Jono Slack Review: The Leica Q3

[vicaf]

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Jono -

Always appreciate your thoughtful and meticulous reviews. Quick question for you: we are going to Italy late this year - would you recommend the Q3 as a competent and flexible travel camera? I want to travel light, and go with one camera only (aside from the ubiquitous IPhone!). I am impressed by the superb quality of the images, but wonder if the ability to shoot cropped in the alternate focal lengths will suffice?

Thanks!

Vic

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

[city of bristol]

Looking at the camera it looks as if the designer of the Q and Q 2 walked out halfway through the Q 3 design project so they got a couple of garage fitters to bolt on a hideous tilt screen that protrudes horribly from the rear of the camera and these same fitters quickly just stuck some buttons on the other side of the rear to get by!!

I cannot understand how any reviewer has ignored this ,i have found a couple of online reviews including one from the "verge" that point out this obvious design failure.

[bobtodrick]

24 minutes ago, city of bristol said:

Looking at the camera it looks as if the designer of the Q and Q 2 walked out halfway through the Q 3 design project so they got a couple of garage fitters to bolt on a hideous tilt screen that protrudes horribly from the rear of the camera and these same fitters quickly just stuck some buttons on the other side of the rear to get by!!

I cannot understand how any reviewer has ignored this ,i have found a couple of online reviews including one from the "verge" that point out this obvious design failure.

I agree.  The Q/Q2 were (IMO) examples of design that were very ergonomic and comfortable to use and hold.

The Q3 abandoned that philosophy so they could add more ‘stuff’.

[Olaf_ZG]

Yet, to me, having had the q and q2, the tilt screen might me buy a q3. Design is important, but so is function.

[bobtodrick]

2 hours ago, Olaf_ZG said:

Yet, to me, having had the q and q2, the tilt screen might me buy a q3. Design is important, but so is function.

How did we manage to take photos for 150 years without a tilt screen 😂

Edited June 27, 2023 by bobtodrick

[RobW0]

20 minutes ago, bobtodrick said:

How did we manage to take photos for 150 years without a tilt screen 😂

We had waist level finders.

[AlanJW]

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5 hours ago, city of bristol said:

Looking at the camera it looks as if the designer of the Q and Q 2 walked out halfway through the Q 3 design project so they got a couple of garage fitters to bolt on a hideous tilt screen that protrudes horribly from the rear of the camera and these same fitters quickly just stuck some buttons on the other side of the rear to get by!!

I cannot understand how any reviewer has ignored this ,i have found a couple of online reviews including one from the "verge" that point out this obvious design failure.

Having a Q3 and a Q2m, I disagree. They’re different - and not so different -they handle very similarly. I was sceptical about the screen but have found it useful. And I’d trust a review from Jono way more than the “verge”.  

You don’t like it, don’t buy it.  

[bobtodrick]

2 hours ago, RobW0 said:

We had waist level finders.

I have no problem with the Visoflex, an add on accessory like the waist level finders of yore...but that's not the same as designing a camera with permanently designed in bulk.

Edited June 28, 2023 by bobtodrick

[LocalHero1953]

I’ve handled it, which is always an advantage compared to just looking at pics. I also own the Q2. IMO the new screen is not as ugly as some people seem to think, but then we’re all different. It’s a good practical design even if I don’t want it myself. (Though I don’t doubt the Q4 will design it in better - and possibly the SL3). 

The buttons on the right fell naturally to my thumb, to my surprise. I’d prefer the old consistent design with them on the left, like the Q2 and my SL2-S, but it certainly didn’t feel awkward or take any learning. 

All a bit of a storm in a forum teacup IMO. 

Edited June 28, 2023 by LocalHero1953

[city of bristol]

15 minutes ago, T25UFO said:

I thought “don’t like, don’t buy” was eminently sensible.  You don’t like the design and that’s fine; it’s an opinion, your opinion, but that doesn’t mean the design is poor.  It’s only poor in your opinion.

Does that matter?  To you, yes.  To The Verge, probably.  To other people, no.  I doubt that Leica is worried either because they can’t make enough to meet demand.

Just enjoy your Q2, it’s a brilliant camera and probably all you will ever need.

Trouble is with "dont like it dont buy it " is that the whole forum is totally pointless so jono should just do his review and no further comments needed unless they are totally positive and leica should be concerned if people like me who are loyal customers dislike a product that i would otherwise be looking to purchase at some point.

So i disagree 

[bobtodrick]

1 hour ago, T25UFO said:

I thought “don’t like, don’t buy” was eminently sensible.  You don’t like the design and that’s fine; it’s an opinion, your opinion, but that doesn’t mean the design is poor.  It’s only poor in your opinion.

Does that matter?  To you, yes.  To The Verge, probably.  To other people, no.  I doubt that Leica is worried either because they can’t make enough to meet demand.

Just enjoy your Q2, it’s a brilliant camera and probably all you will ever need.

So agree with this.

Hell, my Q is all the camera I’ll ever need.  Have never understood why people so easily fall prey to marketing…what I’ve got works perfectly…BUT MY GOD THERE IS SOMETHING NEW 😂

And then complain when it isn’t like what they already have.

People are strange!

[city of bristol]

8 minutes ago, bobtodrick said:

So agree with this.

