q3 Buy a Leica Q3 - for a long time user of the Leica M ? Someone who has both M and Q - how do they work together?

[Kim Dahl]

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I am thinking of buying a Leica Q3 even though I have the Leica M (MD) - which I am very happy with.
But Q3 that's a COMPLETELY different camera.
But Q3 has AF, Video and 28 too about 75(90) mm.
This is the area I use the most on my M.(24mm-50mm) I don't want to go the SL route now but have the Canon RF because of the long telephoto lenses for bird photography AND amazingly fast AF.
But I'm a little afraid that the Q3 will replace my M and it will collect dust.
But Q3 + an M with 50mm

Is there anyone thinking of doing the same or has done the same with the Q2 ??
(I am definitely not going to sell my M equipment)

Edited May 29, 2023 by Kim Dahl

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[Olaf_ZG]

I am one who is bothered having both a Q and M. Both are great, but having both, means that one doesn’t get used as much as it should be. Which is a pity.

[dancook]

For me the Q series is my wide angle documentary/street camera, and like to I pair that with a portrait/longer focal length camera.

I've had the Q2+M10/M10M/SL in the past as well as Q2+X1D/X1DII, but now I've settled on the Q3+Hasselblad X2D. I have the 38/80 lenses, the 80 will be my longer (portrait) lens but the 38 will be start competing with the Leica Q3, it makes me wonder if I should get the Hasselblad 21mm instead - but I'm not going to rush into it

[dancook]

Dare I say Q3 + M with 75mm noctilux?  

[Kim Dahl]

7 minutes ago, Olaf_ZG said:

I am one who is bothered having both a Q and M. Both are great, but having both, means that one doesn’t get used as much as it should be. Which is a pity.

Yes, that's what I'm a little afraid of. But maybe a combination of Q3 and an M with 50 summilux would be a good set. But then again, the Q3 was supposed to make fantastic pictures at 50 mm - What do you use the most, Q or M?

[Olaf_ZG]

1 minute ago, Kim Dahl said:

Yes, that's what I'm a little afraid of. But maybe a combination of Q3 and an M with 50 summilux would be a good set. But then again, the Q3 was supposed to make fantastic pictures at 50 mm - What do you use the most, Q or M?

My m is a monochrom with 50mm. My preferred FL. The q i can carry w/o a bag so it goes with me every where. I wish I could do this with the M.

[Kim Dahl]

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5 minutes ago, dancook said:

Dare I say Q3 + M with 75mm noctilux?  

Dream combo - but I have 90 APO and am not good at focusing at f2 - so 75mm f1.2 we probably won't go with my eyes. Otherwise yes! 😁 GAS syndrom … 😂

[jwr50]

I have an M10R and a Q2 (the Q3 is on order . . .).  I find it easy to move between the two because they are completely different cameras.  I tend to use the Q2 as my travel camera and the M for most everything else (except for a long telephoto, where I get out my Nikon).  The beauty of the M10R is that is makes me slow down and think more about what I'm doing and how I want to do it.  The Q2 is just a sophisticated point-and-shoot, which is why it's a great travel camera.

[Kim Dahl]

1 hour ago, jwr50 said:

I have an M10R and a Q2 (the Q3 is on order . . .).  I find it easy to move between the two because they are completely different cameras.  I tend to use the Q2 as my travel camera and the M for most everything else (except for a long telephoto, where I get out my Nikon).  The beauty of the M10R is that is makes me slow down and think more about what I'm doing and how I want to do it.  The Q2 is just a sophisticated point-and-shoot, which is why it's a great travel camera.

That's actually how I thought I'd use it. I work daily as a professional press photographer. And I must say my Leica M is only used privately. It is not a good press camera. Maybe the M11 is. For that I use Canon RF. But I think the Leica Q3 is the right everyday camera and holiday camera.

[Segal]

I have an M11 and a Q2, and I don't use Q2 that much anymore. The autofocus isn't that useful when shooting 28mm, and I strongly prefer 35mm over 28mm.

The colors from M11 and Q2 are slightly different (I like Q2 colors a bit more), but I shoot in RAW, so I adjust them anyway  

Not trying to dissuade you from buying a new toy, of course. It all comes down to how you feel about 28mm focal length. If you like it - you'll love Q3. If you don't - you will still love it but probably use it less.  

[dancook]

for balance, I'd like to say the autofocus is useful when shooting 28mm

[ianforber]

I have a Q2 and an M11 with a 35 and 50mm lenses. The Q2 images are excellent at 35 and 50 (and beyond) and I can’t notice the difference between the Q2 and M11 with my CV 35 f1.5 or Leica 50mm Summicron unless it’s in low light, when the M11 ISO performance is much better. It’s the haptics that are very different. I tend to use my M11 for street photography because it’s easier to zone focus. I only use my Q2 in autofocus mode and/or when I know I’ll be doing very close focus shots. 

