Leica Q - the image thread

[vikasmg]

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Thanks everyone for all the nice comments. It’s a labor of love looking for new and interesting ways to use the Q.

 

Technical details I should have included:

 

I tried hard to use the Q iphone app to trigger the shutter. It does not work well and kept stopping connection to the wifi. I honestly tried and I’m not a novice at this, but I could not make it work reliably and consistently. I long for a shutter release cable. I ended up sitting very still by the camera with my finger on the shutter button. I tried to not move much which tends to scare the birds.

 

I prefocused on the feeder and at f/10 had aboit 2” DOF. I took many out of focus shots which I discarded quickly in LR.

 

The exposure is pretty easy to dial in. You first check the exposure with no flashes. You want it dark. The idea is you want the flashes supplying all the light. That way the short duration light pulse stops the wing motion. You dial up the power on the flashes until the right exposure is realized. One could adjust the aperture somewhat although that affects DOF and I was already so limited.

 

I used the optical sensor to trigger all the slaves from the Master Ring flash. One could also use cables between the flashes. Because I’m using Canon flashes they do not work in ETTL mode when on the Q. All I can do is trigger the flash using the Q shutter. From that point all the flashes are operating in manual mode with optical connection.

 

One more comment. Because of the 28mm focal length the final images are highly cropped. It means they are only around 1400 pixels on an edge. Its a testament to how sharp the Q is that they look so good at that resolution. Pretty amazing really.

 

Your patience and tenacity is as amazing as your photographs!

 

- Vikas

[RomeoBravo]

If you don't mind, I'd like your opinion on whether you prefer this shot in B&W (as it was published), or in color?

Thanks!

B&W

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[RomeoBravo]

If you don't mind, I'd like your opinion on whether you prefer this shot in B&W (as it was published), or in color?

Thanks!

B&W

Fashion-Magazine-Editorial.jpg

 

 Color...

 

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Edited June 30, 2018 by RomeoBravo

[ropo54]

Color!

[gbealnz]

B&W for me, perhaps a tad lighter.

Gary

[frame-it]

B&W is gorgeous...leaves more to the imagination...color makes decisions, B&W lets one decide

 

 

 

If you don't mind, I'd like your opinion on whether you prefer this shot in B&W (as it was published), or in color?

Thanks!

B&W

Fashion-Magazine-Editorial.jpg

[RomeoBravo]

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B&W is gorgeous...leaves more to the imagination...color makes decisions, B&W lets one decide

 

 

B&W for me, perhaps a tad lighter.

Gary

 

 

Color!

 

Thanks to all of you...I'm obviously torn on it too.

[vikasmg]

 Color...

 

Leica-Fashion-Editorial.jpg

 

Colour for me.  I think colors reinforce each other very well.  Shades of warm gold and brown.

 

- Vikas

[frame-it]

exactly....and because those 2 colors complement each other one keeps looking at the photo

 

with b&w, one doesn't know what the colors are...and one could possibly spend more time looking at the details

 

 

everyone's different of course...but in tv commercial advertising we "control" consumers everyday with color coding and specific tones

 

Colour for me.  I think colors reinforce each other very well.  Shades of warm gold and brown.

 

- Vikas

[zampelis]

I would prefer the colour one... And even better to be honest the colours of the ground of the Hasselblad X1D version as it has the dramatic feeling of the B/W and the liveliness of the colour one. (I hope you dont mind to post your photo here). But it all depends of the context and where the photo has been published. If it needs to match with a specific aesthetic that the media follows and to them B/W is the best fit, then everything I write below is completely irrelevant!!

 

What I find distracting on the B/W one is that the shadows of the dress blend with the background to the point that you don't know where is the outline of the dress, especially between the legs. Also is not exactly the same photo as the top and the bottom are much more cropped. if you crop the colour one the same way, it may help you to find easier which one you prefer. For example, I find my eyes to look straight on her face on the B/W version whereas on the colour one they wonder a bit on the small bit of grass on the left.

 

On the other hand the colour of the ground on the Q version is very similar to the wall and to the dress and to my eyes it looks more like you have increased the overall warmth of the image and tried to counterbalance that by over editing the blue of the sky. The dark and different shade of the colour of the ground on the X1D version gives more depth and make the whole scene more dramatic... And look how amazing the red bit of her shoe looks on the black colour of the ground and her lipstick on the dark wall. something you dont even notice on the Q version.. 

 

Also from what I see you list details of the brands of the clothes she is wearing. I would expect that these companies want the most accurate representation of their clothes? In order to achieve that wouldn't you need to use colour? Details like the golden colour of her purse will be lost. To me, for commercial use the colour version is definitely the way to go. 

 

All these observations are just my opinion of course and objectively I dont think that any version is much better than the other.. We are just nitpicking here on a great photo!

