Leica is back with its latest high-priced specialty camera, this time a variation of the fantastic Q3 ($6,735) with an image sensor that's dedicated to black-and-white imaging. The fixed-lens Q3 Monochrom ($7,790) doesn't take color photos, but that's the point. By omitting the Bayer color filter array, the Q3M captures photos that show exquisite detail, incredible dynamic range, and cleaner output at extreme ISO sensitivities than color cameras. It's an intriguing proposition if you prefer shades of gray to vibrant hues. Leica is a luxury brand, and the Q3 Monochrom's price is, as you'd expect, lofty. That doesn't take away from how good it is at what it does, but it effectively limits its audience. If you want a black-and-white sensor camera for less, take a look at our Editors' Choice Pentax K-3 III Monochrome SLR, or try your luck at finding a deal on a secondhand Q2 Monochrom.

Concept: Why Would You Want a Camera That Doesn't See Color?

Most digital cameras that capture color use a Bayer color filter array (CFA) over the sensor, which is in simple terms a grid of red, green, and blue pixels that add color to photos. The upside? Color photos. The downside? Since the filter cuts out light, cameras must interpolate data coming from the sensor to fill in missing information. Black-and-white sensors capture all the light at every pixel, allowing texture and fine detail to be better represented in images. The sensor also records an extremely wide dynamic range (the difference between the brightest and darkest parts of a scene), leading to smoother transitions from light to shadow. There's also a psychological aspect—when you pick up the Q3 Monochrom, you know that you're taking photos in black-and-white, with no safety net or option to go back to color.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

These are subtle differences for sure, but there's a subset of photographers who prefer to use a black-and-white sensor camera. Leica and Ricoh (which owns Pentax) both make mono versions of select cameras. Leica kicked things off with the original M Monochrom (based on the M9 rangefinder) and has issued a black-and-white model for each subsequent generation. The Pentax K-3 III Monochrome is to date the only release from Ricoh, but the company has announced that its cult-favorite GR IV compact is getting a monochrome sensor version next year. These are all what I consider niche cameras—the M line is manual focus only, the K-3 III Monochrome sticks with SLR tech when everyone else has gone mirrorless, and like the Q2 and Q3, the GR IV uses a fixed wide-angle lens—so they already appeal to photographers who want to stray from the beaten path.

Design: A Full-Frame Compact for All Types of Weather

The Q3 Monochrom is built around a full-frame sensor and a permanently affixed 28mm F1.7 Summilux lens. It falls into the compact category, although at 3.2 by 5.1 by 3.6 inches (HWD), it's too large to fit into a pocket. It weighs approximately 1.6 pounds, which isn't too bad considering its bright, wide-angle lens. The Sony RX1R III wins out as the smallest full-frame compact camera available today (2.7 by 4.5 by 3.4 inches, 1.1 pounds), but sacrifices useful features like a tilting rear screen and stabilization to reduce weight.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The Monochrom is the same size and shape as the regular Q3, but has some aesthetic differences. It eliminates the small bits of color—the lens and shutter dial markings are gray and white, omitting the yellow and red accents that adorn the standard Q3. Notably, Leica's famous red dot logo is also missing; it's a design decision common to Monochrom editions. All and all, the Q3 Monochrom is as stealthy as a Leica gets.

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The camera is weather-protected to IP52 standards, allowing you to use it comfortably on a rainy day or in a dusty environment without worry. It's a useful feature in a camera that's sized for travel. The 28mm F1.7 lens also adds to the appeal for travelers, as it captures a broad angle that's versatile enough to cover landscapes, architecture, environmental portraits, and street photography, while also including a close focus mode for macro images. It also supports a digital zoom with reduced resolution for 35mm (39MP), 50mm (19MP), 75mm (8MP), or 90mm (6MP) angles of view.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The Q3 Monochrom ships with a square lens hood and a slip-on cap, both made of metal. The hood screws on using a thread, and while it adds a little depth, it is worth using to reduce flare and add some protection to the front glass. You'll need to remove the hood to change out the 49mm filters.

