Q2 47 mps, Dirt & Drip proof & new EVF (FWIW!)

[Leica Guy]

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I confess that the Q2 is fast worming its way into my psyche. I do not normally have a lot of GAS, but the improvements being “leaked” are compelling. Leica is making an already great camera, really great! Other than switching to a bigger battery and my chargers no longer working, I cannot see a thing that is a negative on the Q2. I for one am looking forward to when pics start showing up on the forum and we can see direct comparisons between the two versions. 

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[lucerne]

14 minutes ago, Infiniumguy said:

I confess that the Q2 is fast worming its way into my psyche. I do not normally have a lot of GAS, but the improvements being “leaked” are compelling. Leica is making an already great camera, really great! Other than switching to a bigger battery and my chargers no longer working, I cannot see a thing that is a negative on the Q2. I for one am looking forward to when pics start showing up on the forum and we can see direct comparisons between the two versions. 

I won’t be so hasty.  I sold my Q as soon as it was out of warranty because I was seeing evidence of large repair bills from Leica when various faults developed.   While under warranty, my camera had repairs and cleaning on three occasions.  So, the spec is attractive, but at the price envisaged, the worst case scenario of a three year (or is it two?) lifespan is rather short for an amateur to absorb the whole cost should the camera become unusable.

Edited February 26, 2019 by lucerne

[MCJ]

9 minutes ago, lucerne said:

I’m impressed that you were able to negotiate a (no reason given)  return option to be used after 4 week and a good tax free deal. Unless the item was faulty,  I don’t know a dealer that could/would agree to that in the U.K.  Our taxes aren’t flexible and returned goods wouldn’t / couldn’t then be classed as “new” , even if the goods were unmarked.  You must have added some shots.  What country are you in?

First impressions suggest you will get exactly what you want without any risk.  Nice if you can get it!

Afterthought : I think such a deal might be possible here provided the purchase was via mail order/internet, and not directly in person in a shop.   Not sure about tax free though.

I am in the United States.  I initially bought it about 6 weeks ago.  For a subsequent warranty purchase, they made me return it and re-buy it same day (because I didn't buy the extended warranty at point of sale as required), which reset my 30 day return option.  Seemed silly to make me do that, but that is what they did.  Lucky me!  They asked me no questions about the return today other than "does it work?".  I was honest with them about why I was returning it and the guy said "I totally get it."  I would like to say that I am an amazing negotiator, but it is actually quite common in the US at reputable retail stores to have a "no hassle" 30 day return policy.  Literally any reason (other than you damaging the camera) is sufficient for a return, or even no reason at all. 

 

[MCJ]

3 minutes ago, lucerne said:

I won’t be so hasty.  I sold my Q as soon as it was out of warranty because I was seeing evidence of large repair bills from Leica when various faults developed.   While under warranty, my camera had repairs and cleaning on three occasions.  So, the spec is attractive, but at the price envisaged, the worst case scenario of a three year (or is it two?) lifespan is rather short for an amateur to absorb the whole cost should the camera become unusable.

I purchased a 5 year extended warranty for the Q I just returned around $200.

[lucerne]

1 minute ago, MCJ said:

I purchased a 5 year extended warranty for the Q I just returned around $200.

I’m not sure I can buy that warranty here, but I’ll investigate.   Was it a “Mack” warranty.  I’ve read about them.

[MCJ]

1 minute ago, lucerne said:

I’m not sure I can buy that warranty here, but I’ll investigate.   Was it a “Mack” warranty.  I’ve read about them.

Not sure of the name of company that issued the warranty but I know they don’t sell warranties directly. Has to be purchased through the retailer where the camera is acquired.  

[Leica Guy]

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2 minutes ago, lucerne said:

I won’t be so hasty.  I sold my Q as soon as it was out of warranty because I was seeing evidence of large repair bills from Leica when various faults developed.   While under warranty, my camera had repairs and cleaning on three occasions.  So, the spec is attractive, but at the price envisaged, the worst case scenario of a three year (or is it two?) lifespan is rather short for an amateur to absorb the whole cost should the camera become unusable.

I totally understand and likewise have been disappointed to hear of some of the repair costs. A$1500 (30% of sales price) repair should be an extremely rare event. It would be the equivalent cost of around $30K USD (or more) on a Porsche. It seems out of line. We do not know the real failure rate of the Q and any large service bill gets a lot of attention, so it’s hard to know how at risk a Q owner really is. 

[lucerne]

16 minutes ago, Infiniumguy said:

I totally understand and likewise have been disappointed to hear of some of the repair costs. A$1500 (30% of sales price) repair should be an extremely rare event. It would be the equivalent cost of around $30K USD (or more) on a Porsche. It seems out of line. We do not know the real failure rate of the Q and any large service bill gets a lot of attention, so it’s hard to know how at risk a Q owner really is. 

15 years with my Boxster.  Serviced by a local mechanic. Usual tyre wear.  Replaced battery £75, brakes serviced £250 and replaced alternator for £250.   Annual government roadworthiness test £55.   Never failed.

i agree that we don’t know the incidence of failure, but given Leica repair costs, Leica Q2 ownership outside the warranty period without additional cover may be a problem in the U.K.   

its an unknown!

