The Leica Q3 43 One Month Later - Just Get the 28mm?

[@ashtonggray]

Love to hear someone who changed their mind and be brought into the thought process. As someone who is considering the Q3 in the future this helps a ton.

[@mmarsbarr]

I tried the 43 in a leica store in melb side by side with my 28 and honestly the difference i felt after cropping into 43 from 28, was subtle but not mind blowingly different. 28 for me is more versatile and i have my canon 50 1.2 if i really want that 'pop'. The 28 for me has been the perfect complimentary camera for work and travel with it's cropping ability.

[@JonnyRoams]

@@mmarsbarr completely agree with this!

[@Charlie-mp3vl]

Thanks for making this video, I believe you've prevented me from making a very expensive mistake. I had the original Q and had recently pre-ordered the Q3 43. I cropped (a lot) with the Q, given the resolution it offered this was often less than ideal, I had planned to get the Q3 until the Q3 43 was announced. I went through all my photos with the Q and thought given that I cropped so much and so often that the Q3 43 would be the better camera for me, although some of the uncropped shots at 28mm were actually the best. I think I forgot at some point that I was comparing apples with oranges, cropping on a 20MP Q compared to cropping on 60MP Q3. So my pre-order for a Q3-43 has now been replaced by an actual order for a Q3 which is now on its way.

[@easygoingbutgoing]

I have had a similar choice and also cancelled the W3 43 . At 78 I remember shooting in the late 60’s with Yashicas and Nikons and always felt their 50’s were just too confining . Back half a century ago I bought instead 21’s, 24’s , 28’s , and even a 35 . For me the thirty five also felt limiting

[@texture_papi]

Love the voice overs while cruising through the canyon. You’ve come a long way with your videos, awesome to see the success you’ve achieved since meeting you.

[@JonnyRoams]

@@texture_papi 🫂

[@filmweshoot]

Such a refreshing video in a sea of people ultra promoting it. It makes a lot of sense with such a high MP count just to bump it in on the crop. Thanks for the video!

[@chrisbogart687]

I have been using the Q2M and you really hit the nail on the head with comments about the 28mm cropability - you really do not lose anything and the sharpness is outstanding.

[@JonnyRoams]

@@chrisbogart687 yeah it honestly baffles me how they’re able to do it, because any comparison I’ve done with other cameras, the Leica just looks like it hasn’t been cropped.

[@TaylorWelden]

I have owned the Q2 and Q3 28mm... always hated hated hated the 28mm FL *for me and my style*. Grabbed the Q3 43mm and I have found perfection. Would never consider going back down to the awkward wide 28mm. Again... that's just for me and my style. That being said, the APO lens on the 43mm is insane amazing. PS- love your video my man! :)

[@loudandclearmedia]

Recently picked up the 43. My first Leica, and I purposely bought it as a dad cam. Let me explain. I'm a full-time real estate photographer and have been for 7 years. My wife, with whom I share 3 young children, gets on me because I don't photograph them enough. Photography though is what pays our bills, so the Sony/Canon/Nikons of the world feel to me like work tools. Enter the Q3 43. This camera is SO different than my other full frame interchangeable lens systems that it can simply be creative tool, not a commercial one. I also try to force myself to use it as a point and shoot (typically in aperture priority mode with wide AF...still working out how best to meter exposure with it) and do very little editing of the files because again, that's what I do for work. The 43mm length is great for shooting people in their environment. It's not so blown out as an 85 where you'd need to stand 20 feet away to capture their surroundings, and not so wide as a 28 where to fill the frame with a person also comes with it a Pinocchio nose. 43 is just...nice, and this 43 APO lens is pretty insane. Having said all that, I don't wish instead I'd bought the 28, but the interiors photographer in me sees architectural lines everywhere I look and the 43 has often been challenging to capture that. Yeah, I know, I don't want to do work with it and I'm trying not to, but when I'm just walking about and see a frame I want to catch but can't because my lens is too tight, it's a bit of an unscratched itch. My solution is I'll probably end up with the 28 as well. I mean, she won't notice that one worlds-most-expensive point and shoot is gray and the other is black, right?

