Meet the Designers Behind the Leica Q (Typ 116)

[Keith (M)]

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Not sure if this has been posted elsewhere...  An interesting read.

[prk60091]

Very interesting. Thanks for the link.

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The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[Overgaard]

Really cool find. Great interview. 

[digitalfx]

This makes me excited for the future of Leica.

[goatsby]

Great read, thanks!

[johnloumiles]

One of the best inside pieces I've ever read about the current state of Leica. The one tidbit that surprised me was that X cameras are pre-assembled in Asia?! Is this common knowledge because I was under the assumption the X line was built alongside the M in Germany? I wonder where in Asia since they've always been so gun-ho about saying Panasonic didn't build those cameras. Thanks for sharing.

[Overgaard]

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One of the best inside pieces I've ever read about the current state of Leica. The one tidbit that surprised me was that X cameras are pre-assembled in Asia?! Is this common knowledge because I was under the assumption the X line was built alongside the M in Germany? I wonder where in Asia since they've always been so gun-ho about saying Panasonic didn't build those cameras. Thanks for sharing.

The Leica X is Vietnam.

 

Much of the other products are made in the factory in Portugal, and all is sent to Wetzlar for the final check. Only the 50 APO and Noctilux are made completely in Wetzlar as far as I know. The D-Lux and other stuff might be made at a Panasonic factory. One of the things I have heard is that Panasonic cameras has Leica lenses made on Leica made machines with Panasonic quality control, and the Leica editions of the "same" cameras' lenses are made on Leica made machines. with Leica quality control.

 

I don't know how much significance those things have. The glass cones from different suppliers, the electronics from different suppliers, and so on. I guess some glass parts come raw and are finalized by Leica, other parts may come final for assembly.

 

The metal parts of Leica was outsourced since 1980's to a Wetzlar company (who's CEO became in charge of Leica production a few years ago), and one of the companies Kaufmann owns in Wetzlar is an optical company that also delivers to Leica. That was how he got into Leica. 

Edited July 19, 2015 by Overgaard

[johnloumiles]

Thank You Thorsten! Very interesting stuff. I knew about the factory in Portugal but I wasnt aware only two lenses were made top down in Wetzlar. Makes me wonder about the promotional photos and videos showing M production, if they were shot in Portugal or put together for show in Germany. Tried to find images of the X cameras being assembled but other then some quality control press shots I came up empty. I guess it's all academic since they're made via machine rather then by hand nowadays and outsourcing is the norm rather then the exception.

 

Also wanted to say thanks for the extensive write up on the Q. I'm still waiting for mine to be delivered but I feel like I got a head start by reading it. Found the paragraph on white balance especially enlightening and bought the white balance card you mentioned.

 

The Leica X is Vietnam.

Much of the other products are made in the factory in Portugal, and all is sent to Wetzlar for the final check. Only the 50 APO and Noctilux are made completely in Wetzlar as far as I know. The D-Lux and other stuff might be made at a Panasonic factory. One of the things I have heard is that Panasonic cameras has Leica lenses made on Leica made machines with Panasonic quality control, and the Leica editions of the "same" cameras' lenses are made on Leica made machines. with Leica quality control.

 

I don't know how much significance those things have. The glass cones from different suppliers, the electronics from different suppliers, and so on. I guess some glass parts come raw and are finalized by Leica, other parts may come final for assembly.

The metal parts of Leica was outsourced since 1980's to a Wetzlar company (who's CEO became in charge of Leica production a few years ago), and one of the companies Kaufmann owns in Wetzlar is an optical company that also delivers to Leica. That was how he got into Leica.

 

Edited July 20, 2015 by johnloumiles

[Future2001]

Great find. Good to see Leica heading in amazing directions. 

[Mark T]

An X3 is mentioned in the interview. Does such a camera exist?

 

"Vincent Laine is just 25 years old. He graduated from Luleå Tekniska Universitet (Sweden) in 2013, and it was actually as part of his final degree project that he created the concept behind the Leica X3."

[dkCambridgeshire]

Interesting to read that the Q's sensor is not made by either CMOSIS or Sony … and that the author suggests it could be made by Panasonic. If Panasonic, maybe a FF mirrorless Panasonic camera could be a possibility? And that could have 'shared' R&D for a Leica FF mirrorless platform. Why? Because unlikely Panasonic and Leica would develop a FF sensor purely for the Q … it would likely have to be capable of further development for other platforms.  

 

dunk

[viramati]

Panasonic would indeed make sense seeing the collaboration they have both had on sensor/lens development before and the amount of panasonic input already in the camera. Maybe they are cagey about it as they want to keep the idea that this is an exclusive 'made in Germany' camera. Will be interesting to see in Panasonic soon release any form of FF compact

[johnloumiles]

I read on here somewhere that a sensor foundry called TowerJazz in Israel makes the sensors. Looking at their website they never say Leica specifically but they do mention a new partnership with Panasonic. Makes sense.

 

Also the X3 doesn't exist as such, rather it was just a prototype he drew up for his thesis that impressed Leica enough to hire him.

 

I was sad to read 4k will not make this version of the Q. Reddotforum pointed out in their review that the Maestro 2 was capable of 4k therefore a possible firmware upgrade, but now we know for certain that will never happen with this iteration because of overheating. At the very least I hope they add 24p and time lapse. No excuse for that as the former is the modern standard for cinema style film speed.

