Leica Q2 Special Edition: Disney “100 Years of Wonder”

[jaapv]

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6 hours ago, Tjazz said:

I came to Leica in 2018 because I wanted serious, high quality German equipment to advance my photography. A DLux 7 was followed by a Q2, then adding an Sl2-S, and also a Q2 M. This cartoon Q2 strikes me as even more frivolous than the Seal Q2 and Bond Q2's. To me such editions are silly, juvenile, and diminish Leica as a serious photography brand. 

Leica’s designers should be burned at the stake! Heresy!  👺

[Tjazz]

11 hours ago, jaapv said:

Leica’s designers should be burned at the stake! Heresy!  👺

Actually I’m just hoping for the Titanic 25 edition with a Kate Winslet figurehead. 

[Le Chef]

I’m waiting breathlessly for the Jabba the Hutt LE for the SL2

Edited April 7, 2023 by Le Chef

[NigelG]

57 minutes ago, Le Chef said:

I’m waiting breathlessly for the Jabba the Hutt LE for the SL2

I think the Jabba the Hutt LE will be a green SL2 reporter edition with a massively outsized bulbous add-on grip and wind-on “tongue”…

[luetz]

Maybe they can "MILK" one more special edition out before the Q3 release for the Dairy community.  The background colours are already done, just add the cow.

[Le Chef]

47 minutes ago, luetz said:

Maybe they can "MILK" one more special edition out before the Q3 release for the Dairy community.  The background colours are already done, just add the cow.

It will either be the “Atom Heart Mother” Pink Floyd edition or “Finding your moos” La Vache Qui Rit edition

[AlanD]

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It’s really for the Disney fan rather than the Leica fan.  Who do you think is paying the royalty, Disney or Leica?  Leica of course.  Do you think Hodinkee, SEAL, or Disney has asked for the highest licensing fees?

From that perspective, the Q2 Disney is the fanciest Q2 and best bargain to buy new.  It’s the same price as the others and won’t be made again for a long time.  I think it would have been better to release 250 color and 250 monochrome cameras though. 

I’ve owned M, S, Q and the X-U.  Never got into the SL line.  I have had both Mandler and Karbe era lenses.  I see no shame in celebrating the fun of storytelling or playfulness of mixing two brands that don’t seem to overlap at first glance.  The Disney marketing collaboration certainly makes more sense than the Huawei/Leica collaboration.  After all, the Disney Imagineering team is still considered to house some of the most creative mechanical engineers anywhere and the Disney legacy is genuinely that of storytelling.

As for the politics, Disney is a part of the last century of United States cultural heritage.  When you look at US politics, you can take a snapshot in 4 year intervals and have a very different opinion of what is good and bad about the country when compared to a different 4 year interval.  Over the 100 years of Disney, I think you will find the same variability.

“To all who come to this happy place: welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America, with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.”

[liggy]

I would totally add a Q3 Mandalorian SE made of Beskar to the collection.  

[Phil1066]

Im waiting for the Final Final Final Edition of the Q2 (not)…..

[satijntje]

Leica: Please bring a black paint Q2/3 on the market!!!

[AlanD]

I picked up my Q2 Disney yesterday.

1) Apparently real-world demand is high despite forum fodder.

2) The white feels like high density polyethylene with a subtle mostly smooth  texture of tracing paper which seems to grip reasonably.  Print quality of the sketches is good and the color is a warmer paper white in person than the blinding white online.  I would describe as smooth but subjectively porous, but the porosity is its texture.  I don’t feel as if I need the thumbs up and it overall feels better than my old original Q.

3) Disney specific rope strap is all black. The Mickey silhouette is embossed on one of the leather ends near the rings.

4) SD card slot cover has a Mickey silhouette.

5) Ships with 4.0 firmware.

Edited April 26, 2023 by AlanD

[mhasman]

Congrats with your new limited Q2!

[AlanD]

14 hours ago, mhasman said:

Congrats with your new limited Q2!

Thanks.  Can’t wait to get other Leicaphiles flustered by bringing it out to a Leica Akademie or tour event .

My serial is in the high 400’s already.  The Seal and Hodinkee models are still available at B&H whereas the Disney isn’t available there, so it may genuinely be a higher demand “limited” Q2.

At the end of the day, of course, it’s just takes the same pictures as any other Q2 and it probably won’t beat the Q3 unless they do something crazy like make the Q3 a 35 or 50mm lens.  Getting the Q2 this late in the game is an emotional not logical decision, so why not pick something that might be a little bit of fun?

I have rationalized it as having the collective Q&A experience of several years of Q2 production and being out of the COVID production issues risk and having something fun to bring when going to a Disney Theme Park or Cruise.

I do appreciate that the current political situation means that approximately 50% of the US agrees/disagrees with what is happening in Florida, but as I mentioned a few other posts back, at any given time, half of the United States thinks our leadership is on the right vs wrong path.  You have to look at the whole history, and that is where I think I am comfortable being a billboard for Disney when using this camera.

“But if we can bring together the technical know—how of American industry and the creative imagination of the Disney Organization—I’m confident we can create right here in Disney World a showcase to the world of the American free enterprise system.” -Walt Disney 

I have a personal bias and interest in the strength of American industrial technical know-how along with an appreciation of the attention to detail and craftsmanship of  a luxury brand like Leica.  For me, understanding the true 100 year history of Disney makes me appreciative of this collaboration much as I appreciate the history of Leica beyond 0.95 labeled coffee mugs and headphones.

I am sure there are many involved in the Disney and Leica collaboration who appreciated the industrial and technical shared visions and history.  From a marketing standpoint, I am sure a lot of Leica products sell well in the Middle East and Mainland China where an overly honest description of Disney’s level of US patriotism could backfire.