[@paulhand8937]

I work on the same basis with the Q2 and Q2M!😄

[@georgemcmillan100]

She will never notice…….

[@jeeefthegreat7555]

God you sound like the world's most boring person.

[@oodisei4994]

It's just a matter of habit. I'm also a real estate photographer, and I understand you. But I avoid taking wide shots - I prefer a narrower FL.

[@JS-shim]

I think it is silly to say 28 is better than 43. They are just different focal lengths. In some situations the 28 will be much better and in others the 43 will be vastly superior.

[@JonnyRoams]

@@JS-shim I could be wrong but I don’t think I said it’s better. I think it’s the better buy because it’s more versatile. Yes some situations one will be better than the other but 100% fact the 43 will never be able to do the 28 can do.

[@neilgandhi7517]

@@JonnyRoamsthe lens on the 43 is something else, never seen anything as sharp in the rendering. Blown away.

[@JonnyRoams]

@@neilgandhi7517 definitely has some magic

[@kellaslowery8426]

@@neilgandhi7517it just appears sharper but it’s actually not. Does that make sense? No. But what I meant is some details are lost in it trying to be really sharp because of the way APO lenses work

[@stephenelliott7071]

Exactly. Either buy both or use another system for the longer focal length. Portraits, reach, compression and shallower DOF on a 28 hmmm? Nope.

[@t87h21]

I own the Q3 28mm, both are the same cameras, for a good extra charge you get an APO lens with the 43 version, otherwise both are great lenses. The 28mm version is better thought out and you can use the lens hood in conjunction with a filter. Both cameras are very well made, the 28mm is completely black, the 43mm version has a shade of grey. The aperture of the 28mm version is a bit brighter. Now you have to ask yourself, are you team 28/35/50 or team 43/60/75? I'll stick with my 28mm.

[@ellisson10]

I have a Q3 28 and really enjoy that camera and lens, so I'm in the 28/35/50 camp. No problem setting up for the 35mm or 50mm crop, and results are excellent. Add a Q3 43? For $6,900 extra, I'll decline and stick with my Q3 28 and that wonderful 28 1.7 lens. Nothing against the superb 43mm apo-summicron in the newer Q3, but I just can't lose the wider options in my shooting.

[@BanjoToronto]

You helped. Was very confused but largely due to GAS. Will keep my 28. Ps: love your car

[@squiddah]

I am a 50mm shooter and have had the q2. Sold it a year ago, then got the q3 28 in September, right before the 43 announcement, thinking I could make it work. Still no luck. Best camera I have ever owned - just can’t wrap my head around 28mm, even with the frame lines. Happy to make a trade.😊

[@JonnyRoams]

@@squiddah makes total sense and glad the 43 fits your style! Fully agree if you prefer tighter than 28mm, frame lines will be annoying

[@AdamHouston]

I’ve always liked 40mm - I started with a 40mm lens in the ‘70s, and favourite prime for my A1 is the Zeiss 2/40. I suspect I’ll be trading my Q3 28 for the Q3 43. The 28 is great, but 43 is closer to my sweet spot. If I really want wider I have other options that I can bring

[@kylemeshna]

Q3 28 for the win for sure.

[@gerryphilpott9766]

I used the Q2 and Q3 28 and was worried I made a mistake when I sold the Q3 and got the 43. Obviously can't afford to keep both. After using the 43 for travel and some family things I'm very happy I got it. Even after looking at hundreds of photos, many still had a slight crop so I'm evidently not missing the 28mm. And I do have a 28 cron with my M camera when I need that. And while 15mm isn't a huge difference, the additional background fall off I get with that makes the 43 perfect for me. In a perfect world instead of the macro dial you could switch between 28 and 43, but I'm happy to "settle for" the Q3 43.

[@MARKLINMAN1]

28mm is my choice as well. My thoughts are exactly as yours, you can crop in to 43, you can’t crop out to 28 from the 43. 👍🏼👍🏼

[@thepathofbri]

Another cool video, enjoyed. I have the 28 and when the 43 came out, I did what a lot of people did, and immediately go into "brain justification question mode", but thankfully I cam to the same conclusion as you did in the end. If I want 43, then just set the frame line to 35 (frame a little wider), set it to 50,(Shoot a little less), or like most of the time, crop it later and be really happy that you had the option to do what you want. You can find several frames of 43 within a 28 in post if you don't always have time to "frame exactly" when shooting. Keep posting, truly enjoy your work. Love the hat!! Wish I had one, but probably just have to get one made here in Vietnam.

