Leica's luxury compact gets the Formula One treatment – the Q3 43 F1 Edition oozes racing class
A dash of carbon fibre brings a lift to Leica's full-frame camera
Leica and Formula One have just announced a partnership, and to celebrate the coming together Leica has launched the Leica Q3 43 Formula 1 Edition. It's a bit of a mouthful, and a whole lot of camera.
The pairing makes a lot of sense, as both brands draw on long history, pursue the highest levels of performance, and both are the play things of the rich and famous.
Based on the Leica Q3 43, there are special touches to draw this camera closer to its racing partner, including carbon fibre elements, the F1 logo on the lens cap and top plate, as well as Microvelour covering, the sort you might find on the steering wheel of a racing car.
Leica is no stranger to subdued colours and subtle logos, but the red and black theme continues in the Leica Q3 45 Formula 1 Edition, with the big addition being the carbon fibre handgrip and thumb rest, for increased one-handed control. It looks like these elements are removable, however.
Carbon fibre isn't a common material for cameras, but Leica's application on this special edition of the Q3 43 adds something unique. It looks sensational, while the additional F1 logos aren't too garish.
One thing that F1 and this Leica camera don't have in common is weight saving: the usual Leica Q3 43 weighs 772g (with battery) and we're not told what the new weight is, but it's still a hefty camera.
The 43 in the name refers to the 43mm lens, it has nothing to do with Franco Colapinto who has driver number 43 in F1. There's a full-frame sensor, offering 60, 36 or 18-megapixel shots, with the lens carrying an f/2.0 maximum aperture.
There's also a Leica Formula 1 look, accessed through the Leica FOTOS app and only available on this model. It offers richer saturation and higher contrast, exactly the sort of rendering you'd expect around motorsports. Once that look is set, it will be visible through the viewfinder so you can see what the result will be once you press the shutter button.
Otherwise, this is much the same as the existing Leica Q3, but brings with it a jump from £5,900 for the original to £7,300 for the F1 Edition.
That's quite a price bump to celebrate the partnership, but this was never going to be a cheap camera.
