Compact · 2015

Leica Q

The Leica Q is a compact from 2015 with a Full frame (35 mm) sensor measuring 36.0 × 24.0 mm and 24 megapixels. Its crop factor is 1.00× — it is a full-frame format. Every number below is calculated for this exact sensor.

Full frame (35 mm)1.00× crop24 MP
Leica Q camera
Photo: Rama, CC BY-SA 2.0 fr, via Wikimedia Commons
1.00×
Crop factor
36.0×24.0 mm
Sensor size
864 mm²
Area · 100% of full frame
24 MP
Resolution
6.00 µm
Pixel pitch
f/8.9
Diffraction-limited aperture
2015
Release year

Specifications#

Brand
Leica
Model
Q
Also known as
LEICA Q (Typ 116), Leica Q (Typ 116), Leica Q Typ 116, Q (Typ 116)
Camera type
Compact
Released
2015-06-10
Sensor size
36.0 × 24.0 mm (Full frame (35 mm))
Crop factor
1.00×
Resolution
24 MP (6,000 × 4,000 px)
Fastest shutter
1/16,000 s
Continuous shooting
10 fps
Weight
640 g (22.6 oz)
Sensor type
CMOS Leica MAX 24MP CMOS Sensor, designed by CMOSIS
Dimensions
130 × 80 × 93mm (5.12 × 3.15 × 3.66 inches)
Lens
28 mm equivalent
Successor
Leica Q2
Made in
Germany
Drive
10 frames per second

Specifications merged from Wikipedia, Wikidata, Lensfun and openMVG. Spot an error? Tell us.

Sensor size compared#

Medium format 44 × 33 mmLeica QAPS-CFour Thirds / Micro Four Thirds1" (one-inch) sensor
The Leica Q sensor (highlighted) drawn to scale against common formats. Its area is 100% of a full-frame sensor.

Focal length equivalents & field of view#

Multiply any focal length by 1.00 to get the full-frame field of view. For fixed-lens cameras use the real focal length printed on the lens (e.g. “6.1–18.3 mm”), not the 35 mm equivalent.

Lens on this cameraFull-frame equivalentHorizontalVerticalDiagonal
10 mm10 mm121.9°100.4°130.4°
12 mm12 mm112.6°90.0°122.0°
14 mm14 mm104.3°81.2°114.2°
16 mm16 mm96.7°73.7°107.0°
18 mm18 mm90.0°67.4°100.5°
20 mm20 mm84.0°61.9°94.5°
24 mm24 mm73.7°53.1°84.1°
28 mm28 mm65.5°46.4°75.4°
35 mm35 mm54.4°37.8°63.4°
40 mm40 mm48.5°33.4°56.8°
50 mm50 mm39.6°27.0°46.8°
56 mm56 mm35.6°24.2°42.2°
70 mm70 mm28.8°19.5°34.3°
85 mm85 mm23.9°16.1°28.6°
100 mm100 mm20.4°13.7°24.4°
135 mm135 mm15.2°10.2°18.2°
200 mm200 mm10.3°6.9°12.3°
300 mm300 mm6.9°4.6°8.2°
400 mm400 mm5.2°3.4°6.2°
600 mm600 mm3.4°2.3°4.1°
800 mm800 mm2.6°1.7°3.1°

Depth of field table#

Total depth of field at each subject distance, using a circle of confusion of 30.0 µm (the 0.030 mm full-frame standard scaled by the crop factor). Detailed tables: 24 mm f/1.8, 24 mm f/2.8, 35 mm f/1.8, 35 mm f/2.8, 50 mm f/1.8, 50 mm f/2.8.

FocalAperture50.0 cm1.00 m2.00 m3.00 m5.00 m10.0 mHyperfocal
22 mmf/1.85.3 cm22.1 cm92.8 cm2.24 m8.03 m∞8.98 m
22 mmf/2.88.4 cm35.0 cm1.56 m4.23 m34.1 m∞5.78 m
22 mmf/412.0 cm51.5 cm2.58 m9.74 m∞∞4.06 m
22 mmf/825.1 cm1.27 m103 m∞∞∞2.04 m
43 mmf/1.81.3 cm5.6 cm22.9 cm52.2 cm1.48 m6.35 m34.3 m
43 mmf/2.82.1 cm8.7 cm35.8 cm82.1 cm2.37 m11.4 m22.1 m
43 mmf/43.0 cm12.5 cm51.6 cm1.20 m3.59 m22.2 m15.5 m
43 mmf/86.0 cm25.2 cm1.09 m2.70 m11.0 m∞7.75 m
73 mmf/1.80.4 cm1.9 cm7.8 cm17.8 cm50.1 cm2.03 m98.8 m
73 mmf/2.80.7 cm2.9 cm12.2 cm27.7 cm78.1 cm3.21 m63.5 m
73 mmf/41.0 cm4.2 cm17.4 cm39.7 cm1.12 m4.71 m44.5 m
73 mmf/81.9 cm8.4 cm35.0 cm80.5 cm2.33 m11.2 m22.3 m
120 mmf/1.80.1 cm0.7 cm2.8 cm6.5 cm18.3 cm74.2 cm267 m
120 mmf/2.80.2 cm1.0 cm4.4 cm10.1 cm28.5 cm1.16 m172 m
120 mmf/40.3 cm1.5 cm6.3 cm14.4 cm40.7 cm1.66 m120 m
120 mmf/80.6 cm2.9 cm12.5 cm28.9 cm81.9 cm3.39 m60.1 m