I will ask a UK leica dealer for an extended warranty quote on a new model.

Edited February 26, 2019 by lucerne

[lucerne]

51 minutes ago, lucerne said:

I’m impressed that you were able to negotiate a (no reason given)  return option to be used after 4 week and a good tax free deal. Unless the item was faulty,  I don’t know a dealer that could/would agree to that in the U.K.  Our taxes aren’t flexible and returned goods wouldn’t / couldn’t then be classed as “new” , even if the goods were unmarked.  You must have added some shots.  What country are you in?

First impressions suggest you will get exactly what you want without any risk.  Nice if you can get it!

Afterthought : I think such a deal might be possible here provided the purchase was via mail order/internet, and not directly in person in a shop.   Not sure about tax free though.

I’ve established that A 14 day (no fault) return option is offered by at least one dealer here in the U.K..

 

[nariza7]

i wonder if leica will allow for some trade in program to get more $$ towards q2. 

i think the the weather proofing and 4k make it super tempting to me, but will wait on release price first

[lucerne]

15 minutes ago, nariza7 said:

i wonder if leica will allow for some trade in program to get more $$ towards q2. 

i think the the weather proofing and 4k make it super tempting to me, but will wait on release price first

Your Leica dealer will offer you trade-in.

[wda]

4 hours ago, lucerne said:

I won’t be so hasty.  I sold my Q as soon as it was out of warranty because I was seeing evidence of large repair bills from Leica when various faults developed.   While under warranty, my camera had repairs and cleaning on three occasions.  So, the spec is attractive, but at the price envisaged, the worst case scenario of a three year (or is it two?) lifespan is rather short for an amateur to absorb the whole cost should the camera become unusable.

By inference,  you paint a rather bleak picture of Q unreliability.  Can you please elucidate from you own experience and reliably reported third party examples of Q failures?

[lucerne]

1 hour ago, nariza7 said:

i wonder if leica will allow for some trade in program to get more $$ towards q2. 

i think the the weather proofing and 4k make it super tempting to me, but will wait on release price first

Your Leica dealer will offer you trade-in.

[lucerne]

32 minutes ago, wda said:

By inference,  you paint a rather bleak picture of Q unreliability.  Can you please elucidate from you own experience and reliably reported third party examples of Q failures?

Not bleak David, and not unreliable.  Just problematic when things go wrong. I had to have my Q sensor cleaned twice and the viewfinder completely replaced on another occasion. All my images from a three week trip were contaminated. . There is no way to personally clean a sensor and dust can get in. I suspect the the macro ring is part of the problem. Dust entering the viewfinder  was another mystery.  

you will also find reports of expensive repair around $700 for an unspecified problem if you trawl through posts on the forum.  

Leica may have addressed those  weaknesses and I’ll reconsider ownership  after monitoring users of the new model.

hope that helps.

 

 

Edited February 26, 2019 by lucerne

[nariza7]

15 minutes ago, lucerne said:

Your Leica dealer will offer you trade-in.

how good is the local dealer trade in usually? like maybe how much for a great condition q

[lucerne]

2 minutes ago, nariza7 said:

how good is the local dealer trade in usually? like maybe how much for a great condition q

It isn’t possible for me to estimate.  We are in different countries.  You should talk to the dealer from whom you will buy your new Q.   I don’t think you have owned your Q very long.

[nariza7]

ah i bought it from a store in cali(not my state), but there’s a leica store near me too. i guess i can contact them to see

[lucerne]

1 minute ago, nariza7 said:

ah i bought it from a store in cali(not my state), but there’s a leica store near me too. i guess i can contact them to see

Yes. Try the local store. Was the Q new or secondhand.

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[nariza7]

new. bought last year in may

[wda]

19 minutes ago, lucerne said:

Not bleak David, and not unreliable.  Just problematic when things go wrong. I had to have my Q sensor cleaned twice and the viewfinder completely replaced on another occasion. There is no way to personally clean a sensor and dust can get in. I suspect the the macro ring is part of the problem. Dust entering the viewfinder  was another mystery.  

you will also find reports of expensive repair around $700 for an unspecified problem if you trawl through posts on the forum.  

Leica may have addressed those  weaknesses and I’ll reconsider ownership  after monitoring users of the new model.

hope that helps.

 

 

Thank you Lucerne. I am sorry to hear of your dust problems and agree the macro ring is a likely source of ingress. My experience is rather different, essentially because I do not believe the Q is ideal for 'macro' or, more realistically, close-range photography. I prefer a greater stand-off distance for this role. So my Macro ring rarely gets exercised in this way.  I am sure Leica will be addressing this problem with future models. I still enjoy using the Q for general photography, usually accompanied by another model to widen my capabilities when travelling. Speaking personally and frankly, I do not see the need for a Q2, certainly for my range of applications.

Although I try to keep abreast of Leica Forum discussions on aspects relevant to me, it is not always possible. So I have not learned of expensive non-warranty unserviceabilites apart from one or two self-confessed owner accidents where serious damage has been repaired, not always covered by original warrantees. I believe the original Q is a well-designed and manufactured camera, with pleasing ergonomics and excellent performance.