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Q2 manual Focusing?


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Hi all!  I'm regular on the M10 forum, having used Leica M cameras for years.  I THINK I am interested in purchasing a Q2 but have some questions that I could not locate answers for in either in the forum or in reading the Leica Q2 manual.  Both could easily be the result of my failure to find the info as opposed to the info not being there. ;)

1.  When in manual focus using the viewfinder, what are you looking at that confirms focus - an M has a rangefinder patch to align.  What does the Q2 have?  The only reference I found refers to focus peaking (same as the M display).  Is that what the Q2 EVF uses as well?

2. When you put the camera in manual focus with the button on the focus ring, will the camera go back into autofocus "automatically" if you turn the focus ring all the way toward the "A" or do you need to press the button again to put it in auto?

3. From reading the instructions, I want to confirm that (like the M) the display can be set so as to be "off" or to only display the last shot for a few seconds, right?

Thanks for any info or pointing me to already existing posts re items 1 and 2.  :)

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The magnified area (which you can select to be 3x or 6x) is always a magnification of the central part of the EVF. So if you want to focus on an object off to one side you do exactly as you would with a rangefinder - focus with it in the central part of the EVF and then recompose

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3 hours ago, ianforber said:

The magnified area (which you can select to be 3x or 6x) is always a magnification of the central part of the EVF. So if you want to focus on an object off to one side you do exactly as you would with a rangefinder - focus with it in the central part of the EVF and then recompose

This is incorrect. On the Q2 you can move the focus area with the 4-way controller. Then the camera will magnify that area when the focus ring is moved. It will revert back to unmagnified after approx. 6 secs. You can push the Thumb Wheel Button and the magnified area will remain magnified and not time out for I’d guess 30 secs. This was a change added in a firmware update and is much better than focus and recompose. 

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4 hours ago, ianforber said:

The magnified area (which you can select to be 3x or 6x) is always a magnification of the central part of the EVF. So if you want to focus on an object off to one side you do exactly as you would with a rangefinder - focus with it in the central part of the EVF and then recompose

If you do this at close focusing distance wide open, you risk of getting the wrong focus point. You get perfect focus by moving the focus point using your d-pad. Although I find it difficult to do this when your eye is on the viewfinder. I wish Q2 comes with joystick for this.

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3 hours ago, Mikep996 said:

In manual is the focusing via a split image (or something similar) or simply "seeing" that it's sharp or blurry?

It’s either with focus peaking (you can change the colour) or by magnified image at the focus point (which shows you how sharp/blurry the object is). Personally I prefer to do it without focus peaking nor magnified image as I find them distracting. 

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2 hours ago, Leica Guy said:

This is incorrect. On the Q2 you can move the focus area with the 4-way controller. Then the camera will magnify that area when the focus ring is moved. It will revert back to unmagnified after approx. 6 secs. You can push the Thumb Wheel Button and the magnified area will remain magnified and not time out for I’d guess 30 secs. This was a change added in a firmware update and is much better than focus and recompose. 

Thank you for correcting me - I didn’t know that!

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On 10/8/2020 at 7:32 AM, Mikep996 said:

Hi all!  I'm regular on the M10 forum, having used Leica M cameras for years.  I THINK I am interested in purchasing a Q2 but have some questions that I could not locate answers for in either in the forum or in reading the Leica Q2 manual.  Both could easily be the result of my failure to find the info as opposed to the info not being there. ;)

1.  When in manual focus using the viewfinder, what are you looking at that confirms focus - an M has a rangefinder patch to align.  What does the Q2 have?  The only reference I found refers to focus peaking (same as the M display).  Is that what the Q2 EVF uses as well?

2. When you put the camera in manual focus with the button on the focus ring, will the camera go back into autofocus "automatically" if you turn the focus ring all the way toward the "A" or do you need to press the button again to put it in auto?

3. From reading the instructions, I want to confirm that (like the M) the display can be set so as to be "off" or to only display the last shot for a few seconds, right?

Thanks for any info or pointing me to already existing posts re items 1 and 2.  :)

Honestly, all of your answers are best found at a dealer shop and by trying for yourself. One does not get the Q(2) to shoot manually most of the time, because it is fundamentally different than shooting with a rangefinder. First of all, the lens is not “manual” per se, because the focus gear and aperture gear are not mechanical, but rather controlled by wire, unlike M lenses, which are completely mechanical. 
Anyway, I will try to answer your questions as succinctly as possible.

