Q3 43 - The ideal travel companion

[Mikep996]

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Just got back from a 10 day trip in Egypt - Cairo, cruise on the Nile/all the usual tourist spots.  Didn't take any of my Leica cameras but the lens I used for pretty much everything with my X2D was an equivalent 30mm.  I had an equivalent 43mm lens with me but didn't find I wanted/needed it for anything.  It again demonstrated to me that the 28mm Q is far more useful TO ME than the Q3 43.  Next time I use that camera (X2D) on a trip, I'll only carry the "30mm."  Otherwise, the Q3 is perfect, lens-wise.   As they say, you can't crop "outward!!  

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[PhotoCruiser]

Jep,
this is the reason that i love my wide angles and in particular my Q2 for the excellent 28mm lens and the small size when traveling.
I bought in February a SL2 and new lenses but length is still are 14mm, 28mm and 105mm for macro.
Should i go to a country with a lot of interesting to me wildlife then i may would add a strong tele zoom lens.

However, lens choice is a strictly personal matter as it depends what one is photographing and if he want to crop/edit, or not.

Chris

Edited October 12 by PhotoCruiser

[chris_tribble]

@Mikep996 and @PhotoCruiser the more I think about it, the more I find the world divides along those who prefer wider over "standard" lenses, those who want window seats and those who want aisle, those who say potaeto and those who say potaato - and that's just makes the world go round 🎵   🎵  

Keep on enjoying making good photos!

[PhotoCruiser]

vor 23 Minuten schrieb chris_tribble:

@Mikep996 and @PhotoCruiser the more I think about it, the more I find the world divides along those who prefer wider over "standard" lenses, those who want window seats and those who want aisle, those who say potaeto and those who say potaato - and that's just makes the world go round 🎵   🎵  

Keep on enjoying making good photos!

😂

Yep! 
But there are many more things the world is divided, unfortunately in many cases but good in others as it makes our wonderful world more interesting.

Chris

[Ghiry6591]

I think the discussion could also be framed this way: can the Leica Q3 43 (or the Q3) really replace a complete photographic kit? The answer is obviously no. But is it the only camera I'd want to have in certain circumstances? The answer is: yes. Let me explain. If I'm leaving for a trip to Egypt and take a long cruise on the Nile, I'll probably miss out on some types of images with just the Q3 43 (or Q3), even though I'd still be able to take spectacular photos in most cases. In particular, I'd need a telephoto lens to photograph scenes of daily life along the banks of the Nile in the southernmost area, towards Aswan—truly extraordinary images that seem to transport you to a distant time. So my camera kit will be broader, depending on my aptitude or personal preferences. But if I find myself in the evening, or worse, at night, in a quiet area or in the subway of a big city like Paris, Barcelona, or my hometown Rome, I certainly don't want to be conspicuous, and that's when a device like the Q3 43 or any of the Q models will allow me to bring home extraordinary images without ever having to worry about being robbed by a criminal who knows the red mark well. In these circumstances, I use the Q3 with a wrist strap, and when necessary, it almost manages to camouflage itself in the palm of my hand, or at least appears like an inexpensive camera (obviously, tape over the red mark, which at least works with less informed). I love my Q3 and I would love the Q3 43, both cameras capable of making you feel free to photograph and express yourself at your best in any context.

[otto.f]

On 6/4/2025 at 9:47 PM, chris_tribble said:

I was happy cropping some shots beyond 90, and rarely felt the lack of a wider focal length

 

On 6/4/2025 at 11:57 PM, Le Chef said:

I think a lot of it depends on what you like to shoot

Right! Although I brought my Elmarit 24 this year on vacation, I often  left it in the appartment because I wanted to go light and I regretted that many times. @chris_tribble Further it’s an informative post, though I wouldn’t dare to go without something wider than the 43. 

[AndreaP75]

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On 10/4/2025 at 5:36 PM, chris_tribble said:

@AndreaP75 - Maybe it comes down to preferred focal lengths.  I've mentioned that the 35 Summicron Asph was my default lens on M. What I've found with the Q3 43 though is that it works remarkably as a general purpose single camera / lens companion.  I was travelling to see friends over the last two weeks (Samos/Greece) and only took the Q3 43 with me and I honestly didn't feel I was lacking anything.  Some images below, and more here: https://www.ctribble.co.uk/galleries/PERSONAL/Samos_late_summer/

They're just incidental travel images - but that's what a travel companion's all about, isn't it?  And hey - I've still got the SL2 set up and my M10-R with 28/35/90 for when I want it... 🙂

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Great pictures Chris, and I totally get your point! It’s obviously a matter of FOV preference. It also blends in perfectly with an SL kit. That 43mm APO Summicron sits side by side with all the APO Summicron SL out there!

