Will the Q3 bring them back?

[Le Chef]

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A number of people bought the Q and Q2 and then sold them, not satisfied for a number of reasons. Is the Q3 good enough to bring them back, but more importantly good enough to keep them?

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The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[hdmesa]

I think most people who purchase a Q keep it. We only hear about the ones who sold it because gear-swappers full of G.A.S. love to post about what they're buying next.

[TheEyesHaveIt]

I sold my Q2 when I got my M11. I’m contemplating picking up a Q3 as an additional camera option.

[timo01]

i sold my q2 for a m10

[la1402]

4 hours ago, TheEyesHaveIt said:

I sold my Q2 when I got my M11. I’m contemplating picking up a Q3 as an additional camera option.

Same here. But not short term.

[Simone_DF]

Got a Q2, sold it within 3 months. 

I didn't like the terrible AF, the noise at 1600 and above, the 28mm focal length.

I settled on a Ricoh GRIII. Same issues as above, but at least I paid 600€ for it, not 6000, I can fit it in my pocket, and I do really like the focus snap feature. I purchased it in the hope I could gel with the 28mm, but it has not happened yet.

So the Q3, as it is, won't bring me back. Definitely not at 6000€.

A Q3 equipped with a 50mm lens would, though. 

[Olaf_ZG]

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Bought the Q, sold it for a m10.

Bought the Q2, not sure to keep it or not.

Will not buy a Q3 for sure, unless maybe with a 50mm.

[jbripley]

59 minutes ago, Simone_DF said:

Got a Q2, sold it within 3 months. 

I didn't like the terrible AF, the noise at 1600 and above, the 28mm focal length.

I settled on a Ricoh GRIII. Same issues as above, but at least I paid 600€ for it, not 6000, I can fit it in my pocket, and I do really like the focus snap feature. I purchased it in the hope I could gel with the 28mm, but it has not happened yet.

So the Q3, as it is, won't bring me back. Definitely not at 6000€.

A Q3 equipped with a 50mm lens would, though. 

Have you tried the Ricoh GRIIIx? I got it as a small pocketable alternative to the Q2, same as you. I really found that the 40mm was great on its own for street photography + half length portraits, and a good compliment to 28mm when I carry both.

Edited May 25, 2023 by jbripley

[roma]

Leica should seriously consider standardizing their batteries across all of their systems. I could see adding a Q to my Ms, but traveling with different batteries and chargers makes it a much harder decision. 

[Simone_DF]

29 minutes ago, jbripley said:

Have you tried the Ricoh GRIIIx? I got it as a small pocketable alternative to the Q2, same as you. I really found that the 40mm was great on its own for street photography + half length portraits, and a good compliment to 28mm when I carry both.

I haven't. I got the GRIII way before the GRIIIx was announced. But I was thinking of getting one of them as well. 

[elgenper]

5 hours ago, jbripley said:

Have you tried the Ricoh GRIIIx? I got it as a small pocketable alternative to the Q2, same as you. I really found that the 40mm was great on its own for street photography + half length portraits, and a good compliment to 28mm when I carry both.

I second that; the GRIIIx was just right for me.  That 28 mm angle of view has been just what kept me from getting anything in the Q family.

[Ko.Fe.]

14 minutes ago, elgenper said:

I second that; the GRIIIx was just right for me.  That 28 mm angle of view has been just what kept me from getting anything in the Q family.

 

5 hours ago, jbripley said:

Have you tried the Ricoh GRIIIx? I got it as a small pocketable alternative to the Q2, same as you. I really found that the 40mm was great on its own for street photography + half length portraits, and a good compliment to 28mm when I carry both.

 40 seems to be more touristy P&S focal length, which never impressed me in use on Ms or as fixed focal length camera.

IMO, 35 mm crop with framelines in EVF makes it more handy on the street than 40mm FOV on tiny screen. Well, at least to me it is harder to frame on streets with narrow FOV, comparing to 28mm. With GRDIII and GRD I have, I could use all kinds of angles, but 40mm FOV is not as easy for it, IMO.

