Leica’s F1 edition Q3 43 comes with carbon fiber, red accents and a race-inspired color mode

Leica has announced a Formula One-branded special edition of the Q3 43. The special edition marks the start of a licensing partnership between the two brands. One that they say embodies their “shared values: precision, teamwork and
craftsmanship.”

The $9950 Q3 43 F1 edition will come with a carbon fiber version of the Q3-series wireless charging accessory grip, along with a soft release with carbon weave and a carbon fibre thumb rest, clipped into the hotshoe. The body features a “Microvelour” coating, to evoke the steering wheel of a Formula 1 car. The camera’s top plate and lens cap feature the current F1 logo.

Leica

The soft-touch shutter button and some of the camera’s shutter buttons have red accents to mimic the buttons on a modern F1 car’s steering wheel. The camera also comes with a rope-style camera strap with F1 branding.

In most other regards, the camera will behave like a standard Q3 43 (to which we gave our Gold award, when we reviewed it), but with the addition of an exclusive “Formula One” color mode. Leica says the F1 Look provides: “a rendering that complements the world of motorsport. Higher contrast and richer saturation capture the atmosphere of the racetrack and paddock in the final image.”

Leica

There are some cynics who might say that Formula One isn’t what it once was. And that, for all its shows of impressive engineering, has become an exclusive pursuit, entirely disconnected from the rest of automotive, and from its origins in which the skill of talented individuals overcame everything, delivering memorable moments seen the world over. But, if nothing else, it knows the power of branding.

Leica’s press release doesn’t reveal how many Q3 43 F1 Edition models will be made but, as ever with special editions, we look forward to seeing them come up for auction, above their original list prices, in a few years’ time.