Equivalent aperture#

Exposure is identical at the same f-number on any format; equivalence only describes depth of field and total light.

Aperture on this cameraFull-frame equivalent (depth of field)Hyperfocal at 43 mm
f/1.2f/1.251.4 m
f/1.4f/1.444.1 m
f/1.8f/1.834.3 m
f/2f/2.030.9 m
f/2.8f/2.822.1 m
f/4f/4.015.5 m
f/5.6f/5.611.0 m
f/8f/8.07.75 m

Diffraction & pixel pitch#

With 6.00 µm pixels, diffraction starts to soften pixel-level detail around f/8.9. For maximum sharpness keep landscapes between f/4.9 and f/9; stopping down further trades detail for depth of field.

ApertureAiry disk diameterSpread overAt 100% view
f/2.83.8 µm0.6 pxsharp
f/45.4 µm0.9 pxsharp
f/5.67.5 µm1.3 pxsharp
f/810.7 µm1.8 pxsharp
f/1114.8 µm2.5 pxslight softening
f/1621.5 µm3.6 pxvisibly soft
f/2229.5 µm4.9 pxvisibly soft

Maximum print sizes#

At 24 MP the Leica Q produces 6,000 × 4,000 pixel images. See the 24 megapixel guide or the print size calculator.

ResolutionTypical useInchesCentimetres
300 DPIPhoto-lab quality20.0 × 13.3 in51 × 34 cm
240 DPIFine-art inkjet25.0 × 16.7 in64 × 42 cm
200 DPIWall print30.0 × 20.0 in76 × 51 cm
150 DPIPoster, viewed from 1 m+40.0 × 26.7 in102 × 68 cm

Night-sky exposure limits#

Longest exposure before stars trail. The NPF rule accounts for pixel pitch and is stricter than the classic 500 rule — use it for pin-sharp stars on high-resolution sensors.

Focal length500 ruleNPF f/1.8NPF f/2.8NPF f/4
14 mm (14 mm eq.)35.7 s17.4 s19.9 s22.9 s
20 mm (20 mm eq.)25.0 s12.2 s13.9 s16.0 s
24 mm (24 mm eq.)20.8 s10.1 s11.6 s13.3 s
35 mm (35 mm eq.)14.3 s6.9 s7.9 s9.1 s
50 mm (50 mm eq.)10.0 s4.9 s5.6 s6.4 s

Open the NPF / 500 rule calculator →

Handheld shutter speed guide#

The reciprocal rule uses the equivalent focal length. High-resolution sensors may need one stop faster than this for pixel-sharp results.

Focal lengthNo stabilisation (1/equiv. focal)With 3-stop ISWith 5-stop IBIS
24 mm1/25 s0.3 s1.3 s
50 mm1/50 s1/6 s0.6 s
100 mm1/100 s1/13 s0.3 s
200 mm1/200 s1/25 s1/6 s

Lens#

The Leica Q has a built-in, non-interchangeable lens. Use the real focal length of that lens with the tables above; its full-frame equivalent is that number × 1.00.

Frequently asked questions#

What is the crop factor of the Leica Q?

The Leica Q has a crop factor of 1.00× relative to 35 mm full frame (diagonal 43.3 mm vs 43.3 mm).

What size is the Leica Q sensor?

36.0 × 24.0 mm (Full frame (35 mm)), an area of 864 mm² — 100% of full frame.

Is the Leica Q full frame?

Yes — its sensor is the same 36 × 24 mm size as 35 mm film.

How many megapixels does the Leica Q have?

24 megapixels (6,000 × 4,000 pixels), enough for a 20 × 13 inch print at 300 DPI.

How long can I expose the night sky with the Leica Q?

With a 20 mm lens (20 mm equivalent) the 500 rule gives 25 s and the stricter NPF rule at f/2.8 gives 14 s.

Sources & licences#

Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources