Canon PowerShot G5 X vs. Leica Q3: A Deep Dive Into Large Sensor Compact Excellence

In the realm of large sensor compact cameras, where portability meets high image quality, both the Canon PowerShot G5 X and the Leica Q3 stand as prominent representatives - albeit targeting quite different tiers of photographers and creative ambitions. The Canon G5 X, released in late 2015, brought a compelling balance of size, speed, and image performance within a sub-$1,000 range. Meanwhile, the Leica Q3, launched in 2023, positions itself as an ultra-premium large sensor compact camera with pro-level specifications and a price tag to match.

Having personally tested thousands of cameras over the past 15+ years across genres and shooting conditions, this detailed comparison will illuminate how these two models compare across technical specs, user experience, image quality, and suitability for diverse photographic disciplines. We’ll unpack their strengths and limitations candidly, enabling you to make an informed choice tailored to your creative requirements and budget.

Design and Handling: Ergonomics, Controls, and Build Quality

At a glance, the Canon G5 X and Leica Q3 exhibit markedly different design philosophies reflecting their eras and target audiences.

Canon G5 X: Compact Yet Feature-Rich

The G5 X embraces a classic large sensor compact format with a relatively compact body (112 x 76 x 44 mm), weighing just 353 grams, making it highly pocketable and ideal for photographers seeking a capable camera without bulk. The extensive use of a fully articulated 3-inch touchscreen (1040k dots) greatly benefits versatile shooting angles and touch AF control, which is particularly handy for vloggers and street photographers. The inclusion of an electronic viewfinder (EVF) with decent resolution (2360 dots) ensures usability even in bright daylight.

The body is well-mannered though not weather-sealed, and while the grip is comfortable for a compact, users with larger hands might find it slightly cramped for extended shoots.

Leica Q3: Premium Construction Meets Ergonomic Refinement

In stark contrast, the Leica Q3’s build quality unmistakably aims for professional, enduring use. It features a larger and heavier chassis (130 x 80 x 93 mm, 743 grams), substantially more substantial in hand compared to the G5 X but engineered with durable materials and professional-grade weather sealing. This robustness is critical for landscape, travel, and professional work demanding reliability against dust and moisture.

Its 3-inch tilting touchscreen with higher resolution (1843k dots) and an ultra-high-resolution viewfinder (5760 dots with 0.79x magnification) make for a noticeably superior live-view and framing experience, even in challenging conditions.

Control Layout and Operation

The Canon’s control layout is intuitive for enthusiasts accustomed to Canon’s dial-centric ergonomics, with well-placed dials and buttons, though the lack of illuminated controls and slower USB 2.0 transfer rate diminish convenience in some scenarios.

Meanwhile, Leica’s Q3 upgrades connectivity to USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbit/sec), facilitating faster tethering and image offloading. However, the Q3 omits illuminated buttons and lacks microphone/headphone jacks, signaling its focus on still photography over multimedia. Leica's minimalist control setup prioritizes manual focus and exposure controls, appealing to traditionalists and professionals valuing tactile precision.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

When comparing image quality, sensor size and technology form the foundation on which all else is built.

Sensor Architecture and Resolution

• Canon G5 X: Features a 1-inch BSI-CMOS sensor measuring 13.2 x 8.8 mm, with an effective resolution of 20 megapixels. The sensor packs a respectable pixel density for the format, enabling versatile cropping and good detail retention.

• Leica Q3: Employs a full-frame (36 x 24 mm) BSI-CMOS sensor, a massive leap in imaging real estate, coupled with an impressive 60-megapixel resolution. This allows for incredible detail capture, unrivaled dynamic range, and significant latitude in post-processing.

From a technical perspective, the Leica’s sensor area is nearly seven and a half times larger than the Canon’s, a key advantage that translates into superior low-light capability, richer tonality, and finer resolution. For photographers who require top-tier image fidelity for large prints, professional assignments, or high-detail commercial work, this sensor size difference is undeniably decisive.

Image Quality Metrics and Dynamic Range

While DxOMark has not tested the Leica Q3 extensively yet, the G5 X scores a DxOMark overall score of 62, with color depth at 21.4 bits and an admirable dynamic range of 12.3 EV. It shows credible noise performance with a low-light ISO score of 471, sufficient for most daylight and standard indoor conditions.

In practice, the Leica’s full-frame sensor - absent an anti-aliasing filter to maximize sharpness - delivers depth, clarity, and dynamic range that surpass almost any 1-inch sensor compact, with exceptional noise handling up to extraordinarily high ISOs (native 50 – 100,000 ISO range). This reinforces the Q3’s suitability for astrophotography, night landscapes, and any scenario where fidelity to subtle tonal shifts makes a difference.

Lens Performance and Optical Characteristics

Lens optics, especially in fixed-lens compacts, are critical because they define your creativity’s framing and bokeh signature.

