Leica is by far the leading company to create monochromatic versions of its most popular camera models, and that is because, love it or hate it, black and white exclusive cameras sell really well. Now the Leica Q3 gets the Monochrom treatment that we’ve seen in the recent Q2 and M11 models. It comes with a higher price at $7,790 and the limitation of only shooting monochromatic images, but it also comes with some image quality improvements.
Many photographers, myself included, love black and white photography enough to justify a dedicated camera that offers various tones of monochromatic imagery. It is also nice to get the ability to use classic color filters to control selective contrast. Naturally, not much changes from the standard version of the Leica Q3, especially in terms of handling, but there are some notable differences worth paying attention to. If you love the Q3 and you love black and white photography, you’ll enjoy this dive into Leica’s latest camera.
Leica Q3 Monochrom Review: How It Feels
Leica Monochrom cameras don’t just shoot black and white photos; they also look like black and white photos. Gone is the bright red Leica dot and vibrant yellow lens markings. Instead, we get a purposefully understated look to the Q3 Monochrom with grey numerals and etched “Monochrom” text on the top plate. We also have the usual change away from the diamond-checked leatherette of the standard Q3 model. Just like the Q2 Monochrom that came before, there is a more classic leather-grain finish to the Leica Q3 Monochrom, but I have to admit, I prefer the diamond pattern instead.
Otherwise, the handling is basically identical to the Q3, with no real changes to the control structure. This means that the same uncomfortable grip is present as well, so you’ll probably want to invest in an accessory grip if you don’t have one already. There is the same Leica BP-SCL7 battery as before, and a single UHS-II card slot. I was hoping for some internal memory with this latest version, but it looks like that is reserved for the M11 series only. There are plenty of customizable buttons, and the control scheme is simple and intuitive. The EVF is the same 5.76-million-dot display that we had in the original Q3, and the tilting 1.84-million-dot back panel is the same, too.
What is quite different is the menu structure borrowed from the SL3 series of cameras. In practice, this new menu is a little faster to navigate, and the “Leicons”, or Leica-specific iconography, are adorable as always. The original Q3 menu is more charming, however, and if an owner acquires both the Q3 and its black and white twin, the switch in menu interface will be disorienting. There is a new feature added to the menu, though. Leica has incorporated C2PA content authenticity into the Q3 Monochrom.
Leica Q3 Monochrom Review: How It Shoots
The obvious difference between otherwise very similar cameras comes down to the 60-megapixel monochromatic sensor. The first thing that this altered sensor changes is the lack of any phase detection autofocus array. This means that the Q3 Monochrom is using contrast-detect only autofocus. The system is accurate for sure, but using the Q3 Monochrom with continuous autofocus creates a pulsing in the background that is unsettling and distracting. You will see this pulsing during video recording as well, which can be very annoying.
However, most Q3 users choose to focus on using single autofocus mode anyway, with a central point. Utilized this way, the Q3 Monochrom doesn’t have any noticeable disadvantage compared to the Q3. Furthermore, the eye-detect AF still works effectively for quick snap portraits of people on the street, as well as more measured portrait sessions.
I personally love monochromatic sensors because of the benefits of the increased dynamic range and much better high ISO performance. Images can also be tweaked for contrast or to provide a sepia or selenium-toned look to the images.
The camera really shines, however, when shot at high ISO ranges.
Shadows can also be heavily boosted if desired, with minimal issue. For example, I would say that the Q3 Monochrom shot at 6400 ISO still looks cleaner and with more detail retained than the original Q3 shot at 3200 ISO and converted to black and white. There will be a slight benefit to overall sharpness, although the result is incredibly minor. The 28mm f/1.7 lens that Leica mounts on the Q3 also performs admirably here on the Monochrom version. Overall, the image quality is noticeably better on the Q3 Monochrom as long as you enjoy black and white photography.
Leica Q3 Monochrom Review: We’ve Seen This Before
There were no unexpected surprises when testing out the Q3 Monochrom. The usual tradeoff of enhanced image quality with the monochrome-only sensor is to be expected. The same quiet leaf-shutter mechanism maxes out at 1/2000th of a second, and we are still capped at four frames per second when relying on continuous autofocus. The camera itself is handsome and handles essentially like the Q3 we all know and love. The one unknown when it came to the contrast detection autofocus turned out to be largely a non-issue in most situations.
Video is still a weak point as usual, with the Q3 Monochrom lacking any audio inputs and using a 60-megapixel sensor with plenty of rolling shutter present. As stated earlier, the continuous autofocus in video is both ineffective and will pulse in a distracting manner. You can shoot 8K video with a heavy crop or 4K at 60p, albeit with sub-sampling. The occasional video clip will be quite pleasing-looking in most cases, but video is not this camera’s forte.
If you want to purchase this less versatile version of the Leica Q3, expect to pay a premium, as the $7,790 price is substantially more than a standard Q3. I still think it will be a popular camera, however. Because the Q3 platform is insanely sought after, and there are plenty of exclusively black and white photo shooters out there. We’ve seen it before, and I’m sure we will see it again. The Leica Monochrom trend continues to go strong.
Are There Alternatives?
Clearly, the slightly less expensive Leica Q3 will give you the option to shoot color when you want to, and I prefer the older menu system. The quality in black and mode is still excellent, but there is an appreciable difference when compared to the Monochrom.
Should You Buy It?
Yes. Leica will no doubt continue to have success mating its popular camera models with powerful monochromatic sensors. If black and white photography is your passion and you want a compact fixed-lens camera, the Q3 Monochrom is waiting for you.
