5 Must-Have Accessories Leica Q3

The Leica Q3 is still easily the best compact camera on the market today, even edging out the Fujifilm GFX100RF in several areas, especially with video and shallow depth of field capabilities. You can see the Leica Q3 vs Fujifilm GFX100RF Comparison here.

As a Leica nerd who collects way too many accessories. Here are some of my favorite accessories to help take your Leica Q3 to the next level.

Leica Q3 28mm Lens – Amazon / B&H

Leica Q3 43mm Lens – Amazon / B&H

Starting with the basic and most essential.

1. Leica Q3 Camera & Lens Protection

There are really no best screen protectors for the Leica Q3. Most brands are likely sourcing the same materials from the same few factories, but there are a few different types. Most people now use the 9H hardness protector, or you can go with the crystal clear covers. I would recommend the 9H hardness protectors personally unless you’re going for an anti-glare or something specific.

Kinokoo Screen Protector For Leica Q3

I’ve been using the Kinokoo Screen Protector on my Leica M11 for the past few years without issues.

The Kinokoo Screen Protector is 0.25mm thick with a 9H Hardness rating made of tempered glass. I started using the 9H screen protectors after one of my Sony cameras started developing small bubbles under the screen from minor impacts of various things in my camera bag. So, the 9H distributes all those little impacts and protects the Thin-Film Transistor LCD screen on the Leica Q3.

Available At: Amazon

B+W MASTER 007 Clear Filter or #010 UV Filters For Leica Q3

The Leica Q3 and the Leica Q3 43 use the 49mm filter thread. If you want to attach lens filters, such as UV filters or Diffusion Filters, they must be 49mm.

I would start with a B+W MRC nano 007 filter. B+W is my favorite brand of protective filters. I don’t think there is a better brand out there that I know of. These are very high quality and made in Germany.

With B+W filters, you can get #010 or a 007 version. The #010 has UV-haze protection, while the 007 is clear glass with protection and anti-reflective coatings. You don’t need UV protection on digital cameras since that’s built into the sensor. However, if you also shoot film with lenses that use 49mm filter threads, it might be a good idea to have the #010 filter.

In my experience, the nano versions stay significantly cleaner, so get the Nano versions—it’s worth it.

Available At: Amazon / B&H

2. Batteries For Leica Q3

Next, you’ll want to make sure you have enough batteries—you’ll probably need two. Even on my Leica M11, which has no autofocus, I find myself frequently walking around tethered to a power supply because I only have one battery. But I can mostly get by without a second battery unless I’m shooting all day.

The Leica Q3 uses a battery different from that of M-mount cameras like the M11. Some really great news is that these batteries seem to have come down in price over the years, making owning a second battery not such a ridiculous hit to the bank account.

There is a third-party battery on the market for the Q3 series, but it’s still overpriced, and I have not had a chance to test it. Search for that on your own; I won’t recommend that brand for now since I have no experience with it, but I wanted to put that on your radar for you to test if you want, they are on Amazon.

Official Leica BP-SCL6 Battery For The Q3

The BP-SCL6 has a beefy battery at 2200mAh, which is impressive for how compact the Leica Q3 is. It should give you some pretty good performance if you’re using your camera for photography. If you’re shooting a lot of videos, you’ll likely need a second one.

Available At: B&H

3. Thumb Grips

This is where the fun of customizing and keeping your camera starts. The Leica Q3 is a very versatile camera, and you can tweak its usability with different cases, thumb grips, or hand grips.

I love using thumb grips when I can. There are a few good ones on the market for the Leica Q3, the HAOGE, which I use on my Leica M11, and another one by MOTOQUEEN with buttons that pass through, similar to the official Leica Q3 thumb grip. The HAOGE sits above the buttons, so if you have nimble little thumbs, you should still be able to access them.

Official Leica Q3 Thumb Grip

Leica accessories like the thumb grip are a little expensive compared to what you can get on the third-party market. However, it’s not easy being a camera company like Leica, and if you love the brand, have the extra support, and want to support them, I recommend sticking with the first party.

Available At: B&H

MOTOQUEEN Thumb Grip

The MOTOQUEEN Thumb grip is essentially a Leica clone.

Available At: Amazon

HAOGE Thumb Grip

The Haoge Thumb grip is very similar to the thumb grip they made for the Leica M11, but it’s different for the Leica Q3. The Leica Q3 has buttons where the thumb grip would rest, so Haoge made room for your thumb to access those buttons. It’s a tight fit, so I would probably not use this thumb grip if I always used those buttons or had big thumbs.

Here is an up-close look at the craftsmanship of the Haoge. This is my Leica M11 version, and it’s very high quality. You can see it’s gotten quite beat up over the years, potentially protecting the top and back of the camera slightly since I often set my camera on its back.

Available At: Amazon

4. Soft Shutter Buttons

I have so many soft shutter buttons; most third-party brands are decent quality now. When buying soft shutters, you should consider the size when pairing them with the Leica Q3. Typically, there are 10mm soft shutter buttons and 12mm buttons. Sometimes, the 12mm buttons can feel too big on the more compact cameras, and sometimes, the 10mm buttons can feel too small on bigger cameras. The Leica M11 photo above references the simple 10mm black JJC button.

VKO Wooden Soft Shutter Button

For my black Leica cameras, I like the VKO Wooden Soft shutters. In these images, I’m using the Leica MP to model the buttons since it’s a similar size to the Leica Q3 (I don’t have a Q3 model right now).

These are 12mm and concave, so they feel nice against the finger, and the larger size is very comfortable. I keep one of these on my Leica MP and love it; the color goes well with the Luigi Deluxe Strap leather strap.

Available At: Amazon

JJC Deluxe Camera Soft Release Button

Another Soft Shutter Button I like for Leica is the JJC Camera Soft Release Button. This one has a little silicone grip on the top (which they call micro-fiber leather).

Available At: Amazon

Lensmate Soft Shutter

The last brand of Soft Shutter I regularly buy is Lensmate. I usually keep these on my smaller compact cameras like my Fujifilm bodies. They have cool little designs and can be purchased in brass builds.

There are many styles and colors. Most are colored anodized aluminum, but a few brass options are also available.

Available At: Amazon

5. Body Cases & Grips

There are a few options for grips and cases.

The SmallRig L grip can be very good if you have large hands. I like these on smaller cameras. However, the SmallRig grip is a little massive. I probably wouldn’t go this route with this camera, but many people love it if you want extra grip. So, I’ll start with that recommendation and then go on to what I would do.

There is also an official Leica Grip that has wireless charging, but people are reporting battery drain when the camera is powered off, so this is not a practical solution unless Leica can fix it.

SmallRig L Grip

Available At: Amazon / B&H

What I would do with this camera is go for either Lim’s case or the SIUTATDSH case. I use the SIUTATDSH style case on my Leica M11 and love it. I love the extra protection it gives the body, and the grip isn’t too big. Same with the Lim’s case, I’ve owned several of these and they are fantastic.

Lim’s Leather Case & Grip

Available At: Amazon

SIUTATDSH Case

Available At: Amazon

I use these basic accessories and brands to set up all my cameras. Of course, there are a lot of other accessories, like cheap third-party batteries or hand grips or thumb grips, but for a premium camera like the Leica Q3, I would avoid too much of the cheap stuff. This camera deserves to have nice stuff put on it.

If you’re looking for the best straps for the Leica Q3, my go-to are:

Tap&Dye – American
Luigi’s Cases – Italian
Artisans&Artisans – Japanese