Q3 Bug Reports / Freezes

[BobsFirstLeica]

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1st lockup since I've had the Q3.  FW1.2.  During this evening while taking interior shots with MF.  After one shot the rear screen turned black, camera completely unresponsive.  Aperture indicated f1.0.  Turned the cam off then on again, everything was normal.  I continued.  Anyone else experience this?  Just curious.

Didn't have any issues with 1.1.

Bob

[DanF]

I just had my brand new Q3 freeze when I turned it off. Screen stayed on but no buttons functioned, including on/off. Pulled the battery and reinserted it and it's back to normal. This seems like a problem that people were having last year, but obviously it wasn't solved. I'm not sure how to report it to Leica. Please provide suggestions and/or link. Thank you.

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[Qwertynm]

@DanF Check what firmware you’re on. Latest is 2.0.1, update to the latest if you’re on a prior version. If you’re still having issues on the latest firmware, contact Customer.Care@leica-camera.com

Edited March 14 by Qwertynm

[DanF]

The camera was only 10 days old when this happened and it was delivered with firmware 2.0.1. I double checked this after the incident. I did contact customer care at that email address and they suggested a reset. I'm holding off doing that since this is very intermittant I'm going to wait until/if it happens again to see if there's a pattern and then may try a reset. They also suggested contacting the Leica at LeicaUSA.Repair@leica-camera.com if it happens again. So far, it hasn't happened again. Thanks

Edited March 16 by DanF

[David Wien]

On 3/14/2024 at 2:05 AM, DanF said:

I just had my brand new Q3 freeze when I turned it off. Screen stayed on but no buttons functioned, including on/off. Pulled the battery and reinserted it and it's back to normal. This seems like a problem that people were having last year, but obviously it wasn't solved. I'm not sure how to report it to Leica. Please provide suggestions and/or link. Thank you.

Dan,

My camera is some three months old, and I had this problem for the first time the other day. I am sure it was my fault. I had thought it was on and that I was turnng it off. When I noticed my mistake I did turn it off; but I think that this was too soon after I had actually turned it on, thus not giving the operating system enough time to initialize itself fully. I pulled the battery and waited a minute, replaced it and everything has subsequently been fine. Since then I have had  three trips out to take photos and tunred it on and off quite a few times, and the problem has not recurred. (Of course, I dont intend duplicating the original conditions that caused it!)  The moral of the story is obvious!

David

[David Wien]

On 8/6/2023 at 7:22 PM, beewee said:

Haven’t had an issue with Kingston Canvas React Plus 256 GB cards on either v1.1 or v1.2 FW and I have close to 1000 shots on each firmware.

I am also using this type of card (128MB) as there is a thread somewhere here that assesses lots of different cards and this tape get top marks. I have had no problems with it.

David

[DanF]

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2 hours ago, David Wien said:

Dan,

My camera is some three months old, and I had this problem for the first time the other day. I am sure it was my fault. I had thought it was on and that I was turnng it off. When I noticed my mistake I did turn it off; but I think that this was too soon after I had actually turned it on, thus not giving the operating system enough time to initialize itself fully. I pulled the battery and waited a minute, replaced it and everything has subsequently been fine. Since then I have had  three trips out to take photos and tunred it on and off quite a few times, and the problem has not recurred. (Of course, I dont intend duplicating the original conditions that caused it!)  The moral of the story is obvious!

David

David:

Now that you mention this, it's possible that I did the same thing. That said, I've owned a lot of cameras and done that same thing - quick on/off, or off/on, and never had a problem. The firmware shouldn't lock up like what happened to us. But, knowing what sequence of events may cause the problem, makes it easy to avoid. Thanks very much for sharing your experience.

Dan

[Photo_Rick]

I just realized I added my problem to the wrong thread (or, actuality started a new one.)  Apparently, this is a long standing issue of which I was not aware (or would not have bought the product -- bad due diligence and decision making on my part.  Wondering how Leica and its customers can tolerate this.

 

[borisk]

Really surprised that all of this is happening and people are trying to justify themselves how the cameras like this are still worth it (both M11 & Q3).

I have Q2 which froze once in a period of a few years, luckily when it didn't matter. 

My M10 Monochrom works like a charm from day one. What to expect from Leica going forward? 

I don't see myself "upgrading" from these two cameras anytime soon. 

