Leica is announcing its latest digital camera, the Q3 Monochrome which captures only black-and-white photos and videos. In many ways, the Q3 Monochrome is identical to the standard Q3, but its 60-megapixel sensor has been modified to not record color, and is dressed in a stealthy logo-less design. It’s available today for $7,790, a fee $1,055 more than the regular Q3 with color capture.
Like the standard Q3, the Q3 Monochrome is a weather-resistant compact camera with a full-frame sensor and fixed 28 mm f/1.7 Summilux lens with image stabilization. It captures RAW photos and videos up to 4K/60p or 8K/30p in Adobe DNG. And it has a digital zoom button that can crop the lens to 35mm, 50mm, 75mm, and 90mm (if you prefer to crop while shooting rather than in post).
It’s basically a spec-for-spec match of the standard Q3, but it’s the first Q camera to get Leica’s Content Credential – embedding a digital signature in files to verify authenticity. The other big difference is that the monochromatic sensor has a maximum ISO setting of 200,000. The Color Q3 and Q3 43 cameras max out at ISO 100,000. Design-wise, the new model is similar to other recent monochromes. Its black finish is more matte, there is no Leica red dot logo, any colored markings are only white or gray, and the grip has the same textured pattern as the M rangefinder.
You can certainly set a standard Q3, or any digital camera for that matter, in black and white. But Leica has made monochrome variant cameras since 2012 for good reason: by removing the color filter array from the sensor, you can get slightly sharper images and better low-light performance. It’s a specific approach, but it’s really fun to use and work within that restriction.
I can’t help but love monochrome cameras whenever I get a chance to use one, but as their price continues to rise, it’s becoming more and more difficult to justify them. (The Q2 Monochrom was priced about $1,800 less than the Q3 Monochrom when it launched.) The black-and-white digital camera experience may soon open up to more people, though, as Ricoh recently announced it will release the GR IV Monochrom in 2026. This will be Leica’s first real challenger in this niche. And although we don’t know its price yet, it’s likely to cost several thousand less than the Q3 Monochrome.