Leica Q2 - Tons of Sample Images on real shoots

[Jay_Cassario]

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Wanted to simply share my review with everyone here since I was able to shoot with it a good amount prior to the launch, including a few shoots where I was really able to put it through its paces. All the images in the sample galleries are fully edited, but I have a good amount of RAW files in the review. 

Here's the review link: https://www.jaycassario.com/blog/leica-q2-review

Photoshoot Gallery: https://www.jaycassario.com/blog/leica-q2-testing

More Images: https://www.jaycassario.com/leica-q2

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[nicci78]

nice and informative review, well done

[Tobers]

Very good Jay - thanks! Shows just how versatile the Q2 is.

[antigallican]

In this piece you sing the praises, Jay. But which cameras will you use for your weddings and why?  It’s a genuine question, I don’t mean to trip you up.  I ask as someone who uses Q and SL but I gained the impression from your site in the past you didn’t

[chriscove]

Great review and images. I am wondering what lights and triggers you use with the Q for you fashion images. 

 

Thanks!

Chris

[Jay_Cassario]

6 hours ago, chriscove said:

Great review and images. I am wondering what lights and triggers you use with the Q for you fashion images. 

 

Thanks!

Chris

For the two more dramatic images, I used a large light panel that I can adjust the kelvin on. The only other shots that I used any type of lighting on is the shots where it looks like the sun is behind her, it was cloudy and rainy, so she had specifically asked me to use this trick since I do it a lot. I use a GoDox AD200 with the grid it comes with or in this case a MagMod grid and a full CTO warming gel. I use this technique a lot to create the look of natural sun just before setting. 

[Jay_Cassario]

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10 hours ago, antigallican said:

In this piece you sing the praises, Jay. But which cameras will you use for your weddings and why?  It’s a genuine question, I don’t mean to trip you up.  I ask as someone who uses Q and SL but I gained the impression from your site in the past you didn’t

I have been shooting with Leica exclusively for the past year and a half. As I mentioned (I believe) in the review, I never owned the original Q but I did shoot with it a good amount. I will definitely be purchasing the Q2 once wedding season starts rolling along here in NJ, it's still the slow season. As far as my wedding work, I went from shooting a ton of gear, both Nikon and Canon, down to a very minimalistic approach which I really enjoy. For the past year and a half, almost two years, I've been shooting weddings with dual SL's and an M10P (M240 before). The only lenses I own are the 50mm Summilux SL, 75mm SL, and the 24-70. I already have one of the new 35mm Cron's ordered. On my M10P, I have the 24mm Summilux and the 50mm Summilux ASPH. Shortly after making the move to the SL, Leica brought me on as an Ambassador for the SL line representing them in the wedding industry. I just resigned the contract last week actually. After shooting the Q2, it's the perfect camera for me right now with a 4.5-year-old son. I get lazy a lot and don't feel like manually focusing while taking photos of him running around, so the Q2 would be exactly what I'm looking for, especially knowing that I can easily use it on wedding days as well. I'm also guessing that Leica will use a very similar (if not the same) sensor in the upcoming new SL2 and after shooting with the Q2, I can't wait. The sensor in the new Q is one of the best full-frame sensors I've ever shot with. But, yeah, not a problem with you asking at all, definitely would be odd singing the praises of Leica gear if I didn't shoot with it professionally. 

[antigallican]

Thanks Jay for that full reply. Twin SLs is quite an investment, I thought, but then I have an SL and Q, so perhaps it’s not so extreme. I settled on Leica after Nikons because if the minimalist approach to menus (if we leave aside lens, IQ etc). Not sure about the Q2 because of file size. 24 M   works fine for any normal use.

[chriscove]

13 hours ago, Jay_Cassario said:

For the two more dramatic images, I used a large light panel that I can adjust the kelvin on. The only other shots that I used any type of lighting on is the shots where it looks like the sun is behind her, it was cloudy and rainy, so she had specifically asked me to use this trick since I do it a lot. I use a GoDox AD200 with the grid it comes with or in this case a MagMod grid and a full CTO warming gel. I use this technique a lot to create the look of natural sun just before setting. 

