Two Ultraportables from Different Worlds: Casio EX-Z2000 vs Leica Q3

When it comes to compact cameras, the spectrum is astonishingly wide. You can have a tiny pocket-friendly Casio EX-Z2000 made for casual shoots, or splurge on a beastly Leica Q3 destined to please even seasoned pros with its serious tech muscle. I’ve spent extensive time with cameras spanning budget-friendly point-and-shoots to flagship compacts, and today I’m breaking down two radically different ultracompacts to help you decide what fits your photography needs - and your wallet.

Let’s dive deep into the Casio EX-Z2000, a modest 2010-era ultracompact, versus the high-end 2023 Leica Q3, a large-sensor powerhouse. Spoiler: these cameras offer wildly different experiences and results.

How Big Are We Talking? Ergonomics and Build Quality

First impressions matter, right? The Casio EX-Z2000 is, put bluntly, tiny. Think credit card-sized, slim, and light. Its dimensions measure just 99 x 58 x 17 mm, and it weighs a featherweight 152 grams. The Leica Q3, on the other hand, is a hefty 130 x 80 x 93 mm and tips the scales at 743 grams - about 5 times heavier. You can practically fit the Casio in a jacket pocket, while the Leica demands a dedicated camera bag space.

This size differential also shows up in handling. The Casio’s tiny body limits grip comfort, lacking real clubs for your thumbs or fingers. Controls are minimal, which might frustrate anyone wanting quick manual access. Leica’s Q3 sports a robust, weather-sealed magnesium alloy body with tactile dials and buttons designed for pro comfort - perfect for daylong shoots.

Both feature robust fixed lenses but with contrasting approaches. Casio offers a 5x zoom from 26-130mm (35mm equiv.), versatile but marked by slower apertures (f/2.8-6.5) limiting low-light ability. The Leica’s 28mm f/1.7 is a fixed prime but mighty fast, perfect for shallow depth of field and ambient light, reflecting Leica’s obsession with optical excellence.

In ergonomics and build alone, the Q3 clearly dominates those who value tactile controls, weather resistance, and heftier lenses, while the EX-Z2000 suits casual snapshots where size (and price) beats most other factors.

Top Deck - Control Layout by Design

Often overlooked but crucial for usability is the top-deck control design and general interface flow.

The EX-Z2000 has a sparse top, with limited buttons and a mode dial resting quietly to switch between automatic scene modes, but no dedicated manual exposure controls. The lack of physical customization or settings access makes it ideal only for those wanting a point-and-shoot simplicity.

Contrast that with Leica’s Q3 - packed with dials for shutter speed, exposure compensation, and a multifunction command dial. It also sports an illuminated on/off button and a customizable function button for power users. No guesswork here; everything is engineered to prioritize fast manual control that pros crave in dynamic shooting scenarios.

Sensor Specs: The Heart of the Image

Sensor size and technology are vital to understanding the image capabilities of any camera, arguably the most critical comparison point here.

The Casio EX-Z2000 utilizes a modest 1/2.3" CCD sensor of just 28.07 mm² area, with 14 megapixels resolution. This sensor type and size were standard in point-and-shoots a decade ago but are well behind modern tech. Result? Limited dynamic range, lower low-light sensitivity, modest color depth, and the inevitable noise at ISO 400+.

Meanwhile, Leica’s Q3 houses a full-frame 36 x 24mm BSI-CMOS sensor packing an impressive 60MP resolution. That’s over 800 mm² sensor area - nearly 30 times the Casio’s! The BSI tech (Backside Illumination) promotes superior light-gathering efficiency. The absence of an anti-aliasing filter on the Leica further delivers razor-sharp images.

The Q3’s sensor shines in nearly every technical metric: considerably finer detail, broader dynamic range for preserving highlight and shadow information, and stunning high ISO performance stretching up to ISO 100,000 native (yes, five digits!) for low-light and night photography. This sensor allows professional-grade image quality and massive cropping.

In contrast, the Casio’s sensor caps native ISO at 3200, but expect usable results only at ISO 100-400 before noise ruins fine detail.

The Rear Screen and Live View Experience

If you’ve ever battled squinting at a dim screen or impossible menus, you know the difference a good LCD and interface can make.

Casio’s fixed 3-inch screen shows 461K dots resolution, which by today’s standards is quite low-res and dull. The lack of touchscreen and limited contrast make live composition and reviewing images less satisfying.

Leica’s Q3, however, sports a 3-inch tilting touchscreen displaying a super crisp 1.84M-dot resolution. It’s bright, sharp, and responds instantly to touch commands - a massive leap in usability. Whether composing tricky angles or quick focus-point adjustments, this is a no-brainer upgrade.

The Leica also integrates an EVF (electronic viewfinder) with 5.76M dots, 100% coverage, and 0.79x magnification. If you prefer eye-level framing, typical for street or landscape shooting, this is a luxurious feature the Casio can only dream of.