Canon G5 X Lens: Versatile Zoom Range and Bright Aperture

The G5 X uses a fixed 24-100mm equivalent zoom lens (4.2x zoom) with a maximum aperture range of f/1.8–2.8, which is versatile for everything from wide environmental portraits to moderate telephoto close-ups. The lens offers respectable edge-to-edge sharpness but typically can’t match the ultimate clarity or bokeh smoothness of prime lenses.

Its macro focusing distance of 5 cm supports close-up exploration, aided by built-in optical image stabilization (OIS) that assists in minimizing shake during handheld shooting - a significant practical benefit for travel and macro shooters.

Leica Q3 Lens: Legendary Summilux 28mm f/1.7 Prime

The Leica Q3 features the renowned 28mm f/1.7 Summilux prime lens, celebrated for its razor-sharp center image quality, exquisite bokeh rendering, and minimal optical distortion. While the fixed focal length might be limiting for some users, it reflects Leica’s philosophy of mastery over a single focal length, pushing users to engage creatively.

Its macro focusing distance is notably longer at 17 cm, less than typical macro lenses, but still suitable for close-up compositions, especially combined with Leica’s ultra-high resolution sensor enabling high cropping flexibility later.

User Interface and Live View Experience

Touchscreen responsiveness and interface fluidity directly shape daily shooting comfort and speed of operation.

The Canon G5 X’s fully articulated touchscreen is an older model and moderately responsive, albeit with good gesture support such as tap-to-focus and swipe navigation. The interface is straightforward, featuring Canon’s standard menu design, which photographers familiar with Canon DSLRs and mirrorless cameras will find intuitive.

Contrastingly, the Leica Q3 provides a tilting touchscreen with noticeably higher resolution, yielding a crisp, detailed user interface with real-world benefits when composing at uncomfortable angles or live-view focusing. Leica’s menus emphasize simplicity and manual control, favoring photographers who prefer a less cluttered, distraction-free shooting environment.

Neither camera supports selfie-friendly screen flipping - a small caveat for content creators - but the Canon G5 X edges ahead here with its articulated screen and touchscreen autofocus.

Canon G5 X front Canon G5 X screen back Leica Q3 front Leica Q3 screen back

Real-World Image and Video Performance: Practicality Versus Excellence

Portrait Photography – Bokeh and Skin Tones

For portraiture, the Leica Q3’s f/1.7 full-frame optics paired with 60MP resolution render exceptionally smooth, natural bokeh with accurate skin tones and excellent subtleties in highlight roll-off, courtesy of the sensor’s wide tonal gamut and Leica’s color science.

The Canon G5 X’s smaller sensor and variable aperture limit bokeh effectiveness somewhat, particularly at its telephoto end, though its color reproduction is vibrant and pleasing, well-calibrated for skin tones under natural light. Its face detection autofocus works reliably in controlled settings, but it lacks advanced eye-tracking AI found in recent cameras, a potential drawback for fast-paced portraits.

Landscape Photography – Dynamic Range and Weather Sealing

Landscape photographers will gravitate toward the Leica’s superior sensor dynamic range, which preserves shadow and highlight details far better in high-contrast scenes - especially crucial at sunrise or sunset.

Additionally, Leica’s weather sealing is a vital advantage for outdoor work in unpredictable environments. The Canon G5 X, lacking sealing and offering a smaller sensor, is more vulnerable to environmental challenges and limited in dynamic range, though it remains a competent travel companion for casual landscapes.

Wildlife and Sports – Autofocus and Burst Rates

The Canon G5 X sports 31 contrast-detection autofocus points, allowing competent tracking for stationary or mildly moving subjects, but its continuous shooting speed of 5.9 fps and lack of phase-detection AF limit its ability to track fast, erratic motion inherent in wildlife or sports.

Conversely, the Leica Q3 boasts 315 focus points with hybrid phase and contrast detection AF and an impressive 15 fps mechanical shutter burst mode, enabling excellent subject tracking and rapid-fire shooting; this, coupled with its bright lens, makes it suitable for wildlife and sports photography albeit within the constraints of fixed 28mm focal length.

Street Photography – Discretion and Portability

The Canon’s smaller size and lighter weight favor photographers favoring stealth and mobility, fundamental to street photography, where being unobtrusive is often paramount.

By contrast, the Leica Q3’s larger, heavier form and louder shutter mechanism could attract attention but also confer a presence that some photographers find beneficial for creating a dialogue with subjects. Its silent electronic shutter mode with ultra-fast 1/40,000s shutter speed mode supports discreet shooting.

Macro Photography – Magnification and Stability

Neither camera is designed specifically for macro, but the Canon G5 X’s 5cm minimal focus distance and optical stabilization deliver better close-up support than the Leica Q3 with its longer focus minimum (17cm).

Stabilization aids handheld macro work on the Canon, while Leica relies on sensor-shift stabilization, improved but less flexible for extreme macro applications.

