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Q faults so far


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What's the clicking of the screen?

 

I first reported this back in June:

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/246724-warning-q-rear-screen-fragile/?p=2841725

 

It doesn't have any impact on usability and unless you look for it its really not noticeable. Since I reported this mine has stopped doing it, but quite a few others followed up with the same issue. Leica is evidently looking into it according to one poster who showed it to a Leica rep.

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We all worry too much. I took the Q out for a walk this morning,  ending up at a diner for breakfast.  Here is the waitress, pretending she is behind the bar at the Folies Bergeres.  My initial reaction is that the camera is wonderful,  and people who think it is only for street photographs are wrong.  You can do a lot with it,  and it is totally convincing dealing with all kinds of landscapes.  The inherent look or palette is very nice -- good macro contrast but not in any way pumped up.  With its low light capacity it can do stuff that the M9 can't although there is nothing to beat the clarity and simplicity of working with a viewfinder.  The manual focusing is trickier than the M's. and not as easy, and I find myself using auto-focus,  which you still have to use some judgment.  But -- a great addition to the arsenal.

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I have a perfect Q (so far), and a perfect X Vario (from day 1). 

I have had a perfect q (so far) and my X1 is also perfect ( I have had it since shortly after launch. It is on the auction block-- don't 'need' it now). 

 

This thread is much ado about nothing. 

Edited by prk60091
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I agree with alee.  Folks who rush to buy the first production of any new item might expect issues.  Waiting a few months to ensure that bugs are worked out makes good sense.  Besides the camera is still difficult to find here in the states and probably will be for a bit longer.  Probably a good thing in my case, in order that I accrue all the funds.  In the meantime, I enjoy reading what others are experiencing and what I may expect.

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  • 2 weeks later...

If you want the camera as soon as it comes out, this is what happens.  Either you accept the risk that goes along with buying during production ramp-up, or you wait.

 

 

 

Really? And if everyne waited what would happen then? Very likely the product would be considered a failure. Plus if everyone waited there would be no need for a production ramp up.

 

One of the reasons that people buy a Leica is because they trust the quality of German workmanship. Which means that the products should be sufficiently and thoroughly tested and QC should be the best. Otherwise Leica might as well open a production line in China  and cut costs for both themselves and the customers.

 

Buying a Leica is the equivalent of buying..let's say.. a Rolls Royce. The quality should be the equivalent to that as well.

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Really? And if everyne waited what would happen then? Very likely the product would be considered a failure. Plus if everyone waited there would be no need for a production ramp up.

 

One of the reasons that people buy a Leica is because they trust the quality of German workmanship. Which means that the products should be sufficiently and thoroughly tested and QC should be the best. Otherwise Leica might as well open a production line in China  and cut costs for both themselves and the customers.

 

Buying a Leica is the equivalent of buying..let's say.. a Rolls Royce. The quality should be the equivalent to that as well.

 

There has never been a perfect newly announced digital camera straight off the production line from any manufacturer. And BTW, Leica does have production lines in the Far East where it has sourced accessories for many years. Some current Leica lenses are manufactured in Japan - and they're not badge engineered jobs - they're proper Leica lenses. 

 

dunk

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There has never been a perfect newly announced digital camera straight off the production line from any manufacturer. And BTW, Leica does have production lines in the Far East where it has sourced accessories for many years. Some current Leica lenses are manufactured in Japan - and they're not badge engineered jobs - they're proper Leica lenses. 

 

dunk

 

I agree, but I believe that quite a few of the issues mentioned are related to QC. Quite a lot of other cameras are mass produced and you do expect some QC issues. However Leica prides (and advertises) itself on the thorough work that they do in their factory in Germany where the assembly happens. A chunk of the camera price is due to the fact that it is made in Germany (higher production costs, etc). There are not many countries in the world that can attract customers with the "Made in ..." badge. Japan and Germany are two of a handful. Made in Japan and Made in Germany convey worldwide recognition of high quality, well designed and near perfect. Made in China conveys worldwide impression of cheap and mass produced (although in many cases this is not the case). Whereas Made in UK or Made in USA are nowadays mostly used to appeal to the nationalistic feelings of the citizens of the respective countries.

 

I suppose the higher the expectations the greater the amount of criticism one attracts if things develop faults.