Edited April 27, 2023 by AlanD

[SrMi]

37 minutes ago, AlanD said:

Thanks.  Can’t wait to get other Leicaphiles flustered by bringing it out to a Leica Akademie or tour event .

My serial is in the high 400’s already.  The Seal and Hodinkee models are still available at B&H whereas the Disney isn’t available there, so it may genuinely be a higher demand “limited” Q2.

At the end of the day, of course, it’s just takes the same pictures as any other Q2 and it probably won’t beat the Q3 unless they do something crazy like make the Q3 a 35 or 50mm lens.  Getting the Q2 this late in the game is an emotional not logical decision, so why not pick something that might be a little bit of fun?

I have rationalized it as having the collective Q&A experience of several years of Q2 production and being out of the COVID production issues risk and having something fun to bring when going to a Disney Theme Park or Cruise.

I do appreciate that the current political situation means that approximately 50% of the US agrees/disagrees with what is happening in Florida, but as I mentioned a few other posts back, at any given time, half of the United States thinks our leadership is on the right vs wrong path.  You have to look at the whole history, and that is where I think I am comfortable being a billboard for Disney when using this camera.

“But if we can bring together the technical know—how of American industry and the creative imagination of the Disney Organization—I’m confident we can create right here in Disney World a showcase to the world of the American free enterprise system.” -Walt Disney 

I have a personal bias and interest in the strength of American industrial technical know-how along with an appreciation of the attention to detail and craftsmanship of  a luxury brand like Leica.  For me, understanding the true 100 year history of Disney makes me appreciative of this collaboration much as I appreciate the history of Leica beyond 0.95 labeled coffee mugs and headphones.

I am sure there are many involved in the Disney and Leica collaboration who appreciated the industrial and technical shared visions and history.  From a marketing standpoint, I am sure a lot of Leica products sell well in the Middle East and Mainland China where an overly honest description of Disney’s level of US patriotism could backfire.

Congratulation on your new Q2. May you enjoy it in good health.

441/500 :).

[soccerrick10]

I’d buy one in a heart beat.  My mother was born less than 30 days after Mickey Mouse was introduced.  She was the one that got me hooked on photography when she gave me her camera she got for high school graduation.  That character has always held a bright spot in my family.  At soon to be 95 and suffering dementia, I don’t think these are silly, juvenile, or diminish Leica as a serious photography brand at all.

In my mind, it would hold as special of a place in my heart as my M3 that was manufactured within weeks of my birthday in 1954.

 

[bobtodrick]

If one reads the article 

On 4/27/2023 at 9:17 AM, AlanD said:

Thanks.  Can’t wait to get other Leicaphiles flustered by bringing it out to a Leica Akademie or tour event .

My serial is in the high 400’s already.  The Seal and Hodinkee models are still available at B&H whereas the Disney isn’t available there, so it may genuinely be a higher demand “limited” Q2.

At the end of the day, of course, it’s just takes the same pictures as any other Q2 and it probably won’t beat the Q3 unless they do something crazy like make the Q3 a 35 or 50mm lens.  Getting the Q2 this late in the game is an emotional not logical decision, so why not pick something that might be a little bit of fun?

I have rationalized it as having the collective Q&A experience of several years of Q2 production and being out of the COVID production issues risk and having something fun to bring when going to a Disney Theme Park or Cruise.

I do appreciate that the current political situation means that approximately 50% of the US agrees/disagrees with what is happening in Florida, but as I mentioned a few other posts back, at any given time, half of the United States thinks our leadership is on the right vs wrong path.  You have to look at the whole history, and that is where I think I am comfortable being a billboard for Disney when using this camera.

“But if we can bring together the technical know—how of American industry and the creative imagination of the Disney Organization—I’m confident we can create right here in Disney World a showcase to the world of the American free enterprise system.” -Walt Disney 

I have a personal bias and interest in the strength of American industrial technical know-how along with an appreciation of the attention to detail and craftsmanship of  a luxury brand like Leica.  For me, understanding the true 100 year history of Disney makes me appreciative of this collaboration much as I appreciate the history of Leica beyond 0.95 labeled coffee mugs and headphones.

I am sure there are many involved in the Disney and Leica collaboration who appreciated the industrial and technical shared visions and history.  From a marketing standpoint, I am sure a lot of Leica products sell well in the Middle East and Mainland China where an overly honest description of Disney’s level of US patriotism could backfire.

Yes, if one reads the article in the latest LFI one will find that Leica was used to record the early animation cells in the Disney ‘toons…specifically the early Mickey cartoons.

But of course these days people just jump onto social media without actually doing any research 🧐 

Edited May 4, 2023 by bobtodrick

[SrMi]

Fuji is late to the game, and it does not look as nice as Q2.

New Fujifilm limited edition Disney 100th anniversary X100V camera announced in Hong Kong

[Olaf_ZG]

26 minutes ago, SrMi said:

Fuji is late to the game, and it does not look as nice as Q2.

New Fujifilm limited edition Disney 100th anniversary X100V camera announced in Hong Kong

So, next thing will be a fuji seal and fuji ghost. How original.

[Le Chef]

1 hour ago, SrMi said:

Fuji is late to the game, and it does not look as nice as Q2.

New Fujifilm limited edition Disney 100th anniversary X100V camera announced in Hong Kong

Presumably that means it's about to be replaced by an X100VI (S)

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica Q

[AlanD]

It’s interesting that it is Hong Kong only and not even Japan, which has a big Disney fan base.  Maybe Leica secured the Disney collaboration rights worldwide outside of HK.

For what it’s worth, Fuji has released Disney/Instax collaborations in the past, so there is a longer track record there.