Leica M11 sales lag far behind Leica’s most expensive compact camera

Leica does not typically release sales figures. However, at the launch event for the new Leica SL3-P, Leica’s head of marketing, Andrea Pacella, gave Digital Camera World a small glimpse into just how popular the German manufacturer’s various camera series actually are. According to this information, Leica’s best-selling camera is neither a Leica SL nor a Leica M, and even more affordable models like the Leica D-Lux 8 or the Leica Sofort 2 cannot claim the title of bestseller.

Instead, the Leica Q3 ($6,780 on Amazon) is Leica’s best-selling camera. According to Andrea Pacella, even Leica itself did not expect a compact camera costing over $6,000 to sell so well, especially in a world where compact cameras are gradually losing their significance, before the first Leica Q was launched in 2015. Leica attributes the success, among other things, to the 28 mm lens, as smartphone photographers were already accustomed to this focal length, which would have made the switch easier.

The design, which from a distance strongly resembles a Leica M, is also said to have contributed to its success. Overall, the Leica Q3 is reportedly selling more than twice as well as all Leica M cameras combined. The price is likely a factor here as well. While the Leica Q3, including the lens, costs $7,350, Leica lists the combination of the Leica M11-P and the 28 mm f/1.4 Summilux at a whopping $18,955. More than two-thirds of customers are said to be opting for the Q3 with the 28 mm lens, while the rest are choosing the Q3 with the 43 mm lens.