Great work!! Did you tigger the Godox with a Canon or Nikon trigger. I find when have the Nikon tigger in the hot shoe it blacks out the LCD. 

 

[Jay_Cassario]

11 hours ago, chriscove said:

Great work!! Did you tigger the Godox with a Canon or Nikon trigger. I find when have the Nikon tigger in the hot shoe it blacks out the LCD. 

 

The Canon triggers work the best. I can put a Godox trigger on my SL and have it work flawlessly. With my M10, the trigger won’t work, but using a v860II on-Camera as a trigger works perfectly. To be honest, that’s what I did with the Q2 as well. I don’t really trust GoDox triggers so I basically always use an 860 as a trigger. 

[Jay_Cassario]

13 hours ago, antigallican said:

Thanks Jay for that full reply. Twin SLs is quite an investment, I thought, but then I have an SL and Q, so perhaps it’s not so extreme. I settled on Leica after Nikons because if the minimalist approach to menus (if we leave aside lens, IQ etc). Not sure about the Q2 because of file size. 24 M   works fine for any normal use.

No problem. I don't know if you know of the website Shotkit.com, but I'm good friends with the owner and have written several articles for him. I have a few in the works right now, but before I publish them he asked me to take a current photo of my gear. I just took the photo today. 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[Tobers]

You take antlers with you on shoots? Excellent. Useful for hanging the spare camera from when you aren't using it :-).

[Leica Guy]

2 hours ago, Tobers said:

You take antlers with you on shoots? Excellent. Useful for hanging the spare camera from when you aren't using it :-).

I was impressed with how he stuck all the pieces to the board. Looks like they’d tend to fall off 🤣

[FHPdoc]

11 hours ago, Jay_Cassario said:

...a current photo of my gear...

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

VERY nice!  But painful for me to look at (on multiple levels)...  😢

[Jay_Cassario]

18 hours ago, Tobers said:

You take antlers with you on shoots? Excellent. Useful for hanging the spare camera from when you aren't using it :-).

I always put antlers in my gear pics. I know everyone looks at them like "WTF is with the deer antlers". But, why are they actually there?

I used to be a big-time bow hunter before photography. I gave it up 7 years ago and haven't bow hunted since. The very first photos I took when I got into photography were for friends who wanted photos of them with their deer they had shot. I experienced a pretty substantial tragedy in my life 7 years ago causing me to lose someone very close to me. It ultimately made me re-evaluate a lot of things in my life, which included taking the life of an animal. Even though, I was raised in a hunting family and had been a hunter my entire life. I had no trouble giving it up and haven't looked back. I have however, went out and taken photos of deer, so it's a reminder of what my cameras basically replaced. 

A very long answer that has nothing to do with the Leica Q2, sorry for the long explanation. Figured I would at least explain the antlers, I normally don't.

[Leica Guy]

7 hours ago, Jay_Cassario said:

I always put antlers in my gear pics. I know everyone looks at them like "WTF is with the deer antlers". But, why are they actually there?

I used to be a big-time bow hunter before photography. I gave it up 7 years ago and haven't bow hunted since. The very first photos I took when I got into photography were for friends who wanted photos of them with their deer they had shot. I experienced a pretty substantial tragedy in my life 7 years ago causing me to lose someone very close to me. It ultimately made me re-evaluate a lot of things in my life, which included taking the life of an animal. Even though, I was raised in a hunting family and had been a hunter my entire life. I had no trouble giving it up and haven't looked back. I have however, went out and taken photos of deer, so it's a reminder of what my cameras basically replaced. 

A very long answer that has nothing to do with the Leica Q2, sorry for the long explanation. Figured I would at least explain the antlers, I normally don't.

Sorry to hear of your tragedy 7 years ago. 

I hunted much as a young person, but once I got a good camera and started taking photos of birds and wildlife where you can so plainly see the details, I could never shoot one now. They are so beautiful and after I take their photo, they are still beautiful. I have friends who hunt. Good for them. Not my thing anymore.