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Leica and Formula 1 have teamed up for a special edition of the Q3 43, featuring German-made carbon-fibre components, Microvelour covering and red controls. The 60MP full-frame sensor and fixed 43mm f/2 lens remain unchanged, with a new Formula 1 Leica Look providing the main image-rendering difference. Priced at AUD $14,190, the F1 Edition includes a wireless-charging hand grip and matching accessories, costing $1,590 more than the standard Q3 43.
Up on the podium, you might be forgiven for thinking the Leica Q3 43 Formula 1 Edition is just another all-black Q-series camera. That is, until you notice the exposed carbon fibre running down one side, the red shutter button on top, and an F1 logo stamped across the lens cap. Even if the technology inside is familiar, its black Microvelour covering and carbon-fibre details give the camera a grippier texture and a race-track-worthy finish.
The German camera maker has teamed up with Formula 1 for a new licensing partnership, kicking things off with this AUD $14,190 special edition. Coming into the pits at $1,590 more than the standard Q3 43, you won’t find a new sensor or upgraded lens. Instead, Leica has focused its changes on the parts you hold, press and carry.
As Leica puts it, engineers in both fields work for months chasing “that decisive fraction of a second”. Sounds a bit grand, doesn’t it? Well, photographers do spend an awful amount of time with their fingers on the grip, thumb rest and shutter button, where the materials and shape of those surfaces matter. So are these exterior upgrades worth another $1,590 when it’s essentially a fancier-looking Q3 43? Let’s race.
1/3The carbon-fibre thumb rest features a red function button alongside the shutter controls. | Image: Leica A Formula 1 Makeover You Can Feel
As we shoot off from the starting grid, you’ll see carbon fibre almost everywhere. Leica has fitted German-made, handcrafted components to the wireless-charging grip, rear thumb rest and soft-release button. The exposed weave adds much-needed texture to the otherwise all-black camera, especially across the thumb rest, where a bright red function button stands out against the carbon finish.
That murdered-out finish comes courtesy of the black Microvelour wrapped around the Leica body. It’s a non-slip covering inspired by Formula 1 steering wheels, so you know it’ll be grippier than Verstappen in the corners. Leica also adds a soft-release button in red, because, of course, they would. Drawing on the colour-coded controls drivers use to find buttons without looking down, Leica wants those red accents to make the controls easier to spot. Whether that combination of style and function works in practice is another matter, but it’s a nice bit of F1 theatre.
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And while the carbon fibre is hard to miss, the F1 branding is handled with surprising subtlety. A black-on-black logo is engraved on the top plate, with an F1-branded lens cap and a fetching rope strap carrying both names. No racing stripes, no sponsor stickers, nothing overly flashy here.
The included hand grip is more than decoration, too. It supports wireless charging and features an Arca-Swiss tripod mount, while the matching thumb rest and soft-release button complete the set. To use that feature, you’ll need a compatible charging pad, with Leica’s AUD $340 Drop XL Wireless Charger sold separately.
The rear display sits beneath a carbon-fibre thumb rest. | Image: Leica Same Camera, Different Appeal
Underneath the motorsport treatment is the Leica Q3 43 camera you know and love. The 60MP full-frame sensor, fixed APO-Summicron 43mm f/2 ASPH. lens, hybrid autofocus and up to 8K video recording all carry over, along with Leica’s Triple Resolution Technology, which lets you switch between 60, 36 and 18MP stills without changing the sensor area.
Although the camera has nothing new on the inside to show off, Leica added an exclusive ‘Formula 1’ Leica Look. Available through the Leica FOTOS app, it gives JPEGs stronger contrast and richer colour saturation, with the effect visible when shooting. That being said, it’s just a new way to render the image, not a hardware upgrade.
1/3An F1-branded lens cap and co-branded rope strap complete the special-edition set. | Image: Leica Leica Q3 43 Formula 1 Edition – Key Specs
Sensor: 60MP full-frame CMOS with Triple Resolution Technology (60, 36 or 18MP) Lens: Leica APO-Summicron 43 f/2 ASPH., fixed 43mm focal length Processor: Leica Maestro IV Autofocus: Hybrid AF with phase detection, contrast measurement and depth mapping Video: Up to 8K recording ISO Range: 50–100,000
So is the extra $1,590 worth it? If you only care about the camera roll, the standard Q3 43 offers a similar experience with the same sensor and lens, just without the F1 furnishings. For those of you who value the physical experience of using a camera, the carbon-fibre details, revised controls and bundled accessories offer a different proposition.
There’s a catch, though. The Formula 1 badge that gives this edition its identity might also put off photographers who’d otherwise love the materials but have no interest in motorsport. Either way, this all-new F1 Leica is ready to shoot. With all that carbon fibre and Microvelour grip, you’ll have a hard time putting this down once the race is over.