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Leica Q?
- Thread starter iTiki
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Any Q users on this forum yet? I'm still not having any luck finding one in stock. Waiting list everywhere. Reviews have been very good, so I'm sure that is contributing to the scarcity.
Was in Red Dot Cameras, Old Street London on Monday. They are getting a reasonably paced delivery schedule of 5-6 units. No stock but they let me play with the demo unit.
I am on the fence with it. It is very very good but 28mm just feels a tad too wide for me.
I am on the fence with it. It is very very good but 28mm just feels a tad too wide for me.
My dealer get's his first allotment next week. I've had a Fuji X100 and now an X100T. Along with fixed lens rangefinders in the past, I'm used to a fixed lens camera and love it. The Leica is a gorgeous package and I shoot a 28 a lot on my ILC. But being confined to a 28 is not something I would want to do. For me, my 35 equivalent tends to be too short as opposed to too wide. Going wider isn't going to help matters.
My other concern is the body. It's an electronic device, probably composed of some built to order parts. How long before the body is "updated"? A failure that's too expensive to justify repairing given Leica's pricing and the fact a newer model exists? How's it feel to toss a superb lens in the bin along with when the body is no longer viable or we want the updated features?
I'll take a look at it. But doubtful about a purchase. My wife says do it. I'd get it for her but she shoots even longer than I do and the 28 again becomes an issue.
My other concern is the body. It's an electronic device, probably composed of some built to order parts. How long before the body is "updated"? A failure that's too expensive to justify repairing given Leica's pricing and the fact a newer model exists? How's it feel to toss a superb lens in the bin along with when the body is no longer viable or we want the updated features?
I'll take a look at it. But doubtful about a purchase. My wife says do it. I'd get it for her but she shoots even longer than I do and the 28 again becomes an issue.
The very same question occurred to me, and I am very curious about the answer.
What is it like to use and how does it feel in the hand?
Let us know what you decide to do; above all, let us know if you decide to pull the trigger on the Leica Q, as I would be most interested to read a detailed review.
Hi,
OK, it feels solid, nicely constructed. All controls and rings - focus, aperture etc - feel nicely damped and have nice friction with clean clicks and clacks. No rattles, no wobbles, no slack anywhere, just everything works the way it should.
Now, like an M, it isnt the best tactile feeling (remember I am a DSLR to Mirrorless user so I am used to grips and curves and fat hand compatible bodies). Sweaty paws may have some near misses as it doesnt have many surfaces to get a good grip of but a nice half leather case will resolve that issue.
The shutter noise is lovely, quiet enough to not be obtrusive but loud enough so you as the user can hear it click and what a nice clean click it is.
The viewfinder in a word - incredible. It is very crisp, very clear, fast refresh rate so in high iso, low noise, still usable. If I was to try and explain how crisp it is, I would say without the EVF superimposed icons etc, you would be hard pushed at first look to say it wasnt an OVF.
I am left eye dominant so looking through it was a little cumbersome as the eye piece surround isnt very deep so I think in bright light it may be a tad irritating from the perspective of trying to see through it clearly with glare.
Ergonomics wise, it feels nice, feels like a slightly lighter, slightly smaller M but dont think it is anywhere near pocketable.
I messed about with the cropping (frameline adjustments). This is a nice feature. The 35mm crop was good - I saw a A3 print of a 35mm crop JPEG. Nice detail and colour. The 50 crop would be pushing it in honesty so fans of a nifty fifty, think carefully.
Prints at the 28mm native FoV are incredible. JPEGs have no distortion obviously, nice straight lines, didnt get to print a DNG so dont know what they are like OOC.
The images are fabulous (I may be easier pleased than you guys so caveat), deep inky blacks, lovely colours. Printed large side to side with an A7 + 35mm Summilux, you can see the Leica image straight away because of the colours. Further, the 28mm FoV is very close to my phone camera FoV so while it feels wide, it isnt unfamiliar or alien. I do think I would feel it if I was using it for longer though.
Autofocus is fast but I did have some fails where the internals failed to predict what it was I wanted to shoot at. This would improve obviously with use. The touch to focus is nice.
I really really liked it and I can honestly say, if they had one in stock, I would in all likelihood be a Leica owner right now. As they didn't, I got off lucky.