[@markielinhart]

Love my Q1. Cropping to 35 gives great results but mostly 28 is the sweet spot for this gorgeous camera✌️🇦🇺

[@simon359]

It’s simple, if you’re a general shooter, get the Q3, if you’re a street shooter get the queue 3 43! You can always get another camera and lens for 24 mm landscapes. One thing I’ve learned about street photography, the closer the better!

[@kualilo]

I almost traded in for the 43, but then a little voice inside my head said, "I can always crop in, but I can't crop out." So, yeah. I will stick with the 28. 60MP with the Summilux gives me lots of wiggle room. There had been too many moments in my life where I wish I had a lens that is just a little wider.

[@JonnyRoams]

@@kualilo agreed!!

[@TheWildBuchPhotography]

Fantastic video man! As someone who just picked up the 3, I was immediately interested in the 343, so it was nice to hear your perspective! Also, killer images! That Porsche rear-end is a thing of beauty

[@oodisei4994]

When someone dont have money for both, then you buy wider so you can crop. But, there is also people who dont crop, they like tighter focal lenghts, and it is NOT the same thing when you crop and when you use original FL. Just buy zoom and be happy! Even I havent tried 28 or 43mm Leicas, I think 43 is very special, and when I am looking at image galleries, image quality from 43 is different (better) than image quality from 28mm. 43 is first camera that I really like from Leica, and it is 1st of kind....and 28mm has almost 4th edition.

[@stuartdorman7125]

I recall the same debate among Ricoh GR owners when the GRIIIx was launched with its 40mm equivalent lens. I personally don't find the 28mm FL pleasing for portrait photos, and the digital crop felt like a compromise. The Q2M was my re-entry point into Leica after 15 years away, but I recently sold it in favour of the M10M with 28 and 50mm lenses. To me that's a perfect pairing.

[@JonnyRoams]

@@stuartdorman7125 yeah I definitely understand your point of view. If they did an interchangeable Q series I would jump right on that- the rangefinder just isn’t for me and the SL bodies are too clinical

[@stuartdorman7125]

@@JonnyRoams An interchangeable Q would cannibalise sales of the M, and given they just celebrated 70 years of the M, they're highly unlikely to do anything to harm the heritage product line. I am curious whether they will merge the best features of M and Q into the M12 however. As for the SL, its biggest problem IMO is the combined weight of the bodies and APO primes or original (non Sigma collab) zoom lenses. That being said I love shooting my SL2-S with M lenses + adapter

[@JonnyRoams]

@ makes a lot of sense. Maybe if they did a digital screen in the OVF like the Fujifilm ones have? Not sure if they do that already 🤷🏼‍♂️ bang for buck though the Q 28 is so good

[@jaredweinstockphoto]

same. returned the 43 for just this reason. both great cameras, but liked the Q3 better than the 43

[@JonnyRoams]

@@jaredweinstockphoto yeah I fully agree. The Q3 43 is fantastic but the 28 just has a no compromise in my opinion

[@ellisson10]

Nice that you tried both, as did JonnyRoams. Hands on use is the best endorsement of one or the other.

[@macjim]

I’m not a fan of 28mm but with that sensor, you can crop in without losing too much. The 43mm restricts too much I think 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 I’m hoping to get a Q3…

[@paultaylorphotography9499]

I have many cameras brands formats film and digital. My only leica is the Q2 for my needs the 28 is perfect its wide enough for landscapes and makes me get in close for street and documentary

[@cammackey]

Good sir, I figured this was bound to happen! Haha I think the 28mm makes the most sense for people in your camp. Lots of adventure, landscape, vehicles. And then the 43 is fitting for portraits, details, but can see still to the other stuff. The only thing I’m good at shooting with 28mm is fashion.. haha so for me I jsut suck.