Controls: A Minimalist Approach With Easy Access to Necessities

If you've used a Q camera before, you'll find the Q3 Monochrom's control scheme to be pretty familiar. It's identical to the Q3 and Q3 43, and very similar to the Q2 and Q in case you are eying an upgrade from an older version. The body has a flat front, but because of its textured leatherette and indented rear thumb rest, it feels secure in my hands. Leica bundles a thin neck strap, but I prefer using it with either a wrist strap or longer shoulder strap—during my review, I tried it with both the Peak Design Cuff and Leash.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

You can also pick up an accessory handgrip if you want: The Leica Wireless Charging Handgrip HG-DC1 ($235) not only adds a beefier grip point, but it also adds wireless charging support. Third-party options from Really Right Stuff and Helium Labs are available as well; both include Arca-Swiss tripod mounts and are better sculpted to fit your hand versus Leica's version. I haven't tried any Q with an add-on grip, and while I don't really feel a grip is necessary for the Q3, that's a matter of personal preference.

The Q3 borrows its minimalist control scheme at least in part from the M rangefinder line, another Leica camera with a flat front and support for add-on grips. Like the M series, the Q places aperture and focus control on the lens, avoiding overload of the body with buttons and dials. Its top plate is uncluttered, featuring a pair of dials to adjust shutter speed and exposure compensation, with the latter equipped with a configurable function button at its center. The shutter release is located at the top, in the expected spot, and features a thread that allows it to work with a soft release button or release cable. The on/off switch is on a collar around the shutter, so it feels natural to flick the camera on and move your index finger to the shutter.

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The on-lens controls work well. The aperture ring turns with half-stop clicks from f/1.7 to f/16 and also includes an automatic (A) option. I appreciate how easily it switches to manual focus. You just press a button on the focus ring to unlock it and move it to the manual range. To go back to autofocus, turn the ring and lock it back into the AF position. The lens also features a ring that twists to switch between its standard focus range and Macro mode, which reduces the minimum focus distance from 27.6 inches to 6.7 inches. One note: When you use the Q3 Monochrom for macros, its maximum aperture drops down to f/2.8.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

There are two configurable buttons on the rear, one for stepping through the different digital zoom settings and one for switching between photo and video recording. The digital zoom cleverly mimics the fixed viewfinder used by Leica in its M rangefinder cameras. Instead of punching in to show a closer view, it displays frame lines indicating the crop, allowing you to see what's happening outside the frame and anticipate and capture a scene as it develops. If you use the camera for JPGs, you'll only get the cropped view, but if you opt for DNG, you'll see a cropped image when you first load the file into software for editing, with the option to open it up to the full 28mm wide angle (or anywhere in between) if you prefer.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The Play and Menu buttons, along with a directional pad featuring a center confirmation button, are arranged in a column to the right of the LCD. These controls are pretty self-explanatory—the directional pad is used to navigate through menus and to manipulate the area of interest for autofocus, but you can also tap the screen to choose menu options or to move the focus point around. A single press of the Menu button launches an on-screen interface with exposure, metering, and other common settings (pictured above), and a second press takes you to the full multi-page menu.

Displays: A Useful Tilting Touch Screen and Large EVF

The Q3 Monochrom's rear display is a typical size, measuring approximately 3 inches diagonally, and features a crisp 1.8-million-dot resolution. The screen is bright enough to see outdoors in most situations at default settings, although you'll need to adjust the backlight (via the menu) on bright, sunny days. I especially like that the display tilts up and down, making it easy to shoot photos from a low angle without having to get down on the ground, and to view the display if you need to hold the camera high above a crowd. My only complaint is that it proves difficult to pull the screen away from the body from the side, as it sits nearly flush and doesn't have an indented notch to grab with your fingers. Leica places that type of notch at the bottom of the display, so you'll need to reach underneath to adjust its angle.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The electronic viewfinder is positioned in the corner, the same place where Leica places the viewfinder in its M rangefinders and M-EV1 mirrorless camera. The viewfinder is quite large (0.79x magnification) and offers sufficient resolution to yield accurate results when focusing manually (5.8 million dots), especially when combined with the frame magnification. It offers a better viewfinder than Sony's luxury-priced RX1R III (0.70x, 2.4 million dots), although not as impressive as the Fujifilm X100VI's hybrid viewfinder, which switches between optical and electronic views with the flick of a switch.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Power and Connectivity: Content Credentials Come to the Q Series