If I was a betting man, I would say that we have just seen a view of the future. I suspect we may see the next generation M lifting everything from the Q that it can. Maybe it will be the Q2 with interchangeable lenses whereby you can put M RF lenses on an go manual, or use Q fit lenses to get AF. I hope I am right. Unless I get itchy fingers and buy a Q now, I will definitely cave in if we see a M with the Q EVF and interface or a Q2 that I can put my Summiluxes on.
In all I had an hour playing with it closely guarded by Brian with Elayne telling me to stop worrying and just buy one. I think I was just about cuddling the damn thing for most of the time.
In summary, it is a lovely lovely camera. if it were interchangeable lenses, I would buy it in a heartbeat. If it were a 35 or 50 I would buy it in a heartbeat. As it is neither, I am on the fence still with one leg on the buy it side but it is in no doubt a very good camera.
Hope this helps.
Ken.
Bravo, thanks, it does, and thank you also for taking the time and trouble to post a few detailed thoughts. This does sound like wonderful camera.
Anyway, I have a M6, and two Summilux lenses (35 and 50) for it, (and a 90mm Summarit that I have put aside, but have yet to pay for, though I'd have preferred to lay hands on a Summicron) so I'm still with film. I'll readily admit that I have always loved shooting with 28mm, and am more than a little interested in Leica's new 28mm Summilux.
However someday, I shall have to contemplate the digital world, - and for now, I am still waiting for Leica to come up with a model that presses most (at that price 'many' is not enough) of my buttons, and thus far, the Q sounds extraordinarily interesting.
Actually, re the direction of the future, (with Ms lifting what they can, or find useful, from the Q) I suspect that you could well be right, and, if so, that would be a most interesting and welcome development.
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No problem on the verbage. I enjoyed writing my thoughts down, helps my thoughts process and protect my savings account!
Agree with what you are saying but as a long time M user, would you be better buying a 28 Summilux/cron/arit rather than the Q right now. If you have no real desire to go digital and I totally respect that, I wish I was confident enough to go film but I would be bankrupt in a month on processing costs and binned images!
If they bring an M that can be RF, plus do LV through an EVF, with the Leica colour signature and IS, it will be a killer. Now, looking at it physically, I looked at the focal plane on the M and tried some daft guesses on the Q and honestly, I think the sensor depth to the front of the case is pretty much there for it to take interchangeable lenses. Obviously no idea of how jam packed it is inside there but it isnt far off so maybe we are looking at the new M.
Tell you what though, it is an exciting year already for us isnt it!?
I have a question:
AF focus point select, how does this work? Is it like a DSLR where you can select the point with the D-pad on the back in real time, or more like an X100 (I haven't touched one since the original) which makes it a real PITA to change away from the centre point?
Thanks
AF focus point select, how does this work? Is it like a DSLR where you can select the point with the D-pad on the back in real time, or more like an X100 (I haven't touched one since the original) which makes it a real PITA to change away from the centre point?
Thanks
No problem on the verbage. I enjoyed writing my thoughts down, helps my thoughts process and protect my savings account!
Agree with what you are saying but as a long time M user, would you be better buying a 28 Summilux/cron/arit rather than the Q right now. If you have no real desire to go digital and I totally respect that, I wish I was confident enough to go film but I would be bankrupt in a month on processing costs and binned images!
If they bring an M that can be RF, plus do LV through an EVF, with the Leica colour signature and IS, it will be a killer. Now, looking at it physically, I looked at the focal plane on the M and tried some daft guesses on the Q and honestly, I think the sensor depth to the front of the case is pretty much there for it to take interchangeable lenses. Obviously no idea of how jam packed it is inside there but it isnt far off so maybe we are looking at the new M.
Tell you what though, it is an exciting year already for us isnt it!?
Agreed. It is. Having taken their time about what challenges the digital universe offers, Leica are finding their way, and their products are gradually getting a lot better. Someday soon, they will craft a timeless classic for the digital world, which will set the standards by which they will be defined and which others may vaguely attempt to emulate. Now, they are not there yet, but - at the rate they are producing classy stuff, I suspect that it is only a matter of time.
I have small hands, and I have to say that I love the ergonomics and form factor of the M6 - it sits beautifully in my hands and is balanced very nicely when I wear it around my neck.
And it doesn't take up too much space or weigh too much while carried in a rucksack.