[@JonnyRoams]

@@cammackey yeah I fully agree. To be brutally honest totaling the Jeep forced my hand 🫠

[@cammackey]

@ yeah flipping my your rig def doesn’t help hahaha

[@llamacide73]

Just watched a video before yours saying " Don't get the 28... get the 43" - - ugh, decisions, decisions !! Love your videos Jonny !

[@JonnyRoams]

@@llamacide73 yeah it’s a tough one. I mean it’s an absolutely fantastic camera but my approach is just having extra versatility, and the 28ticks that box. Especially considering the price is a lot of money for something that stuck at 43mm

[@calebtookaphoto]

watched for the review, subscribed for the car

[@GadgetsBoy]

For daily use, out and about, travel and product shots etc, would you say go for the 28 or 43?

[@danielsolstrand]

28

[@caffeinatedcameras]

I am lucky enough to be able to own a few cameras. SL2, SL2S, Q2M, Q2, and the M11P. The Q2 is the one I’d keep if I could only keep one.

[@dennisvun8863]

The compression you get from the 28 and 43 is different. Cropping in won't match

[@JonnyRoams]

@@dennisvun8863 compressions is the same, It’s science. Distortion and quality is the only thing that changes.

[@slowcyclist4324]

@@JonnyRoamsI really don’t think so. It’s why cropping in from a 35 isn’t the same as just using a 90 from the get go for some street work when you want to compress stuff

[@JonnyRoams]

@@slowcyclist4324compression won’t change if you don’t change your position. It’s science

[@druizz]

@@slowcyclist4324 It’s exactly the same, you only lose quality and a different DoF. That’s why it’s called “perspective compression” and not “lens compression”.

[@eddiema3162]

Really enjoy watching your video.

[@grjlynch]

I totally get it. I don’t see the point of having both as my reason for getting the Q3 to replace my R5 + several lenes was to travel light and live with a single lens (which can be cropped in post). But for sure the Q series is a fantastic camera whatever you decide. (PS the only other ‘Q’ i would buy would be a Q2 Monocrome!).

[@jurrevandermeer4857]

First off, very cool video! Loved the flow and the edit together with the thoughtful review of the q3/q3 43. I have a q3 28mm and absolutely love it, but man, that apo lens is something else! I'll never let go of the 28mm so I guess my only choice would be to buy the 43 in addition... pfff who needs a house when you can have two leicas 😅

[@JonnyRoams]

@@jurrevandermeer4857 hahaha true. I think I need to Revisit this camera. It’s calling to me again

[@JayJayNay]

Very nice video and footage from your trail hike is really beautiful. Like your music pick too. Quick question: what are you using in front of your lens? Is this a ND filter and if so what kind? Any suggestions? I have a Q2 and Q2M. Thank you.

[@JonnyRoams]

@@JayJayNay polar pro everyday filter!

[@JayJayNay]

@ interesting choice given that the lens is tack sharp. Maybe to get a little off of the ‘clean’ vibes?

[@lelandfitz1762]

I think people (online?) don't really realize that the Q3 43 did not replace the *normal* Q3 or what the Q series stands for. If we are talking about replacement, the Q3 43 did replace the Q Monochrom. And the Q Monochrom never was more than this special edition camera for people with special interest in that. So is the 43mm Q. A lot of photographers said over the years 28 is too wide for them, most of them year long Leica users. Leica opened new markets for themselves with the Q. IMHO the 43mm Q is just recognizing that there are customers asking for exactly this who never would shoot Q otherwise. The only one losing here is those customers who hoped for another Q Monochrom.

[@Dan_photo]

How did the Q3 43 replace the mono?

[@JonnyRoams]

@@lelandfitz1762 that’s very well said

[@lelandfitz1762]

@@Dan_photo Up until now every Q had a companion model that was released some time after the original model. The first Q hat the Q-P, the Q2 had the Q2 Monochrom and now the Q3 has the Q3 43. Looking at it that way, it's not even clear that a Q4 will have another 43mm.

[@Dan_photo]

@ there’s still plenty of time for a Q3 monochrome, and I’d say it’s likely it’ll come. I understand the cycle and haven’t seen anything to say it has been replaced by the 43 instead.

[@lelandfitz1762]

@@Dan_photo I heard different. But of course everything is possible.

[@LudovicFremondiere]

Q2 ftw !

