Leica Q3 vs Sony A9 III

The Leica Q3 and the Sony Alpha A9 III are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in May 2023 and November 2023. The Q3 is a fixed lens compact, while the A9 III is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. Both cameras are equipped with a full frame sensor. The Leica has a resolution of 60.3 megapixels, whereas the Sony provides 24 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Leica Q3		Sony A9 III
Fixed lens compact camera		Mirrorless system camera
28mm f/1.7		Sony E mount lenses
60.3 MP – Full Frame sensor		24 MP – Full Frame sensor
8K/30p Video		4K/120p Video
ISO 50-100,000		ISO 250-25,600 (125 - 51,200)
Electronic viewfinder (5760k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (9440k dots)
3.0" LCD – 1840k dots		3.2" LCD – 2100k dots
Tilting touchscreen		Fully flexible touchscreen
15 shutter flaps per second		120 shutter flaps per second
Lens-based stabilization		In-body stabilization
Weathersealed body		Weathersealed body
350 shots per battery charge		530 shots per battery charge
130 x 80 x 93 mm, 743 g		136 x 97 x 83 mm, 702 g

Check Q3 price at
amazon.com
Check A9 III price at
amazon.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Leica Q3 and the Sony Alpha A9 III? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Leica Q3 and the Sony A9 III are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony A9 III is notably larger (27 percent) than the Leica Q3. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the Q3 has a lens built in, whereas the A9 III is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup. You can compare the optics available for the A9 III and their specifications in the Sony FE Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the Q3 gets 350 shots out of its Leica BP-SCL6 battery, while the A9 III can take 530 images on a single charge of its Sony NP-FZ100 power pack. The battery packs of both cameras can be charged via USB, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Leica Q3	130 mm	80 mm	93 mm	743 g	350	Y	May 2023	EUR 5 999	amazon.com
2.		Sony A9 III	136 mm	97 mm	83 mm	702 g	530	Y	Nov 2023	EUR 6 999	amazon.com
3.		Fujifilm GFX 50S	148 mm	94 mm	91 mm	740 g	400	Y	Sep 2016	EUR 6 499	ebay.com
4.		Hasselblad X1D II	148 mm	97 mm	70 mm	766 g	..	Y	Jun 2019	EUR 5 999	ebay.com
5.		Leica M Typ 240	139 mm	80 mm	42 mm	680 g	500	Y	Sep 2012	EUR 6 199	ebay.com
6.		Leica M Typ 262	139 mm	80 mm	42 mm	680 g	400	Y	Nov 2015	EUR 5 499	ebay.com
7.		Leica M10	139 mm	80 mm	39 mm	660 g	210	Y	Jan 2017	EUR 6 499	ebay.com
8.		Leica M11	139 mm	80 mm	39 mm	640 g	700	Y	Jan 2022	EUR 8 349	amazon.com
9.		Leica Q2	130 mm	80 mm	92 mm	718 g	370	Y	Mar 2019	EUR 4 799	amazon.com
10.		Leica SL3	141 mm	108 mm	85 mm	769 g	320	Y	Mar 2024	EUR 6 799	amazon.com
11.		Leica X-U Typ 113	140 mm	79 mm	88 mm	635 g	450	Y	Jan 2016	EUR 3 249	ebay.com
12.		Sony A1	129 mm	97 mm	81 mm	737 g	530	Y	Jan 2021	EUR 7 299	amazon.com
13.		Sony A7 II	127 mm	96 mm	60 mm	599 g	350	Y	Nov 2014	EUR 2 099	ebay.com
14.		Sony A7 III	127 mm	96 mm	74 mm	650 g	610	Y	Feb 2018	EUR 2 299	amazon.com
15.		Sony A9	127 mm	96 mm	63 mm	673 g	650	Y	Apr 2017	EUR 5 299	ebay.com
16.		Sony A9 II	129 mm	96 mm	76 mm	678 g	690	Y	Oct 2019	EUR 5 399	amazon.com
17.		Zeiss ZX1	142 mm	93 mm	46 mm	800 g	250	n	Sep 2018	EUR 5 999	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a full frame sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the A9 III is 2 percent smaller. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

With 60.3MP, the Q3 offers a higher resolution than the A9 III (24MP), but the Q3 has smaller individual pixels (pixel pitch of 3.79μm versus 5.94μm for the A9 III). Moreover, the A9 III is a somewhat more recent model (by 5 months) than the Q3, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixels. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the Q3 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The resolution advantage of the Leica Q3 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the Q3 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 47.6 x 31.6 inches or 121 x 80.4 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 38.1 x 25.3 inches or 96.8 x 64.3 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 31.8 x 21.1 inches or 80.7 x 53.6 cm. The corresponding values for the Sony A9 III are 30 x 20 inches or 76.2 x 50.8 cm for good quality, 24 x 16 inches or 61 x 40.6 cm for very good quality, and 20 x 13.3 inches or 50.8 x 33.9 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Leica Q3 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 50 to ISO 100000. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Alpha A9 III are ISO 250 to ISO 25600, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 125-51200.

