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Leica S or Leica Q for travel?

Acekerman

By Acekerman
in Leica S System

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erlingmm

erlingmm

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Travelled extensively with S+lenses, usually bring 3 with me, 2 on each walk/excursion.

 

Been to NYC, CA, Kenya, Hong Kong, China/Sinkiang, Havana, UK, Faroe Islands, Northern Norway, including a few mountaintops.

 

But it totally depends on how your fit you are, whether you travel mostly by car or do strenuous hikes etc. Very difficult to generalize.

 

Personally, if I can get best quality, I want it, very often that means S.

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jaapv

jaapv

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There is a difference between travel photography and fine art. All the quality in the world won’t help you if your gear is too cumbersome. I have done travel and safari with MF -once, never again-. A 500 mm with 2x converter on MF is not the best tool when hiking in 40 centigrade. Having said that, an S has been designed to handle like a normal DSLR If your travel is on the comfortable side and you don’t need long tele, why not?

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Deliberate1

Deliberate1

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Both. Earlier this year I traveled throughout Thailand with the Q and the 006, with the 70, 35 and Contax 120. I would estimate that 80% of my images were with the 70, 10% with the other primes and the remainder with the Q. I called the little box my vampire camera. It was the perfect tool for night shooting and dark interiors where a tripod was forbidden or impractical. All this gear fit a Peak Design messenger bag, which even has a sleeve for the tripod. It is brilliant. It was heavy, but absolutely worth it. Sometimes I would lighten the walkabout load by leaving a lens, or the Q, in the hotel safe.

Before I bought into Leica, I schlepped Rollei MF film gear around. After that, including a fully burdened trek into the Egyptian desert, in June,carrying a full S kit with Q backup seemed a breeze.

Bottom line for me is to take whatever I think can use. Whatever discomfort I might experience in the moment disappears the moment I see those lovely S images on the screen, and the ones from the Q that are well beyond the reach of my 006.

I take it all with me and leave any regrets behind.

Good luck with your travels.

David

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erlingmm

erlingmm

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M for travel. S too big, and it's more or less a tripod camera. Q... nah....

 

 

The great thing about the S007 is that it is NOT just a tripod camera, it works handheld in a multitude of situations due to higher ISO tolerance. The 70 and 100 are walk-around lenses for me.

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Photon42

Photon42

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Of course it depends on what the profile is. If you want the best quality no matter what, there is only one answer. But I understand the travel setting also in the direction of weight and size considerations. Two cameras normally add their strengths, so if one is ok with Q quality for a 28mm equiv, the Q is a nice companion for street and the evening dinner.

When I still had the Q, I used it from time to time just as the WA part of the kit.

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Agent M10

Agent M10

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I have gone all over the world with my S(007) and 6 S lenses w/o issues.. My wife uses the Q.

The S can be used without a tripod as the maximum ISO is about 3200 now.

Results are fabulous.

Albert  :D  :D  :D

 

 

I've taken the S all kinds of places, too—Ireland, Canada, Hawaii, New York, etc. The system was somewhat of a beast with my old Pelican case, but now it's not bad with the new Air model. Anyway, I use the S any chance I get and then divert to an M when the light is just too low. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
leicapages

leicapages

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Wondering about folks who have done both or either? Thoughts?

Good question. I am pondering the same dilemma often enough as I own both systems. I have always tended to favor the S setup (albeit with one, max two, lenses including the 30-90 vario) on most occasions. That is, if it is the S Typ 007 given the higher ISO options. The S Typ 006 would be (too) limiting for me as a single camera system. There have also been cases when I took the Q as a light backup camera. And its high ISO specifications (and results) are even better than the S Typ 007. But I hate that the Q images do not have GPS location data embedded.

However, for my latest travels, I decided to focus on the Q only, primarily for reasons of size and weight (and not because of deliberate choice). I have to admit that the results are pleasing though, obviously, I am missing the flexibility of the 30-90 vario lens for the S.

To cut a long story short: the best camera is the one you carry with you. I would let my decision depend primarily on practical considerations such as weight and space. If that is an issue, then you want the Q. If not, go for the S and you will not regret it.

Edited by leicapages
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Herr Barnack

Herr Barnack

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Leica S ... for travel?

 

With the announcement of the 64 MP S3, I have been wondering about this. 

 

Would you want to take one body or two?  You have to have a back up, in case the worst were to happen - right?  Or would an M10 and 1-2 M lenses serve as a backup?

 

If I ever spring for an S3, I think i would want lenses that are equivalent to a 50mm and a 28mm for the camera.  I think I'd probably stick with those optics rather than try to cover all the bases and end up with a 900 pound kit to be tortured by when carrying it.

 

Given the options we have today, how much tonnage must one suffer under for the sake of their photographs?  M240, M-Monochrom and M10 bodies are fully capable of producing beautiful, outstanding fine prints in fairly large sizes.

 

Where does one say "this system is enough" and draw the line?

Edited by Herr Barnack
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