Q3 Monochrom ...Yes / NO

[costa43]

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I’m a Leica fan. They continue to turn out high quality products that deliver on most fronts. The biggest single annoyance I’ve had with them in recent times is when they released the black steel rim at three times the price for a basic paint finish. They should have kept it classy in that instance in my opinion. These sorts of examples are where I feel they are moving more towards a luxury first brand over an engineering one. I also think they need to invest some of these record profits into their aftercare. 

[S Maclean]

The biggest issue I have with the otherwise sensible POV of @CptSlevin is the use of false equivalencies, or, rather, making axiomatic points out of non accurate or real assumptions.  It is easy to argue a point if you just add a couple of foundational elements to it as if they are true....like..... struggling sales, no complaints from "new users" or users of "new equipment".  or old users are this, versus new users are that. C'mon...drop the silliness. 

At a purely analytical level, though, it is simply true that Leica is behind on some things, and imprefect on others. I don't think we need about 50 posts to establish that, so I don't get the constant back and forth. It is what it is. @CptSlevin is right. Period.

But, do those deficiencies actually affect photography?  Or are they within the scope of bells and whistles that make a technical difference on specific user scenarios, but, in the end, don't really make a difference on the images.

What makes a difference is what the photographer feels and how he or she flows from conception of an image into execution.... This matters, becasue, to me, a lot of the layers provided by greater camera systems often distance me from the immediate shot....the same way as some photographers "need" those same technical layers to get what they want  from a system. It's that simple. You can't want a manual transmission car and then complain about the lack of automatic transmission. Get what you want and need and feels right. let others get what they want and need and feels good.....move on. Life is short.

Last thing....if we are a little humble, 90% of us are not quite affected by most of these factors....I still have to learn and grow a lot before this cameras are "limited" for me. It may feel good to wax poetic about their limitations, but they don't affect me at my skill level.....unless of course I want a camera to compensate for my skill level deficiencies (and that's another point to consider: why we need some assistance from the camera, when some of the greatest photographs in history have been taken with systems that have lesser potential than a phone...and you KNOW how that may or may not affect you. be honest)

It's like this: I can write a whole dissertation about wether I would be better off with a  Ferrari F1 or a McLaren F1....how one or the other responds, or turns, or...whatever.  This masturbatory dissertation will be of immense value to me and a lot of people....on paper.  In truth, I'll drive either one as if they where a Volkswagen Beetle, because that's my skillset. I can pretend....I can pose.....but as long as I keep doing that I will be keeping myself from enjoying and mastering my Beetle. We are drivers, cameras are cars...drive what you want, enjoy and can. Otherwise one is just, really, venting about their own limitations and projecting into the car.  

"Oh, it didn't focus at 1 AM in the morning on a moving target....." practice, learn, work it out, it's not the camera, it's you.  And, when you are 100% sure it is the camera....at that point,  you will be good enough to know exactly what camera and lens you need....instead of banging your head (and ours) against the wall hoping manufaturers figure it out for you.

A great photographer takes great photographs whith whatever they have in hand....because the photograph is taken by them, not it.

 

Rant over.

Edited November 22 by S Maclean
spelling

[CptSlevin]

I like how this thread is getting derailed so easy

"use of false equivalencies, or, rather, making axiomatic points out of non accurate or real assumptions."

Can someone deconstruct the following statements:
Lastest Leica releases:

- Did M11 suffer from constant freezes and users got their cameras bricked for 2 years? Yes, it was a disaster which spooked people from M11
- Did M11 had a magenta shift in AWB which was a problem for many users and people complained about it in the forum? Yes, it had it
- Was SL3 / SL3S are refurbished Lumix counterparts with old tech, x2 price tag and worse features (EVF Blackout, EVF lagginess, IBIS less in stops) Yes, they are
- Did SL3 / SL3S users got a firmware, which override the photos in camera? Yes, it happened
- Did M EV1 which was anticipated for a decade lacks focusing aids which are not present in any other Leica cameras and has worse EVF than Q/SL? Yes, it lacks USP in the area which is supposed to shine

I like the conversation, but it's becoming cumbersome to explain that these are the facts, they are not my assumptions.
For the price Leica is asking their users, it's a red flag.
Systematic firmware problems which needed ironing out before release, not after.

I think that after the second generation of digital Leicas: M10, Q2, SL2/S something happened and this is a trend.
Because, neither M10, Q2, SL2/S generation had any firmware or hardware issues.
Out of the box you got a trustworthy Leica.

Edited November 22 by CptSlevin

[S Maclean]

55 minutes ago, CptSlevin said:

I like how this thread is getting derailed so easy

"use of false equivalencies, or, rather, making axiomatic points out of non accurate or real assumptions."