1. Focus peaking is the same as in the M10 with the benefit of being in the EVF, which is not optical, so you get a bright and clear electronic screen as a viewfinder instead of an optical viewfinder. No rangefinder, but focus peaking.

2. On the focus gear, when you turn it to all the way to infinity, you hold a button on the focusing tab and it will latch when you turn the focus gear further beyond towards infinity. You will get a better idea when you try it yourself, but it is pretty simple.

3. Yes, it is customizable, but you might need some help in setting it up correctly and in the way you want it.

Finally, I would highly suggest you to go into a dealership and get your answers there, because it is far more practical, given the nature of your questions.

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Thanks all, appreciate the replies.  I totally agree, Nico, that I should look at one "in person," but it's not convenient at all and I felt like the answers to the questions I had would determine if I wanted to go any further.   I don't care for the focus peaking that the M10 uses though, since I almost never use the display for composing, that really doesn't matter.  Of course, with the Q2, that IS the focus method (on manual) But I suspect I'd get used to it and it would be perfectly OK.  

 

 

 

 

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5 hours ago, Mikep996 said:

Thanks all, appreciate the replies.  I totally agree, Nico, that I should look at one "in person," but it's not convenient at all and I felt like the answers to the questions I had would determine if I wanted to go any further.   I don't care for the focus peaking that the M10 uses though, since I almost never use the display for composing, that really doesn't matter.  Of course, with the Q2, that IS the focus method (on manual) But I suspect I'd get used to it and it would be perfectly OK. 

I will remind you again that the focus gear on the Q2 is not mechanical and in my opinion, manual focus on the Q(2) does not feel as satisfying as a fully mechanical lens. More often than not, I suspect you will find yourself using AF, which is one of the biggest selling points for getting a Q(2).

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14 minutes ago, nico4444 said:

More often than not, I suspect you will find yourself using AF, which is one of the biggest selling points for getting a Q(2).

I agree with this.  I've used (and loved) M cameras and lenses for decades, but I recently picked up a Q2 to complement my M10-R.  The manual focus on the Q2 is different than manually focusing a rangefinder M camera, but one of the principal benefits of the Q2 is the AF capability.  I have found the Q2's AF to be quite good and, frankly, I rarely use manual focus on the Q2.  If it's manual focus you want, why not stick with the Leica M?

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18 hours ago, nico4444 said:

. One does not get the Q(2) to shoot manually most of the time, because it is fundamentally different than shooting with a rangefinder.

I shoot my Q using manual focus well over 95% of the time.  The difference between using it and my M is zoom/focus peaking on the Q vs the M's rangefinder split image.  I do not find that to be fundamentally different.

 

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11 hours ago, nico4444 said:

I find that hard to believe, but I guess to each their own.

 

I use the Q2 full manual (focus, aperture, speed and ISO) almost all of the time. And I really love it. I cant do the same with the SL2, unfortunately, but to me the Q and the M are really close, much more than what I thought initially.

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With manual focus I see a big handicap in the fact that the button on top that I have normally set to change the ISO does not work as that any more . . . It just shows the zoomed image even though that same image I can see when turning the focus-wheel. There are a few things that are not well thought through with this camera whereas with my M10 I am 120% happy.

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23 hours ago, nico4444 said:

I will remind you again that the focus gear on the Q2 is not mechanical and in my opinion, manual focus on the Q(2) does not feel as satisfying as a fully mechanical lens. More often than not, I suspect you will find yourself using AF, which is one of the biggest selling points for getting a Q(2).

couldn't disagree more

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On 10/8/2020 at 10:54 AM, Fgama said:

It’s either with focus peaking (you can change the colour) or by magnified image at the focus point (which shows you how sharp/blurry the object is). Personally I prefer to do it without focus peaking nor magnified image as I find them distracting. 

no, it's not "either or". I have magnification PLUS focus peeking, and together they suit my purposes well. 

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others may disagree, but for me using Q2 buttery smooth manual focus wheel together with magnification and peeking is a joy. I only use AF when shooting moving street scenes. For all other shots, stationary and/or standing still portraits I go with manual focus.

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