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Leica Q -general-


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Attractive as the Q is, I think a fixed lens (I mean fixed to the camera, whether or not it is a zoom) in a digital camera is a huge flaw, and a barrier to its becoming a genuinely serious model.

 

Although it will sell well for a while, the time will come when the technology will feel old. Whilst quite a few people may be happy to resist progress, the majority will want the best on offer. So in not many years the whole thing including the still perfectly good lens has to go to make way for the newer version. 

 

Much as we may feel like resisting this impulse to chase the latest new thing, it is almost certainly what drives the majority of sales so most of us must be prone to it even when we don't acknowledge it in ourselves. This means that the Q will either need an interchangeable-lens model so that the body can be upgraded while the AF lenses can be retained along with, ideally, M lenses, or the fixed-lens Q will be a short-lived phenomenon in the Leica scheme of things.

 

I think this is sad because at the moment it looks like a very nice and seriously capable camera deserving of a longer future than it will probably enjoy, but we shouldn't kid ourselves that what's new in the digital market today will have the same appeal in a few years' time. 

 

Maybe an IL version will appear. I sincerely hope so. 

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Although it will sell well for a while, the time will come when the technology will feel old.

 

 

 

But does this not happen to all digital cameras, no matter whom the maker is?

 

Yes, but you don'r always have to get rid of the lens when you update the body. 

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Seriously doubt this

Sony has released 3 cameras

Yes, they have, and in my opinion, they still are savy with the move. The A7rii is a 'flag-ship' camera, and for example, Leica pretty much seems to be aiming the Q at Sony regardless of the higher price. Sony can see that coming - IF - they had announced it in advance, then the 'marketing likelyhood' of a deliberate media ploy would be less likely. Otherwise it's quite a coincidence.

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Unless you have some inside knowledge I would suspect that Panasonic has had zero to do with the camera, as it has with the M, T and X series. It's entirely possible however they supplied a capacitor or two.

I'm just stating that I had read of a relatively short development time, I agree that Panasonic has likely had little input with the M. Leica has a long history of tech partnership, for example the R series and Minolta, they have signed a five year extension with Pana as of last year.

Louis Ferreira's Q review at LR clearly comments about Leica and Panasonic - generally - in regards to development cooperation.

Edited by mooky
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At $4250 my cost on a roll of color film plus processing  (negatives plus scan 24mb TIFF files) runs to about $35. Simple division means the Q cost is fully capitalized after 120 rolls of film or about 2.3 years presuming an average of 36/shots per week (we all know it will be higher than that, especially digital). I am going to presume this camera's FF 24mp and brand new sensor etc is still going to be more than fine 3 years from now. Besides, for me, I will be using it as a high end point & shoot since I still prefer film to digital. Therefore, trading in my M9 and keeping the M-A always loaded, available the full array of lenses I own, seems like a good idea.

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Here's a brief review of the Q, complete with the mandatory Leica hater's cheap shot in the last sentence: 

 

http://techcrunch.com/2015/06/10/leica-announces-the-q-a-fixed-focus-camera-for-the-posh-photographer/

 

"Leicas cost too much - waa, waa, waa."  :rolleyes:  He's right about one thing:  It does take all kinds.

Edited by Carlos Danger
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Here's a brief review of the Q, complete with the mandatory Leica hater's cheap shot in the last sentence: 

 

http://techcrunch.com/2015/06/10/leica-announces-the-q-a-fixed-focus-camera-for-the-posh-photographer/

 

"Leicas cost too much - waa, waa, waa."  :rolleyes:  He's right about one thing:  It does take all kinds.

Snarky review. but positive on the merits.

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Just handled one this evening, briefly. I like it. I think I'll get one. The quality really feels there.

I'm at Look3 and Leica is here, has some gear out to loan and the Q is in the selection. Although not in the market for one, I just handled the Q and it really does feel substantial in a good way but pretty light at the same time. The ergonomics are also very nice.

 

In terms of being a great street machine, the lens does look big and perhaps a bit intimidating, about the same size as the lenses one would use on a Mamiya 6 or 7 RF, likely due to the AF/MF.

 

I just ran back to my hotel room to grab an SD card so I can go check it out, I'll post a pic if I end up with something interesting.