Can someone deconstruct the following statements:
Lastest Leica releases:

- Did M11 suffer from constant freezes and users got their cameras bricked for 2 years? Yes, it was a disaster which spooked people from M11
- Did M11 had a magenta shift in AWB which was a problem for many users and people complained about it in the forum? Yes, it had it
- Was SL3 / SL3S are refurbished Lumix counterparts with old tech, x2 price tag and worse features (EVF Blackout, EVF lagginess, IBIS less in stops) Yes, they are
- Did SL3 / SL3S users got a firmware, which override the photos in camera? Yes, it happened
- Did M EV1 which was anticipated for a decade lacks focusing aids which are not present in any other Leica cameras and has worse EVF than Q/SL? Yes, it lacks USP in the area which is supposed to shine

I like the conversation, but it's becoming cumbersome to explain that these are the facts, they are not my assumptions.
For the price Leica is asking their users, it's a red flag.
Systematic firmware problems which needed ironing out before release, not after.

I think that after the second generation of digital Leicas: M10, Q2, SL2/S something happened and this is a trend.
Because, neither M10, Q2, SL2/S generation had any firmware or hardware issues.
Out of the box you got a trustworthy Leica.

Those are the facts.

The assumptions are what new costumers want and how they feel versus old costumers. What new product lines are, versus old. What Leica IS or IS NOT. Wether Leica cares or not, wether leica does or not.  What Leica "should" do about it, whcih, unless you are an exxecutive or owner of leica you have little basis to state etc etc. The value of a "positive" opinion that contradicts a "negative" opinion. The value of peoples opinions versus your own..... or better yet, the value of the actual "people" that don't share your views and buy Leica products....despite the fact that you yourself seem to buy a lot of Leica products. The ad Hominem remarks that accompany the actual facts, whcih, yes, are actual facts.

[jonoslack]

1 hour ago, CptSlevin said:

I think that after the second generation of digital Leicas: M10, Q2, SL2/S something happened and this is a trend.
Because, neither M10, Q2, SL2/S generation had any firmware or hardware issues.
Out of the box you got a trustworthy Leica.

Of course those cameras had issues (M10, Q2, SL2/S) - I was testing them at the time and helping to get them sorted out - there are still some unresolved issues with the M10 . . .  and so do cameras from other manufacturers have issues. . . . and if the SL3 is a refurbished Lumix then so was the SL2 (and the SL) and all the Qs as well

No the SL3-s didn't have firmware which over-wrote images. (the SL3 did - if you disobeyed the manual's instructions and removed the battery with the camera switched on.) it was introduced with a firmware update and fixed within a week or so. 

Did the M11 suffer from constant freezes - no, of course it didn't - there were circumstances when it froze, for some people, but for most people it didn't freeze at all. There were also one or two bricked cameras . . . . . . . and each one got maximum publicity. but there were dead cameras from M10, Q2, SL2/S as well - possibly less well publicised. There certainly are from other manufacturers as well.

Some people did complain about the magenta - others thought (and still think) that it has the best colour of any of the Leica M cameras - wonderful skin tones and perhaps the only digital camera which makes accurate blue skies (not so good at grey ones!) -  I was shooting with an M9 today, and the colour is gorgeous, but it has nothing to do with accurate (it's all blue). 

the unique selling point of the M EV1 is that it is the only camera (as far as I know) which is manual focus only and has an EVF 😂

I've been shooting one since February and whether or not it needs extra focusing aids is moot - there is absolutely no problem getting focus with it. 

1 hour ago, CptSlevin said:

 

They are not facts, there are certainly underlying truths, but yours are assemblages of exaggerated descriptions of those situations which did happen.

I know a number of professional photographers who have shot with M11s right from the beginning (one even had a camera brick on him) because they are lovely to use and provide the very best results  . . . . . the irritation of an occasional freeze and battery pull was quite well worth the benefits - and it's long since been sorted (as has everything else you're complaining about)

 

 

Edited November 22 by jonoslack

[S Maclean]

1 hour ago, CptSlevin said:

I like how this thread is getting derailed so easy
 

You are, agan, right. Back to the thread:

 

Q3 Monochrome Yes/NO:

YES.

Edited November 22 by S Maclean

[jonoslack]

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2 minutes ago, S Maclean said:

You are, agan right. Back to the thread:

 

Q3 Monochrome Yes/NO:

YES.

Of course - sorry for my part - why on earth did I respond! That's an hour of my life I'll never get back 😂

 

[T25UFO]

52 minutes ago, CptSlevin said:

I like how this thread is getting derailed so easy

"use of false equivalencies, or, rather, making axiomatic points out of non accurate or real assumptions."