The Q3 Monochrom uses the same BP-SCL6 battery as the standard Q3 and Q3 43 cameras. It offers decent longevity, with approximately 350 exposures based on CIPA testing standards, which places it in the middle of the pack among other cameras in this class. The Q3 doesn't have the anxiety-inducing anemic battery life of the Sony RX1R III (270 EVF/300 LCD exposures), but can't quite match the longevity offered by the Fujifilm X100VI (450 exposures). I had a short time to review the Q3 Monochrom, but I noted that it outperformed its CIPA estimates in testing. I took the Q3 out for two half-days of photography and made around 150 exposures during each session; in both instances, the 4-bar battery gauge dropped by only one notch. I'd still recommend carrying a spare battery ($240) or a USB power bank if you plan on a full day of photography.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

In addition to its USB-C charging port, the Q3 Monochrom features a micro-HDMI video output, a hot shoe for an external flash (which is not built in), and a UHS-II SDXC memory card slot. The camera does not include the built-in storage found in the Leica M11 camera series. Onboard storage isn't a common feature in cameras, but it's not unheard of in luxury models. It's no big deal to add a memory card, but I will note that the card door, which is located on the bottom, abuts the tripod thread, so you'll end up blocking it with most quick-release plates. The battery also loads in the bottom, but is far enough away from the tripod thread that only larger mounting plates will block it.

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The Monochrom is the first Q series camera with support for C2PA Content Credentials. When enabled, this feature digitally signs images and allows you to track any edits or changes made with compatible software on a website. This lets you use the Q3 Monochrom for photojournalism and enter photo competitions without worrying that you'll be accused of using AI to generate photos.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The camera pairs with the Leica Fotos smartphone app for file transfer, remote control, and firmware upgrades. Fotos also lets you add stylized Leica Looks JPG profiles. I asked Leica if any were coming for the black-and-white sensor, but didn't get an answer. The Q3 has a Looks page in its menu, and is loaded with the standard Natural profile, as well as tinted Blue, Selenium, and Sepia options.

Autofocus: Accurate Contrast Detection, But Lags in Dim Light

The Q3 Monochrom's sensor doesn't have the speedy phase detection autofocus used by the Q3 and Q3 43. There's a reason—phase detection requires color data to work effectively, so the Q3 Monochrom falls back to contrast detection. It works well and is very fast—I timed a focus drive from a distant to close target and exposure at around 0.2-second, and less than 0.1-second to confirm focus and take a photo. It's slower in dim light, though, even with the help of its bright orange focus assist beam.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Even without phase detection, I got accurate results from the autofocus system. Pet detection worked well for photos of my cats, and face detection accurately identified my eyes when I decided to take a few selfies. The Q3 isn't the fastest camera for bursts; it keeps focus for every frame, saves 12-bit DNGs at 5fps, and manages full-quality 14-bit images at 4fps. The camera has a quicker burst rate when it locks focus for a sequence (7fps at 14-bit, 15fps at 12-bit). An in-lens leaf shutter supports a minimum 1/2,000-second exposure and syncs with a flash at every speed.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The Sony RX1R III is the fixed-lens camera to beat for autofocus thanks to its broader subject recognition (it even has a mode for insects) and onboard phase detection. I didn't have the opportunity to do any street photography with the Q3 Monochrom, a discipline for which it is well-suited; however, I expect that its confident face detection and 5fps burst rate are up to the task.

Image Quality: Reveals Hidden Details Lurking in the Shadows

The Q3 Monochrom and other black-and-white cameras omit a Bayer CFA from the sensor design. This means that light is captured at every pixel location, without interpolation, allowing pictures to reveal finer detail when compared with sensors that record color. This is especially noticeable in images that show off the texture of an object. Photos also show a wider dynamic range and more gradual shifts between highlight and shadows, which gives them what I consider to be richer tonality.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

There's a JPG mode that captures images that are ready to share out of camera. The Natural profile exhibits medium contrast and excellent detail up to ISO 12500, with very good results up to ISO 50000. It's a handy option to have, but I think much of the advantages of a black-and-white sensor are lost when you opt for the 8-bit JPG format—just get the regular Q3 and set it to a black-and-white JPG mode if you're after convenience.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

