Q/Q2/Q3 as sole travel camera kit? What has been your experience?

[JohnSantaF4]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I depart Monday for Madrid. Considering leaving my Sl2-S and lenses home, and traveling only with my Q2M and iPhone 15 pro. Crazy?

[Pindy]

36 minutes ago, JohnSantaF4 said:

I depart Monday for Madrid. Considering leaving my Sl2-S and lenses home, and traveling only with my Q2M and iPhone 15 pro. Crazy?

Creativity usually benefits from limitations by imposition.

[ianforber]

1 hour ago, JohnSantaF4 said:

I depart Monday for Madrid. Considering leaving my Sl2-S and lenses home, and traveling only with my Q2M and iPhone 15 pro. Crazy?

Not crazy at all. I’d only take the SL2 if you expect to take a fair amount of colour pictures. 

[Seba66]

Here M and SL shooter. I’ve just ordered an used Q2 as a result of this thread 😅. My plan is to use it as a sole travel camera in the next six months when I will be traveling a lot, and after this season I will decide which couple of systems to keep (Q and M, Q and SL or M and SL as per today)

[bobtodrick]

Four years ago I got rid of my DSLR kit and purchased a Q.  Was tired of packing around a 20lb camera bag on my trips (I do frequent 2-3 trips photographing the rural landscapes and towns in western Canada).

If anything I feel it improved my photography.  It forced me to use my brain more when composing instead of just trying different lenses…and my feet became my zoom 😂

Now admittedly I always favoured wide angle lenses…if I was a tele kinda guy it might not have worked out so well.

 

 

[Marc283]

It was a bit of getting used to. Before my Q3 I had a Fuji X-T4 with two big 2.8 zooms, af few primes and a flash. I didn't enjoy photography anymore with lugging a quite heavy bag around. Decided to sell my complete Fuji kit and bought a Q3.

My first thoughts after getting the Q3 were: Happy as a little child. After that: What the hell have I done? I missed my zooms. 😉 And now I'm very happy with my Q3. It was just a period of getting used to not be able to zoom anymore. I think it makes you more creative. At te moment I don't mis my Fuji kit for a second anymore.

At the moment I haven't travelled with the Q3 yet. Later this year I have a trip to NYC planned. So the Q3 will be my only camera I will take with me on that trip. I've been there before, took most of my shots with the Fuji XF 23 1.4. So I think the Q3 will suffice.
 

[Jed Orme]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

8 hours ago, Marc283 said:

It was a bit of getting used to. Before my Q3 I had a Fuji X-T4 with two big 2.8 zooms, af few primes and a flash. I didn't enjoy photography anymore with lugging a quite heavy bag around. Decided to sell my complete Fuji kit and bought a Q3.

My first thoughts after getting the Q3 were: Happy as a little child. After that: What the hell have I done? I missed my zooms. 😉 And now I'm very happy with my Q3. It was just a period of getting used to not be able to zoom anymore. I think it makes you more creative. At te moment I don't mis my Fuji kit for a second anymore.

At the moment I haven't travelled with the Q3 yet. Later this year I have a trip to NYC planned. So the Q3 will be my only camera I will take with me on that trip. I've been there before, took most of my shots with the Fuji XF 23 1.4. So I think the Q3 will suffice.
 

I really understand what you have to say about coming from your Fuji kit, as I just did the same in getting a Q2, the only difference being my Fuji experience was with their more rangefinder like X-Pro series, and only smaller prime lenses with no zooms.  But if you got by in NYC before with just the Fuji 23/1.4, you should have no problems doing it again with the Q3.  Take advantage of its digital zoom and use the 35mm framelines, with the opportunity to get up to 90mm of focal length when you get an urge to zoom some more.  Good luck and have a great trip with the Q3!

[Marc283]

2 hours ago, Jed Orme said:

I really understand what you have to say about coming from your Fuji kit, as I just did the same in getting a Q2, the only difference being my Fuji experience was with their more rangefinder like X-Pro series, and only smaller prime lenses with no zooms.  But if you got by in NYC before with just the Fuji 23/1.4, you should have no problems doing it again with the Q3.  Take advantage of its digital zoom and use the 35mm framelines, with the opportunity to get up to 90mm of focal length when you get an urge to zoom some more.  Good luck and have a great trip with the Q3!

Thank you so much. Most of my shots were with the XF 23 1.4. I think around 90%. The other 10% were with the XF 56 1.2. At that moment I had only 3 primes. The mentioned 2 and the XF 14 2.8. At that moment I didn’t own any of the big Fuji zooms. This trip with the Fuji’s was in 2015 so, with my X-T1. A few years later I travelled again to NYC. Took only my Sony RX100V, which I also really enjoyed shooting. Next trip will be with only the Q3. I’m looking forward to it. 