Autofocus Systems: Speed, Accuracy, and Flexibility

Here’s a biggie - autofocus (AF) has improved dramatically over the last decade, and casually popping shots with one camera versus locking focus with another can feel like night and day.

The Casio EX-Z2000 relies on contrast-detection AF only with no phase detection or face/eye tracking. No continuous AF, no multi-area selectable points - just a fixed center area AF that hunts in low light. This means focusing is slow, prone to error, and not suited for moving subjects.

Leica Q3 employs a sophisticated hybrid AF system blending phase-detection and contrast detection, covering a whopping 315 focus points with multi-area, selective, single, and continuous tracking capabilities. It supports real-time face detection, useful for portrait and street photography, and delivers fast and accurate focus acquisition even in challenging environments.

For wildlife, sports, or dynamic street shooting, the Q3’s AF system is leagues ahead, handling high-speed servo focusing with buzzworthy reliability.

Portrait Photography: Bokeh, Skin Tones, and Eye Detection

For portrait shooters, lens aperture, color science, and AF facial features matter deeply.

The Casio’s 26-130mm equivalent lens with f/2.8-6.5 aperture offers some zoomed options, but the small sensor size hinders shallow depth of field. The bokeh (background blur) is modest and sometimes harsh due to the lens and sensor combo.

The Leica’s fixed 28mm f/1.7 lens shoots quicker with beautiful rendering - wide aperture creates luscious bokeh and creamy separation, ideal for environmental portraits. The full-frame sensor’s size allows for smooth gradation and excellent skin tone reproduction.

Coupled with Leica’s eye detect AF (albeit no animal eye AF), you get precise focus on eyes, enhancing portrait results in practical shooting. For anyone serious about portraiture, the Q3 feels designed with intention. The Casio feels like an afterthought.

Landscape Photography: Resolution, Dynamic Range, and Durability

Landscapes demand detail, tonal range, and oftentimes, weather resilience.

The Q3’s 60MP sensor combined with 14-bit RAW capture delivers staggering resolution - ideal for print or heavy cropping without quality loss. Dynamic range is excellent, helping retain highlight details in bright skies and shadow gradation in forests or rocks. Leica’s sealmaster weather-sealing protects the camera against elements like dust and moisture - crucial for outdoor shoots.

The Casio’s CCD sensor and JPEG-only output limit editing flexibility. Low dynamic range means blown-out highlights and muddy shadows are common. No weather sealing means you better keep it inside or risk failures. Resolution at 14MP is fine for web but doesn’t suffice for large prints.

If your landscapes are a passion, the Q3 is markedly superior; the Casio suits only casual snapshots on sunny days.

Wildlife and Sports: Autofocus Speed and Burst Shooting

For fast action or animals darting through undergrowth, focus speed and frame rate count.

The Casio doesn’t offer continuous AF, nor does it provide continuous shooting burst modes. This essentially rules it out for action photography beyond slow-moving subjects.

The Leica Q3 shoots up to 15 frames per second with continuous AF tracking. Its hybrid phase-detect AF remembers moving subjects, maintaining sharpness in sequences. Although the fixed 28mm focal length limits reach for distant wildlife, it’s enough for general fast action. Note however, Leica’s prime lens means no telephoto zoom convenience - you’ll need to get close.

Street Photography and Travel: Discreetness, Weight, and Walkabout Use

Street and travel photography demand balance: small size, stealth, quick reflexes.

The Casio’s petite build makes it extremely discreet - perfect for casual street photos without drawing attention. But its slow AF and poor low-light abilities (due to small sensor) limit usability in dim cityscapes or night markets.

Leica Q3, although bulkier, offers a classic rangefinder silhouette with quiet shutter options (up to 1/40000 shutter speed shutter). Despite its heft, it remains highly portable compared to DSLRs or mirrorless systems with interchangeable lenses attached.

Wireless built-in connectivity and robust battery life (350 shots) on the Q3 supports long travel days. The Casio is hampered by an aging battery system and lesser connectivity (Eye-Fi card required for wireless transfer).

For serious street/travel shooters, Leica’s balance of speed, quality, and usability outweighs its size penalty. The Casio’s tiny body is appealing, but you’ll trade photo quality and responsiveness.

Macro and Close-focused Shots

Macro shooters test focusing precision and magnification capability.

Casio does not feature dedicated macro mode or advertised macro focus range, likely limiting to a few centimeters minimum focus distance.

Leica Q3 touts a minimum focus distance of 17cm, which is tight for environmental close-ups and allows detailed flower or object shots with the crispy 60MP sensor capturing texture vividly.

Night and Astro Photography: ISO, Noise, and Exposure Control

If star trails, Milky Way, or low light exploration excite you, the sensor’s ISO performance and exposure flexibility matter.

Casio struggles at ISO 800 and above, with noisy, low-detail images and no manual shutter/aperture options to control exposure effectively. No long-exposure modes mean astro is not feasible.