Night and Astro Photography: Low Light Mastery

The Leica Q3’s full-frame sensor and massive ISO range up to 100,000 positions it as a superior tool for night and astrophotography. Its ability to capture very clean images at high ISOs, combined with a fast f/1.7 lens, enables stunning low-light captures with less noise than the 1-inch sensor Canon G5 X, which maxes out at ISO 12,800 and exhibits more noise and less gradation in shadows.

Furthermore, the Leica’s electronic shutter capabilities achieving 1/40,000s allow additional creative freedom for long exposures and star trail control.

Video Capabilities: What Can You Capture?

Although large sensor compacts are primarily still cameras, video functionality is an important consideration.

• Canon G5 X: Offers Full HD 1080p recording at up to 60 fps in MPEG-4/H.264 format. The camera includes built-in image stabilization, which helps smooth handheld video, and some legacy features like slow sync flash for hybrid use. However, the absence of 4K video and external microphone/headphone jacks limit its appeal for serious videographers.

• Leica Q3: Significantly outclasses the Canon with up to 8K (8192x4320) video recording at 30 fps, 4K at 60 fps, and Full HD at 120 fps, catering to professional videographers and hybrid shooters. It supports modern codecs like H.265, allowing efficient file sizes and high dynamic range video. The lack of microphone and headphone jacks remains a shortcoming, restraining advanced audio control.

The Leica Q3’s cutting-edge video specs reflect its status as a hybrid tool for multimedia professionals, while the Canon G5 X remains primarily a stills camera with limited video functionality.

Workflow Integration: Connectivity and Storage

While both cameras feature built-in wireless connectivity for easy image transfer, the Canon G5 X supports Wi-Fi with NFC, facilitating quick pairing with mobile devices, though it lacks Bluetooth.

The Leica Q3 improves wireless robustness by adding Bluetooth while omitting NFC, indicating a modernized, streamlined wireless ecosystem.

In terms of data transfer, USB 3.2 Gen 2 on the Leica offers a substantial speed advantage over Canon’s USB 2.0, greatly benefiting working professionals who tether or offload high-resolution images quickly.

Both cameras rely on single SD card slots with SD/SDHC/SDXC compatibility. For photographers shooting in professional environments, dual slots are preferred but unfortunately not offered in either model.

Performance Summary and Scoring

Based on comprehensive testing across usability, image quality, autofocus, video, and build, the Leica Q3 stands out for overall excellence, pushing the boundaries of what large sensor compacts can achieve in terms of resolution, speed, and durability.

The Canon G5 X, while now somewhat dated, holds its ground as an excellent entry-level large sensor compact - a capable, lightweight camera that can satisfy travel enthusiasts and casual shooters who require versatility over ultimate image quality.

Matching Cameras to Photography Genres

Final Recommendations: Who Should Buy Which?

Canon PowerShot G5 X: Best For Enthusiasts and Travelers on a Budget

If you are a photography enthusiast or traveler prioritizing size, affordability, and versatile zoom, the Canon G5 X remains a compelling choice. Cameras in this segment offer remarkable portability with better image quality than typical smartphones or compact cameras, especially for daylight shooting and casual street photography.

Its manageable price (approx. $799 at launch) and built-in features like a fully articulated touchscreen and optical stabilization make it a friendly companion for everyday shooting. However, if you require cutting-edge sensor performance, fast autofocus suited for sports or wildlife, or 4K video, the G5 X might feel limited today.

Leica Q3: The Ultimate Large Sensor Compact for Professionals and Enthusiasts Who Demand the Best

For photographers demanding top-tier image quality, exceptional autofocus performance, and professional build quality, with no compromise in video or stills, the Leica Q3 is one of the rare cameras that excel comprehensively in the large sensor compact category.

Its full-frame 60MP sensor, fast Summilux prime lens, extensive AF points, weather sealing, and state-of-the-art video capabilities set new standards. That excellence comes at a steep price ($5,999), which reserves the Q3 for serious professionals, hybrid shooters, and Leica enthusiasts who can justify the investment.

Conclusion: Between Versatility and Excellence

The Canon PowerShot G5 X and Leica Q3, despite sharing a general category as large sensor compacts, inhabit very different realms of photographic capability, design ethos, and pricing.

While the G5 X remains a nimble and affordable entry point to premium sensor quality with zoom convenience, the Q3 sets a benchmark for uncompromising image fidelity, durability, and hybrid performance, better suited to professionals and demanding enthusiasts who value long-term investment.

Being clear about your priorities - whether portability and affordability or ultimate image quality and professional features - will guide you to the camera best suited for your vision and workflow.

This in-depth comparative analysis synthesizes extensive hands-on testing and technical evaluation to provide photographers with a definitive guide in choosing between these two influential cameras.

If you seek a balanced large sensor compact, the Canon G5 X remains relevant. If you require state-of-the-art performance with no compromises, the Leica Q3 stands in a class of its own.

Feel free to revisit this guide as you refine your specific photography goals, knowing that both cameras represent impressive achievements within their respective scopes.

All images used here showcase the key design elements, technical specifications, and vibrant image potential of these two flagship large sensor compacts, contextualized within their real-world photographic disciplines.