Q3 - Are you happy or disappointed?

[Ingo]

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Loved the Q (116), sold the Q2 very quickly, love my Q3. I use it for special purposes and not as a 'one fit's all' camera (which is a Canon R5 for me). 
The APO SL Sumicrons are absolutely stunning and far better than every lenses I ever owned (Moved back to Canon for other reasons, not the image quality ;))  But as said before, the Q3 is perfect for special purposes.

[Daniel C.1975]

vor 15 Stunden schrieb Dr. G:

I'll try to take both cameras out and shoot similar scenes.  Mind you, I have the 35mm APO Summicron-SL as my widest lens for the SL-2S, but even if I shoot the Q2 at a 35mm crop the image will still have a higher MP count.  

In this video there they zoom into a scene they took with both the Q3 and the SL2-S with the APO 28 - both at f/5.6.  If you go to around 15:40 they show both images side by side.  Remember that they're zooming into a 60Mp file vs a 24Mp file.  The results may surprise you.  They state that you can't really tell much difference, but to my eyes, zoomed in, the SL2-S/APO image looks sharper than the Q3 image.

 

The picture of the hotel at around 15:40 is obviously miss-focussed on the Q3 - this picture is totally off. They even mention it briefly but than go ahead with the analysis based on this wrongly focused picture. Lot‘s of effort and good intention with a partially fishy outcome - a pity.

 

BTT: I have the Q2 and I am heavily disappointed about the Q3. The reason is very simple: I still don‘t have it  

No seriously, when I‘ve tried the Q3 and compared it to my Q2 the decision to change has been made very fast. I prefer the button Lay-out as the Q can be used as a single-hand camera and therefore it makes sense to have everything in thumbs reach. The sensor, the flippy screen, the viewfinder and the definitively improved AF with even further room for improvement via FM are rounding up the package.

I love my Q2 to bits and I am very much looking forward to the Q3. 
BTW: I do also have the SL2-s but it is a different breed. However, based on usage I even consider to sell my 35 Apo Summicron SL as I very seldom use it as the difference between the cropped Q2 and the apo is in real world terms very minor, even when without a question the apo is the superior lens. When I use my SL2-s my main lens meanwhile is the 24-90, a 100mm macro or the Panasonic 50mm, but mainly the 24-90. 70% of the time I use the Q2.

 

[Patrick NL]

Very happy with my Q3. It is my first and only Leica. And I do not have any plans to add more Leica to my arsenal. It is excellent! Colors are great, and what a lens!

I shoot it next to a vast set of Fujifilm X equipment. I see myself using the Q for the reach it covers and mostly use the Fujifilms for the rest. Why? This Q is clearly better at 28 (26!) - 50mm than my Fujifilms (except shalllow depth of field at the long end). 

One thing where I think the Leica loses it is usability; the X-T3 has a better interface with clear dials for everything I need. It is easier to use than the Q3 or any Q for that matter.

[LarsOtium]

3 hours ago, Patrick NL said:

 

One thing where I think the Leica loses it is usability; the X-T3 has a better interface with clear dials for everything I need. It is easier to use than the Q3 or any Q for that matter.

I am thinking this will fade as you increase use/familiarity with the Q3. The simplicity of design/use of the Q3 (all Q's actually) is one of the best attributes of the camera IMHO.

Edited August 26, 2023 by LarsOtium

[kevinkhu5]

Really happy with my Q3 - moved from a Q2 and I can really appreciate some of the new auto-focus features as a more novice photographer which gives me flexibility, especially when photographing animals. I would say I've noticed improvements with noise and blown out photos (which I happened more frequently with the Q2 if set to auto for things like sunset or a light in an otherwise dark setting). The USB C charging for me is a game changer, its much easier to shoot without carrying the charger or an extra battery since its the same cable as many phones - so it's easy to find a cable if you're in a pickle. 

I'm personally happy with the upgrade and have no regrets selling my Q2. 

[PeterKelly]

For me the Q series present an opportunity for to shoot excellent images with a small “retro” beautifully made camera. A totally different experience from the Nikon Z system I also own.

I had the Q2 before and the Q3 is (for me) a significant upgrade. I value the increased  resolution, Improved auto focus, tilt screen  and USB charging and don’t, for one minute, regret the fairly substantial cost of the upgrade.

 

 

 

[MindsEye]

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23 hours ago, Voxen said:

Now that the Q3 is out I’m considering giving a new try to the Q series, but at the cost of the camera I wouldn’t make a mistake.

Since I read here and there users that have some issues with the camera, I’d like to know if overall you are rather happy with the Q3 beside some of its flaws, or if you are globally disappointed.

Thanks for your honest feedback!