[Mikep996]

The capability of modern high-MP cameras re cropping-in is amazing.  The days of digital cropping being considered substandard/poor are long gone.  I shot some pics at Abu Simbel to get the entire temple facade in the scene and I can crop in and read graffiti on the statues.  Admittedly, that's with a 30mm (equiv) lens on a 100MP X2D camera but a 60MP 28mm Q3 wouldn't be far behind.  I tried to download a pic but it's 276MB and reducing it to manageable size eliminates the clarity.  But you can read the graffiti as clearly as if you were standing there in the "writing position" - which you can't because much of the graffiti was inscribed when the temple was still mostly covered with sand  and the earliest graffiti is now at least 4-5 meters above the ground level.  Interestingly, you can visualize the level of sand being removed over the years by the dates on the graffiti - early 1800s up high above the shoulders of the sitting statues, 1940s down around the ankles.  

Again, I'm amazed at what digital cropping can do...and this from a guy who used to regularly carry lenses from 24 to 300mm.  As Bob Dylan once said, "The times they are a'changin."

 

Edited October 30 by Mikep996

[chris_tribble]

Maybe I should stop banging the drum for the Q3 43, but having just got back from Berlin and Warsaw I can't resist another opportunity to sing its praises as a travel camera.  It's discreet (street), it's incredibly flexible (from landscape to micro detail on paintings and art work), light enough to carry all day, and tough enough for you not to have to worrry about the weather!  In Berlin we were exceptionally lucky and had two perfect days (and if you've not seen the Helga Paris show at Fotografiska it's a pity!), and in Warsaw the poor light made from atmospheric work where, again, the Q3 43 excelled.  I never had a feeling that the FOV was too narrow (though I accept that that's just my preference for the 35mm zone) , and there's more than enough data for cropping (either wide or to get into the detail). 

A few images here + more on the website at: https://www.ctribble.co.uk/personal.html. OK - they're travel snaps - but if I'd been on an assignment and the Q was all I had, it would have hacked it! 

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[Rick in CO]

I have to agree with this premise.  I am mainly a 50mm shooter, but the Q343 fits the bill.  Carried around a 90 with my M for several years and rarely used it.  I now have an TL2 with the Sigma 10-18 for wide angle shots - used only occasionally, but is more useful at the 21-24mm equivalent focal length I prefer to 28mm.  The 2 camera outfit is manageable, but sometimes I just go with the Q343 which suffices for 80-90% of the photos I like to take.

[richard371]

2 hours ago, Rick in CO said:

I have to agree with this premise.  I am mainly a 50mm shooter, but the Q343 fits the bill.  Carried around a 90 with my M for several years and rarely used it.  I now have an TL2 with the Sigma 10-18 for wide angle shots - used only occasionally, but is more useful at the 21-24mm equivalent focal length I prefer to 28mm.  The 2 camera outfit is manageable, but sometimes I just go with the Q343 which suffices for 80-90% of the photos I like to take.

I feel the same way.  90% of what I like to shoot I get with this camera.  If I need a few wider shots ill pull out my iPhone or stitch in lightroom.  I just have to be a little more creative at times when I can't back up enough which is a good thing. I hate lugging a bunch of gear around and even more dislike changing lenses.  The Q343 is such a joy and so relaxing to use compared to my A1 and all of the lenses I had. I have 0 interest in M series cameras what so ever. 

[chris_tribble]

14 hours ago, richard371 said:

The Q343 is such a joy and so relaxing to use compared to my A1 and all of the lenses I had. I have 0 interest in M series cameras what so ever. 

I have similar feelings. Maybe at some point the M10-R and remaining lenses will go and I’ll get a Q3 (monochrome?) to complement the 3-43.  The SL2 bodies plus SL zooms for when needed (+ 75 APO for portrait work), but otherwise the Q series is rather wonderful! It feels like a bit of a tipping point for me… 

Edited November 15 by chris_tribble

[DenverSteve]

On 10/15/2025 at 12:54 AM, otto.f said:

Right! Although I brought my Elmarit 24 this year on vacation, I often  left it in the appartment because I wanted to go light and I regretted that many times. @chris_tribble Further it’s an informative post, though I wouldn’t dare to go without something wider than the 43. 

