pappde Posted July 6, 2015 Share #1 Posted July 6, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) On the Leica Blog Bernie writes: "If you are a Leica M shooter, the Q will feel very light to you. The M is built from solid brass parts that add a lot of weight to the camera. The Q, on the other hand, is built like the X series (Type 113 and X-Vario): solid aluminium top, some metal core with polycarbonate coverings. The sides and the bottom plate are not metal." I clearly remember reading Red Dot forum from David Farkas that the Q top and bottom is from aluminum and the body is magnesium. The bottom and sides definitely do not feel like plastic to me. I know that it is no really so important, but I am curious. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 6, 2015 Posted July 6, 2015 Hi pappde, Take a look here Q build. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
asiafish Posted July 6, 2015 Share #2 Posted July 6, 2015 On the Leica Blog Bernie writes: "If you are a Leica M shooter, the Q will feel very light to you. The M is built from solid brass parts that add a lot of weight to the camera. The Q, on the other hand, is built like the X series (Type 113 and X-Vario): solid aluminium top, some metal core with polycarbonate coverings. The sides and the bottom plate are not metal." I clearly remember reading Red Dot forum from David Farkas that the Q top and bottom is from aluminum and the body is magnesium. The bottom and sides definitely do not feel like plastic to me. I know that it is no really so important, but I am curious. The X are the same, aluminum top and bottom with magnesium body. I just played with the Q at Leica Store Los Angeles yesterday (third time) and had my X 113 with me. X with the 020 Visoflex attached and Q are almost exact same weight. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overgaard Posted July 6, 2015 Share #3 Posted July 6, 2015 I'm pretty sure the side and bottom is metal. But the bottom of the camera, and the sides that meet with it, are far from being as solid as the M. I think the body can be pressed so there is a little gap in the bottom (mine has that now), and if you drop the camera I'm sure the impact will affect th camera shape differently than the M.I think the build quality is as good (or better) than most similar cameras. But not as M. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jvansmit Posted July 6, 2015 Share #4 Posted July 6, 2015 I dropped my Q a couple of days ago (stupid of me, I know), and there's a small graze on the edge of the bottom plate but no dent. It did startle a passing Buddhist monk though. I've also dropped my MM1 + 24mm Lux (a very heavy combo) which resulted in a small top-plate dent. A noticeable difference is that the Q bounced and skidded across the road while the MM1 hit the ground with an expensive sounding thud. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bernie.lcf Posted July 6, 2015 Share #5 Posted July 6, 2015 Well, I am looking at and feeling my personal Leica Q right now. Identifying the material in a non abrasive way is tricky, but I can tell you of the following: Top plate seems to be a different material from the sides and the bottom. We know that the top plate is aluminium; consequently the bottom plate would not be. Whether the sides are polycarbonate (as I think it is and therefore suggested in my blog entry) or maybe some magnesium, I would not be able to tell for sure. However, I have a disassembled Apple Powerbook Duo just next to me and its inner frame is known to be magnesium - at the very minimum I can tell you that the Q body is no the same material. If you open the battery door you can peek inside and see that the bottom plate is a thin something (IMHO polycarbonate) of about 0,5mm thickness covering a frame. So maybe it is aluminium covering some kind of a frame and therefore making a distinctly different noise from the top plate that is said to be machines of a single piece of aluminium similar to the X bodies. Let's have a quick peek at the X-Vario sitting on my table as well. This one is older and it has scratches on the bottom and the sides. Scratches look like polycarbonate to me rather than aluminium (I have those all over a Unibody MacBook) If you have a non abrasive way of telling the material, let me know. Since we are talking about my personal Q here (that cost me a lot of money to get), I'd prefer not to harm it on purpose. As to the build quality: as I have written before: it is fine and I have no complaints Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
prk60091 Posted July 6, 2015 Share #6 Posted July 6, 2015 The X are the same, aluminum top and bottom with magnesium body. I just played with the Q at Leica Store Los Angeles yesterday (third time) and had my X 113 with me. X with the 020 Visoflex attached and Q are almost exact same weight. i shot all weekend with the Q and to me it does not feel heavier than my X1 (i know it is-- it just doesnt feel heavier) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
viramati Posted July 6, 2015 Share #7 Posted July 6, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) Here is the text from the brochure Made in Germany, the Leica Q design reflects the principles of reduction to the essentials. The materials employed in its construction guarantee exceptional endurance. The top plate is machined from solid blocks of aluminum, the body is made of magnesium alloy, and all the lettering and numbers on its setting dials are laser engraved. The thumb rest on the back of the camera and the diamond pattern of its leathering ensure a grip which is firm and ideal and clearly illustrate that form and function still go hand in hand at Leica. There is no mention of what the base is made of and personally I don't really care Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpwhite Posted July 6, 2015 Share #8 Posted July 6, 2015 I toured Wetzlar today, although my Q was not allowed to have its lens cap off inside the production zone. Interesting to learn that the Q lens is produced in Wetzlar, including final unit assembly and qc. This might explain the price! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jvansmit Posted July 7, 2015 Share #9 Posted July 7, 2015 there is aluminium showing through the baseplate edge ...the small damage from when I dropped it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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