 

 

EDIT: The more I am looking it the more I prefer the colour of the ground of the Q version to be honest... It is more stylised in a glamorous way (Oh my... I can feel your torment, although in a different question!!). Still though, I much prefer the colour version than the B/W.

 

 

Edited July 1, 2018 by zampelis

[zampelis]

By the way In the B/W version her face is absolutely striking! Can not even compare it with the colour version. BUT (and there is a big but here) The photo is not a portrait, its not just about the face (out from the 7 products you list only two have to do with the head and the face) and in every other area to me the colour version is superior for the purpose it is intended to serve: Communicating the design and colours of the clothes/jewlery she is wearing. 

 

Now, If on the other hand, it was street photography, I would choose the B/W one for the dramatic feeling it evokes 

Edited July 1, 2018 by zampelis

[RomeoBravo]

I would prefer the colour one... And even better to be honest the colours of the ground of the Hasselblad X1D version as it has the dramatic feeling of the B/W and the liveliness of the colour one. (I hope you dont mind to post your photo here). But it all depends of the context and where the photo has been published. If it needs to match with a specific aesthetic that the media follows and to them B/W is the best fit, then everything I write below is completely irrelevant!!

 

What I find distracting on the B/W one is that the shadows of the dress blend with the background to the point that you don't know where is the outline of the dress, especially between the legs. Also is not exactly the same photo as the top and the bottom are much more cropped. if you crop the colour one the same way, it may help you to find easier which one you prefer. For example, I find my eyes to look straight on her face on the B/W version whereas on the colour one they wonder a bit on the small bit of grass on the left.

 

On the other hand the colour of the ground on the Q version is very similar to the wall and to the dress and to my eyes it looks more like you have increased the overall warmth of the image and tried to counterbalance that by over editing the blue of the sky. The dark and different shade of the colour of the ground on the X1D version gives more depth and make the whole scene more dramatic... And look how amazing the red bit of her shoe looks on the black colour of the ground and her lipstick on the dark wall. something you dont even notice on the Q version.. 

 

Also from what I see you list details of the brands of the clothes she is wearing. I would expect that these companies want the most accurate representation of their clothes? In order to achieve that wouldn't you need to use colour? Details like the golden colour of her purse will be lost. To me, for commercial use the colour version is definitely the way to go. 

 

All these observations are just my opinion of course and objectively I dont think that any version is much better than the other.. We are just nitpicking here on a great photo!

 

 

EDIT: The more I am looking it the more I prefer the colour of the ground of the Q version to be honest... It is more stylised in a glamorous way (Oh my... I can feel your torment, although in a different question!!). Still though, I much prefer the colour version than the B/W.

 

 

 

 

 

I also love the X1D shots from this look.  Since this shot didn't make the final cut, I'm pretty sure it was not edited (just converted to jpg).

Edited July 1, 2018 by RomeoBravo

[gbealnz]

From high fashion to the every day.

Q

Gary

 

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[creidtaylor]

Around the Muang Mai market in Chiang Mai, Thailand this afteroon:
Fish monger, Chiang Mai by C. Reid Taylor, on Flickr

 

Feeling blue:

Bird feeding (throwing rice), Chiang Mai by C. Reid Taylor, on Flickr

[@McLeica]

 Color...

 

Leica-Fashion-Editorial.jpg

 

Run B+W first then the colour. Easy choice........colour.

[Voxen]

Since getting the Q, I've wanted to use it to photograph Broad-tailed Hummingbirds that visit the forests of Colorado in the summer after migrating up from their winter home in Mexico. The Q is a very versatile camera and after using it to take these photos, I think that is even more true. I have worked to develop a flash system using my Canon Speedlights as slaves and my Canon Macro Ring flash as Master firing the slaves all at the same time. The key is to operate all the flashes in manual mode and at low power settings. That ensures the light is a narrow pulse and easily stops movement of the wings which can beat as many as 80 times a second. Several of the images highlight the multiple flashes in the eyes of the bird. The other key is to set the camera so that all the light is supplied by the flashes. In this case the settings were shutter 1/250, ISO 100, Aperture f/10. I'll include a photo of the setup. You can see I also had a cloth background to help highlight the bird. One flash is dedicated to illuminating the background as evenly as possible. Yes, I used 5 flashes going off simultaneously to photograph these beautiful birds. The camera was not in macro mode. Has anyone else photographed hummingbirds with a Q?

Well done! So many people would say that it’s impossible to capture birds closeups with the Q and you proved it’s possible.

That’s the kind of challenges I like.

[fupix]

Old Forge

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[Yoki]

L1070174 by Yoki, on Flickr

[Hazesus]

FRIDDY by dimanatti, on Flickr

Edited July 3, 2018 by Hazesus

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica Q

[bags27]

 

FRIDDY by dimanatti, on Flickr

 

a pretty spectacular image!