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On going thoughts re: the Q


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Well it's been a month or so now that I've had the Q, still have some frustrations with it that are mainly firmware related, ( i.e: the stupid EVF / LCD functions that I moaned about in a few of my Q postings here ), and like many of us I want the camera to have a just DNG mode, DNG+JPEG is a waste of memory space for me.

Movie function too is a waste of time, I want that button to be able to do something much more useful.

But all in all although I was close to dumping the camera halfway through my short ownership it's starting to grow on me as I use it more.

Battery life however is still a big issue and that's one that cannot be addressed I'm sure with whatever firmware upgrades will come in the future. I hate carrying extra batteries with a camera, ( my M240 goes with one battery per shoot day, albeit with a "reserve" in the pocket that's rarely if ever used ), but it's mandatory just to get through the day. I go with one fully charged in the camera, another in the bag or pocket that's sure to be used, then another as a "reserve", just in case. WiFi, IS are always off, as is auto review, but still the battery life is still meagre.

That's frustrating, but that's what it is. At least for me anyway.

I have two Leica Q batteries that I bought with the camera and two Wasabi batteries that I bought from Amazon (US) for $30 that included both batteries and a charger. So far they've performed just like the Leica Q branded batteries, no difference. Go figure.

I guess I am keeping the camera now though because I've just heard that Gariz will be shipping their Q case very soon, so as I'm more than happy with the Gariz cases I have for my M 240's and my MM I've just ordered their case for the Q……..So I suppose I will have to buy the proper "Thumbs-Up" for the Q now and let the MM have it's one back.

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You sound quite disappointed, have you considered selling the camera? You wouldn't lose much at all given they are still in short supply.

 

No offence meant at all but if I feel like you seem to once mine (finally) arrives then I will be selling it as it is too expensive to keep it if I don't love it.

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You sound quite disappointed, have you considered selling the camera? You wouldn't lose much at all given they are still in short supply.

 

 

 

Do we have information to confirm the reasonable idea that a Leica Q would resell for near list price? Does market experience with fixed-focal-length X and X-E shed light on the question?

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If you check out eBay you'll get a good idea. Once they are readily available then second hand prices will drop but people are willing to pay a premium to get their hands on one now. Long term, the Q won't hold value as well as an interchangeable Leica but is likely to hold up better than other fixed length cameras (based on the D-Lux models which still sell for much higher prices than the functionally identical Panasonic models).

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Not sure if you brought up the JPEG issue up before but the inclusion is because of the wifi function. Reviewing/transferring photos is sluggish as is with downsized jpegs. RAW images would be impossible. You might say that you don't care about those functions but it is a selling point for many. So to make it more universally accessible that means all the functions working all the time rather then having the app blocked out when RAW images are used. That would lead to less tecnhnolocgically knowledgable customers reaching out to Leica or coming on here asking what's wrong with their camera. Hopefully they'll come up with a fix that works for everyone but as of now that's the reason.

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You must do a lot of shots in a day.  I haven't found a day yet where I needed to use the spare battery I carry.  Granted I probably only shoot 300-400 shots and I rarely use continuous shooting mode so maybe that is why.  I carry the spare battery just in case.  I do have review turned off as I only occasionally will chimp.  Most of the time I just shoot and figure I will see better when I get home and can look on a 27" screen instead of a 3" screen.

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Hello everyone….no, I am not "disappointed" in the Q, for the image quality alone it's worth keeping. Maybe I am being hyper-critical but as I've earned my living as a photographer and cinematographer for too many decades I do tend to expect a lot from the "tools" I choose to work with.

I guess I expected the function abilities of the camera to be better thought out, ( from my perspective ), from the get-go, and while I've been admittedly frustrated by the present EVF / LCD set-up choices perhaps a lot of that is due to my personal preferences for an OVF rather than an EVF no matter how good the latter may be. Perhaps too why I also use a clip-on Voigtlander 28mm finder on the Q at times

That preference extends to my work as a cinematographer, I still miss the film camera's optical finders in these days of all things digital. I like being able to see "beyond" the frame, something that's not possible with EVF's.

Battery, I don't make a lot of shots in a day, perhaps 200 max', but I do like the camera to be "on" most of the time and going into "sleep mode" after 2 or sometimes 5 minutes. I don't "chimp" either, the review function, like John's, being turned off at all times. Though when I do "review" an image I do dislike being forced to review via the EVF when the EVF is the shooting choice, any review should always be on the LCD. That's "fixable", hopefully in a firmware update.