Can someone deconstruct the following statements:
Lastest Leica releases:

- Did M11 suffer from constant freezes and users got their cameras bricked for 2 years? Yes, it was a disaster which spooked people from M11
- Did M11 had a magenta shift in AWB which was a problem for many users and people complained about it in the forum? Yes, it had it
- Was SL3 / SL3S are refurbished Lumix counterparts with old tech, x2 price tag and worse features (EVF Blackout, EVF lagginess, IBIS less in stops) Yes, they are
- Did SL3 / SL3S users got a firmware, which override the photos in camera? Yes, it happened
- Did M EV1 which was anticipated for a decade lacks focusing aids which are not present in any other Leica cameras and has worse EVF than Q/SL? Yes, it lacks USP in the area which is supposed to shine

I like the conversation, but it's becoming cumbersome to explain that these are the facts, they are not my assumptions.
For the price Leica is asking their users, it's a red flag.
Systematic firmware problems which needed ironing out before release, not after.

I think that after the second generation of digital Leicas: M10, Q2, SL2/S something happened and this is a trend.
Because, neither M10, Q2, SL2/S generation had any firmware or hardware issues.
Out of the box you got a trustworthy Leica.

Well, I think we can agree on most of the above, but it doesn’t just apply to Leica.  My (first generation) Porsche Taycan has had five safety recalls, including one to replace the whole high voltage battery unit.  On that occasion I was without the car for three months,  about the same time it takes for Wetzlar to repair a camera!

Does that stop me buying Porsche?  No.  Do I write long diatribes on Porsche forums?  No.  Stuff happens, get over it.  And what’s all this noise about magenta shift?   Never saw this on my M11 Monochrom.

But enough of this nonsense, no more poking the bear, I agree with @S Maclean, Q3Monochrom YES!

[TT878]

Being fully aware that this forum is for experienced photographers, as I constantly find myself googling half the terms the members use, I’m going to venture out and say that I love this thing to bits.
I got the Q3M yesterday, I think it was the first one out of Harrods with the remaining 4 already reserved. With my rudimentary grasp of photography basics and straight out of the box the camera takes the most beautiful pictures I’ve ever taken. Mostly using it photographing my newborn. I’m just blown away by how intuitive it is to use, and that build! I’ve never owned a Q or an M. My only other frame of reference is an Sl3 reporter, and I find I’m using the Q3M way more. 

Perhaps the gentleman is right and past Leica products were better. But my two leicas are certainly aces in my book. Reminds me of the first time I picked up a camera as a child in the mid 80s (a Minolta).

So, also agree with S Maclean: Yes!
 

[jonoslack]

8 minutes ago, TT878 said:

Being fully aware that this forum is for experienced photographers, as I constantly find myself googling half the terms the members use, I’m going to venture out and say that I love this thing to bits.
I got the Q3M yesterday, I think it was the first one out of Harrods with the remaining 4 already reserved. With my rudimentary grasp of photography basics and straight out of the box the camera takes the most beautiful pictures I’ve ever taken. Mostly using it photographing my newborn. I’m just blown away by how intuitive it is to use, and that build! I’ve never owned a Q or an M. My only other frame of reference is an Sl3 reporter, and I find I’m using the Q3M way more. 

Perhaps the gentleman is right and past Leica products were better. But my two leicas are certainly aces in my book. Reminds me of the first time I picked up a camera as a child in the mid 80s (a Minolta).

So, also agree with S Maclean: Yes!
 

Well Done

Enjoy it - and the gentleman is not right that past Leica products were better!

[SrMi]

13 minutes ago, jonoslack said:

Well Done

Enjoy it - and the gentleman is not right that past Leica products were better!

+1

I had, or still have, all the FF digital Leicas, starting with the Q, SL, and M8. While all of them are still more than adequate, each new generation has been better.

[Tjazz]

I've decided, for the first time in my Leica ownership, to not upgrade to the latest edition. I have had the brilliant Q2M for a few of years now and it's my highly specialized, occasional use art camera, and is a complement to my heavily used Q3 and SL3-S. I use the monochrom when I'm in a certain mood or after a certain vibe but am usually a color guy. BUT, I'm sure the Q3M is amazing and follows the Leica tradition of getting better and better with each new offering, so I wish its new owners well.

Edited November 22 by Tjazz

[jonoslack]

On 11/22/2025 at 11:22 PM, Tjazz said:

I've decided, for the first time in my Leica ownership, to not upgrade to the latest edition. I have had the brilliant Q2M for a few of years now and it's my highly specialized, occasional use art camera, and is a complement to my heavily used Q3 and SL3-S. I use the monochrom when I'm in a certain mood or after a certain vibe but am usually a color guy. BUT, I'm sure the Q3M is amazing and follows the Leica tradition of getting better and better with each new offering, so I wish its new owners well.

That's a good decision - I'm a colour guy as well, and I don't think I'll be getting a Q3M for that reason - but if I mostly shot Mono I would be on to it immediately!