[@WallaceLau]

Q3-43 owner here. I frequently "crop-out" from 43mm to get a ~24mm FoV image; you (guys) don't do the same??? Interesting video though; keep up the good work!!

[@jimshaw5450]

inspiring yes. J

[@tanner_price]

Great video dude!! Definitely have to consider a Leica soon :)

[@dasignarts]

Cool Video man! Love the scenes of you driving around with the Porsche. Is it your car? It really has a vibe man. I have the 28mm Q3. Love it a lot! Pretty much my fave Camera ever. Waited half a year on a waiting list of a Leica Store here in Berlin. Cheers, have a good week!!

[@JonnyRoams]

Thanks! Yeah it is!

[@mp_martin]

Always shoot wide open? Shooting a 28mm wide open is a lot different than a 43mm. Why not choose the appropriate depth of field for each subject? It seems photographers who learned on KZbin don't really understand the concept of a wide angle focal length.

[@JonnyRoams]

@@mp_martin been doing photography since 2008. I’m not sure what point in the video your referencing but yes I almost always shoot wide open as it suits my personal shooting style regardless of the focal length I’m using. Can’t wait to see your video on wide angle photography!

[@WildTales-channel]

great review!!

[@kellaslowery8426]

Q3 photos are more fun to look at. The extremely blurry backgrounds are not my taste unless it’s portrait photography

[@lacruiser80]

So good

[@JonnyRoams]

@@lacruiser80 much appreciated dude

[@cooperativ]

The APO lens is much better in technical aspects, it’s a fact.

[@easytiger6060]

the 43 is the better. we all know it.

[@danielsolstrand]

Yeah, cuz the 28 didnt sell at all..

[@girliedog]

Cropping is fine and dandy but it does not correct parallax.

[@JonnyRoams]

@@girliedog I’m not quite sure you understand what parallax is…

[@alexanderbelor6956]

IMHO I think that some of the points you raise are good however the FL aspect is extremely subjective. For me having owed the Q2 and Q3 the Q3 43 wins hands down. For portraits it’s a no brainer and tha APO lens is amazing. The Q series is one of my favourites being fortunate to own Leica SL3 and 11M. I hand now weeded out my cameras to the Leica Q3 43, Leica SL3 and Hasselblad X2D 100C. For those who run with the wide angle aspect on the Q3 I say that I can achieve the same if not better with a simple Pano. One Q3 is not any better than the other it all comes down to you as a photographer and your comfort zone of purpose. For an everyday carry that doesn’t moon out faces the Q3 43 works best. I don’t have to worry about getting too close.

[@ck81818]

The difference of Q3 43 vs 28 is not just about cropping. The 28 will never get the same depth of field and bokeh by just cropping to 43. These two cameras are made for different purposes.

[@oodisei4994]

Yep...explain that to the 'newbies'..

[@dirk.4711]

Cropping does not help. You will never have a similar compression and bokeh with a cropped 28mm vs. a real 43mm. Just pick the Q3 with the FL which you use in 80% of your use cases. None can replace the other one. Regarding resoltion: I get still great 75mm images with the Q 3 43. This is not possible anymore with the normal Q3. It all depends which FL you prefer.

[@JonnyRoams]

@@dirk.4711 there are extensive scientific tests proving that compression does not exist. Go and watched Tony and Chelsea Northrup’s video. Whilst I agree bouquet will be slightly different the 28 has an edge being 1.7 over the F2. I’ve used the Q3 28 at the 90mm crop and have been very impressed with his quality. But guess what your 43 can’t do? It can’t crop out

[@dirk.4711]

@JonnyRoams Sorry but even in case Tony N. believes this, it is not true. Just take a picture with 28mm and i.e.100mm from the same spot and you see immediately how the background differs dramatically. If that would be not true, you would not need longer FL anymore, only more pixels.

[@JonnyRoams]

@ no it literally is true. Compression doesn’t change. There rendering might be a little different and obviously distortion would be different if a subject is close to the camera but the compression does not change. It’s literally science. Compression is due to distance, as longer focal ranges cause the photographer to move further away from the subject.