Sure I realize too that JPEG function is probably there in the DNG+JPEG choice to work with the WiFi function that I personally have yet to set-up or use, ( I doubt if I'd ever use the WiFi, like the video option ), but a "DNG only" option would be good to have.

 

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Ricky...you commented that you don't think the Q will hold value because it is not a lens swapping camera. That to me is its best feature. The ultimate point and shoot for high quality images, landscape or street. I love the 28mm length for both. Night shots are a breeze.

 

I find now when I travel, the Q fills the wide end for me perfectly. Grab it out of my vest's inside pocket and get the shot. I have a Nikon D810 on my shoulder and multiple lenses but now nothing less than 50mm. TheQ's AF is spot on and that helps my 74 year old eyes get proper focus. My bifocals make manual a bit dicey to say the least.

 

I may prove to be wrong on this, but it is so good at what it was designed to do; and I think there is clearly a market for people that want what it does and are not too concerned with what it does not have, i.e. lens swapping.

 

"Long term, the Q won't hold value as well as an interchangeable Leica but is likely to hold up better than other fixed length cameras (based on the D-Lux models which still sell for much higher prices than the functionally identical Panasonic models)."

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Ricky...you commented that you don't think the Q will hold value because it is not a lens swapping camera. That to me is its best feature. The ultimate point and shoot for high quality images, landscape or street. I love the 28mm length for both. Night shots are a breeze.

 

I find now when I travel, the Q fills the wide end for me perfectly. Grab it out of my vest's inside pocket and get the shot. I have a Nikon D810 on my shoulder and multiple lenses but now nothing less than 50mm. TheQ's AF is spot on and that helps my 74 year old eyes get proper focus. My bifocals make manual a bit dicey to say the least.

 

I may prove to be wrong on this, but it is so good at what it was designed to do; and I think there is clearly a market for people that want what it does and are not too concerned with what it does not have, i.e. lens swapping.

 

I think I made my point badly, I love the fixed length (I recently sold my much-loved RX1 which the Q will replace) and think the Q is awesome and represents good value for money in the context of Leica cameras. I plan to use it by itself or with my current m43 setup in a similar way to you and your D810.

 

My point is that fixed length cameras are a snapshot in time, a great lens will hold its value much better than a body so you will generally lose less by buying a body & lens separately rather than a fixed compact where the technology in the body can't be replaced independently of the lens.

 

I think the Q will hold its value much better than a regular compact, the RX1 has held up remarkably well, I got 60% back on what I originally paid 2 years ago but I sold some Nikon lenses lately and hardly lost anything at all, I actually made money on a couple of them.

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Guest jvansmit

The fast start up is great but I still take two spare batteries with me, and am always well into the second battery at the end of a good day ( with nil LCD use but occasional chimping).  

 

I'd happily pay extra for a DNG only version. It's a pain in the butt to delete a few hundred jpegs after a week long trip.

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Ricky...you commented that you don't think the Q will hold value because it is not a lens swapping camera.... I think there is clearly a market for people that want what it does and are not too concerned with what it does not have, i.e. lens swapping.

 

I bought a used M8 in 2010 and sold it almost two years later for 20 percent more (but in between I paid Leica to tune the rangefinder after the I dropped the camera once; fortunately, the UV lens filter took the brunt of the damage). I doubt anyone will get that with a Q.

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The fast start up is great but I still take two spare batteries with me, and am always well into the second battery at the end of a good day ( with nil LCD use but occasional chimping).  

 

I'd happily pay extra for a DNG only version. It's a pain in the butt to delete a few hundred jpegs after a week long trip.

 

Two batteries for me as well.

 

I wonder if the battery might last longer if DNG plus the smallest JPG option is selected as some of us ignore / discard those JPG files anyway.?  

I believe that the combination choice can be incorporated and saved in one of the 4 presets.

Personally, I only ever transfer the DNG files from the Sdcard to my primary storage and ignore the rest.  When I'm satisfied that files are safely stored, I reformat my card.  

Edited by lucerne
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Trivette, you're right!

I'm happy that I kept a few of my film Leicas plus other film cameras too. Perhaps I shouldn't moan about having to carry extra batteries though because I generally go out with 4-5 rolls of film when I choose to shoot that way making roughly the same number of exposures as I would if I'd taken a digital Leica instead. The film equals the extra batteries as far as extra stuff to carry.

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