Hell, my Q is all the camera I’ll ever need.  Have never understood why people so easily fall prey to marketing…what I’ve got works perfectly…BUT MY GOD THERE IS SOMETHING NEW 😂

And then complain when it isn’t like what they already have.

People are strange!

The aesthetic of the new design is poor in my view ,there are much better flippy screen implementations than the crass bolt on leica design and i actually believe the designer of the original Q has long gone and would never have created the Q 3 because he was much better than this.

[PeterKelly]

I think that qualifying it by saying “in my view” makes your statement much more palatable 

I have a Q2 and I’m waiting for a Q3. I have shot with the Q3 and found the tilt screen great for what I like to shoot and the design didn’t bother me a bit. Again that’s my personal opinion and some will agree and others won’t 

 

My personal use case that suits Q3 is that I like to shoot at low angles but have crappy 74 year old knees that can be uncooperative 

[Jeff S]

1 hour ago, city of bristol said:

The aesthetic of the new design is poor in my view ,there are much better flippy screen implementations than the crass bolt on leica design and i actually believe the designer of the original Q has long gone and would never have created the Q 3 because he was much better than this.

Apparently written by your clone…

https://om.co/2023/05/26/whats-wrong-with-leica-q3/
 

On the other hand, loads of people are standing in line…

https://leicarumors.com/2023/06/28/leica-japan-leica-q3-orders-far-exceed-our-expectations-and-deliveries-may-take-some-time.aspx/

 

Different strokes…
 

Jeff

[T25UFO]

8 hours ago, city of bristol said:

The aesthetic of the new design is poor in my view ,there are much better flippy screen implementations than the crass bolt on leica design and i actually believe the designer of the original Q has long gone and would never have created the Q 3 because he was much better than this.

I should have added 'welcome to the forum'.  You will find it a good place for debate, and disagreement is a healthy part of debate.

Incidentally, just looking at other Q3 topics and it appears to have prompted a number of new joiners to this forum, more so than most other new product launches.  The biggest complaint is not the design aesthetic but rather the inability to actually purchase the damn thing!

I still think your basic premise - that if a product does not conform to your design aesthetic it must be considered universally bad - is bonkers.  But then I think Grayson Perry is bonkers and there will be lots of people who disagree with me.

[Daniel C.1975]

vor 17 Minuten schrieb T25UFO:

 The biggest complaint is not the design aesthetic but rather the inability to actually purchase the damn thing!

 

This is so damn right!  

 

To the flippy screen: As Local Hero already mentioned, in reality it looks much better than in pictures. Still, it not the sleekest design solution. But for me in this case the function is more important. 

Was and am I able to live without it - of course. But I also enjoyed cameras with a flippy screen and have also used angle view finders in the good old times. My first camera with a flippy screen was the Olympus E-300 - and man, I loved it, all quirks included  

Beside easier waist level shooting or low level shooting there is on big advantage not many claim here (I suspect, because you are all dwarfish ). It is that you can just easier shoot from a more natural viewing point when you are tall. I am not very, but quite tall (a good 1.92m). So when I photograph people through the viewfinder, which I still prefer, I need to bend down to not have an odd down tilting viewing point which makes people look short and stumpy. For casual shooting a tilt screen, especially in a bright environment, helps a lot with that - especially when you have a bad back day

 

[Daniel C.1975]

huh! Just saw a BIG mistake: The wonder of bravery and innovation of course was the E-330, not the E-300. 

 

Edited June 29, 2023 by Daniel C.1975

[Olaf_ZG]

8 hours ago, T25UFO said:

I should have added 'welcome to the forum'.  You will find it a good place for debate, and disagreement is a healthy part of debate.

Incidentally, just looking at other Q3 topics and it appears to have prompted a number of new joiners to this forum, more so than most other new product launches.  The biggest complaint is not the design aesthetic but rather the inability to actually purchase the damn thing!

I still think your basic premise - that if a product does not conform to your design aesthetic it must be considered universally bad - is bonkers.  But then I think Grayson Perry is bonkers and there will be lots of people who disagree with me.

Wtf is Grayson Perry?

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[PeterBoyadjian]

So I've had my hands on the Q3 for two days now. 

Last 6 years has been the Q,Q2,SL2S,M10 and now the Q3. 

I didn't like the flip screen when I saw the launch photos but now I love it, looks very industrial. Then again I dont have a design degree or any degree so what do I know. 

I can't even tell you how much better the ISO performance is compared to the Q2. 8000 ISO looks CLEAN at 35mm crop. 

90mm crop looks sharp and really good for what it is, better than 75 on the Q2.

I have a couple events coming up so real world tests await. 

 

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[HL99]

2 hours ago, PeterBoyadjian said:

So I've had my hands on the Q3 for two days now. 

Last 6 years has been the Q,Q2,SL2S,M10 and now the Q3. 

I didn't like the flip screen when I saw the launch photos but now I love it, looks very industrial. Then again I dont have a design degree or any degree so what do I know. 

I can't even tell you how much better the ISO performance is compared to the Q2. 8000 ISO looks CLEAN at 35mm crop. 

90mm crop looks sharp and really good for what it is, better than 75 on the Q2.

I have a couple events coming up so real world tests await. 

 

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!

Curious, if you’ve had any of the issues, users have been describing on the other threads. I’m on the waitlist for one and can’t decide if I should just get a second-hand Q2 for now, and wait for the bugs to get ironed out.