LEICA Q3 vs Fuji GFX100RF vs Sony RX1 RIII
Introduction Comparison Tables Recommendations
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LEICA Q3 Review. I got my Q3 at B&H. I'd also get it at Crutchfield, at Adorama, at Amazon or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH. The Q3 also comes in metal gray metallic, and comes in a version with a special black-and-white-only sensor for greatly improved high ISOs and effective resolution, and comes in a version with a 43mm f/2 lens.
Fuji GFX100RF Review. I got my GFX100RF in silver (as shown) at B&H. It also comes in black, and it comes as kits with free goodies thrown in. I'd also get mine at Adorama or at Amazon or get it used at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
Sony RX1 R III Review. I'd get my RX1 R III at B&H, at Adorama or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
This all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Thanks for helping me help you! Ken.
June 2026 Better Pictures LEICA Fuji Sony Canon Nikon All Reviews
Why Fixed Lenses Take Better Pictures
To Scale (click any to enlage)
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LEICA Q3, Fuji GFX100RF and Sony RX1 RIII. click any to enlarge.
Introduction top
Introduction Comparison Tables Recommendations
These are premium made-in-Japan, fixed-lens high-resolution cameras.
Each has a fixed lens of 28mm or 35mm, and also has a very effective digital teleconverter (crop modes) that works well simulating longer lenses so all these cameras cover a range of about 28 ~ 70mm with high resolution. With such incredibly high resolution sensors we can zoom digitally and not need optical zoom.
Each is very precisely made of all-metal with all markings engraved and filled with paint.
These cameras are remarkably similar to each other, but very different from almost all other popular cameras.
Each has a leaf (not focal plane) shutter with flash sync to at least 1/2,000, a dedicated aperture dial, a superb viewfinder and all the rear controls are on the right side for one-handed shooting.
Ultra-high flash sync makes each superb for daylight fill-flash, but none has a built-in flash.
They all have slow maximum frame rates and slow or iffy autofocus, which is fine because these cameras aren't for sports or action. These cameras are for luxury, high-resolution travel and street photos.
While the Sony RX1 R III weighs less than either of the other two, any of these is a joy to carry around all day.
Comparison Tables top
Introduction Comparison Tables Recommendations
Basics
| Introduced | May 2023 |
March 2025 |
July 2025 |
| Filter size | |||
| Sensor Size | 24 × 36mm |
33 × 44mm |
24 × 36mm |
| Resolution | 60 MP |
102 MP |
60 MP |
| Lens | 28mm f/1.7 |
35mm f/4 |
35mm f/2 |
| Equivalent focal length | 28mm |
28mm |
35mm |
| Digital Teleconverter Equivalent Focal Lengths | 35mm, 50mm, 75mm & 90mm |
36mm, 50mm & 63mm |
50mm & 70mm |
| Stabilization | Optical |
None |
None |
| Slowest Reliable Handheld Speed | 1/8 |
1/125 |
1/125 |
| ISO Range | 50 ~ 100,000 |
40 ~ 102,800 |
50 ~ 102,400 |
| High ISO Performance | |||
| Top Frame Rate with Tracking AF, AE & AWB | 5 FPS |
6 FPS |
5 FPS |
| Top Electronic Shutter Speed | 1/16,000 |
1/16,000 |
1/8,000 |
| Rolling Electronic Shutter | Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Aspect Ratio (native) | 3:2 |
4:3 |
3:2 |
| Aspect Ratios (cropped) | 4:3, square & 16:9 |
3:2, square, 16:9, 4:5, 6:7, 6:17 & 65:24 |
4:3, square & 16:9 |
| Autofocus | Slow |
Slow |
Fast, but it can give out-of-focus images even if it indicated that it was in focus. |
| Macro Mode? | Yes, dedicated mechanical ring. |
No, so use your iPhone |
Yes, dedicated mechanical ring. |
Maximum Macro Ratio |
0.24× |
0.16× eq. |
0.26× |
| Lens and Sensor Sharpness | Exquisite |
Exquisite |
Exquisite |
| Picture Quality | Boring but natural colors. I usually have to amp-up in Skylum Luminar Neo or Radiant Photo software later. |
Normal colors, the best of this bunch for me, but still not as vivid as I can set my Nikons and Canons. Exposure can vary between frames and AF doesn't always focus well. | |
| Auto White Balance | Swell |
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| Storage | One SD card |
Two SD cards |
One SD card |
| Made in | 🇩🇪 GERMANY |
🇯🇵 JAPAN |
🇯🇵 JAPAN |
Ergonomics top
Introduction Comparison Tables Recommendations
