p.1 #1 · Leica Q3 vs Fujifilm X100VI Comparison Review
There is strong interest in the community with both the X100VI and Q3, so I thought I write this comparison review of the two cameras.
Size and Weight
Early December I received my preorder of X100VI. I have heard of all the hype and had to see it for my own eyes if it can compete with Q3 as my travel camera. I owned Q2 and now I have the Q3. X100VI impressed me with its size and weight. It’s small enough to fit into large jacket or pants pocket. This is the benefit of the tiny pancake lens. Without a thumb grip or case, it does feel a little slippery to hold. The Q3 is just as slippery. I always put on a case or thumb grip. The X100VI doesn’t feel too big when I added a leather case and thumb grip, but the Q3 felt too large when I had an Oberwerth half case, so now I rock it with a decal skin and thumb grip only. Nevertheless, even without a case, the Q3 is significantly bigger than the X100VI. You may have a pocket deep enough to buy one, but no pocket is deep enough to hold it.
In terms of weight, X100VI is 1.15lb, and Q3 is 1.64lb. I had the Q3 on my neck strap for 3 weeks in Europe during summer of 2024 and never felt strain on my neck, and you certainly won’t have any issues with the X100IV. The Q3 with a much larger lens sticks out significantly more than the X100VI. It’s getting closer to most modern full frame mirrorless systems with a small prime lens. The Q3 is also front heavy and tips over when you set it flat on a table. The 28mm Summilux on the Q3 is still going to be smaller than any DSLR equivalent fast prime. Overall, the size difference between the two is significant, but is the size and weight savings of the X100VI worth the sacrifice in image quality?
p.1 #2 · Leica Q3 vs Fujifilm X100VI Comparison Review
Image Quality and Focal Length
After looking at pictures taken with both, there are some major takeaways. The X100VI is very good for an APS-C lens and body especially for its compact size. But the images quality between the X100VI and Q3 sometimes feels like the Grand Canyon. This is especially true when you shoot both wide open. The Q3’s worldclass sharpness and microcontrast just blow away the 23mm f2 on the Fuji. The 28 Summilux on the Q system is legendary even in the Leica world. There is so much pop to it. I sold the Q2 to focus more on the M system a few years ago. However, everytime I look at my old Q2 images, there is just something special to them. I cannot say the same about the X100VI. It’s images are fine but nothing special next to the Q.
The superior image quality of the Q3 goes beyond the lens. The 60 MP sensor walks all over the 40 MP X-Trans sensor. The Q3 has better SOC colors. The dynamic range is dramatically better in the Q3, and it can recover insane amount of shadow. An image can look pitch black, and the Q3 can give you almost all the details back. The X100VI just falls apart in high contrast situation especially if you shoot into bright background.
In terms of the focal length, the 28mm focal length (26mm in real life) does provide more versatility when traveling. There were shots in Europe, I needed all 28mm otherwise I would have to stitch them. If you want to crop into 35mm field of view, the Q3 doesn’t look too far off from a native 35mm lens. It still looks great for environmental portraiture.
The focusing system in both cameras are fine. The Q3 does focus faster and more accurately than the X100VI, but I never found the X100VI’s focusing to be an issue in most situations. In low light situations, X100VI may struggle a little more.
p.1 #3 · Leica Q3 vs Fujifilm X100VI Comparison Review
Perks and Quirks
Your decision making on which one to purchase probably weighs heavily on the portability and image quality. As a travel camera, app integration with smart phones and tablets can make our experience so much more enjoyable. The Q3 has one of the fastest wifi transfer speeds. A 60mp DNG transfers in like 2-3 seconds on my first gen Ipad Pro 11. Leica IOS app is also fully integrated with Lightroom CC on IOS. On trips, I usually edit most of the pictures in the hotel room on my iPad. When I got the X100VI, initial wifi transfer speed was terrible. I then realized, the XApp defaults to 2.5Ghz wifi speed, and you need to go to network settings to change it to 5Ghz which made file transfer from camera much faster. The other challenge is IOS doesn’t recognize Fuji raw files as of January 2025. The best way to edit on your Ipad is to import to Lightroom with an USB SD card adapter. It works fine just not as elegant as Leica.
If you enjoy shooting JPEG, Fuji Recipes and Leica Looks are there to instantly add flavors to your images. I don’t shoot JPEGs that much, so I haven’t really felt either implementation made a huge difference in my photography experience. One cool aspect about Fuji is when you import Fuji raw into Lightroom, under Profiles, Lightroom has color profiles option to match all the Fuji recipe looks. You can apply those profiles during import. Leica Looks doesn’t have corresponding color profiles. This is disappointing. I do like some of the Leica Looks for Q3 such as Contemporary.
I want to make few last points about these two cameras. These probably won’t sway you one way or the other but may contribute to your overall decision making. The X100VI has a 4-stop physical ND filter built in. It’s nice to be able to slow down shutter speed for waterfalls, rivers, etc. The EVF on the Q3 is significantly better than the X100VI. It has larger viewing area, brighter display, and higher resolution. X100VI does have a hybrid optical view finder by hitting a small switch. I never really used it.
Conclusion
In end, it was an easy decision to keep the Q3. I bought the X100VI with every intention to replace the Q3 as my travel companion. I usually travel with an M10-R and Q3. There are times when I want to travel light, and I may leave the M system at home. If I replace the Q3 with the Fuji, I’m just sacrificing too much image quality. The X100VI’s files look good but not special. Furthermore, I edit so much on my Ipad now, the Leica integration with Lightroom is just a joy to use. I completely understand those who prefer the X100VI’s size over the Q system. After all, you know what they say. The best camera in the world is the one you have with you.
p.1 #4 · Leica Q3 vs Fujifilm X100VI Comparison Review
Nice review. In a fixed lens camera, when looking at image quality, nothing compares to the Qs. The RX1RII was an excellent choice several years back, and no doubt paved the way for the Qs, but the ergonomics/usability were horrible in my opinion. Years back I did take the Fuji X100 as a companion to A7 series to Italy, it was great as a backup/take everywhere camera, but would never have expected the best in image quality. As you mention, the best thing about the X100 is the ability to carry it about anywhere.
The GRIII actually makes a better companion to the M system at this point. The images seemed cleaner/sharper starting wide open vs the Fuji, but of course it’s a stop slower at f/2.8. That is truly a pocket camera though, biggest drawback is lack of VF