But it is hard to argue with GRIII and GRIIIx as pair. Still three times less than Q3 and two Ricoh takes same space as one Q3   With something like $100 for three batteries and charger...

    

[Leica Girl]

I sold my Q one week ago in anticipation of the new Q3 to be released today.  Going from a 20+ MP camera to a 60MP IBIS camera with tilt screen is what brought me back to a fixed 28mm f/1.7.  The color and image quality of the Leica Q’s are absolutely amazing and recognizable.

[Farrell Gallery]

Likely that people won’t ever be satisfied, and never realize they’re usually the problem. The rest of us use it and enjoy it. 

[Simone_DF]

1 hour ago, Ko.Fe. said:

 40 seems to be more touristy P&S focal length,

Isn’t the Q a touristy P&S focal length too? It has a 28mm lens just like your smartphone 

Edited May 25, 2023 by Simone_DF

[charlesphoto99]

I tried a Q for a week, returned it and went back to the M’s. I might consider a used Q3 in a few years once the Q5 is released…

[Ko.Fe.]

1 hour ago, Simone_DF said:

Isn’t the Q a touristy P&S focal length too? It has a 28mm lens just like your smartphone 

Any camera could be used by tourist. I love my Ms for it.  I just don't know any recognized photog using 40mm. Maybe late HCB?

In the opposite, Olympus trip 35 and Smena were massive among tourists.

 

Regarding smartphones, if they are not antique, here is more than one, 28 pov lens.   

[Simone_DF]

3 hours ago, Farrell Gallery said:

Likely that people won’t ever be satisfied, and never realize they’re usually the problem. The rest of us use it and enjoy it. 

Yeah. But if you replace the word "Q3" with "dildo", you'll see how your statement will still make sense and is wrong at the same time. 

People are not "the problem", people have different requirements / expectations / use cases and that's fine. Shoehorning them into one size fits all doesn't really work.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica Q

[Simone_DF]

1 hour ago, Ko.Fe. said:

In the opposite, Olympus trip 35 and Smena were massive among tourists.

I have both! Fun cameras, especially the Trip 35. I reskinned mine in white. 🙂

I'd prefer 50mm, but I'd take 40 over 28mm any day. Luckily Ricoh saw the light and added an extra SKU besides the GRIII, so people have a choice. And many are buying both.

[acg69]

Great question! I am one of those people; had the Q2 and I was very happy with it except for a few things. I so the rumors for the Q3, decided to sell it in time to get a good price and moved to an X2D with the 4/45. The Q3 addresses one of my issues with the Q2, namely the tillable screen. Good show there, it was about time as it gives added flexibility especially given the genre of photography that this camera is best suited for. The other two issues were not addressed: one is a personal preference for a 35mm lens “natively”, but I realize that there may be more people that would prefer the 28mm even though I maintain that it is a more “specialty” lens than the 35 which has a more “general purpose” character, but oh well. I knew from rumors that Leica wasn’t going to change the lens and it didn’t. The third point was about the digital zoom implementation with the stupid framelines… a “rangefinder legacy” thing (yes, I know many will say that they like to see what is outside the frame as if every shot is that critical or people, birds, cars, planes and bikes are always jumping in the frame to bomb it… but anyway!). I see from the first reviews that not only this was not addressed but now a 90mm crop is offered which will most likely be like trying to see through a peep hole… 

So, to make a long story short, I will not be returning mainly due to the lens and secondarily due to the digital zoom implementation. If Leica changed these two and gave me my “dream” Q camera, I would have to compare the weight/size differential in favor of the Leica with the IQ differential in favor of the X2D. Given that I have been using the Hasselblad extensively for hours on end without a problem due to its larger weight/size, I am inclined to say that I would stick to it, even if Leica produced my dream Q camera. Of course, all this is highly subjective, so there is no right or wrong answer.

Oh, I forgot: the new sensor is more than fine for me, the ports are fine but I could do without - never missed them in the first place, video I do not care for at all and wireless charging is nice to have since it comes with the necessary (for me) accessory that is the grip.

Edited May 26, 2023 by acg69