[mbphotox]

I usually only bring the Q on any trip I go on.. (except a 5-week Safari trip in Africa, where I brought 20kg worth of Nikon gear with all focal lengths)

In 2022, we traveled SE Asia, Australia, New Zealand for 5 months.. backpacking, I might add.

Only brought the Q (and my Leica R5 with 28mm, 50mm, and 90mm because I really wanted to shoot more film!)

Going on Safari in Borneo, I mainly used the film SLR, because 28mm is simply not cut out for that stuff.

Other than that, I never felt like I was missing out on anything. Shooting panoramas off a small travel tripod was great fun, too.

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!

 

I wouldn't bring the Q for Safaris or to shoot Astro (it completely sucks in that departement), but for general travel photography, I absolutely love this camera.

I had a Fuji X100S for years but always felt like it was just a bit too narrow! That's why I got a Leica Q in the end. (The Ricoh is just too slow for my liking)

 

[Viv]

On 8/11/2023 at 3:30 PM, OldMan said:

I am finally starting to travel again post-pandemic and have trips planned in the next 12 months to the Outer Banks of NC, Edinburgh and Paris. I’ve also become obsessed with traveling light (carry on only), restricting myself to a 30L backpack and a shoulder bag personal item. Accordingly, I don’t have much room for camera gear despite the fact that I intend that the trips will include a lot of street / travel photography. So, I will only be taking a Q3 and a small flash with me - with its full frame sensor (to allow cropping) and semi wide fixed (but fast) 28mm lens. Does anyone else use a Q/Q2/Q3 as their sole travel kit and have you found that it has significantly limited you or has it been liberating?  I’m thinking it will be the latter, and it’s certainly marketed that way, but I’m interested in your actual experience (not conjecture).  Fire away!

I often use the Q2 as a sole travel camera.

I have not felt limited or restricted.

[M11 for me]

vor 4 Stunden schrieb Viv:

I often use the Q2 as a sole travel camera.

I have not felt limited or restricted.

Absolutely. Could not agree more.

[Mikep996]

My Q2 has pretty much taken over as the only digital camera that I carry nowadays.   My M10R/lenses sit comfortably in the closet.  For what I normally shoot with digital, I would call the Q2 "The best camera ever made!"   Yep, I think it's that good!

[ChrisPer]

I love this thread.  It's making me confident with tossing a lot of my Nikon gear for the Q2 on a trip to Iceland and Svalbard this summer.

Do most of you pocket or use a neck strap most of the time?  Or use a small bag, which is what I'm trending to.

Cheers,

Chris

[Qwertynm]

I use a small bag as I have a general dislike for camera straps. If you're wearing a backpack you can clip the bag on each shoulder strap with a small carabiner, so that the camera bag is in front of you (might not work, depending on belly size 😅). Save travels

[Mute-on]

16 minutes ago, Qwertynm said:

I use a small bag as I have a general dislike for camera straps. If you're wearing a backpack you can clip the bag on each shoulder strap with a small carabiner, so that the camera bag is in front of you (might not work, depending on belly size 😅). Save travels

I use the same idea with a Leica M and lens. No strap, Billingham 72 worn bandolier.

Brilliant access and protection from bumping into other inanimate objects, as well as my bony body. Could also clip directly onto backpack shoulder strap with a carabiner. 

[Marc B-C]

If I am using my Q2 infrequently on a trip, I use a small bag  (Oberwurth Q2 bag) with the camera being only taken out for use. If frequent use, I use a strap, either across my shoulder or wrapped around a wrist. 
I do use both the Leica camera grip and thumb rest on the camera for a secure grip.
None of this is specifically for security but to minimise either dropping or knocking the camera. 

Edited May 2, 2024 by Marc B-C

[LesR]

I now use the Q3 as my main camera and ditched the Nikon D3, due to the weight. For trips I use a larger messenger type bag until arriving at the hotel and then swop it into a Peak Design 3ltr sling that is in the case holding all the mains adaptors cables as if it was a tech pouch. The neck strap is in the case while a wrist strap is on the camera.

[LocalHero1953]

6 hours ago, ChrisPer said:

I love this thread.  It's making me confident with tossing a lot of my Nikon gear for the Q2 on a trip to Iceland and Svalbard this summer.

Do most of you pocket or use a neck strap most of the time?  Or use a small bag, which is what I'm trending to.

Cheers,

Chris

It's much too big for my pockets. I use a Fogg Soprano bag with a wrist strap.

[alftan]

I do not carry it with any special bag, just what I happen to have. Backpack, messenger, waist pack, cafe bag. It will slip in with little issues with the spare battery and SD card. Although, most of the time, it is just on a strap across my shoulders, regardless if i have a bag with me. Keep it simple.

Added: And sometimes my wife’s bag

Edited May 2, 2024 by alftan

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica Q

[Knarf]

Off for a week in Glen Affric, bit of hill walking, bit of playing with a camera!

Thought of taking CL with 18-56mm but I have went for plan B and decided just to take my Q2 based on this thread.

Might be interesting 🤔