Please explain the Q3 viewfinder experience

[huwm]

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Not bothered by blackout but very much by ‘shimmering’ when focusing 

Really obvious if focus on bookspines as mentioned above 

Actual image is fine however 

[sebben]

On 8/27/2023 at 7:57 AM, geesbert said:

I use Q cameras since the days they came out both professionally and for my pleasure. I must have taken hundreds of thousands photos between the Q, the Q2, the Q2 mono and now the Q3. 
 

Can anyone explain what is happening here? It is really frustrating….

Has this issue been resolved or does this camera just have bad viewfinder blackout?

[gotium]

On 6/27/2024 at 3:47 AM, sebben said:

Has this issue been resolved or does this camera just have bad viewfinder blackout?

Three issues I think

1. Slow startup time. It's still slow. 

2. Long EVF blackout. I think a FW upgrade claimed to improve this, but have not paid attention. 

3. Poor experience with manual focusing compared with the Q2. This is still true. Somehow it is harder to see the details come into focus with the EVF in the Q3, compared with the Q2. 

[Le Chef]

Have you set the EVF to 60MHz or 120MHz?

[mhasman]

On 8/31/2023 at 4:34 PM, Le Chef said:

> I simply don’t have a blackout problem with my Q3. I don’t think I’m doing anything particularly unusual, so find it hard to understand what others are doing that causes the problem.

Maybe because you set EVF to B&W?

Really hope Leica fixes all those issues by the time of Q3M release. 

Edited June 29, 2024 by mhasman

[Le Chef]

11 hours ago, mhasman said:

Maybe because you set EVF to B&W?

I don’t know why that would make a difference.

[luetz]

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13 hours ago, mhasman said:

> I simply don’t have a blackout problem with my Q3. I don’t think I’m doing anything particularly unusual, so find it hard to understand what others are doing that causes the problem.

I'm also confused by this "thread".  Photo vs Video? AF-S. vs AF-C?  Auto focus vs Manual?  Never had experienced these symptoms thru  a Q2 and now Q3.  Enlighten me....thanks

[mhasman]

14 hours ago, Le Chef said:

I don’t know why that would make a difference.

Less data for Maestro CPU to manipulate with, less data to transfer to OLED digital controller -> faster screen refresh?

[KKparis]

On 12/17/2023 at 3:09 PM, huwm said:

I’m starting to use the lcd a lot more but I am a viewfinder sort of guy

come on Leica 

Agreed 100%!! I'm a viewfinder kinda gal who switched over this year from Q1 - seamlessly perfect Leica shooting experience until EVF and processor started failing - and these were driving me crazy. I've found that best way to minimize the jittery AF wobble is to set it to AFs/Spot focusing. And a life-changing piece of advice from Thorsten Overgaard: setting Drive Mode to Continues 2fps completely eliminates the blackout while allowing one to take a single shot with quick single press of shutter or multiple when held down. Win-win. I'm still saying 'come on Leica' for a host of other reasons (lag-time powering on, issues with playback) but at least those two items have improved for me.

[LACANYONHIKER]

11 hours ago, KKparis said:

Agreed 100%!! I'm a viewfinder kinda gal who switched over this year from Q1 - seamlessly perfect Leica shooting experience until EVF and processor started failing - and these were driving me crazy. I've found that best way to minimize the jittery AF wobble is to set it to AFs/Spot focusing. And a life-changing piece of advice from Thorsten Overgaard: setting Drive Mode to Continues 2fps completely eliminates the blackout while allowing one to take a single shot with quick single press of shutter or multiple when held down. Win-win. I'm still saying 'come on Leica' for a host of other reasons (lag-time powering on, issues with playback) but at least those two items have improved for me.

THANK YOU for that 2fs trick, it completely eliminate the blackout!  I stood AFS and spot focusing 90% of the time.  Great advice.  Leica has been really slow to upstate the firmware on the Q3, or they aren't packing enough fixes in with each firmware update.  The camera needs a major firmware update, fixing the startup time, display issues, the freezing (mine is still at times).  It just feels buggy.  My Q2 was great.  I am partially sorry I gave into GAS and upgraded.  Shit, I still miss my CL.

But the Q3 files are undeniably phenomenal. 

[geesbert]

Additionally to my Q3 I still own a q2 monochrom. I am always amazed how more flowing and slick the experience with the Q2 compared to the Q3 is. There are all those tiny little hesitations while operating the Q3 which add up to being annoying. Viewfinder lag, startup lag, shutter lag, switching off lag, they make using the Q3 less pleasing then the Q2, especially side by side.

 

The sensor really is fantastic, though.... 

[KKparis]

14 hours ago, LACANYONHIKER said:

THANK YOU for that 2fs trick, it completely eliminate the blackout!  I stood AFS and spot focusing 90% of the time.  Great advice.  Leica has been really slow to upstate the firmware on the Q3, or they aren't packing enough fixes in with each firmware update.  The camera needs a major firmware update, fixing the startup time, display issues, the freezing (mine is still at times).  It just feels buggy.  My Q2 was great.  I am partially sorry I gave into GAS and upgraded.  Shit, I still miss my CL.

But the Q3 files are undeniably phenomenal. 

Glad this helped! My Q1 was the bomb, too - the user experience was so smooth and logical (and quick!!) that I never once questioned it. Made sneaky last-minute street photos easy as pie. Not so with the Q3, although I have to admit that, in addition to the quality of the files, I love the pull-out LCD for low shots (for me, the only time I use it) as well as in-camera Perspective Control for architecture (assigned to a button, even!) which feels almost like having a proper tilt-shift lens and saves time in post-prod. I image that, over time, the bugs will be less annoying and as you say, hopefully there will be another firmware upgrade soon. : )

[picsachi]

I just got the Leica Q 43 and have the same issue with EVF focus. This should not be happening on a camera this expensive, nonetheless a Leica. It really detracts from the experience.