 

 

Interesting to read that the Q's sensor is not made by either CMOSIS or Sony … and that the author suggests it could be made by Panasonic. If Panasonic, maybe a FF mirrorless Panasonic camera could be a possibility? And that could have 'shared' R&D for a Leica FF mirrorless platform. Why? Because unlikely Panasonic and Leica would develop a FF sensor purely for the Q … it would likely have to be capable of further development for other platforms.

 

dunk

Edited July 20, 2015 by johnloumiles

[mjh]

An X3 is mentioned in the interview. Does such a camera exist?

No, that was just a design concept he created a few years ago – by his own accord, before his time with Leica. There is an old thread about this somewhere. The design was a bit silly – the kind of ideas designers come up with when they have no idea about the actual technology involved and whether something they design could actually be made to work (hint: his X3 could not). Still this didn’t deter Leica from hiring him (on the strength of his X3 concept I wouldn’t have but the Q has proven that they did the right thing).

[jaapv]

The Leica X is Vietnam.

 

Much of the other products are made in the factory in Portugal, and all is sent to Wetzlar for the final check. Only the 50 APO and Noctilux are made completely in Wetzlar as far as I know. The D-Lux and other stuff might be made at a Panasonic factory. One of the things I have heard is that Panasonic cameras has Leica lenses made on Leica made machines with Panasonic quality control, and the Leica editions of the "same" cameras' lenses are made on Leica made machines. with Leica quality control.

 

I don't know how much significance those things have. The glass cones from different suppliers, the electronics from different suppliers, and so on. I guess some glass parts come raw and are finalized by Leica, other parts may come final for assembly.

 

The metal parts of Leica was outsourced since 1980's to a Wetzlar company (who's CEO became in charge of Leica production a few years ago), and one of the companies Kaufmann owns in Wetzlar is an optical company that also delivers to Leica. That was how he got into Leica. 

Question, Thorsten: Leica had the complete production line for Summarit lenses intalled in Solms some years ago (advised by Porsche, if memory serves) Was that production moved as well?

[Overgaard]

Question, Thorsten: Leica had the complete production line for Summarit lenses intalled in Solms some years ago (advised by Porsche, if memory serves) Was that production moved as well?

That is likely. I think that was during Steve Lee, right? He introduced the whole idea of mass-production and stuff. 

 

I think a lot has been set up more smooth with the new factory finished in Portugal in 2014 and the new in Wetzlar in 2015. I don't think a lot of production is supposed to happen in Wetzlar. And I wonder what happened with the company on the other side of the street which was the out-sourcing of metal works in 1982 or something. Maybe those things are in Portugal now. But I don't know.

 

I see that for example engraving that was done down the hallway in the Solms factory now is somewhere outside and takes days to get done. I wonder if it is someone in the city or if they shop to Portugal and back ever day. Doesn't matter, but it's been streamlined and that is a good thing. Less cosy, but more cost-effective and higher quality I would assume. The engravings seemed to be in the prototype shop where three man or something would engrave a camera. Now it a laser engraving done somewhere centrally.

Edited July 20, 2015 by Overgaard

[Tim B]

On a slightly different tack with reference to the designers.

 

Let me say from the start that I like my Q very much and think that the designers have done a great job. It is becoming one of my favourite cameras.

 

However, reading through the thread on firmware suggestions and my own thoughts about some of the camera's quirks, I wonder about the photographic provenance of the designers - or at least the writers of the firmware.

 

I wonder if these designer wizards have done much photography.

 

Some functions seem to be implemented in a way that, in my own "quirky" opinion , could have been more intuitive for the practical photographer. There are too many to list here but the firmware thread bears careful reading. Of course nothing is perfect and one always has to learn a new camera and its idiosyncrasies, but the question came to mind.

 

It took may years for the M to evolve; hopefully this is early in the evolution of the "perfect" Q.

 

I wonder if these designer wizards have done much photography.

 

Tim

Edited July 21, 2015 by Tim B

[kkonkkrete]

The designers don't have to have done much photography themselves as long as the prototype and beta are tested properly by serious photographers / fussy end-users (I'm the latter, not the former, BTW).  They just need users to tell them what cramps usability and address it quickly.

 

I still haven't had a chance to try one out myself, I really want to know if those little details (like no quick way to change AF mode, or having to hold AE lock) will bother me too much to gel with the camera.

[Mike Rawcs]

I really like the Q but I'm still undecided about buying one. From the information given by the designers (and elsewhere) it would seem that the 28mm focal length was chosen to be able to keep the lens a manageable size. Even so, digital correction had to be made and even embedded in the DNG file. This correction seems to have caused very jarring out of focus areas and some strange edges to background detail (e.g. edges of buildings and window frames) - at least from what I have observed. I'm not sure that this is the way to go for a company that holds a reputation for quality lens design. I know that it is a common practice in this digital age, but I don't like it, personally. I'd much rather has an optically corrected lens of f2 or f2.8 than a software corrected f1.7. And a 35mm or 50mm would have suited me much better. 

 

Mike.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica Q

[jaapv]

So there is the M -with Summicron or Summilux 35