Using the Q Manually?

[baci]

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Hello!

 

I'm wondering how many Q owners use the camera with manual settings as if it was a 'mini M', how many use it as a point and shoot, and whether the way you use the Q has changed over time as you have become more familiar/trusting with it. Do you gravitate to composing using the rear screen, or is it strictly eyes to the viewfinder? Not sure what difference it makes either way, just kind of interested in how it gets used in real life. 

 

Thanks!

[Voxen]

Full manual for street photography (zone focusing).

AF for the rest.

100% using the viewfinder

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[prk60091]

AF

Aperture preferred

100% EVF (I turned off the LCD)

[Leica Guy]

I probably use Aperture Priority the most although I use full manual at times as well including a fixed ISO. I use the LCD 75% of the time. It's just easier, but I like the EVF too. I use the app on the iPhone for street photography. It's very stealth. I utilize a Canon ring flash in manual mode for macro and hummingbird photography.

[Jk1002]

I almost always control aperture and switched to manual focus after a few week sof ownersip, with focus peaking that is quick and easy.

 

Zone focus I use as a "rest" setting when walking around in low light, in good light I do automatic everything

 

I found autofocus rarely working for me when wide open

 

I do use the viewfinder whenever possible but now that I write it, I havent really tried much with the screen, may want to give this shot more often

[HighlandK]

For my type photography aperture priority is the key because getting just the right amount of DoF defines the quality of the output. That's the beauty of a f1.7 lens on a FF sensor.

 

My eyesight just does not work with a monitor and so it is always EVF and I am sold on single point focus. However given the 6x with peaking and the potential of zone focusing I intend to try MF much more. Certainly I choose that for macro.

 

Bottom line is that I want to exercise control over the features that are going to be critical to the image and full auto surrenders just too much to the camera. However I do find auto ISO very useful in most circumstances.

 

What really takes me back to 'the old days' is having an aperture ring on the lens, positive minimal travel when in MF and a speed dial on top. Unlike many of you I have no previous history with Leica Ms and so it is so refreshing to get back to a minimalist set up.

[SonomaBear]

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EVF always

MFG at least 10% of images

Av exclusively. 

I think that this lens was designed for f1.7.  I only use 2.8/4/5.6 for depth issues.  MF at 1.7 is a joy with focus peak (usually).

[greg_may_]

AF and ISO control about 90% of the time. Manual focus 100% of the time, feels more natural.

[marchyman]

I use the Q in a manner very similar to my M.   Manual focus, Aperture priority, and about a 70-30 split between Auto ISO vs a fixed ISO.   Sometimes I use full manual.   Only downside of using the Q that way is when handing the camera to someone else to take a picture.  I invariably forget to change something to automatic resulting in out of focus or mis exposed images.

[baci]

Thanks for the feedback – I’m thinking about the next acquisition and it occurs to me that while an M10 will enable me to do much the same as I currently do with my M9 except better, the Q may actually enable me to take shots I wouldn’t have attempted with the M9. So with the M10 I’d get more of the same, but with the Q I’d get more and different.

 

My concern was I didn’t want to end up being a point-and-shootist! I like the manual approach and mastering the controls gives me a sense of real satisfaction. If the Q was a largely automatic camera with the ability to manually override, then that would be a problem. The fact that it sounds like most are using it as a manual camera, with some automatic override is good to hear!

[Lucena]

Completly manual when I have time to program, this means landscapes, architecture, plants, macro.

Full auto mode for street photography in places were the shooting has to be discreet like in the Emirates.

[beez]

For most assignments, I use Leicas and Nikons simultaneously, The Q replaced one of my M9s, so at first I used it full manual. But over about the first month I started to use aperture priority, with pattern/matrix metering. Began using AF, and found it to be faster and more accurate than my high-end Nikons.  Now, I always use aperture priority, and single spot AF.

Never auto ISO

100% EVF even when I'm shooting in the studio or on location with portable studio strobes

I shoot about 95% wide open at f/1.7

Edited May 23, 2017 by beez

[Guest jvansmit]

I rarely use the EVF, and mostly just guess the framing holding the camera at chest or shoulder level. I'll use the LCD sometimes if I want to be more precise with the framing.

 

ISO is nearly always set at 1600 though I might bring it down to 800 in very bright sunlight. During the day, I'm usually in manual mode with the focus set at 2 metres with aperture at f/5.5 or f/8.0. At night, I switch to full auto.

[Ko.Fe.]

On May 21, 2017 at 10:04 AM, Voxen said:

Full manual for street photography (zone focusing).

AF for the rest.

100% using the viewfinder

I hope it is not too late to ask. 

Q and X has odd (for me as M for street user) MF scale. Which is infinity, 2 meters next to it and them long scale of minimal focus distance ranges.

How do you focus @f5.6 and for objects at 3 and 5 meters?

[Ko.Fe.]

On May 23, 2017 at 1:41 AM, marchyman said:

I use the Q in a manner very similar to my M.   Manual focus, Aperture priority, and about a 70-30 split between Auto ISO vs a fixed ISO.   Sometimes I use full manual.   Only downside of using the Q that way is when handing the camera to someone else to take a picture.  I invariably forget to change something to automatic resulting in out of focus or mis exposed images.

I'm looking at Q as addition to M-E. How do you focus it at 3 or 5 meters manually? Thank you.

[marchyman]

Turn on focus peaking.  I prefer a B&W viewfinder with white "marching ants".  You may prefer something else.  As soon as I hit the Focus ring the image zooms -- I think I've got mine set to a 3x zoom -- to the center of the image.  Look at what you want to be in focus and twist the focus ring until you see the marching ants.  Camera is focused.

Or are you asking about zone focus?   For that I'd use something like f/5.6 and set the infinity mark on the barrel so it sits between the 4 and the 8 on the right side.   With that setting everything from about 2 meters to infinity will be in focus.

But most likely I'd set the camera to autofocus in face detect mode.

[dusuacangmong]

I 50-50% MF and AF.

 

[jaapv]

On 5/21/2017 at 4:04 PM, Voxen said:

Full manual for street photography (zone focusing).

AF for the rest.

100% using the viewfinder

Could you explain why zone focusing is better for street photography?

[Matsaly]

On 11/10/2019 at 4:01 PM, marchyman said:

Turn on focus peaking.  I prefer a B&W viewfinder with white "marching ants".  

How do you change the viewfinder to B&W display? I'd like to try your method.  

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[Leica Guy]

2 hours ago, Matsaly said:

How do you change the viewfinder to B&W display? I'd like to try your method.  

I just change the Film Style to B&W nat. Then I set Focus Assist—>Focus Peaking—>Red. You can choose whatever color you want. I like the red against the B&W image. The DNG always has the color information.