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NEW: Leica Q - Full Frame Compact with Leica M Feeling


Leica Q - Your Opinion  

627 members have voted

  1. 1. Is the Leica Q interesting for you?

    • I want one - where can I pre-order?
      152
    • I'm interested, but I'll wait for tests
      82
    • Interesting, but I want a 35mm or 50mm lens
      109
    • Leica Q with interchangeable lenses please
      189
    • Great supplement for my Leica M
      87
    • Interesting but too expensive
      82
    • Nothing for me...
      55


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Yep fair enough, everybody is entitled to an opinion of course. I do think the "almost everyone" comment was odd though, the camera is going down a storm!

 

And of course an IL version with the same image quality and body size would be great, but we have to be realistic. This is state of the art right now and decent value (compared to an RX1, or M with a 28).

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How do you know it's "almost everyone"? It absolutely hits the mark for me so I've ordered one and I can't wait to get it.

 

Andy,

 

Just by reading through the various "Q" threads and roughly guessing the proportion of responses. Nothing else.  :)

 

I hope for Leica's sake it does "go down a storm;" I always wish the best for Leica. But the messages on the various Q threads of this Forum would indicate that there are a lot of reservations. The dispassionate and enthusiastic discussion of them is interesting and fun.

 

Enjoy your Q and let us know how you get on with it. I would love to hear - and see your photos.

 

Tim

Edited by Tim B
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Thinking about it some more I think it's reasonable to see less positivity in the Leica forum from existing users. I come from an RX1R and am super excited about the Q. If I owned an M camera already with a selection of good lenses, I doubt I'd be quite so positive (although the size and weight would still appeal). I suspect the Q is aimed more at photographers new to Leica however. I've always aspired to a "proper" Leica, but none of the recent "affordable" attempts have come close to hitting the mark, and I can't justify the cost of an M.

 

(And for me personally the Q hits the bullseye, because I love the 28/35mm focal lengths.)

Edited by Guest
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Honestly I don't see the Q affecting the Ms at all and of course all camera designs progress over time. An M shooter wants the versatility of interchangeable lenses. The M 240 is three months short of being three years old now so I would expect to see the next iteration of the M soon incorporating all the technology of the Q and much more and will also likely be almost twice the price for just the body alone. As another poster said, the Q offers a great jumping-in point for new Leica users that have no interest in investing $15K+ in the more versatile M camera system.

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What a ripper! :) :)



Leica's leading the way for fixed lens EV electronic cameras.

The Leica superb optics, perfectly matched with state-of-art sensor, may see a huge winner here.... ;)

Excellent software correction...I think Leica has hit a home run.


Reckon it would be fabulous to use with the world leading image quality.


cheers Dave S

Edited by david strachan
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Just reading Ming Thein's review, and he makes the comment others have made - if the Q had interchangeable lenses, it would kill the M.  If find this odd for a number of reasons:

 

(1) people would prefer a non-optical viewfinder option to the M, apparently. Reasons could be functionality (extended focal lengths, macro, zoom and the list goes on), price or just a desire for the latest tech, which historically the M isn't.

 

So, if such a Q interchangeable lens camera (logically with a T mount and M adapter) would outsell the M camera, Leica won't make it.  Why?  Because it knows best? Or it would rather sell us the traditional M, even though (apparently) enough want this new camera that it would impact sales.

 

Doesn' that sound a bit ... arrogant?

 

(2) Sony's A7

 

Enough said.

 

(3) The M is always going to be what it is - traditional, simple and of particular appeal. The M(240) is much loved for what it does in its traditional functionality. Most M users seem to applaud the rangefinder, not focus peaking and not the add on EVF. I don't see too many videographers praising the video quality - I don't see much comment about it. Nor do we have a thread on GPS. 

 

People like the improvement in the core functions, and that's pretty much it.  That's why I was not even remotely interested in the M(240), but love my Edition 60 (and my M-A, actually). 