Edited March 29 by borisk

[Qwertynm]

Lots of cameras ship with little software bugs that eventually get ironed out. I had my Canon R5 lock up on an early firmware with a UHS-1 SD. That never happened again after switching the card and updating the firmware. Same with my Q3 froze on fw 1.0 on launchday. Updated to 1.1 and from then on never had any problem. 
 

usually if your device is faulty it will show right when it’s new or then again when it’s really really old. Seldom in between (google bathtub curve)

[Photo_Rick]

@Qwertynm  You are absolutely right regarding early and late lifecycle failures.  What concerns me is this has been a "known problem" for many months and Leica has not resolved it.  I suppose this is rather expected with a no-name Chinese camera.  But not with a Leica.  I had expected much better.  I would think such unresolved issues would be a serious reputation killer.  But I suppose "fan boys" will keep 'em afloat.  😚

[Le Chef]

It’s more likely that the majority of owners have experienced no problems whatsoever so feel no need to shout about their perfect camera. As we know the loudest volume of noise on social media is people complaining about something.

[Photo_Rick]

You are right, of course.  But what was unexpected in this case is that the seller with an excellent reputation would continue to selling a product costing US$6000+  with well-documented defects -- even if those issues were/are encountered by the minority of owners.

I'm going to let this rest -- for now -- pending Leica's response which, to date, has not been received. 

1 hour ago, Le Chef said:

It’s more likely that the majority of owners have experienced no problems whatsoever so feel no need to shout about their perfect camera. As we know the loudest volume of noise on social media is people complaining about something.

 

[Gueric]

I was one of the first owning a Q3 and one of the first selling it after a couple of months. The sheer amount of bugs made me dislike the camera so much I couldn’t justify the value to myself anymore (that plus a couple of usability issues). The level of bugs was absolutely abnormal (I work in IT and am very familiar with bugs). The M11, for what I hear, seems to have the same kind of still unsolved bugs. I went back to an M10 + Fuji X100. Both work flawlessly, and both are overall much more responsive than the Q3.

Edited April 1 by Gueric

[Le Chef]

You can argue this until the cows come home, but check early posts on the M10 and Fuji X100f and V forums and I seem to remember they were not flawless either. 
 

Leica is a small volume camera and optics manufacturer - it’s not Canon or Fuji with all their resources to debug software. If you don’t want to buy something from a small manufacturer like Leica or say an Aston Martin, then buy something mainstream. 

[LocalHero1953]

.

Edited April 1 by LocalHero1953

[Miltz]

All cameras have bugs in the beginning. My Nikon Z6 is a completely different camera now with the latest firmware compared to when it first came out. It would be foolish to say the Nikon Z was defective when it came out. I just think because the Q3 is $6,000 people think it’s “perfect” and should be immune to everything. Unfortunately it’s not. But seeing how Leica treated the Q2 with firmware updates, I’m confident the Q3 will get the same love. 

[SLamb]

I have never had a digital camera that has been perfect from day one, and those encompass Nikon, Canon, Fuji, Sony, Ricoh, Olympus and Leica. I am more surprised that all the former needed firmware upgrades to address shortcomings than I am that my Leica does.  Products from small volume manufacturers are often less than optimal on day one, but improve over time. 

I've never owned a small volume, hand assembled car that has been perfect from day one, and those include TVR, Morgan, Aston and McLaren.  At thirty times the price of the Q3 the issues on the Astons and McLarens were in some areas quite shocking.  However, the driving experience was sublime, and in the case of the McLaren unequalled, so made waiting for those issues to be resolved worthwhile. 

There are always compromises when buying products from small volume manufacturers, but sometimes the joy of using a product and the exceptional quality of the end result can offset the inconvenience of having to wait for updates to address issues. 

 

[Photo_Rick]

Wow.  That is an incredible attempt at defense of a known, long-standing, unhealed, defect of a product by a high-end manufacturer!  I thought Leica was at the "top of the mainstream" -- I stand corrected.  I guess.

5 hours ago, Le Chef said:

You can argue this until the cows come home, but check early posts on the M10 and Fuji X100f and V forums and I seem to remember they were not flawless either. 
 

Leica is a small volume camera and optics manufacturer - it’s not Canon or Fuji with all their resources to debug software. If you don’t want to buy something from a small manufacturer like Leica or say an Aston Martin, then buy something mainstream. 

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica Q

[Le Chef]

5 minutes ago, Photo_Rick said:

Wow.  That is an incredible attempt at defense of a known, long-standing, unhealed, defect of a product by a high-end manufacturer!  I thought Leica was at the "top of the mainstream" -- I stand corrected.  I guess.

I have never heard of this long-standing defect, but then again I don’t have any reason to use Leica Looks or Fotos so maybe that’s the issue. I would not consider Leica top of the mainstream as you describe it. That’s Canon, Fuji, Nikon and Sony in my book.