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I didnt find it any more or less onerous than doing it on my A7. Tap to focus obviously is way easier as you tap what you want to focus on which beyond a certain distance gets a little more hit and miss of course as it gets smaller on the screen...
Here is the user guide on Leica site. Have a read and it tells you how to do it to see if this is a deal breaker for you.
http://uk.leica-camera.com/content/download/124515/1371770/version/3/file/Leica-Q_DE-EN.pdf
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I think you are spot on. The Q is close.
Actually forgot to mention a key piece of information. The EVF goes black when the shutter fires so RF fans beware. Also, it isnt really a speed demon when it comes to shoot, write to card, chimp, zoom... but it is nice and responsive nonetheless.
If I was wanting to tease you I would state the obvious... it is almost the size of a M6....
Actually, I have never used a M9, and have wondered what the difference - in size and comfort, and sheer pleasure - actually is.
If I was wanting to tease you I would state the obvious... it is almost the size of a M6....
Ah. Now, that is a teasing remark. I have just been reading some reviews.
For now, I am happy with my M6, but I will be curious to see this lovely camera when an opportunity to do so presents itself.
There's not a huge difference is size but it's enough to make the M9 much less comfortable to hold.
Ooo... leica pr0n....
very nice
Yes. Isn't it, just?
Actually, that is one of the glum admissions that one must confess to as a Leica owner; one doesn't just love looking at pictures taken by Leicas (and - when you get it right, the pictures are amazing), but, alas, you also find yourself drooling at pictures of Leicas….
Go here before you purchase: http://leicarumors.com/2015/06/20/25-leica-q-reviews-from-all-around-the-web.aspx/
Read the reviews from people who use cameras to take pictures, not use them to review and write copy.
You will notice 2 things, the reviews tend to be structured in the same manner and use the same words. As in Leica's PR department had a role in them.
Next you may be surprised that some/many pros are not all that taken with certain aspects of the camera, including the lens (beyond focal length).
My dealer received his allotment this week. Haven't been down there. The 28 is a non-starter for me. I use a 28 less than 20% of the time. Being tied to one with a $4,000+ fixed lens camera is not in the cards.
Read the reviews from people who use cameras to take pictures, not use them to review and write copy.
You will notice 2 things, the reviews tend to be structured in the same manner and use the same words. As in Leica's PR department had a role in them.
Next you may be surprised that some/many pros are not all that taken with certain aspects of the camera, including the lens (beyond focal length).
My dealer received his allotment this week. Haven't been down there. The 28 is a non-starter for me. I use a 28 less than 20% of the time. Being tied to one with a $4,000+ fixed lens camera is not in the cards.
There won't be anything to discuss. I've already ruled it out. I could see my wife picking it up though. She has a weakness for minimalist, well made, nice in hand products. She'd appreciate moving to a larger profile than her Fuji XE1. She comes from a 28 background.
I've been shooting a 35 as my main carry for 53 years. I'll wait until they put a more versatile lens in it.
Fair enough.
I can sympathise with your wife's perspective, as 'minimalist, well made nice in hand products' tick many of my preferred boxes, as well. Far too many cameras (especially the DSLRs) became bloated monsters.
In any case, I still use film, and absolutely love the form factor, size, build quality, ergonomics, and stunning lenses (I have the Summilux 35 which I use most of the time) of my M6.
I haven’t been blown away by the output of the files, the IQ seems less than a RX1 though the camera itself does look great and I do like the idea of 28mm. Just the price is way too much considering the alternatives for me. I mean I got my RX1 used in mint condition over a year ago for $1,800 and also have a X100T. Both cameras combined are still over a grand less.
There's no comparison. Better look again. The lens alone delivers a lot more IQ. Add to that Leica's typical processing. If you can't tell the difference then stick with what you have.
Agreed.
It is one thing to look at a picture as rendered on a computer as an uploaded file which has been uploaded by someone other than yourself; but it is quite another to actually see the image that you have taken with a Leica lens.
That is not to say that everything weeks well, or comes out well; it doesn't, of course not. However, when you get it right, the sheer quality of the image rendered can be extraordinary with a Leica lens.
Do you have any good samples to check out? I haven't done extensive research on the Q yet but what I was seeing wasn't blowing me away. I thought the IQ looked below the RX1 but as you guys stated it depends on the source.
Sidenote is this the same sensor as the M240?