Leica Q3 43 Formula 1 Edition: carbon fibre for the 43 mm

On 21 October 2026, Leica released the Q3 43 Formula 1 Edition. This camera marks a licensing agreement between the German manufacturer and Formula 1, and it was unveiled in Los Angeles in the presence of Jenson Button. Behind this prestige launch is a camera we know well at the shop: the full-frame compact Q3 43, with its fixed 43 mm lens.

Let us start with what changes, since that is the whole purpose of this edition. The usual covering gives way to a black micro-suede finish, non-slip, whose grip is inspired by that of a racing steering wheel. Genuine carbon fibre, handcrafted in Germany, covers the three places the hand is in constant contact: the grip, the thumb rest on the back of the body and the soft shutter release screwed onto the shutter button. Its visible weave adds texture to an almost entirely black body.

This grip is more than decoration. It accepts a wrist strap, which is handy for shooting one-handed, and an Arca-Swiss adapter lets you mount the camera on a tripod without removing it. It also integrates wireless charging: placed on the Leica Drop XL Wireless Charger base, the camera charges without a cable.

A few touches of red, on the soft shutter release and on the function button to the right of the thumb rest, recall the coloured controls of racing steering wheels: you find them without taking your eyes off the scene. The Formula 1 logo is engraved on the top plate and repeated on the lens cap, and a braided strap carries the logos of both brands. The overall look remains restrained: it is far from a team livery, which is good news for anyone who intends to use it every day.

What does not change, however, is the photographic side. You keep the 60-megapixel full-frame sensor, the Maestro IV processor, video up to 8K and the hybrid autofocus that combines contrast detection, phase detection and depth mapping. The lens remains the APO-Summicron 43 mm f/2 ASPH, which stops down from f/2 to f/16 in third-stop increments. It focuses from 60 cm in normal use and down to 26.5 cm in macro mode, which makes it a very versatile companion: wide enough for street and reportage, close enough for a head-and-shoulders portrait without disturbing distortion, and able to get close to an object or a detail without changing tools. The whole weighs about 772 g, battery included.

The only software novelty is a Leica Look named "Formula 1", created for this edition and activated on the camera from the Leica FOTOS app. High contrast, saturated colours: it applies to images recorded as JPEG, which then reach your phone within seconds. For a photographer who likes to see the final rendering at the moment of capture, this is a real change in approach; if you work in DNG, the raw file keeps a neutral base for processing.

Who is this Q3 43 for? First of all, obviously, motorsport enthusiasts who take photographs and want an object that reflects them. But its appeal does not stop at collectors. The 43 mm focal length is close to natural vision, the 60-megapixel resolution leaves great freedom for cropping, and the combination of carbon and micro-suede genuinely improves the handling of a compact often held in one hand. For the travel or reportage photographer who hesitated between a standard Q3 43 and something more personal, this option deserves a close look.

In France, Leica lists it at 8,500 euros, and it is available at the shop, rue Condorcet.

Our advice, as for any camera of this kind, is to hold it before deciding. The difference between a standard covering and this micro-suede, or between a standard thumb rest and its carbon version, is judged by touch far more than by a spec sheet. Come and discuss it with us at 59 rue Condorcet, in the 9th arrondissement of Paris: we can compare it with the other Leica compacts and rangefinders, and help you choose the tool that truly suits the way you photograph.