 

So, my thought? Re-align the cameras, so their point of difference is clear.  Sure, have M variants, but clarify the offering:

 

  • S camera - whatever it's purpose, I'm sure it's doing well. It probably needs a technology upgrade, but it's a medium format SLR for a specific purpose

 

  • M camera - all about the rangefinder, and lenses between 18mm to 135mm (particularly 28-90).  Best IQ, best lenses. Hand made, fabulous quality, and yes expensive. Focus on those strengths.

 

  • Q camera - at this stage, fixed lense.  But, why not adopt the T mount and up the options and quality of the T lenses. Leica has great history in zoom lenses (R lens designs) and autofocus (they invented it, and use it for the S lenses).  This is the camera for all the electronic wizardry.  There is already an M adapter for this mount. Make it cheaper, and mass produce it.

 

  • T camera - APS-C, it has a different market. It will benefit from the lenses developed for the Q camera - Canon and Nikon offer APS-C and full frame versions of its lenses. 

 

  • X cameras - not that interested, but they serve a purpose. 
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Another big step of Leica camera, the new innovation of Q type 116 is very interesting, I prefer the built-in electronic viewfinder that can adjust diopter for my eye-sight and hope to see it with M camera or Q camera to be interchangeable next time, that'll be very perfect.

Thank and appreciate to the Leica performance team.

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It's all gone a bit nuts... Seems everyone like this camera and Leica needed another home run.

 

Personally I like it but I'm too entrenched in film. I guess we'll see  ;)

they could do a film camera with fix 28 mm :-)

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If  an interchangeable lens version of the Q came out I would swap my M240 and, possibly, lenses for it without regrets. Reasons: size, IS, AF, EVF for wide, tele & macro, and the lens and build quality already appear to be M class. But, and the "buts" grow as I think more about it, I can see problems with developing an ILS version:

 

- the Q has a leaf shutter, which probably accounts for some of the size reduction. So an ILS, with FP shutter, would either be bigger, or could not accept M lenses.

- and could a FP shutter give the same extremely short EVF blackout that the Q is reported to have?

- the fixed lens Q allows precise matching of lens and sensor, which again probably helps with size. Can this exact matching be repeated with a range of lenses?

 

I don't underestimate Leica's ability to deal with these issues - I hope they do. If they don't I shall continue happily with the M and perhaps its successors, but still consider a Q as a complementary camera for single lens carry-around.

Edited by LocalHero1953
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they could do a film camera with fix 28 mm :-)

 

I doubt the Q lens is much cop without the in-camera software corrections. A film version of the Q would probably be like a 28mm Holga (just better build quality) :D . The lens that Minolta used in the TC-1 compact, whilst admittedly much slower, is almost certainly a better 28mm lens in pure optical terms (as are Leica's own 28mm M lenses).

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If you don't already have an M camera (and you like digital), the Q looks like a very fine camera and (as is often the case) the accompanying brochure is quite seductive. I've even given the camera some consideration myself as something I could use for my non-film landscape work, 28mm being a favourite focal length of mine, but I only have to remind myself that the same kind of money almost buys the new 28 Summilux – a lens that will remain relevant for an entire lifetime's photography – and I quickly lose interest in the Q. :)

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<p>

 

Just reading Ming Thein's review, and he makes the comment others have made - if the Q had interchangeable lenses, it would kill the M.  If find this odd for a number of reasons:

 

 

 

Hi John

I didn't make these comments, and I agree with most of what you say - the reason I gave up on the A7 is because although the body was small, the zooms I wanted to use with it were neither small, fast or particularly good. Good Fast Full Frame Zoom lenses are going to be BIG - in which case why a small body? . . . . . . . and if I'm going to shoot primes I'd rather shoot a rangefinder than an EVF . . hence the M. . . . . and perhaps the best of the Nikon D750 is the current best small option.

 

If I want small, fast primes, then, to be honest, there's nothing to beat what I already have - a rangefinder M.

 

The Q is quite a different beast however, and using it is extremely seductive :)

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The Q hits all my check marks, and even comes with my favorite focal length. Whilst I love my X cameras, the biggest drawback was always the lack of built in finder which the Q answers in spades. Looking forward to testing one out at Leica Store Miami to see if we get along in person!

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