I use the video aspect of it is if I am away on holiday and in a pinch need a quick shot of something interesting instead of grabbing Osmo Pocket 3 which is my main 100% holiday travel video camera, small high quality and easy to use.

Edited July 17 by RQ44

[Archiver]

@TealWayFilms I didn't know that the Q3 could shoot video in the crop modes. How is video quality in the crop modes compared with the normal C4K mode?

[TealWayFilms]

On 7/17/2025 at 5:43 AM, Archiver said:

@TealWayFilms I didn't know that the Q3 could shoot video in the crop modes. How is video quality in the crop modes compared with the normal C4K mode?

Video quality is the same resolution in the 28, 35 and 50mm crop modes. The camera also shows the crop in the viewfinder/EVF after you start capturing the clip.

With a sensor that is 9250 x 6336, the C4K is 4096 x 2160 pixels taken from that larger group of pixels. I estimate that without using the framelines the 28mm pov is cropped to 32 mm. I have had no issues with using the 35 and 50mm framelines and obtaining 4096 x 2160 clips. I should test what the pov is for those clips.

[TealWayFilms]

On 7/17/2025 at 3:09 AM, RQ44 said:

IMO, Don't use it for video. Better with a camera designed for the job. The only time I use the video aspect of it is if I am away on holiday and in a pinch need a quick shot of something interesting instead of grabbing Osmo Pocket 3 which is my main 100% holiday travel video camera, small high quality and easy to use.

I own a Leica SL2-S and a Blackmagic Pocket for planned video projects. Both of those are much larger and heavier when rigged out, but obviously have the ability to deliver much better quality clips with audio compared to the Q3s. Sometimes, however, I just want to use video to tell a story, usually when I want something for personal use only. Adding a step up ring and VND to my kit for $200 gives me the ability to capture those types of projects very easily.

The Pocket 3 doesn't shoot C4K, is a fixed 20mm lens (35 mm equivalent) with infinite DOF. I have the option of shooting C4K, 28, 35 and 50mm with the Q3. I can also shoot 43 and 60mm if I bring my Q3 43. I also have great control of depth of field.

Edited July 18 by TealWayFilms

[Archiver]

@TealWayFilms It's fascinating that we have all these options available to us now. Twenty years ago, we had to make do with small sensor digicam video (ugh) or a dedicated camcorder with a small sensor. Now we have mirrorless cameras capable of broadcast/theatrical quality video and high end stills in the same package. We can walk around with a Q2 or Q3 and get video that would fit in as a B cam in a broadcast documentary. My primary video cameras are the Panasonic S1 and S5, with the SL2S as secondary if I can't change lenses quickly.