Edited by Ai_Print
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I think the idea of a high quality fixed lens is here to stay as sensors pack more and more pixels.  The Q when operating in the 35mm crop mode  gives 15mp, or almost the resolution of the M9. So to me it is a camera that replaces two focal lengths.  The 50mm crop mode is less than 10mp so not quite there yet.

 

The next iteration of the Q should replace the 50mm as well.

 

 

 

Attractive as the Q is, I think a fixed lens (I mean fixed to the camera, whether or not it is a zoom) in a digital camera is a huge flaw, and a barrier to its becoming a genuinely serious model.

 

Although it will sell well for a while, the time will come when the technology will feel old. Whilst quite a few people may be happy to resist progress, the majority will want the best on offer. So in not many years the whole thing including the still perfectly good lens has to go to make way for the newer version. 

 

Much as we may feel like resisting this impulse to chase the latest new thing, it is almost certainly what drives the majority of sales so most of us must be prone to it even when we don't acknowledge it in ourselves. This means that the Q will either need an interchangeable-lens model so that the body can be upgraded while the AF lenses can be retained along with, ideally, M lenses, or the fixed-lens Q will be a short-lived phenomenon in the Leica scheme of things.

 

I think this is sad because at the moment it looks like a very nice and seriously capable camera deserving of a longer future than it will probably enjoy, but we shouldn't kid ourselves that what's new in the digital market today will have the same appeal in a few years' time. 

 

Maybe an IL version will appear. I sincerely hope so. 

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I think this is a tremendous camera with a jaw droppingly good lens, and an amazing sensor.  The digital zoom doesn't bother me at all - I think a 10mp 50mm file will print very nicely at quite large sizes, and the idea of not having to carry extra lenses, or clean the sensor is enormously appealing.

 

I shoot a lot of film -- and that isn't going to change. I like the look, the process, and love the feel of my old M's. I usually travel with a film body, my M9, and three lenses to be shared. But this camera gives me pause.  It's beautiful. My wife would love using it.  I think I would as well.

 

As to the future, and digital decay -- honestly, all a 50mp sensor will do is force me to buy more drive space and upgrade to a faster processor.  And a sensor that acute, will probably mean that the lens on the camera will be larger and heavier, as well. Of course, it will mean the digital zoom can credibly emulate a 135 -- but I never shoot long lenses, so that's lost on me. 

 

This camera looks like a keeper.

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I agree with you.  High quality 10mp is enough to make 13"x19" prints with minimal to no interpolation and is more than what most people will ever need.  When Leica launched the DMR and the M8 (both of which were about 10mp), they stated the same based their internal analysis.  The windshield size prints Leica used to demo these cameras are still stunning today.

 

People like to fancy a need for ever higher resolutions and camera makers play up, but that's not the reality.  The majority of people with mega pixel cameras probably never made a large print and have no need for those extra pixels.

 

When a high quality fixed lens camera can make 10mp+ images at several different focal lengths, I expect a change in user patterns and the sales mix of interchangeable lenses.  For a lot of people, the Q (or its future iterations) will be the only camera they will ever need.  A lot of M users only shoot one or two focal lengths anyway.

 

I think this is a tremendous camera with a jaw droppingly good lens, and an amazing sensor.  The digital zoom doesn't bother me at all - I think a 10mp 50mm file will print very nicely at quite large sizes, and the idea of not having to carry extra lenses, or clean the sensor is enormously appealing.

 

I shoot a lot of film -- and that isn't going to change. I like the look, the process, and love the feel of my old M's. I usually travel with a film body, my M9, and three lenses to be shared. But this camera gives me pause.  It's beautiful. My wife would love using it.  I think I would as well.

 

As to the future, and digital decay -- honestly, all a 50mp sensor will do is force me to buy more drive space and upgrade to a faster processor.  And a sensor that acute, will probably mean that the lens on the camera will be larger and heavier, as well. Of course, it will mean the digital zoom can credibly emulate a 135 -- but I never shoot long lenses, so that's lost on me. 

 

This camera looks like a keeper.

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Here's a brief review of the Q, complete with the mandatory Leica hater's cheap shot in the last sentence: 

 

http://techcrunch.com/2015/06/10/leica-announces-the-q-a-fixed-focus-camera-for-the-posh-photographer/

 

"Leicas cost too much - waa, waa, waa."  :rolleyes:  He's right about one thing:  It does take all kinds.

 

The title is wrong !! A Fixed Focus Camera ?? :huh:

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