Overall though, whichever one I take out ends up being my default camera until I force myself to get the other one out, which then becomes my default camera!

As an example, here’s two shots, one with the Q2, one with the M11 +35mm but both cropped to about 50mm equivalent. 

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Edited May 30, 2023 by ianforber

[Kim Dahl]

1 hour ago, ianforber said:

I have a Q2 and an M11 with a 35 and 50mm lenses. The Q2 images are excellent at 35 and 50 (and beyond) and I can’t notice the difference between the Q2 and M11 with my CV 35 f1.5 or Leica 50mm Summicron unless it’s in low light, when the M11 ISO performance is much better. It’s the haptics that are very different. I tend to use my M11 for street photography because it’s easier to zone focus. I only use my Q2 in autofocus mode and/or when I know I’ll be doing very close focus shots. 

Overall though, whichever one I take out ends up being my default camera until I force myself to get the other one out, which then becomes my default camera!

As an example, here’s two shots, one with the Q2, one with the M11 +35mm but both cropped to about 50mm equivalent. 

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!

Thanks very useful. Immediately it sounds like an M and Q3 - they do the same thing. Both cameras work best between 28-50mm. So I was afraid it's just GAS. So if I buy the Q3 I will not upgrade the M to the M11 - not right now anyway. Leica M has become so expensive now that it is hard to keep up. Q is more affordable. It is easy to sell a Q used and there is only one unit to deal with. I think about that more as I get older.

[Mr.Prime]

I think the key for me (and others) is that we have M glass we want to use. I don't like the price of the M, the pricing of the Q is more palatable. I don't have a digital M because it's too pricey for the use I'd give it (so I'm a film only user) - it's that simple - so instead of a Q I'll buy a non-Leica body with adapters to use my M glass.

Edited May 30, 2023 by Mr.Prime

[snooper]

You also can think a bit differently: you have an M camera and want to add a Lux 28mm? Why dont you buy a Q3?

It’s indeed a very decent Summilux 28, and they give a camera at no extra cost to hold it.

[MediaFotografie]

…and what‘s about a SL2 (S) and M-L-Adapter? so you have both, you can use M lenses even with IBIS and different AF lenses

[dpitt]

9 hours ago, snooper said:

You also can think a bit differently: you have an M camera and want to add a Lux 28mm? Why dont you buy a Q3?

It’s indeed a very decent Summilux 28, and they give a camera at no extra cost to hold it.

Great indeed. I hate changing lenses in the field. So I often use a second camera when I have the M9 with me with a 40 or 50 mm. This second camera used to be the Leica X2 (35 mm eq.) or a Gx8 with Voigtlander Heliar 15mm (30mm eq). The Q (or even better Q2 or Q3) could replace either the X2 or Gx8 easily, but never my M9. For one it is a RF. You do not see it in the photo, but the handling of the RF influences my subjects(portraits and street) and also my own framing. I just get a different set of pictures when using any M camera. Maybe the Q can sort of simulate using a RF by using 35 or 50mm crop mode, but still it has this issue of influencing the subjects compared to the M.

7 hours ago, MediaFotografie said:

…and what‘s about a SL2 (S) and M-L-Adapter? so you have both, you can use M lenses even with IBIS and different AF lenses

Quality wise it is a perfect solution and it adds IBIS + AF on other FL. The only (and major) difficulty is the size and weight. I carried my M9 with 2 lenses and a backup battery for 10km in a city walk. Most of the time people did not even notice I had a camera with me, because it was carried in a small (non photography) bag together with my wallet...
Even the Q series is too large to fit in the same bag. I could manage the weight of the Q though.

I could never do that with my SL. It stays at home or in the car trunk. I never take it for more than a few 100 meters to do its thing, what it does best and then return home.

[norm_snyder]

Q2M and M10 often used together.  When I am shooting with them both, 75mm Summicron on the M10, occasionally a 21.  The Q’s Summilux and the M mount 75 Summicron have, to my eye, a similar “look” in that they are both more contrasty than my older Mändler lenses—what some here have referred to as more “modern.”  The interfaces, in use, are similar enough that using them together isn’t a problem for me.  When I am out and about with just the M, it’s usually with. 75mm and 35mm. The Q2M gives me a decent sized file (30MP DNG) if I crop in camera using the 35mm equivalent frame lines, and this replicates some of the experience of shooting with the M for me.  I am a long time (40+ year) M user, who is quite happy with this digital pair.  If I go out to shoot with no bag, one camera, it’s usually the Q.

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