Adalsteinn S.H. Posted March 23, 2016 Share #1 Posted March 23, 2016 (edited) Advertisement (gone after registration) Fintally it's here: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/leica-q-typ116 Love his shots and agree with some of his cons, which are most of them fixable with a new firmware. Your thoughts on the review? Edited March 23, 2016 by Adalsteinn S.H. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 23, 2016 Posted March 23, 2016 Hi Adalsteinn S.H., Take a look here Leica Q review finally up on Dpreview.com. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
viramati Posted March 23, 2016 Share #2 Posted March 23, 2016 (edited) I wonder what firmware they tested the camera with as the banding in the shadow areas has been so vastly improved with the latest version that I no longer find it to be a problem Edited March 23, 2016 by viramati 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter L Posted March 23, 2016 Share #3 Posted March 23, 2016 The most negative review I have read so far the reviewer mentions : Quirky Limited Less-Than-useful-Autofocus Not Class leading sensor Too expensive (probably for him) I don't have a Leica Q at the moment, however , I used one extensively for 2 weeks, I think it is a fine camera and much preferably to many other cameras with their convoluted menus. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest VVJ Posted March 23, 2016 Share #4 Posted March 23, 2016 A bit of a lukewarm review I must say... but perhaps for Dpreview the fact that they reviewed it at all is already significant, usually with Leica cameras they don't get further than the preview or the first impressions, if they even get that far... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
millsart Posted March 24, 2016 Share #5 Posted March 24, 2016 The reviewer didn't seem to realize a lot of the features of the Q (which even some Q owners don't know) For example, in spot AF mode, you can touch the hold the AF box and drag it around on the LCD. A double tap of the screen returns it to center. You don't need to use the Dpad Additionally, when in touch AF mode, it is true you can't half press the shutter to focus, however, you can assign the thumb button to AF, and this will make the camera AF every time you press it, while allowing a quick touch to move the AF box around. Not to say these are perfectly implemented, but there is a bit more versatility than the reviewer seemed to realize. Saying a Leica product is expensive as a "con" is silly too. Leica very well may keep the price high on purpose because some people see something being expensive as a good thing, or a bragging right. It simply is what it is. I don't say I want my next car to be an Austin Martin and then go home from the showroom disappointed they don't have anything for $20k I could afford. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted March 24, 2016 Share #6 Posted March 24, 2016 I don't say I want my next car to be an Austin Martin and then go home from the showroom disappointed they don't have anything for $20k I could afford. I don't think you'll find any Austin showrooms left, but I'll sell you an 'Austin Martin' for $20K if you want one! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikasmg Posted March 24, 2016 Share #7 Posted March 24, 2016 Advertisement (gone after registration) Fintally it's here: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/leica-q-typ116 Love his shots and agree with some of his cons, which are most of them fixable with a new firmware. Your thoughts on the review? I can't avoid the impression that dpreview has a difficult relationship with Leica and I can't quite figure out why. The can't seem to avoid remarks like >>I'm not an exuberant millionaire, nor am I a wealthy oil tycoon. So it can be difficult for me to get excited about new Leica product releases. << sprinkled here and there. In the review there's also a fair amount of complaint about the lack of customization. To me that's part of the charm. Everything is straightforward, clear and doesn't let complexity get in the way of taking good pictures. Just ask that guy, Adalsteinn ;-) No other maker of 35mm or smaller format cameras seems to be able to (or perhaps want to) achieve the precision and quality that Leica does and that difference must manifest itself in the price somewhere. Also, although Leica equipment is expensive, I'm sure most users are not simply luxury shopping when they part with their money for a Q, M or whatever. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcraf Posted March 24, 2016 Share #8 Posted March 24, 2016 A fair, if not predicable, review. I agree that the hyperbole regarding price of Leica equipment is a little overblown in these DP Review articles. A Q is not so very far out of reach for a lot of people in the way that a new Ferrari, McLaren, or Rolls Royce would be, and is well within the reach of many, as witnessed by the continuing high demand for the camera. Additionally when resale values are taken into account it's not the worst place to put your cash, at least in terms of digital imaging technology. I love using mine, and in the end that's what matters. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BVillanueva Posted March 24, 2016 Share #9 Posted March 24, 2016 (edited) PROS: 24 CMOS with excellent detail and ISO performance. CONS: Noise banding can be an issue in pushed shadows. Confusing!! if you push it all the way of course it will, pretty good at 40 then again his standards must be set on Sony CONS: jpeg engine and jpeg customization lacking. Fear not, the Q has the best jpeg file you'll ever see, with minimal to zero fuss in PS. I have a %D Mark III and a Sony A7II and never shot jpeg OOC in those cameras, it's guaranteed you'll spend more time in post, With the Q you can really enjoy shooting with jpeg only. Pretty obvious he didn't spend enough time with the camera, why on earth would he let the camera do the thinking, other than the one taking the picture. Edited March 24, 2016 by BVillanueva Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pebbles Posted March 24, 2016 Share #10 Posted March 24, 2016 Not too difficult to identify some sour grapes. I would love to get my hands on one, but at that price I think it is unlikely. Leicas used to be very simple but beautifully made cameras with outstanding lenses. The Q is just that. (My Leica C112 is a mass of ridiculous menu settings which I have to spend ages going through.) Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herve5 Posted March 24, 2016 Share #11 Posted March 24, 2016 (edited) various inexact details in this review (e. g. the fact one can backup the full card thanks to the android/ios app, that only access jpegs, or the announce Leica "requires" raw [lens] corrections while every raw editor but Lightroom accesses uncorrected data). Chapters 8 and 9 are just a copy-paste of the much earlier DP review, the latter adjusted to now pre-compare to the last Sony. A critic of the jpeg rendering that doesn't notice the variety of jpeg adjustable settings. ('Jpeg customization lacking' in the conclusion!) Again this story about 'banding' which I personally just never saw (specially not on pics like the example given : was it an issue before the latest firmware update, or just a poor sensor..?). Very detailed image comparisons with other cams, which are as excellent as usual (indeed this, that was available way before this review, was key in my decision to buy) Conclusions give ten "requests for firmware fixes" that are indeed wishes for feature changes, scanning them I find I need just none of them. I globally feel the negative vision expressed about the Q ergonomics completely misses the Leica ambition for simplicity and minimalism -indeed the reviewer obviously would have preferred much more buttons and extra details, like in (almost all) other bigger cameras: that there is not plenty buttons is, well, the purpose for me Edited March 24, 2016 by Herve5 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
microview Posted March 24, 2016 Share #12 Posted March 24, 2016 I don't think you'll find any Austin showrooms left, but I'll sell you an 'Austin Martin' for $20K if you want one! Well, when I was a lad it was Aston Martin – and still is according to their website. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucerne Posted March 24, 2016 Share #13 Posted March 24, 2016 I felt that the review produced a comparative report in terms of features or performance differences from Canon, Nikon etc. I don't find that useful. It's supposed to be a review of the Leica Q -it's individuality, it's performance and its handling. I really don't want a Leica designed to compete in all respects with the Japanese products. I bought into Leica for (initially) the rangefinder, and now with the Q - ease of handling and high performance in street action. It is what it is! DPReview don't consider these features because traditionally their readers buy on price and number of features. I'm happy that DPRreview have allowed this Leica model into their tightly controlled repertoire and I think that many recent converts to Leica due to the absence of the rangefinder mechanism and introduction of auto fofocus etc will carry the new flag and cause DPRreview to make a bigger effort to get their facts right and report more objectively. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graafber Posted March 26, 2016 Share #14 Posted March 26, 2016 When you read the article for the second time it feels much more positive than the first time. Maybe we Leica lovers are to sensitive. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
biglouis Posted March 26, 2016 Share #15 Posted March 26, 2016 (edited) My thoughts? Why? Why bother? Why now? Their cons show how ignorant they are in using this camera: "Severe lack of customisation" - yes, that's the point of a Leica camera. It is simple. Edited March 26, 2016 by biglouis 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter L Posted March 26, 2016 Share #16 Posted March 26, 2016 I wonder how the reviewer would rate a Leica M6. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucerne Posted March 26, 2016 Share #17 Posted March 26, 2016 Reminds me of the reviewer on another publication who's review of a Leica monochrom included in the pros and cons, that it was a con that it didn't shoot colour. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iduna Posted March 30, 2016 Share #18 Posted March 30, 2016 I read the part of the "Shooting Experience" and find it quite interesting. Reading between the lines the Leica Q is also the reviewer's preferable option. He tells us this quite frankly in the opening chapter and in the final conclusion. The remark of its price is just a personal opinion wich can be neglected. He describes the handling and its awesome features quite well and the reader finds interesting comparisons with other cameras with the result that Leica has launched a very versatile advanced camera on the market. This review is in my opinion worthwhile reading. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leica_f64 Posted April 2, 2016 Share #19 Posted April 2, 2016 (edited) I can't avoid the impression that dpreview has a difficult relationship with Leica and I can't quite figure out why. The can't seem to avoid remarks like >>I'm not an exuberant millionaire, nor am I a wealthy oil tycoon. So it can be difficult for me to get excited about new Leica product releases. << sprinkled here and there. In the review there's also a fair amount of complaint about the lack of customization. To me that's part of the charm. Everything is straightforward, clear and doesn't let complexity get in the way of taking good pictures. Just ask that guy, Adalsteinn ;-) No other maker of 35mm or smaller format cameras seems to be able to (or perhaps want to) achieve the precision and quality that Leica does and that difference must manifest itself in the price somewhere. Also, although Leica equipment is expensive, I'm sure most users are not simply luxury shopping when they part with their money for a Q, M or whatever. It's not that DP Review has a problem with Leica, it has to do with sales volume. DP Review is owned by Amazon. If these were selling in large volumes and Amazon could convert that to profit then the review would have been slightly different and more encouraging. It's no secret that the Sony products are all reviewed highlighting their strong points, neglecting most mention of their shortcomings. Then again they move volumes of Sony products. When that site was started it was very informative and impartial. When Jeff sold and began handing the reigns over things started changing. Edited April 2, 2016 by leica_f64 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted April 3, 2016 Share #20 Posted April 3, 2016 It's not that DP Review has a problem with Leica, it has to do with sales volume. DP Review is owned by Amazon. If these were selling in large volumes and Amazon could convert that to profit then the review would have been slightly different and more encouraging. It's no secret that the Sony products are all reviewed highlighting their strong points, neglecting most mention of their shortcomings. Then again they move volumes of Sony products. When that site was started it was very informative and impartial. When Jeff sold and began handing the reigns over things started changing. Bingo! Rick Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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