I'm a long time Nikon shooter who spends 95% of my time taking pictures of nature. My Nikon cameras and lenses excel in this area and while one might quibble about if they are the best in autofocus or 2nd/3rd to Sony and Canon, the optical quality and feel of the cameras are well suited to 95% of my shooting.
I will also add that I have a bit of a reverence for some of the classical tools. I grew up in the 70's where the mechanical precision of cameras was much like that of fine watches. I'm not wealthy, I'm not a hipster, I'm not a "Leica Man," but I do like to use these tools from time to time. In addition to my full Nikon nature kit, I have a Hasselblad X2D and one lens. This is my specialty landscape camera because of its 100MP and amazing IBIS that allows me to shoot 1 second exposures without a tripod. While the camera is about as electronic as it gets, it does not feel like the coputational wonder it is. In fact, if feels like a mechanical brick... I just love to use it, even if it is used for only 3% of my photogoraphy (at most). In addition, I have shot and owned many Leica SLRs, Rangefinders, and APSC cameras. The cameras feel good in the hand and, other than the SL series, seem to be invisible. I am not a street photographer, but I like to pretend to be one when I am in cities. During these times, I often bring an M-series camera... now it's an M8... an old clunky 10MP camera with more problems than I dare admit... but I love to use it when walking throughout San Francisco or Tokyo or... well you get it.
So, to answer your question, the Leica Q3 cannot replace your Nikon gear unless you find that all 95% of your shooting will be met by a 28mm f1.7 or 43mm f2.0 lens. However, if the camera inspires you to shoot more and be engage with your photography, maybe it is the camera for you. For me... and the latter is the key... if I had to choose one camera and sell the rest, I'd be keeping my Nikons.
bruce
Nov 08, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Previous versions of OwlsEyes's message #16924638 « Is Leica a good alternative to Nikon »
