Leica has a gorgeous new camera for photographers who want to live in black and white.
The Q3 Monochrom is a special version of the standard Q3 that only shoots monochrome photos and video. And it is built around a 60 megapixel full frame sensor that has been modified so it never records colour at all. It is available now for $7790/£5800.
The Q3 Monochrom mirrors the normal Q3 in most of its core specs. You still get a weather-resistant compact body with a fixed 28mm f/1.7 Summilux lens that includes image stabilisation, RAW capture in Adobe DNG, and video up to 4K at 60 frames per second or 8K at 30.
There is also a digital zoom button that crops into 35mm, 50mm, 75mm or 90mm if you prefer to frame tighter in camera rather than in editing.
The biggest difference with this version comes down to the sensor and the way Leica has dressed it up.
By removing the colour filter array, the Q3 Monochrom promises slightly sharper detail and better low-light performance than an equivalent colour sensor that is set to a monochrome picture profile. It also raises the maximum ISO to 200,000, double the 100,000 ceiling of the colour Q3 models, which should help when you are chasing available light at night.
It’s a stunner
From the outside, this is classic Leica Monochrom styling with a few subtle tweaks for the Q3 body. The body finishes are more matte, the famous red dot logo is gone, and any coloured markings have been swapped for white or grey accents.
The grip pattern also leans closer to Leica’s M rangefinders, giving the camera a more stealthy, documentary-ready look that fits the black and white only mindset. It is also the first Q series camera to add Leica’s Content Credentials, embedding a digital signature in each file so authenticity can be verified later.
Leica has been making Monochrom versions of its cameras since 2012 for shooters who like the creative constraint of committing to black and white from the start.
That niche is getting more expensive, though, with the Q2 Monochrom having launched around 1,800 dollars cheaper than this new model.
There is also fresh competition on the horizon, with Ricoh planning a GR IV Monochrome in 2026 that is expected to bring the black and white only experience to a lower price bracket and give Leica its first serious rival in this tiny corner of the camera world.