In terms of underlying technology, the Q3 is build around a CMOS sensor, while the A9 III uses a Stacked CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Leica Q3	Full Frame	60.3	9528	6328	8K/30p	25.4	14.7	3216	96
2.		Sony A9 III	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/120p	25.4	14.7	3243	96
3.		Fujifilm GFX 50S	Medium Format	51.1	8256	6192	1080/30p	25.4	14.1	2977	96
4.		Hasselblad X1D II	Medium Format	51.3	8272	6200	1080/25p	25.7	14.5	3234	99
5.		Leica M Typ 240	Full Frame	23.7	5952	3976	1080/25p	24.0	13.3	1860	84
6.		Leica M Typ 262	Full Frame	23.7	5952	3976	none	24.8	13.7	2478	90
7.		Leica M10	Full Frame	23.8	5952	3992	none	24.4	13.2	2133	86
8.		Leica M11	Full Frame	60.3	9528	6328	none	26.3	14.8	3376	100
9.		Leica Q2	Full Frame	46.7	8368	5584	4K/30p	26.4	13.5	2491	96
10.		Leica SL3	Full Frame	60.3	9520	6336	8K/30p	25.4	14.8	3295	97
11.		Leica X-U Typ 113	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/30p	23.8	13.0	1614	80
12.		Sony A1	Full Frame	49.8	8640	5760	8k/30p	25.9	14.5	3163	98
13.		Sony A7 II	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.9	13.6	2449	90
14.		Sony A7 III	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	14.7	3730	96
15.		Sony A9	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.9	13.3	3517	92
16.		Sony A9 II	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	14.0	3434	93
17.		Zeiss ZX1	Full Frame	37.4	7488	4992	4K/30p	25.2	14.1	2759	94
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the Q3 provides a higher video resolution than the A9 III. It can shoot video footage at 8K/30p, while the Sony is limited to 4K/120p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The two cameras under review are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder. However, the one in the A9 III offers a substantially higher resolution than the one in the Q3 (9440k vs 5760k dots). The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Leica Q3 and Sony A9 III in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Leica Q3	5760	n	3.0 / 1840	tilting	Y	1/2000s	15.0/s	n	Y
2.		Sony A9 III	9440	n	3.2 / 2100	full-flex	Y	1/80000s	120.0/s	n	Y
3.		Fujifilm GFX 50S	optional	Y	3.2 / 2360	full-flex	Y	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	n
4.		Hasselblad X1D II	3690	n	3.6 / 2360	fixed	Y	1/2000s	2.7/s	n	n
5.		Leica M Typ 240	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	n
6.		Leica M Typ 262	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	n
7.		Leica M10	optical	n	3.0 / 1037	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	n	n
8.		Leica M11	optical	n	3.0 / 2333	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.5/s	n	n
9.		Leica Q2	3680	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	n	Y
10.		Leica SL3	5760	Y	3.2 / 2333	tilting	Y	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	Y
11.		Leica X-U Typ 113	optional	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/2000s	5.0/s	Y	n
12.		Sony A1	9437	n	3.0 / 1440	tilting	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
13.		Sony A7 II	2400	n	3.0 / 1230	tilting	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	Y
14.		Sony A7 III	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
15.		Sony A9	3686	n	3.0 / 1440	tilting	Y	1/8000s	20.0/s	n	Y
16.		Sony A9 II	3686	n	3.0 / 1440	tilting	Y	1/8000s	20.0/s	n	Y
17.		Zeiss ZX1	6221	n	4.3 / 2765	fixed	Y	1/1000s	3.0/s	n	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, both cameras under consideration feature an electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Leica Q3 and the Sony A9 III both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

The Q3 writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the A9 III uses CFexpress (type A) or SDXC cards. The A9 III features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the Q3 only has one slot. Both cameras support UHS-II cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 312 MB/s.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Leica Q3 and Sony Alpha A9 III and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Leica Q3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
2.		Sony A9 III	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
3.		Fujifilm GFX 50S	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.0	Y	-	-
4.		Hasselblad X1D II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	-	3.0	Y	-	-
5.		Leica M Typ 240	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Leica M Typ 262	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
7.		Leica M10	Y	- / -	-	-	-	-	Y	-	-
8.		Leica M11	Y	- / -	-	-	-	3.2	Y	-	Y
9.		Leica Q2	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	-	Y	-	Y
10.		Leica SL3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.1	Y	-	Y
11.		Leica X-U Typ 113	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
12.		Sony A1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
13.		Sony A7 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
14.		Sony A7 III	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.1	Y	Y	Y
15.		Sony A9	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
16.		Sony A9 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.1	Y	Y	Y
17.		Zeiss ZX1	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	3.1	Y	Y	Y

It is notable that the A9 III has a microphone port, which can help to improve the quality of audio recordings by attaching an external microphone. The Q3 does not feature such a mic input.