| Overall | Handles well once set up, but hard edges everywhere and 90º rectangular 1970s-style design makes it uncomfortable after hours in-hand. The top dial is sharp and uncomfortable, bringing back unfond memories of CONTAX' and Nikon's 1950's rangefinder cameras which used very sharp dials to set the focus. | Handles well once set up, but hard edges everywhere and 90º rectangular 1970s-style design makes it uncomfortable after hours in-hand. The GFX100RF has more dials & controls than either other camera, ultimately making it easier to use. | The lack of an AF/MF switch drives me crazy, but otherwise handles well once setup. Hard edges everywhere and 90º rectangular 1970s-style design makes it uncomfortable after hours in-hand. |
| Menu System & Fn Button Programming | Make sense only if you read my User's Guide to discover the secret LEICA commands needed to use the menu system and set things. Once you've learned the insider tips, you're good. | Horribly frustrating to me at first, but everyone else seems to be fine with it. Once you get it set up you can ignore the menus and just shoot. | Menus are always disorganized and confusing. It takes forever to find things a second time. |
| Aperture Ring | Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Shutter-Speed Dial | Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Exposure Compensation Dial | The unmarked top command dial usually can be set to control compensation. | Yes, fixed markings |
Yes, fixed markings |
| ISO Dial | No, but it's easy to set the top unmarked command dial to set ISO after you tap the button inside it. | Sort of. You have to lift and turn the shutter-speed dial, but that only sets some, but not all, ISOs, so who cares? Instead I program my front dial to set all ISOs. |
No. You have to tap the rear controller and only then turn an unmarked dial. |
| Exposure Mode Selection | Magic: Set the A position on the aperture or shutter dial and the camera will set that automatically, or set both to A for Program. Easy! | Magic: Set the A position on the aperture or shutter dial and the camera will set that automatically, or set both to A for Program. Easy! |
Mode dial; no shutter-speed dial. |
| AF/MF Switch | Yes, on focus ring, but we still have to futz in menus to choose between AF-S and AF-C. |
Yes, AFS/AFC/M switch on back. |
None, we have to futz in a menu 🤮 |
| Finder Auto Brightness Control | None 🤮 |
Yes |
Yes |
| LCD Auto Brightness Control | Yes |
None |
None |
| Live Color Histograms While Shooting | No |
Yes |
No |
| Do Shooting Data Displays Rotate for Vertical Shots? | Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Do Playback Images Rotate as You Rotate the Camera During Playback, like an iPhone? | No |
No |
Yes |
Flash top
Introduction Comparison Tables Recommendations
| Flash Shoe Compatibility | Only a generic (one center pin) hot shoe for non-dedicated flash. Also has Special Multipin "Smart Shoe" contacts for audio & only the newest dedicated flash like the HVL-F46RM and HVL-F60RM2. Most other Sony-brand flash won't work in TTL mode. |
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| Flash Sync Speed, Wide-Open | 1/2,000 |
1/2,000 |
1/2,000 |
| Flash Sync Speed, Stopped Down | 1/2,000 |
1/4,000 from f/8 ~ f/22 |
1/4,000 from f/5.6 ~ f/22 |
| Use Flash with Electronic Shutter? | No |
No |
No |
Power, Size, Weight, Dreams & Prices top
Introduction Comparison Tables Recommendations
| USB-C Charging | Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Battery Life, rated | 350 shots |
680 shots |
270 shots |
| Shuts-off Automatically When Carried Around Your Shoulder | Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Battery Life (for me) | A couple of days |
At least a day |
Not much; it's a tiny battery and doesn't manage sleep/wake well. |
| Height | 80.3mm 3.15" |
90.4mm 3.56" |
67.9mm 2.74" |
| Width | 130mm 5.12" |
133.5mm 5.26" |
113.3mm 4.46" |
| Depth w/o hood | 92.6mm 3.66" |
76.5mm 3.01" |
87.5mm 3.44" |
| Weight w/card(s), battery & hood (if included) | 26.9 oz. 764g |
26.0 oz. 736g |
17.6 oz. 498g |
| It dreams about being this when it grows up | A LEICA M |
A small medium-format system with a few tiny interchangeable lenses. | A LEICA Q3 |
| Includes Hood? | Yes |
Yes |
No, a $200 option. |
| includes Protective Filter? | No |
Yes |
No |
| Price, 6/2026 |
Recommendations top
Introduction Comparison Tables Recommendations
General
Any of these is a joy to own and shoot once setup: a solid Swiss-bank vault of mechanical precision, even if they all can take a while to set up.
