The Leica Effect

[Miltz]

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I was wondering what effect getting a Leica Q/Q2/Q3 has had on your photography. Positive? Negative? Neutral? There is no wrong answer here. Please give reasons behind your response. 

Edited June 11, 2023 by Miltz

[bobtodrick]

7 minutes ago, Miltz said:

I was wondering what effect getting a Leica Q/Q2/Q3 has had on your photography. Positive? Negative? Neutral? There is no wrong answer here. 

I’ll bite.

Was a Leica user for 25 years (M4, CL, R3, Focomat enlarger).

Went digital in 2005 (Nikon), but just didn’t like the disposable feel of the camera/marketing.

Dive years ago purchased my Q…finally a digital camera that I felt was in it for the long haul.

[Olaf_ZG]

12 minutes ago, Miltz said:

I was wondering what effect getting a Leica Q/Q2/Q3 has had on your photography. Positive? Negative? Neutral? There is no wrong answer here. 

Negative for my bank account: it took me into the world of m, sl, and a whole bunch of wonderful lenses.

[LocalHero1953]

No significant effect at all. I bought the Q2 last year as a replacement for a CL system (I had too many cameras and lenses, and chose to simplify). I use the Q2 much as I used the CL (casual, travel, family, social). I'd used the latter mainly with the 11-23 zoom, 35/1.4 and 60/2.8, so I have lost the wide and long ends, but gained functionality in other areas.

For my kind of usage I don't notice a significant change in IQ. I find the Q2 more than good enough, but then I did with the CL. It would be interesting now to try the CL with the latest AI noise and sharpening tools.

Edit. You have asked, and I have answered about the Q system, though the thread title is about "the Leica effect". I would write something different about the effect of getting a Leica (film and digital).

Edited June 11, 2023 by LocalHero1953

[liggy]

Net positive.  I really enjoy using the Q2.  It has a beautiful rendering, feels really nice in operation and looks killer in the Reporter livery.  I would feel a bit self conscious about running around with a camera with the red dot on the front but not with the Reporter.  

Kind of an IYKYK thing.  

Instead of a fast wide prime for my ILC Fujis or Sonys I bring along the Q2 for nighttime duty or if the daytime calls for the 28ish FOV of the Q2.

[Bryan Goh]

Was lusting over the Q2 for the longest time and exercising extreme self-control to wait for the Q3 as the Q2 was already due for an update. 

Got the Q3 on launch day as my first Leica. Have always been a Canon / Sony user but always dreamt of owning a Leica and the Q series made most sense to me as the first one from the brand. 

I feel that the effect it has for me (and the effect I was hoping for as well) is definitely not about getting better photos (as my other gear would be fully capable of great results), but wanting to take more photos and putting more effort into "getting the shot" and also trying new creative ideas. With the other brands, there was never the urge to bring them out unless photography was the reason for going out. Of course the wonderful specs and images out of the Q3 are a welcomed bonus. 

The M system is already starting to tempt me for the same reasons above... maybe one day I will cave. 

[Archiver]

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@Bryan GohAs an aside, are you the Bryan Goh who wrote 'A Take of Two Rolexes' many years ago, perhaps on the old TURF? That post really hit me.

[Bryan Goh]

2 hours ago, Archiver said:

@Bryan GohAs an aside, are you the Bryan Goh who wrote 'A Take of Two Rolexes' many years ago, perhaps on the old TURF? That post really hit me.

I dont think so.. I dont have 2 Rolexes, so, unlikely. 😂

[Archiver]

15 hours ago, Bryan Goh said:

I dont think so.. I dont have 2 Rolexes, so, unlikely. 😂

Haha, all good. There was a Bryan Goh (Singaporean?) who was quite active in online watch collecting circles in the 2000s. He once posted about buying a Submariner before going to live overseas. It was his constant companion for years, but he sold it for a reason that even he didn't understand then. He went to buy it back, but it had been sold. Later, he bought a Sea-Dweller before going to live overseas again, and he ended the post with wondering where his Submariner ended up. It's the kind of romantic object story that some tell about the Leica they had for decades.

[Chris Nebard]

There is something totally daft about otherwise intelligent people suggesting that certain inanimate things have “soul”. If they do, it’s only because our minds apply it to them. Ridiculous. So, does my Q typ 116 have soul? God, yes. Absolutely! 😂 

I love mine. The thing just begs you to use it. I’ve had it since 2017 and use it daily. Its 28mm fixed lens belies the Q’s flexibility - the ‘macro’ function and the crop factor mean that it’s not as limited as critics say. While recognising the versatility though, my wide angle photography has genuinely improved. Sometimes, getting the best from what you have concentrates the mind and sharpens your technique. And there are certain shots at weddings, events, some street stuff, that I wouldn’t take with anything else.

When I decided to try for an RPS distinction during lockdown, half of my submission panel shots were taken using the Q. Cameras, in and of themselves, don’t improve your photography - but your love of them, and how they help you to work (never complicate it Leica!), definitely can. I’ve owned two M’s, I have the SL2-s (excellent camera) and a host of lenses, but the Q is the one that just does it for me. Because it has soul 😆

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[Maxpilot]

Most enjoyable camera I have ever owned.  Q2 reporter. 

[bobtodrick]

7 hours ago, Chris Nebard said:

There is something totally daft about otherwise intelligent people suggesting that certain inanimate things have “soul”. If they do, it’s only because our minds apply it to them. Ridiculous. So, does my Q typ 116 have soul? God, yes. Absolutely! 😂 

I love mine. The thing just begs you to use it. I’ve had it since 2017 and use it daily. Its 28mm fixed lens belies the Q’s flexibility - the ‘macro’ function and the crop factor mean that it’s not as limited as critics say. While recognising the versatility though, my wide angle photography has genuinely improved. Sometimes, getting the best from what you have concentrates the mind and sharpens your technique. And there are certain shots at weddings, events, some street stuff, that I wouldn’t take with anything else.

When I decided to try for an RPS distinction during lockdown, half of my submission panel shots were taken using the Q. Cameras, in and of themselves, don’t improve your photography - but your love of them, and how they help you to work (never complicate it Leica!), definitely can. I’ve owned two M’s, I have the SL2-s (excellent camera) and a host of lenses, but the Q is the one that just does it for me. Because it has soul 😆

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!

So completely agree.

There are a slew of cameras out there that can give me results that equal or exceed my Q.

But my Q begs me to use it…and the photos show.