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Sony A9 III (unlike the Q3) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights can be controlled by the camera.

Both the Q3 and the A9 III are recent models that are part of the current product line-up. The Q3 replaced the earlier Leica Q2, while the A9 III followed on from the Sony A9 II. Further information on the features and operation of the Q3 and A9 III can be found, respectively, in the Leica Q3 Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony A9 III Manual.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Is the Leica Q3 better than the Sony A9 III or vice versa? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Reasons to prefer the Leica Q3:

• More detail: Offers more megapixels (60.3 vs 24MP) with a 59% higher linear resolution.
• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (8K/30p vs 4K/120p).
• Ready to shoot: Has a lens built-in, whereas the A9 III requires a separate lens.
• More compact: Is smaller (130x80mm vs 136x97mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• More prestigious: Has the Leica luxury appeal, which ensures a high resale price.
• More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in May 2023).

Advantages of the Sony Alpha A9 III:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
• Better sound control: Has a headphone port that enables audio monitoring while recording.
• More detailed viewfinder: Has higher resolution electronic viewfinder (9440k vs 5760k dots).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.9x vs 0.79x).
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.2" vs 3.0") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (2100k vs 1840k dots).
• More flexible LCD: Has a full-flex screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/80000s vs 1/2000s) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (120 vs 15 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• More flexible: Takes interchangeable lenses and can thus be used with specialty optics.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (530 versus 350) out of a single battery charge.
• Faster data transfer: Supports a more advanced USB protocol (3.2 vs 3.1).
• More solid recording: Has a full-sized HDMI port for a sturdy connection to an external recorder.
• Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.
• Greater peace of mind: Features a second card slot as a backup in case of memory card failure.
• More modern: Was introduced somewhat (5 months) more recently.

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the A9 III is the clear winner of the contest (18 : 7 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Leica Q3 and the Sony A9 III place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Prime Lens Compact Camera and Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the Q3 or the A9 III perform in practice. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Leica Q3	5/5	..	4.5/5	..	..	4.5/5	May 2023	EUR 5 999	amazon.com
2.		Sony A9 III	4.5/5	..	..	..	..	..	Nov 2023	EUR 6 999	amazon.com
3.		Fujifilm GFX 50S	..	..	4.5/5	85/100	5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2016	EUR 6 499	ebay.com
4.		Hasselblad X1D II	..	..	4/5	..	4/5	4/5	Jun 2019	EUR 5 999	ebay.com
5.		Leica M Typ 240	4/5	..	..	..	4/5	..	Sep 2012	EUR 6 199	ebay.com
6.		Leica M Typ 262	..	..	..	..	..	..	Nov 2015	EUR 5 499	ebay.com
7.		Leica M10	4.5/5	..	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	EUR 6 499	ebay.com
8.		Leica M11	4.5/5	..	4.5/5	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2022	EUR 8 349	amazon.com
9.		Leica Q2	..	..	4.5/5	84/100	4.5/5	4/5	Mar 2019	EUR 4 799	amazon.com
10.		Leica SL3	..	..	4.5/5	..	..	4.5/5	Mar 2024	EUR 6 799	amazon.com
11.		Leica X-U Typ 113	3.5/5	..	..	..	..	3.5/5	Jan 2016	EUR 3 249	ebay.com
12.		Sony A1	5/5	o	4.5/5	93/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jan 2021	EUR 7 299	amazon.com
13.		Sony A7 II	5/5	+	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	Nov 2014	EUR 2 099	ebay.com
14.		Sony A7 III	..	+ +	4.5/5	89/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2018	EUR 2 299	amazon.com
15.		Sony A9	5/5	+ +	4.8/5	89/100	5/5	5/5	Apr 2017	EUR 5 299	ebay.com
16.		Sony A9 II	..	..	5/5	90/100	5/5	5/5	Oct 2019	EUR 5 399	amazon.com
17.		Zeiss ZX1	3/5	..	..	83/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2018	EUR 5 999	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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Check A9 III price at
amazon.com

Other camera comparisons

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