 

As a newcomer to the world of Leica I can say that it doesn't fill you with confidence when you hear that Leica products develop faults which are related to QC or poor design(?). Granted, I am aware that forums in general have a tendency to magnify a problem but that is part of the parcel. Because a forum can create a lot of hype just as well as bad publicity.

 

I really want to get a Q because it seems perfect for my needs but I am reluctant to throw £3k at a camera when I am told that I should expect faults to develop if I am an early adopter. I know Leica stands by its customers and there's a 2 year warranty but I am one of those types that a fault developing would tarnish the enjoyment of something new. 

Edited by likealot
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only quality issue for me is the lens. also, and i think this is good point, even thought it can be auto everything there is a definite learning curve to get the most out of it. what to do if there is a interchangeable lens Q introduced in the fall is the only question i have.

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I agree, but I believe that quite a few of the issues mentioned are related to QC. Quite a lot of other cameras are mass produced and you do expect some QC issues.

Actually it is the other way around. Machines make consistent mistakes. So QC can pull one camera out of (say) thousand out of the production line and tear it completely to pieces to test it, and be sure that all other cameras in the batch have the same faults, if any.

Humans assembling individual cameras make random mistakes, so one would have test each and every camera made to destruction to get the same level of QC. Obviously impossible. Or put a quality inspector behind each and every worker, equally unpractical.

That is not to say that obvious errors like aperture rings upside down, missing red dots, and some  more, are not embarrassing blunders.

The Leica Q, with quite a few mass-produced Panasonic parts inside, should do a lot better.

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  • 1 month later...

As I am getting up to speed with the Q I am finding some issues with the settings changing themselves. 

 

For example, I can set the auto ISO shutter to 125 min and in using the camera going from user 1  back to Default Profile the camera will always default to Max. Exp Time -Auto when I want to keep it at 125.  Also the same is true with single point focus, it will go back to Multi-Point each time.

 

I would expect these settings to stay locked till I change them, yet they change back to some default setting on their own?? 

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After more than two months with the Q, I now have isolated my most-annoying problem. In order to change exposure compensation using the thumb dial, it appears one has to first set the camera to manual aperture and automatic shutter mode. I find I frequently need to switch from a manual shutter mode, change the exposure compensation, then switch back again. Likewise, if I'm set to automatic aperture, I need to select an aperture just for the sake of changing the exposure compensation, then go back to auto aperture. It wouldn't be quite so bad if the FN button allowed me to get to the touch-screen exposure compensation, but that's not an option. And even then, I'd rather not have to take the camera away from my eye.

 

I would like to see the option of having the thumb dial control exposure compensation in all shooting mode combinations.

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In order to change exposure compensation using the thumb dial, it appears one has to first set the camera to manual aperture and automatic shutter mode. I find I frequently need to switch from a manual shutter mode, change the exposure compensation, then switch back again. Likewise, if I'm set to automatic aperture, I need to select an aperture just for the sake of changing the exposure compensation, then go back to auto aperture. It wouldn't be quite so bad if the FN button allowed me to get to the touch-screen exposure compensation, but that's not an option. And even then, I'd rather not have to take the camera away from my eye.

In other words, you say that the camera does not follow the manual? "In P, S, and A exposure modes, it may be more useful in such cases to set an appropriate exposure compensation."

 

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In other words, you say that the camera does not follow the manual? "In P, S, and A exposure modes, it may be more useful in such cases to set an appropriate exposure compensation."

 

 

The dial on the top plate controls Exposure Compensation only in A (Aperture Priority) mode. In P mode it selects from aperture/shutter combinations, but doesn't change overall exposure. In S mode it selects 1/3EV shutter speeds.

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After more than two months with the Q, I now have isolated my most-annoying problem. In order to change exposure compensation using the thumb dial, it appears one has to first set the camera to manual aperture and automatic shutter mode. I find I frequently need to switch from a manual shutter mode, change the exposure compensation, then switch back again. Likewise, if I'm set to automatic aperture, I need to select an aperture just for the sake of changing the exposure compensation, then go back to auto aperture. It wouldn't be quite so bad if the FN button allowed me to get to the touch-screen exposure compensation, but that's not an option. And even then, I'd rather not have to take the camera away from my eye.

 

I would like to see the option of having the thumb dial control exposure compensation in all shooting mode combinations.

Why would one want to use exposure compensation with the camera on manual?

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