First off, I love my Q3. I've had it a couple months. I've had a few of the known problems. One has already been fixed by firmware update and Leica has told me the other fix via firmware is forthcoming.

The real question is whether the Q3 is right for YOU. The fact that you've owned a Q gives you some idea. I can't speak to the sensor dust issue and time will tell if it becomes a Q3 problem. It sounds like that's your biggest hesitation. The Q3 is weather sealed so that should help keep dust out. Call Leica service and ask if dirty sensors are an ongoing problem with Q cameras after the original Q.

I think pixel peeping, especially against other top notch Leica lenses isn't going to tell you much about how you might like the Q3. The lens is stellar in its own right (see this discussion)

If your main hesitation is the dust issue you had on your Q, talk to Leica service for peace of mind before you take the plunge.

Best of luck with your decision.

[LarsOtium]

1 minute ago, PeterKelly said:

…and don’t, for one minute, regret the fairly substantial cost of the upgrade.

 

 

 

What is truly amazing is that the new Q3, with all its improvements, is only a $200 increase in MSRP.

 

So, while there is a significant cost to upgrade if you already own a Q2 because of depreciation, for the non-Q owning public, the Q3 is… dare I say it… a relative bargain.

[KenTanaka]

Like others here, I’ve owned each Q.  The first Q was not very good.  The Q2 was close enough to be useful and likeable. (I still have a Q2 “Ghost”.). But the Q3 is now about as close to idea as I can imagine.  The tilt screen and improved displays put it over the top for me.  I’d love to see it a wee bit less bulky (10-15% less volume) but I’m okay with it as-is.

[Voxen]

Thank you all very much for your kind replies. It seems the Q3 is a winner and I’m much more confident to get it… as soon as I can find one!

[artdicted]

I own my Q3 now for around 2 months. I used a Q and Q2 and love the simplicity of the camera and especially the Image Quality. But unfortunately I have some issues with the Q3... If I load my color pictures in LR or Capture One, I get over punched color pictures... I tried to fix this with editing, but I didn't get satisfying results. I already send a message to Leica Support. Right now, it seems that the Auto White Balance information are not included to the Q3 files - which means that LR or C1 use their own WB. Leica told me they would fix this in the upcoming Software Update - when.. they couldn't tell. 

Have anyone of you the same issues? Would be great, to know - if not I will send my Q3 to Leica to check the camera - maybe my sensor is damaged....

P.s. I hope it can be fixed, cause I really like the improvements of the camera

 

Edited August 26, 2023 by artdicted

[Neil_SI]

I purchased a nearly new Q2 in January this year, but moved to the Q3 and am really happy with the decision. There are many quality of life updates that are welcome improvements, and just take the enjoyment to the next level, but they're all still great cameras in their own right.

For me, it's the combination of many things that make for a better overall experience, such as a new modern CPU and processing engine, better low light performance, faster and more reliable autofocus, improved EVE/LCD, tilt screen and improved ergonomics (button placement) and additional custom buttons, moving to 60MP makes the crop modes more usable, and they all just add up.

But, what I really wanted to post about, in case it's helpful, is Leica have a history of providing firmware updates over time, which they've definitely done with the Q series. I bought mine directly from Leica Mayfair in London and through chatting with them, they told me one of the key areas they're continuing to get a lot better with in recent times, is their firmware updates and ability to bring improvements over time because of their relationship with Panasonic, who have a much larger engineering team available than Leica previously had and have been supporting them with their firmware efforts.

I'm optimistic we'll continue to see the Q3 evolve and improve as they bring updates to the camera and impressed they continued to support the Q2 with solid firmware updates while bringing the Q3 out (and they've taken the right approach with focusing on the key issues with the first firmware update they launched). But having owned both, I could feel the Q3 is snappier than the Q2 in most ways. It's sometimes subtle, and sometimes it doesn't matter depending on how you shoot, but it's certainly there and makes a difference.

[Neil_SI]

9 minutes ago, artdicted said:

I own my Q3 now for around 2 months. I used a Q and Q2 and love the simplicity of the camera and especially the Image Quality. But unfortunately I have some issues with the Q3... If I load my color pictures in LR or Capture One, I get over punched color pictures... I tried to fix this with editing, but I didn't get satisfying results. I already send a message to Leica Support. Right now, it seems that the Auto White Balance information are not included to the Q3 files - which means that LR or C1 use their own WB. Leica told me they would fix this in the upcoming Software Update - when.. they couldn't tell. 

Have anyone of you the same issues? Would be great, to know - if not I will send my Q3 to Leica to check the camera - maybe my sensor is damaged....

