The Q3 features a 60-megapixel CMOS full-frame sensor, measuring 36 x 24 mm — the same resolution and perhaps the same sensor found in the Leica M11 and the Sony α7R V.[3] The Q3 is capable of 8K video recording at up to 30 frames per second and features phase-detection autofocus.

The mechanism protrudes from the back, facilitating photographing from different angles not at eye level.

These are similar to Fujifilm's film simulations or Adobe's Lightroom presets.

Its primary competitors are the Sony RX1R II, the similarly styled Fujifilm X100VI, and the Ricoh GR III that shares the 28mm field of view.

In Leica's press release announcing the Q3 43, they stated that the 43mm focal length was chosen because "[it] closely mirrors the natural perception of the human eye, enabling the creation of realistic, distortion-free images".