Orguy

I went to Microsoft ice as you suggested. It said ice was retired and no longer available. I used to have a Lightroom subscription but it expired. Is there another free utility out there that can stitch photos for panoramas and also for hdr and focus stacking, if possible? I don’t want yet another subscription.

I just updated to v3.1 firmware. Is the amount of exposure bracketing for HDR settable? i.e. stitching together +-x stops where I can set x? What is the default (or only value) the Q2 is using?

Fumigatus: I hear you about the post processing. Can you learn to live with OOC? I have been a photographer for 50 years (gasp) and have been using my Q2 for a couple of years. "Everyone" says you need to work with the raw images and process them with so and so a program. Well, I started out with Lightroom trying this and got annoyed with all the crap I had to learn. Consulted information: I found thousands of pages and Youtube videos to educate me. Yuk. I could, but sure didn't want to. When I looked at the jpgs straight out of the camera (OOC) I thought they looked great and were so much better than all the previous generations of photo gear I have used. Now I just resist people saying I need to PP the raw images to get the most flexibility and quality out of each image. I simply edit the jpgs in Apple Photos to crop, straighten, lighten etc. when occasionally needed. That is more than enough to produce very satisfying results for me. I don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Enjoy this wonderful tool for its quality and simplicity and don't try to" embellish" your results for absolute ultimate perfection.

Thank you rk1, that is important,. Not sure if she was saying we shoild use the wider 52 mm . Not, in your experience. i gather! An extra step up adapter is not appealing. Good. So just get the 49 mm 5 mm filter and quit thinking, it sounds like the consensus.

It seems people are recommending the Murami 5 filter. I found this link where excellent closeup work has been done with that setup : https://www.leica-camera.blog/2017/10/09/botanical-beauty/ my question concerns a statement she made in this blog about using the 52 mm size rather than 49 that fits the Q2: I add 52 mm +5 and +3 Marumi macro lenses so that I can get closer to the subject. I use the larger size macro lenses to avoid or keep any vignetting to the outer edges. I have several +5 and +3 macro lenses so that I can create the unique magnification I want. would I better off as she says using 52mm to avoid vignetting? Does anyone have experience with is? *Do you still recommend the Murami as the go to close up filter?*

I too bought the sf 26 and soon regretted it. Yes it is nice and compact but i could never get it to work consistently as a fill flash. Sometimes it filled, often it didn't. Plus it is too weak. Overpriced piece of junk, an embarrassment for leica IMO. Based on much feedback here I'm thinking of getting the sf 40. I mainly want a dependable consistent flash that gives good fill flash and bounce inside. Everyone still likes the sf 40 right? Anyone want an sf 26 cheap?

When you make travel books, do you literally make them yourself or have someone else do it? I read online some people use picaboo.com photobooks and wonder if any of you have tried them (or someone else) and are satisfied?

I just got my Q2 from Camera West after ordering mid March. I've had the Q since it came out in 2015. I find it is a much better camera! The images are sharper, the macro seems much better and I don't see the banding I sometimes experienced on the Q. This has all led me to wonder: we see there has been a difference among users as to whether they prefer the Q or the Q2's images. Maybe it's not so much individual preference (or needs) but sample variation? Now of course a company like Leica will have good quality assurance and testing but there still will be some variability in individual units. In my case, I'd say that for sure the 47 MP helps, but I think I simply lucked out and got a superior sensor and lens.

What do you do with your images after you have looked at them on your computer, possibly edited them, etc.? Do you post online somewhere (Instagram, Facebook...), or make prints for hanging or albums, make photobooks? If you have someone make prints for you, whom do you recommend?

Has anyone in the US ordered the print copy of the Q2 manual that Leica offers for free? I can't understand how to fill out the form! If you go to the page to enter your contact information: https://order-instructions.leica-camera.com/Q2 you see it has two boxes under "street" and under "city" it has one box and then another one for Zip. How do I fill this out with my street address, city, state and zip code? Does street number go in the first "Street" box and then street name in the second "Street" box? Do I list the city and state all in the "City" box? Anyone have a clue what goes where? If you did order this, how long did you it take to receive it? I have been using the downloaded pdf they offer but would also like a hard copy too to bookmark and annotate etc.

I am on their wait list too. When did you sign up? Also - everybody - please tell what accessories I need to get? (fast) SD cards, screen protector, extra battery is a start. Anything else to get started?

I would like owners to give an update on the QA of the new Q2. I have a Q and am debating the upgrade. I've read a number of complaints scattered throughout the threads of dust inside the viewfinder, finish issues (chipping paint) and others. This gives me pause. Are these extremely rare problems or has the QA really slipped? Should I wait 6 months or so for kinks to be worked out?

Ok, that’s what IQ2 told me too on my thread. I guess I’ll just have to pony up and pay the subscription price. So you all seem to think it’s worth it, I gather. Thanks, everyone.

Can't someone please shoot and display some Q vs. Q2 shots at high ISO? So all things get considered: newer sensor, different number and size of pixels, etc. so we could really get a visual bottom line on this with our eyes? Also, as I requested in my thread, could someone do highly detailed subject (buildings, brick wall, resolution chart) and then display blown up center and edge shots? (admittedly edge shots might suffer somewhat from slight curvature of field rather than resolution edge falloff) Then we can really judge the image quality with our eyes and all the variables in the mix. This is what we ultimately care about, no?