It's a different story when you take the time to work with the 14-bit Raw DNG images. The format records more data than JPG, so you have far more room to adjust global exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, and white and black levels, so you can tone images to taste. You'll be able to capture scenes with vastly mixed lighting and bring out both details lurking in the deepest shadows and brightest parts of a scene. To maximize the Q3 Monochrom's potential, simply capture photos in DNG format.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

There are downsides to consider with any black-and-white sensor camera, even aside from the obvious lack of color. With CFA cameras, you can often recover a blown highlight when editing a RAW image. However, once a monochrome chip clips into overexposure, highlights are unrecoverable, so it's wise to underexpose when taking pictures. I used the Q3's Highlight Weighted metering option, which exposes images so the brightest parts of an image won't clip, and used a -1EV bias for most of my images. I used Adobe Lightroom Classic to adjust the tone of my photos to my personal taste.

You'll also want to use a color-balancing filter over the lens, just as you would with black-and-white film, as you lose the ability to apply a virtual filter as you can when converting a color image to black and white using software like Nik Silver Efex Pro. I used an orange filter for most of my photos.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

As mentioned, the Q3 Monochrom uses a full-frame 60MP BSI CMOS sensor. It ties with several other cameras as the highest-resolution full-frame sensor available today. The pixels leave you ample room to crop, even if you plan on making a decent-sized print. The 60MP files are large (DNGs are between 70 to 120MB, and JPGs range from 15 to 35MB), but the camera supports 36MP and 18MP resolution options in DNG or JPG that you can use if you're trying to save space on your hard drive.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The black-and-white sensor has a higher ISO range than the color version of the chip used in the standard Q3 and Q3 43. The Monochrom starts at ISO 100 and goes all the way up to ISO 200000. Picture quality is excellent in the lower register, showing very little noise up to ISO 12500 and remaining very good (if slightly grainy) up to the maximum sensitivity. I liken the pictures at ISO 200000 to high-speed black-and-white film; the noise gives them a rough, grainy texture, but detail shows through.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

A sensor is only as good as the lens that goes in front of it, and the Q3's 28mm Summilux F1.7 is a gem. When used wide open, it readily blurs backgrounds behind subjects, and when stopped down, it catches scenes with excellent clarity from center to edge. I think the 28mm angle is a little more useful for everyday scenes when compared with the 35mm prime used by the Fujifilm X100VI and Sony RX1R III, but that comes down to personal preference. Of course, the Q3's 35mm crop mode catches the same angle of view and a similarly shallow depth of field as those competitors; it's as good an option for 35mm as it is for 28mm. If your eye leads toward detail work and subject isolation, the Q3 43 uses an amazing Apo-Summicron 43mm F2.0 lens, though is only available with a color sensor.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Video: 8K Recording With USB Microphone Support

The Q3 Monochrom has the best video specs of any black-and-white camera to date. It records at up to 8K30 resolution and a 300Mbps encoding rate, and can roll 4K60 at 600Mbps, both with 10-bit 4:2:2 sampling and HEVC compression. The Monochrom supports ProRes compression too, but only at 1080p. The Q3M outperforms the M11 Monochrom for movies hands-down (since the M11 doesn't record video) and is a better video camera than the K-3 III Monochrome, which tops out at 8-bit cropped 4K30 and lacks continuous autofocus for movies.

There are three video profiles built in: Natural, HLG, and flat L-Log. The Natural mode looks good on most screens and has an SDR exposure gamut. HLG, on the other hand, covers a wider range of brightness and looks best on HDR televisions. L-Log, meanwhile, offers a flat, low-contrast look that leaves room for editing contrast and exposure.

The video functions are handy, but I view the Q3 Monochrom as a stills camera first. Its form factor is less than ideal for any serious video work, and the built-in microphone is only average—it sounds good in quiet environments, but picks up ambient background noise readily. The Q3 doesn't have a standard 3.5mm microphone connection, but does work with select USB microphones from Rode, including the VideoMic Go II, VideoMic NTG, Wireless Go II, and Wireless ME.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)