Leica Q3 Monochrom is a dedicated new black-and-white camera

Leica keeps the product flowing with yet another new model, this time with an even more specialist bent. The new Leica Q3 Monochrom is a derivative of the Leica Q3, only with the USP that the Monochrom features a dedicated black-and-white sensor.

Here we have to take a detour into the pros and cons of digital black and white. On the one hand, it’s a simple process to transform the output of any digital camera into black and white and many even have the option to shoot in black and white as well as colour. So why discard the colour option altogether?

For Leica, the Monochrom models (of which this is the second) is a direct link to the brand’s history as the progenitor of the original 35mm camera, the Leica I. Describing it as a ‘bold choice to deliberately renounce colour’, the company's thinking is that a pure black and white process, from framing to post-production, focuses the mind on pure composition – ‘the art of composing with light and shadow’.

The hardware is typically impressive. A compact mirrorless full-frame cameras with a 60MP sensor, capable of 8K video, an ISO range of 100 to 200,000, plus a 5.76-megapixel OLED viewfinder, it has the technical chops and build quality the firm is renowned for.

On board there’s also a digital zoom (28 to 90mm) and the debut of a new user interface that separates photography and video functions in a more distinct way – it’s an improvement that’ll soon be rolled out as a firmware update on the Q3 and Q3 43.

There’s an authority to the weighty metal body and the entire camera is made in Germany, with an IP52 rating to protect against dust and water splashes. The more observant will note the absence of the red Leica logo, giving this monochrome hero a truly utilitarian look.

Leica Q3 Monochrom, £5,800 / €6,750 / $7,790, Leica-Camera.com, @Leica_Camera

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Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.