[@WallaceLau]

@@JonnyRoams Given the same distance from subject / background, focal length does NOT change compression. That is true especially with crop. However, the bokeh absolutely does change. An image at 28mm/F1.7 will only give you equivalent depth of field of ~F2.8 when cropped to 43mm. Whereas the Q3 43 can get that same image at F2.0. Yes one stop is not a huge difference but difference nonetheless; and in which case the Q3 28 can never provide the same background separation that the Q3 43 can do.

[@JonnyRoams]

@ yeah not arguing with that but it’s not like we’re comparing a 28mm to an 85mm here

[@bhetlouge]

or they can redesign a new tri elmar and slap it on the Q

[@stephenedmunds207]

For people photography i feel that sometimes the 28mm can be a struggle but i wish leica simply went with a 50mm f2 not the 43mm . ,i own a Q2 which is nice though i prefer my M262 rangefinder camera with 35mm amd 90mm lenses. The Q2 is a good tool for me though and i use it often.

[@Rob-zz4qj]

I would love if the Q was 28mm, in reality it's around 26mm and much less usable

[@JonnyRoams]

@@Rob-zz4qj yeah 26.5. I find it’s perfect

[@elmegade3]

It should always have been a 35mm and in that way we'd have no need for these ridiculous debates about focal length.

[@JonnyRoams]

@ you’re part of the problem

[@FacesOfLA]

Another trail nature photography review on a camera that doesn’t look any different than anything else except aesthetically

[@JonnyRoams]

@@FacesOfLA can’t wait to see your video!

[@paulboskerphotography]

Great video. Great shots! I'm shooting with both Q3's for the past week and loving it. Great small/light kit and nice to "switch" lenses without having to open up the camera and lens and expose to contamination. And with two bodies with exact same setup and controls saves having to adjust for that. I think the 43 is better for portraits but I don't think I could put up much of an argument against your summary. I do think for cropping the 43 would give me that much more range. And I agree that the Leica crop is just not the same as my Nikon Z S lens crops. Nice Ride! Beautiful country. Running Pikes soon? 😂

[@caffeinatedcameras]

Go left Jonny.

[@JonnyRoams]

@@caffeinatedcameras what

[@caffeinatedcameras]

@ that trail, in Millcreek - left to the water and the better views. You said in the video you didn’t know where to go. Clearly I failed with my joke ha.

[@JonnyRoams]

@ ohhh haha gotcha gotcha 😂

[@caffeinatedcameras]

@ swing and a miss on my part. There’s some great trails up there.

[@kaushalkashyap4306]

Too much dramatic music. Loved it otherwise.

[@JonnyRoams]

@@kaushalkashyap4306 somehow the volume of the music spiked during export and I didn’t catch it 😐

[@MichaelRemyXD]

I do agree with certain points you've made in this video but there is things I fully disagree with. For me it is absolutely not the same thing to shoot in 43mm and to crop from the 28 to the 43mm. Firstly if you crop to 43mm-ish on the 28mm you'll barely get half the MP (crop 35mm = 38MP and 50mm = 18MP), yes it's still plenty of pixels but it is worth mentioning it. Secondly the most important difference IMO is the distortion you get with the 28mm and the big advantage with 43mm is the way you see things is very close to what you will get (like distances, sizes and ratios to things in your pictures). Calling it more versatile because it is wider is not really a thing to me, it really depends on the usage, some one could argue that the 43mm is more versatile because you can crop way more both by the max crop (150mm vs 90mm) and because of the resolution you can get at 90mm by example (6MP vs 14MP). Just like the sentence I see again and again "you can crop in but can't crop out", it's true but also not true, you can stitch pictures together if you really need to. For me at the end of the day it really depends on the usage of each one. No one should say this is more versatile or it is better to go this way. As you say in the video people shouldn't listen to influencers or videographers and take their words for money. It all comes down to preferences. I see a lot of people in the comments searching to justify their choices, it's natural but beware of what is called the confirmation bias. And for the record I did owned both and stick to the 43mm :) Cheers

[@JonnyRoams]

@@MichaelRemyXD yep I can’t disagree with everything you said. I really wish I talked more about distortion in this video because you are absolutely right. That’s something to definitely take into consideration and cannot be replicated between the two cameras!