Leica Q-P vs Nikon D3X Comparison

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Leica Q-P

24 MP | Full frame (36 x 24 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Nikon D3X

25 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Leica Q-P

Nikon D3X

Leica Q-P

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Nikon D3X

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Leica Q-P vs Nikon D3X Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Leica Q-P, which was introduced in November 2018 is a Large Sensor Compact camera with a 24.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Nikon D3X, which was introduced in February 2009 is a Pro DSLR camera with a 25.0MP Full frame sensor. As you can see, D3X is 9 years older than Q-P. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Comparing a DSLR camera to a Fixed Lens camera is not an easy task but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of the Leica Q-P and Nikon D3X before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Leica Q-P Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2018-11-06

24MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor

ISO -

28 mm f1.70 Prime Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3.00" Fixed Type Screen

3680k dot Electronic viewfinder

10.0fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

640g. 130 x 80 x 93 mm

Replaced Leica Q Compare

Nikon D3X Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2009-02-19

25MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 1600 ( expands to 50 - 6400)

Nikon F Mount

3.00" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder

5.0fps continuous shooting

No Video Mode

1260g. 160 x 157 x 88 mm

Weather-sealed Body

Replaced Nikon D2Xs Compare

Let's read on in the following sections in order to better understand in detail how the Leica Q-P and Nikon D3X compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Leica Q-P over Nikon D3X

Wireless Connection	Built-In vs None	Better connectivity
In-built Image Stabilization	Optical vs None	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and slow shutter speeds
Touch Screen	Yes vs No	Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder Magnif.	0.76x vs 0.7x	Larger Viewfinder
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	Easy focusing on portrait shots
LCD Resolution	1.040k dots vs 920k dots	13% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting	10.0fps vs 5.0fps	5 fps faster
Weight	640 g vs 1260 g	620 g lighter
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs None	Higher Resolution Video
NFC Connection	Yes vs No	Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Smartphone Remote	Yes vs No	Remote control your camera with a smartphone
UHS Card Support	UHS-I vs none	Read/Write in High Speeds

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Reasons to choose Nikon D3X over Leica Q-P

Sensor Resolution	25 MP vs 24 MP	4% more pixels
Max Native ISO	1.600 vs 0	0% higher Max Native ISO
Number of Focus Points	51 vs 49	2 more focus points
Max Mech. Shutter	1/8000s vs 1/2000s	faster mechanical shutter
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs No	Extra protection against water and dust
Top LCD	Yes vs No	Help viewing and changing settings easily
Flash Sync Port	Yes vs No	Connect off-camera flash
Storage Slot	2 vs 1	Extra storage slot

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Common Strengths of Leica Q-P and Nikon D3X

External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
Viewfinder	Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Optical)	Better framing and control under bright light
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality
Max Resolution	24 MP vs 25 MP	Bigger prints and more details
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs Yes	creative shooting
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Weaknesses of Leica Q-P and Nikon D3X

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs Fixed Type	Screen tilts or Flips out independently, perfect for both stills and video
Built-in Flash	No vs No	Require external flash

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Leica Q-P vs Nikon D3X: Physical Specs and Body Features Comparison

Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, we are going to illustrate the Leica Q-P and Nikon D3X side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Leica Q-P has external dimensions of 130 x 80 x 93 mm (5.12 x 3.15 x 3.66″) and weighs 640 g (1.41 lb / 22.58 oz) (including batteries). Nikon D3X has external dimensions of 160 x 157 x 88 mm (6.3 x 6.18 x 3.46″) and weighs 1260 g (2.78 lb / 44.45 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Leica Q-P and the Nikon D3X. Leica Q-P is 30mm narrower and 77mm shorter than Nikon D3X but it is also 5mm thicker. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Leica Q-P has a built-in lens but Nikon D3X doesn't. Once you put a lens on D3X, its thickness will increase significantly.

Comparison image of the Leica Q-P and the Nikon D3X Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of the Leica Q-P and Nikon D3X.

Comparison image of the Leica Q-P and the Nikon D3X Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Leica Q-P and Nikon D3X.

Top View Comparison image of the Leica Q-P and the Nikon D3X Size

Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Leica Q-P is significantly lighter (620g ) than the Nikon D3X which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on D3X, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather-sealed body of the D3X, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to the Q-P.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Leica Q-P and Nikon D3X's LCD screens have the same diagonal size of 3.00 inches.

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.

Leica Q-P vs Nikon D3X: Sensor Comparison

Leica Q-P has a 24.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Maestro II processor. On the other hand, Nikon D3X has a 25.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed processor.

Below you can see the Q-P and D3X sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Leica Q-P and Nikon D3X Cameras

Leica Q-P and Nikon D3X have almost the same sensor size, so neither of them has any significant advantage over the other in terms of providing control over depth of field when used with the same focal length and aperture.

Sensor size sets the circle of confusion, so it drives how much depth of field each of these bodies gives you at a given aperture. You can calculate it exactly for the Leica Q-P or the Nikon D3X, including hyperfocal distance.

Leica Q-P vs Nikon D3X: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision regarding which camera best suits your needs and budget. However, if you're curious about how we rated the Leica Q-P and the Nikon D3X, below you'll find their scores across five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Leica Q-P and Nikon D3X scores compare:

Leica Q-P
This camera is not rated yet!

Nikon D3X

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #13 out of 36 in Large SLR cameras
Ranked #542 out of 1384 in all Cameras

Leica Q-P

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Nikon D3X

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Nikon D3X vs Leica Q-P Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Leica Q-P	Nikon D3X
Brand	Leica	Nikon
Announced	2018-11-06	2009-02-19
Body Type	Large sensor compact	Large SLR
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CMOS
Size	Full frame	Full frame
Dimensions	36 x 24 mm	35.9 x 24 mm
Area	864.00mm²	861.60mm²
Megapixels	24 megapixels	25 megapixels
Max Resolution	6000 x 4000	6048 x 4032
Max Native Light sensitivity	0 ISO	1,600 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	-	6400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	0 ISO	100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity	-	50 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	49	51
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	Nikon F
Lens Focal Range	28 mm (1x)	no lens
Max Aperture	F1.7	no lens
Macro Focus Range	17cm	no lens
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	3.00"	3.00"
Resolution	1,040k dots	920k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic	Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Resolution	3,680k dots	no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.76x	0.7x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/2000s	1/8000s
Max Electronic Shutter	1/16000s	n/a
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization	Optical	No
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync	n/a	1/250s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	10.0 fps	5.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080	None
Video Formats	MPEG-4, H.264	n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	640g	1260g
Dimensions	130 x 80 x 93mm	160 x 157 x 88mm
Battery Life	n/a	4400 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested	88
DxO Color Depth	not tested	24.7
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested	13.7
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested	1992
	Report a correction	Report a correction