These float at the top of the market: a rarefied space for those with extraordinary talent and accomplishment who deserve and demand the very best of everything.
The pictures these cameras take aren't any different than any other camera. These cameras are most often purchased as statements of worth or as gifts for connoisseurs; little bricks of elegance for the worthy. They're show-off cameras. If you have to ask if they are worth the price, then for you, they are not.
They copy old rangefinder camera industrial design with sharp edges and square angles for everything. They look nostalgic and feel great around my shoulder for walking around, looking cool and shooting, but it's painful to hold any of these cameras for actual shooting for long periods due to their old-fashioned designs that don't fit our hands.
~ but ~
These cameras are premium trinkets for the successful who value a nice camera for its cachet more than its capacity for making glorious photos.
We all have different color preferences. Mine is for wild, psychedelic colors. Fuji is wonderful for soft, natural colors for fabric, fashion, people and portraits. Sony is accurate and swell for most purposes, and LEICA has weird colors just enough off to testify that you own a LEICA rather than a mere mortal camera.
If you want magnificent photos, I prefer the handling and the images (and especially the colors) from any of my Canon and Nikon cameras.
All of these three cameras are exquisitely well made, something almost unheard of today.
The Fujifilm GFX100RF top
Introduction Comparison Tables Recommendations
Fuji GFX100RF Review. I got my GFX100RF in silver (as shown) at B&H. It also comes in black, and it comes as kits with free goodies thrown in. I'd also get mine at Adorama or at Amazon or get it used at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
I prefer the Fuji GFX100RF over the others because its images look OK and it handles well. Its images aren't exciting, but usable for landscapes and superb for people and fashion. While I say "usable," remember I want wild colors. Most serious landscape shooters prefer the more natural rendition from the Fuji. To each their own.
The GFX100RF lacks stabilization, but it also has the world's best high ISO performance and thus if I have to shoot handheld landscapes at ISO 4,000 at 1/125, it looks swell.
The GFX100RF gets its cred from having a large sensor and 102 megapixels in an eminently portable package. It also comes loaded with hoods and adapters and filters, normally extra-cost items.
It's nearly the least expensive camera here and clearly excels technically. Get one.
The LEICA Q3 top
Introduction Comparison Tables Recommendations
LEICA Q3 Review. I got my Q3 at B&H. I'd also get it at Crutchfield, at Adorama, at Amazon or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH. The Q3 also comes in metal gray metallic, comes in a version with a special black-and-white-only sensor for greatly improved high ISOs and effective resolution, and comes in a version with a 43mm f/2 lens.
Everyone LOVES their Q3, a real German-made LEICA. Ask anyone you see sporting one around their neck and you'll see. This is LEICA's most popular camera today.
You have to read my Q3 User's Guide to figure out the menu system and program the buttons the way you like them, and once you do you're mostly good to go ergonomically, but I'm not a fan of the Q3's color rendition. Color is my life and we all have different preferences.
Maddening is the complete lack of automatic finder brightness control 🤮, which means that every time you take your Q3 outdoors or back inside that you'll need to reset the finder brightness manually. Skip this and your finder will be dim outdoors, or too bright when you bring it back inside.
LEICA probably buys the Q3's 60 MP sensor from Sony, who is one of, if not the world's largest and most skilled and experienced maker of camera sensors for over 60 years, even back when they were vidicon vacuum tubes!
The Sony RX1 RIII top
Introduction Comparison Tables Recommendations
Sony RX1 R III Review. I'd get my RX1 R III at B&H, at Adorama or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
The Sony RX1 R III is my least favorite.
It's for people who want the tiniest possible posh camera, otherwise it's loaded with numerous shortcomings for actual shooters: no AF/MF switch and no stabilization so even at 1/125 images aren't always sharp.
If the lack of stabilization doesn't get you, sometimes the AF system will simply miss and not give a sharp picture, the raison d'être for these cameras.
Battery life is poor. It has a tiny battery and you have to remember to turn off the power manually when you carry it around your neck, otherwise the battery is dead in a few hours.
The menu system never fails to disappoint.
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