This is why my "Q" kit is a Q3 28 and a Q3 43.  Between them I effectively carry 20-90mm which is as much as carrying 3 different M lenses with, at least, two bodies.  When carrying an M11 with one lens, I augment that with a CL w/zoom.  However, for over half of M people carrying one lens, the Q3 43 is optimum.  For most of the others a Q with 28 is sublime.  For me, carrying two Q3 bodies (28 & 43) feels like one camera and costs less than carrying my M11 and two lenses. 

[ianforber]

I agree that the Q cameras are ideal travel cameras. I also know that some people are wired so that they have a strong preference for the field of view offered by a 28mm or 43mm lens - you pays your money and you makes your choice! Personally, I love cropping more than missing a shot because the lens wasn’t quite wide enough so the 28mm is the best for me.

Their only downside is one-bag travel for 1/2 nights where it’s harder to fit quite a chunky fixed lens camera into a carry-on bag for a budget airline.

[PhotoCruiser]

vor 4 Stunden schrieb ianforber:

Their only downside is one-bag travel for 1/2 nights where it’s harder to fit quite a chunky fixed lens camera into a carry-on bag for a budget airline.

Yes, but not that sure if a M and a lens would be considerable smaller.
Regarding the carry-on rules what become worst and worst as here ein Europe we hot now a 8Kg limit fighting back works.
I did many trips with my D800 and the lenses, some of them also with the underwater housing so i needed to be creative.
2012 I went with my buddy to the Emirate of Oman and we had about 100kg of photo, video and dive gear, plus about 5 kilo of clothes 😆.
Emirates had 2 x 25 kg suitcase included so we had most in two suitcases, but for safety reasons we carried the cameras and lenses inside our clothes, some parts in a photographers vers and lenses in cargo pants. Obviously the security personnel raised eyebrows when we pulled all out of our clothes and honestly our look was like a terrorist with explosives strapped on. I did same many times with various companies and destinations and it always worked and saved me a lot of $$$ for not paying excess weight for carry-on (Frankfurt to Recife: i had 18 Kilos instead of 8 and unfortunately Condor weighted all carry-on luggage and cost was about 18€ per kilo)
The Q series fit nicely in a photographers/angler/traveler vest or cargo pants, either with bigger pockets and is not considered as carry-on weight.

Chris
 

[ianforber]

On 11/17/2025 at 4:48 PM, PhotoCruiser said:

Yes, but not that sure if a M and a lens would be considerable smaller.
Regarding the carry-on rules what become worst and worst as here ein Europe we hot now a 8Kg limit fighting back works.
I did many trips with my D800 and the lenses, some of them also with the underwater housing so i needed to be creative.
2012 I went with my buddy to the Emirate of Oman and we had about 100kg of photo, video and dive gear, plus about 5 kilo of clothes 😆.
Emirates had 2 x 25 kg suitcase included so we had most in two suitcases, but for safety reasons we carried the cameras and lenses inside our clothes, some parts in a photographers vers and lenses in cargo pants. Obviously the security personnel raised eyebrows when we pulled all out of our clothes and honestly our look was like a terrorist with explosives strapped on. I did same many times with various companies and destinations and it always worked and saved me a lot of $$$ for not paying excess weight for carry-on (Frankfurt to Recife: i had 18 Kilos instead of 8 and unfortunately Condor weighted all carry-on luggage and cost was about 18€ per kilo)
The Q series fit nicely in a photographers/angler/traveler vest or cargo pants, either with bigger pockets and is not considered as carry-on weight.

Chris
 

True. The only advantage of the M is that you can disconnect the lens and stuff it elsewhere in the bag, separate from the body or, as you say, in clothing you’re wearing where I find the Q is just too big. That’s why I bought a M11 but sold it later because I don’t travel enough to make it worthwhile. I’m in London so flying by Ryan Air or Easy Jet almost always needs an upgrade to a carry-on as well as a personal item. So far it’s not been weighed but it’s only a matter of time!

[Le Chef]

Watching the big splash (Q3 43)

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