P.s. I hope it can be fixed, cause I really like the improvements of the camera

 

I'm not finding that with mine, but you can load in "Legacy Profiles" in Lightroom and choose the "Embedded" profile. I do this for mine, and feel the colours look great.

In Lightroom CC you can click the "..." in the top right, then select "Manage Profiles" and then select the "Legacy" option, which will then make the "Embedded" profile available, and if you favourite it, it'll appear in the favourite list for faster/easier access.

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[Patrick NL]

5 hours ago, LarsOtium said:

I am thinking this will fade as you increase use/familiarity with the Q3. The simplicity of design/use of the Q3 (all Q's actually) is one of the best attributes of the camera IMHO.

I’m finding the buttons better, although they are very small. The main difference is that on the X-T Fujifilm cameras I can see my settings by simply looking at the dials. And I can make changes with the camera switched off. But this is the trade-off of having a small beautiful but powerful camera I guess. It is not making me not being in love with my Q3!

[FusionX.Photo]

22 minutes ago, Neil_SI said:

I'm not finding that with mine, but you can load in "Legacy Profiles" in Lightroom and choose the "Embedded" profile. I do this for mine, and feel the colours look great.

In Lightroom CC you can click the "..." in the top right, then select "Manage Profiles" and then select the "Legacy" option, which will then make the "Embedded" profile available, and if you favourite it, it'll appear in the favourite list for faster/easier access.

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!

This is very important, I’ve been using the embedded profile and agree it’s much nicer than the Adobe Color which is over saturated.

 

[Blackadder978]

1 hour ago, artdicted said:

Have anyone of you the same issues? Would be great, to know - if not I will send my Q3 to Leica to check the camera - maybe my sensor is damaged....

Nope, I am rather happy with the colors of the RAW files as they come out of the camera. Very little post processing needed. 

 

In general: I am very happy with the Q3, I was already happy with the Q2 and the Q3 improved on all the little missgivings that I had which was already complaining on a high level. No issues with the Q3 so far, everything working fine.

[YvonneS]

Sorry to hear you’ve had some serious issues with your Q!

So far I am very happy with my Q3, my first Leica ever and loving it! Besides some freezes no issues at all. Have it nearly two months and have made over 5000 photos… landscape, city, street, some portraits, architecture and macro. Every time I take it on a hike I enjoy every minute with it

[artdicted]

Wow, thanks for the feedback of my issues of the Q3 . I will try out the LR embedded profiles.... This is very helpful - thanks a lot ;).

-----

Wohooo, I tried the embedded profiles of LR - now the colors come more natural! YES  - I am so happy with the results now and can't wait to take more pictures! 

Just one more question, does anyone use Capture One and knows how to use the embedded profiles?

Edited August 26, 2023 by artdicted

[geesbert]

On 8/26/2023 at 9:57 AM, Daniel C.1975 said:

I prefer the button Lay-out as the Q can be used as a single-hand camera and therefore it makes sense to have everything in thumbs reach.

 

This is not my experience. The Q3 is too big to hold in one hand to use the buttons. Especially the menu button is impossible to reach without seriously shifting the whole hand around. The grip becomes quite unstable when reaching for the menu button.  It is not a Ricoh gr, which is so small and light that it can be handled with one hand

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica Q

[JTLeica]

On 8/25/2023 at 5:32 PM, Dr. G said:

I'll try to take both cameras out and shoot similar scenes.  Mind you, I have the 35mm APO Summicron-SL as my widest lens for the SL-2S, but even if I shoot the Q2 at a 35mm crop the image will still have a higher MP count.  

In this video there they zoom into a scene they took with both the Q3 and the SL2-S with the APO 28 - both at f/5.6.  If you go to around 15:40 they show both images side by side.  Remember that they're zooming into a 60Mp file vs a 24Mp file.  The results may surprise you.  They state that you can't really tell much difference, but to my eyes, zoomed in, the SL2-S/APO image looks sharper than the Q3 image.

 

Yeah this isn’t something you can tell much from. YouTube compression is very bad for photograph inspections. And what you’re seeing there is a higher ‘contrast’ Apo lens, impressively so I will admit, vs the lower contrast higher resolution of the Q3 lens / sensor combo. I don’t doubt that if you stuck the 28 APO onto the new SL3 60 mp camera that is no doubt coming soon, it would outperform the Q3.

But you are seeing contrast differences and not better sharpness and resolution.

You do then open up the debate of what sharpness actually is though. The perception of sharpness is just contrast effectively 

EDIT - The 15:40 part is checking for CA, and is using an extremely tiny resolution image, its not the full 60mp image, quite easy to tell as its extremely pixelated... Here's the screenshot.

To be honest this comparison is pretty badly done.

 

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Edited August 27, 2023 by JTLeica