If you have known me for awhile, you know I’m all about the journey. Whether we are hanging off the side of a vintage San Francisco cable car, chatting up strangers over an Irish Coffee at The Buena Vista, or hunting down the perfect scene in Yosemite, the goal is always to be entirely present in the moment.

Let’s be completely honest for a second: lugging around a massive, twenty-pound camera bag full of lenses is the quickest way to pull yourself right out of that moment. I once carried the entire pack on a 16 mile hike (Ben Lomond in Utah) and I’ll never do it again. As time went along, I realized I was spending more energy avoiding my camera rather than using it. I settled for the efficiency of the iPhone 16 Pro rather than enjoying a high quality camera.

Enter the Leica Q3.

Leica Q3: The Legend in a Small Size

If you know anything about camera history, you know the name Leica carries some serious weight. Back in the day, they were the ones who took photography off bulky, wooden tripods and put small, discreet cameras into the hands of everyday street photographers. Legends like Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Capa used them to capture raw, candid moments simply because the camera didn’t intimidate the people they were photographing.

The Q3 carries that exact same DNA. It packs the exact same massive 60-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor as Leica’s flagship M11 rangefinder. When you pair that sensor with their lightning-fast Maestro IV image processor, you are getting the exact same professional-grade horsepower, dynamic range, glass, and image quality as their top-tier studio cameras, but crammed into a body that you can comfortably sling over your shoulder or toss (covered) in a backpack or Camelbak. The whole thing weighs just over 1.5 lbs but is a solid, mechanical instrument that feels weighty in your hands.

But wait a minute – doesn’t the Q3 have a fixed 28mm focal length?

Indeed, it does. This is the beauty of it. Looking back at most of my last travel photos, they were taken at 24mm (or wider). I love landscape. Reading about the experience other photographers had with the Q3, they loved how it forced them to physically move and interact with their environment. They focused more on the story unfolding than zooming in from the sidelines. And this is what I have found so far as well. To put it another way, I’m forced to be part of the story rather than a bystander. I’m present with the journey.

And the benefit of the fixed lens is the much smaller package. I’ll be able to easily carry it on long hikes or around a foreign city to document our journey.

The Test: A Benihana Birthday

Before I launch into how I packaged the Q3, let’s take it on a test run. I didn’t think our daughter’s 21st birthday at Benihana would be the first test run – or even a good test run – I almost didn’t bring the camera. But I’m so glad I did.

It took me a few minutes to get the settings right – I still have to think about it since the camera is new – but once I did, magic happened.

Note: If you want to see large versions of any of these photos, click here to visit my gallery for the Leica Q3.

Look at the smoke billowing around the teppanyaki chef – if you zoom in on his face and shoulders, you can really get a sense of the detail involved. His face is masked by the smoke as it billows around him.

This is my favorite photo from the evening. I love how you can see the flames climbing while it appears our daughter’s boyfriend is controlling them.

Is this what the young people mean when they say something ‘is fire’? Lol.

Look at the crop below. I told him this needs to be a new profile pic. I also love how you can see the smoke layers over his face while our daughter’s lovely face is largely clear of smoke. The Q3 autofocus (AF) AI found their faces and maintained focus despite the erupting fire in front of them. Brilliant.

Gear: What Else I Got

After doing some research by watching videos online, reading some blogs, and discussing with B&H Photo, I settled on these accessories for the Leica Q3. You can see most of them in the photo I posted above. Click the name to open the link and read more about each.

• ONA Bowery Camera Bag (Oak Brown Canvas)
  • Thoughts: Very nice bag with high quality snaps and a comfortable shoulder strap. Plenty of extra space for cleaning stuff or other gear. I got this mostly for every day carry.
  • Wish List: If only the front pocks sealed rather than being open…
• SmallRig L-Shape Mount Plate With Handle
  • Thoughts: The SmallRig grip feels very natural in my hand.
  • Alternatives: Many recommended the He3 Handgrip but black was out of stock and at 5X the price, I couldn’t justify waiting.
  • Wish List: If only the color was black instead of charcoal…
• Red Camera Shutter Button
  • Thoughts: Bought this after first use and love it. Gives some rise to the shutter to make it much easier to feel and click.
• B+W MRC MASTER 007 Clear Filter (49mm)
  • Thoughts: Necessary neutral protection for the Leica fixed lens.
• Sony 128GB SF-G TOUGH Series UHS-II SDXC Memory Card
  • Thoughts: Necessary high speed to capture 8K video or a fast burst of 60 MP images. Got this one on sale along with a 64 GB backup.
• Freewell Thumb Grip
  • Thoughts: Many recommended a thumb grip. I like how this one keeps a cold shoe on the top. Honestly have not attached it yet. I need so spend some time with it to see what I think.

The Look Ahead: Next Photos

It’s a new camera so I’m dragging it everywhere. I took this sunrise photo from my office at work. Shooting through dirty glass is always a challenge but the Q3 didn’t break a sweat. It also had no issue focusing on the clouds in the distance vs the buildings. And look at these gorgeous colors, particularly the subtle yellows amidst the pink. I took a photo with my iPhone 16 Pro as well it did not capture those color details.

I’m losing a lot detail in these photos when posting here. Make sure to check out the originals at this link: photos.bluecouchstudios.com/Creative/Leica-Q3

Just for kicks, here is the iPhone 16 Pro photo cropped to approximately the same vantage point. I also added it to the link above. It’s a really phenomenal photo for the size of the lens and device. If you click on the link above and bounce back and forth, you will notice how much detail is missing.

Just for fun, let’s look at the detail here using some crops. The Leica has far more detail and far less distortion. In addition, the colors are far more accurate. You can even see details on the small clouds.

Here is sort of an ‘ordinary photo’ I took at Westside Tennis & Fitness Club in Houston. Yes, my fitness club has giraffes. They are beautiful. The AF AI tracking of the animals worked beautifully in this example. I did not have to worry about the cables in front at all. It also figured out there were multiple animals and adjusted the aperture to accommodate them. Again, brilliant.

Look at this detail. The color variations in the skin wrinkles is fantastic.

Thanks for wandering down this par of my journey with me. That’s it on the Leica Q3 but more sunrises to come.

Reminder: My Travel Series

As a reminder, I am in the middle of a thirteen part blog series on this journey. Here is the outline with links.

1. The Greatest Trip in the World
2. Hang Off the Cable Car: San Francisco
3. Go to Prison with Us: Alcatraz 
4. The View: Muir Woods
5. Focal Point: California Academy of Sciences
6. Behind the Lens: San Francisco Zoo
7. Road Trip to Yosemite
8. Peachy: Ramos Country Corner
9. Earthy: Mountain Sage Coffee
10. Yosemite Overview: lodging, food, hikes, nighttime
11. Triumphant: Half Dome Hike
12. Wanding in Yosemite
13. Sweeping: Grand Tour Hike (Four Mile Trail -> Panorama Trail)

A few more early test photos. Once again, these are better viewed in my Gallery at this is link: photos.bluecouchstudios.com/Creative/Leica-Q3