German company Leica (or Leica Camera AG) has been around since the late 1800s, manufacturing lenses, scopes, and, most notably, cameras. Legend has it that the original Leica camera was inspired by the majesty of the mountain and meant to be a compact camera for landscape shots. It was the first camera to use cinema-standard 35mm film, among many other firsts the label was responsible for. Today, Leica cameras are still respected and highly sought after in the industry, so much so that the instantly recognizable red dot became a legend on its own. Camera technology has come a long way, especially since Leica’s original full-frame release in 2009 with the M9. And now, one of the label’s most iconic offerings is getting some major updates in the Leica Q3 camera – a 35mm full-frame compact digital camera with impressive features, including an auto-focus system and a tilting LCD screen.
This addition to Leica’s Q line improves upon the already capable Q2 that came out four years ago now. The 60MP sensor is a full-frame BSI CMOS and triple-resolution technology. Speeding things up, the new processor provides 8GB of buffer memory. But among the most exciting features is the new Hybrod Autofocus System, improving upon the popular autofocus from previous Q cameras. Better contrast and phase detection help track the subject better and is especially useful for landscape shots. Another exciting addition is the tilting LCD screen and 5.76MP OLED viewfinder, which is great for repositioning yourself (or the camera) to get the perfect shot.
With the new 8k video resolution and added iPhone-compatible ports (USB-C and HDMI), the Q3 is undoubtedly the best camera for shooting video in the series. The convenient compatibility with Leica’s FOTOS app adds to this as well.
The Leica Q3 camera is available now for $5,995.