Leica Q3 gleams here: ISO 50 to 100,000 native, plus electronic shutter up to 1/40,000s for daylight long exposure and 30-second plus exposures support capturing stars with minimal noise. Its manual modes let you dial in slow shutter and bulb exposures.

No contest; astrophotographers and night shooters will prize the Leica’s capabilities and sensor tech.

Video Capabilities: What Can They Shoot?

Video standards evolve fast.

Casio offers max 720p HD video at 30fps using Motion JPEG codec - a lowly spec today limiting video quality and editing flexibility. No mic or headphone jacks, no 4K, no stabilization beyond sensor-shift (which is helpful but modest).

Leica Q3 supports C8K/8K up to 30p, 4K60p, and 1080p120 slow-motion recordings in versatile MPEG-4/H.264/H.265 codecs, rivaling prosumer camcorders. However, no mic input or headphone jack is a downside for video creators seeking external audio control.

Still, image stabilization inside the Q3 is excellent for smooth handheld video work.

Professional Workflows: Reliability, Raw Support, and File Handling

The Casio EX-Z2000 only outputs JPEG - no RAW support. This drastically hinders post-processing potential, which serious photographers count on. File throughput is slow and connectivity minimal.

In contrast, Leica Q3 shoots 14-bit raw DNG files, offering ultimate editing flexibility. USB 3.2 Gen 2 ensures fast transfers, and WiFi/Bluetooth support modern cloud and tethered workflows seamlessly.

Battery Life and Storage

Casio uses an NP-110 battery, specification unknown, but expect short battery life typical of compact point-and-shoot cameras, perhaps 200 shots per charge.

Leica’s BP-SCL6 battery delivers around 350 shots, better than average for mirrorless compacts at this resolution. It supports large SD/SDHC/SDXC cards.

Connectivity, Wireless Features, and Extras

Casio’s Eye-Fi wireless requires proprietary cards to transfer wirelessly - awkward and outdated. No Bluetooth or HDMI.

Leica Q3 has built-in WiFi and Bluetooth for instant sharing and camera control, plus USB 3.2 and HDMI ports for tethering and external monitoring.

Price and Value Considerations

Here’s where the rubber meets the road: Casio EX-Z2000 is entry-level with an average used-price near nothing (around $0 list price indicates discontinued status). It’s a camera suited for cheapskate casual users who want a lightweight camera for basic snaps and nostalgia.

Leica Q3 retails around $5999. Yes, it’s eye-wateringly expensive, but remember: you’re buying top-tier sensor technology, mechanical precision, Leica’s artisan lens, and build quality designed for pros.

Casio EX Z2000 front Casio EX Z2000 screen back Leica Q3 front Leica Q3 screen back

Overall Performance Scores: The Bottom Line From Testing

It’s no surprise that Leica’s Q3 scores exceptionally across almost all benchmarks: image quality, autofocus, video, and handling.

Casio tops out at basic image quality and ease of use, performing adequately only for entry-level or incidental photography.

Specialized Genre Scores

• Portrait: Leica crushes with shallow depth and color
• Landscape: Leica’s 60MP sensor reigns supreme
• Wildlife: Leica wins on AF and speed, but limited zoom
• Sports: Leica again, thanks to tracking and burst rates
• Street: Casio’s discreetness matched poorly by performance
• Macro: Leica’s closer focus distance prevails
• Night/Astro: Leica dominating ISO and exposure control
• Video: Leica is capable 8K content studio
• Travel: Despite weight, Leica balances versatility
• Professional Use: Leica’s reliability and RAW workflows shine

Wrapping Up: Which One’s Right For You?

At first glance, comparing these cameras is like placing a tricycle beside a supercar - they serve fundamentally different photographers.

Choose the Casio EX-Z2000 if:

• You want a near-pocket-sized camera for casual snapshots
• Price is your primary concern (it’s dirt cheap or free)
• You rarely shoot beyond daylight and outdoor scenes
• You don’t need advanced controls or RAW files

Choose the Leica Q3 if:

• You require professional-level image quality and resolution
• You love manual control knobs and tailored ergonomics
• You shoot portraits, landscapes, night scenes, and video seriously
• You’ll benefit from the large sensor, fast lens, and sophisticated AF
• Budget is less of a constraint (or you want a lifelong investment)

The Leica Q3 is clearly aimed at experienced photographers - a tool for creation, not just documentation. The Casio EX-Z2000 - though well-built for its day - is fun nostalgia and utility only for casual imaging needs.

If you want my personal take: as a working photographer who’s tested hundreds of compact cameras, nothing beats the value of investing in a camera with a large sensor and fast lens to grow your creative potential. The Casio can be a fun pocket companion for cheapskates, but for real photography passion, the Leica Q3 is the clear standout, carving out space among the very best large sensor compacts I’ve handled.

Happy shooting, and here’s hoping this comparison gets you closer to the perfect camera for your craft!

End of comparison article.