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Serious Concerns about the Leica Q?


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I think it is best that you read through a number of threads in this forum and make up your mind, there are some good reviews here and there as well: Jonathan Slack, Ming Thein, etc. And ignore the loud-mouthed bloggers....

 

As for the AF, it is universally praised, as is the manual focusing capability.

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Only complaints I'm aware of are with the EVF diopter adjustment and delicacy of rear screen and EVF glass.

Personally I think its an incredible improvement over the X series and for 28mm (and 35mm) fans makes a decent alternative to an M and in many ways (AF) improves on the M.

 

If I didn't already own the X and a great 28mm M lens I would likely go for the Q.

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If you are happy with the cost and a fixed 28mm lens then there is very little else to fault. If you're considering it then presumably the cost is okay for you so the only part that remains is are you happy with only shooting 28mm? (or needing another camera/system for other lengths).

 

For me the answer is yes since 28mm is a perfect length for 90% of what I shoot and I'm happy to "make do" with my Olympus E-M1 with a 12mm & 60mm lenses (24 & 120 equiv) when I need to go wider or longer.

 

Most of the time I'll just take the Q but I could still fit the Q, E-M1, both lenses and a Lee Seven5 filter set in a Domke F-5XB bag if I needed more options.

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Thank you all.

 

Sorry about the multiple post......issue with one of the browsers I use.

 

I have read all of the reviews and was looking for something odd that a user might have found now that some have had more mileage on the Q than what a reviewer might have had and I really don't see anything.

 

With regards to the perfect camera (especially digital), point taken. 

 

For me, the price is fine, I want fixed FF, and 28 is a little wide, but will work as it will be used for all around.

 

I am so happy that Leica has put out what appears by all accounts to be a Wonderful camera!

 

Thank you Leica.

 

Thanks again all for your input.

 

Carlton

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I have been a strong Leica critic, especially when it comes to their AF and I can honestly say this is the best AF camera I have used.  This includes the Olympus cameras and the Panasonic cameras, both have excellent AF.  The one area I have not tested on AF is the tracking AF which it does have.  I find that I can shoot individual shots as quick as I can push the shutter button while a subject is coming at me quickly and get a 98% hit rate.  I haven't tried burst shooting as it isn't my style.  I have also found it focuses quickly in light that is so low I can barely with great effort manual focus because of how dark it is and that is even with the EVF amplifying the light.  Turn on the AF assist light and you can shoot in the dark as it does a quick flash and focus.  Not a perfect camera but as close as I have found.

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I absolutely enjoy me Q. It's just great. AF is so fast you even can take pics from running kids without pre focusing. Feels wonderful. And the high-iso performance. Fantastic.

 

The only thing I feel not comfortable with are the colours when shooting JPEG. At least the default values do not work for me.

 

-TK

 

(P.S.: The Q is not really compact. It's near to the X. At least I do not see much of a difference in handling. But it's far bigger than the X1/2...)

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I've finally found a complaint about the Q. 

 

After I went flying off a quad bike with it slung round me, on to a 45degree tarmac path and then into a tree, I washed the lens cap in water. Part of the tape inside the lens cap has come off, so at certain rotations it is a bit loose. 

 

So other than a 10 cent piece of tape, it's pretty damned good. Just look at some of the Q thread images.

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I've finally found a complaint about the Q. 

 

After I went flying off a quad bike with it slung round me, on to a 45degree tarmac path and then into a tree, I washed the lens cap in water. Part of the tape inside the lens cap has come off, so at certain rotations it is a bit loose. 

 

So other than a 10 cent piece of tape, it's pretty damned good. Just look at some of the Q thread images.

According to the user manual, if you flew off a quad bike, you're doing it wrong.

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According to the user manual, if you flew off a quad bike, you're doing it wrong.

It's worth reposting - the Q after a rumble in the jungle

 

20594780528_b3cc88699f_c.jpgL1010455 by Steven S, on Flickr

 

To twist Bjorge Lillelien's famous utterance, "it took a hell of a beating".

 

I suspect that, after what I did to it, many other cameras would have been in little bits bouncing down the road. The fact that it still seems to work perfectly and the only damaged paintwork is on the lens cap is a real testament to its design, bearing in mind it is a very light camera.

 

The half-case did save the base from getting a drubbing. My old M9 base lost of a lot of paint and took a whack before I bought it, and is cheap to replace. With the new flap for the battery/card compartment  damage to the base of the Q is permanent. 

Edited by sls
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If @barjohn likes it, you'd better listen up. [emoji2] I wonder if there are any people that can meet @barjohn's standards? [emoji2][emoji2]

I was equally tough in putting my teams together with one criteria being they had to be better than me at whatever the task was and have a passion for the work.  The result was outstanding products delivered as promised with excellent support.  I personally would do the tedious and boring work of finding bugs before our customers (at least to the extent possible) and as a means of encouraging my programmers to do their best (no one wants the boss finding your mistakes).  I think having high standards is important and seems to be going by the way side.  I guess I'm old fashioned!   :D  :D

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I was equally tough in putting my teams together with one criteria being they had to be better than me at whatever the task was and have a passion for the work.  The result was outstanding products delivered as promised with excellent support.  I personally would do the tedious and boring work of finding bugs before our customers (at least to the extent possible) and as a means of encouraging my programmers to do their best (no one wants the boss finding your mistakes).  I think having high standards is important and seems to be going by the way side.  I guess I'm old fashioned!   :D  :D

 

Excellent, effective leadership & team-building practices! Don't despair...From where I sit, high standards are still the norm in many instances.

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Greetings.  I joined yesterday a one-hour walk in Washington DC down town with Leica Store to test Leica Q.  The exercise was a curtsey from Leica, and was conducted very professionally by their staff.   They were very polite and helpful--an excellent reflection on themselves and on the company.

 

Leica Q is certainly a very capable camera with many advantages and features we all know about--I can not really add something new.  However, we are talking here about Leica Q with a superb 28mm lens.  Thus, if you do not bond with the 28mm focal length, you will not enjoy it that much.  The 35mm and 50 mm frames and the smaller jpg files of 16 and 8 MP can be a reasonable solution, but you are compromising.  I don't feel like compromising at its current price level.  If I am a 35mm or a 50mm user, then I want the full 24 MP to use.  The absolute minimum that is acceptable to me is 18 MP (i.e., similar to M9) for a 50mm when the main lens is 35mm.  

 

Another concern I had is that coming from Leica M platform, the work flow while shooting is different.  I won speed, but lost the focus I get with manual regiment with the M--but this maybe me and maybe will change over time.  A third concern, is given its heavy-electronic functionality, the importance of the passport warranty in the first 3 years at least is supreme.  Buying secondhand may prove tricky--at least till we know how reliable the system is.  Most likely it is reliable, but it is something to think about.

 

Can it substitute the 28mm Elmarit ASPH I currently use with the M system?  Yes, it can--but this is an expensive way to go.  Can a future Q 35mm be a game changer--yes, very much so.  Such a camera--when it exists--can be a wonderful support and a backup for an M system.  

 

In a nutshell, you must be very comfortable with the 28mm focal length to really enjoy this wonderful camera at this price.  Its focal length is main concern really.  My 2 cents.

 

Enjoy in good health.

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