NEW Lecia Q2

[nikro000]

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Hi,

I am a photographer in the SF Bay Area, who usually shoots Canon. I am new to Leica. This brand has always intrigued me and today I received a near-unused Leica Q2 from Ebay. I already love it, but the price I paid was a bit intimidating (yeah, yeah, I know, it's a Leica). I love the quality of the pictures and will use the camera for private/streetphotography. Naturally I have a few questions:

A) As far as care for the camera goes, what should I absolutely AVOID? It seems to be built like a tank, but has anybody done something to break it? That includes the software. Does it overheat? Do the buttons wear out? Anything?

B ) I would imagine that walking down the street with a red dot camera, can be a bit of a risk. I plan to cover the dot. Does anybody have any experience of being more of a target with a Leica?

 

Thank you

 

[jaapv]

Welcome and enjoy your new camera. You’ll find the camera quite robust. If you don’t break your other cameras you certainly won’t break this one. 
As for the red dot, other photographers might recognize it ( they would anyway by the shape) but thieves and muggers are not so sophisticated. In case one is an expert criminal, he’ll likely prefer a more common brand over Leica as a Sony or Fuji for instance  is easier and more profitable to fence. For one thing, a buyer will need to do a relatively high investment in charger and battery and the camera is easier to spot. So enjoy your red dot as well. 

[Le Chef]

1) Welcome!

2) Insure it

3) Read and re-read the instruction book downloadable from the Leica website so you know as much as anyone on this forum

4) Look at all the Q family images here and on LFI.

5) Experiment until you find you have created images you like (note what makes them appealing to you).

6) Ask questions that can’t be answered but the instruction manual.

[Miltz]

It’s just like any other camera. It’s a tool use it. There’s no “special” attention it needs. Buttons wear out? Hahahaha. I’ve never heard of such a thing in my 20 year career. Most people don’t really know what it is so no one really cares you have a Leica except other Leica users. 

Edited January 20, 2024 by Miltz

[thegobi]

Unlike many other brands Leica is very upfront with its weather resistance information. The Q2 has a rating of IP52 but the weather resistance diminishes over time.

Dont panic if it gets splashed or you end up in light rain! But don’t intentionally take it into  rain if you can avoid it.

I would also recommend a good quality protective filter to protect the front element from… well, stuff… if you get anything really nasty on it the whole camera isn’t out of action

I use a B+W Master MRC nano filter. Screen protector on the back…

Other than that… it’s a Leica—it’s built like a tank 😉 

Thieves are going to steal any expensive looking camera—I am not convinced the red dot makes a difference. The Q2 is probably less of a target compared to a Canon or Sony with a honking large birding lens on the front!

Enjoy!

[dpitt]

If it is near mint now, I would recommend buying a half case for your Q2.
The case will be well worth the investment because Leica gear keeps its value better than most. This is true for lenses in particular but also for digital camera's on the mid long term.  You already found out because you payed more for your Q2 than for a camera of the same age from an other brand.

Even better, you could consider skinning it.

e.g. The Leica Digilux 2 from 2004 was a wonderful 5 MP camera. If you have doubts, have a look at

This camera was priced around $2000 in 2004, and lost value as expected in the first few years. I bought one for 450€ in 2009, which was probably its lowest point of value. It has been slowly increasing in value to around 600€ in 2015 and was stable for a decade or so. Now, at 20 years old, I saw an advertisement for a mint one with boxes and papers (worthless, but valuable on the long run for some mint items) . It was advertised at 900€
Well used working samples can now be found around 400€, but are very rare, it is mostly still around the 600€ mark.

Your Q2 has the same (or more) potential. You did not buy it new, so possibly one day you will get your money back, if you keep it, and enjoy it long enough. It is not expensive, it is a free rental for 10 years or so 😎

Edited January 20, 2024 by dpitt

[Patrick NL]

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8 hours ago, nikro000 said:

A) As far as care for the camera goes, what should I absolutely AVOID? It seems to be built like a tank, but has anybody done something to break it? That includes the software. Does it overheat? Do the buttons wear out? Anything?

B ) I would imagine that walking down the street with a red dot camera, can be a bit of a risk. I plan to cover the dot. Does anybody have any experience of being more of a target with a Leica?

What you should avoid at all time, is not using it. Taking it with you. Simply because it is so expensive...

[FlickM]

Hi, I haven't had my Q2 very long either. Just two things spring to mind: You need a steady hand as those extra MP show every wobble. I did cover my red dot, just in case; I bought a pack of black screw holes covers from Amazon (I'm in the UK, but I assume you can get them in the US too), and these are very tidy and discreet and don't leave a nasty residue. I got my Q2 in near perfect condition too, but the previous owner had covered every conceivable dot, script and logo with black tape, which looked ugly and obvious ... hadn't bothered to remove it before selling, which seems really strange. Anyway, it's a lovely camera, just enough tech to help and not get in the way of the creative process, and you have the advantage of a clearly marked lens if you want to zone focus. 

[jaapv]

I can’t for the life of me imagine why one would want to zone focus on a camera with decent AF.  Preset aperture for DOF, yes, but one would like te subject to be sharp. 

[FlickM]

5 hours ago, jaapv said:

I can’t for the life of me imagine why one would want to zone focus on a camera with decent AF.  Preset aperture for DOF, yes, but one would like the subject to be sharp. 

Quicker for street. With my Fuji, I use touchscreen auto focus and release, because i can tilt the screen and be unobtrusive. I use it on the Q2 sometimes, and that's very fast, but it requires bringing the screen up higher to see, or shooting from the hip, which i have to admit I'm not much use at without a tilting screen. I feel absolute sharpness is second to capturing the emotion of the moment with street photography. You may disagree, that's your prerogative 

Edited January 20, 2024 by FlickM

[jaapv]

I should think that the use case between zone focus and AF would be identical: aim and shoot, why bring up higher and fiddle with the AF?. Especially as AF has multifield and face recognition. But, everybody should use the technique that yields best results - for him. 

[FlickM]

4 minutes ago, jaapv said:

I should think that the use case between zone focus and AF would be identical: aim and shoot, why bring up higher and fiddle with the AF?. Especially as AF has multifield and face recognition. But, everybody should use the technique that yields best results - for him. 

Interestingly, and amusingly, after i posted my reply, I carried on watching a Thorsten Overgaard video on focussing (part of learning all i can before the 262 arrives). He was advising against autofocus, using a Q2 Monochrom to show what he meant. He then demonstrated manual focusing on the same camera, as the preferred method. As for face recognition, when you're moving quickly, catching a moment before it passes, your facial or eye detection may well choose the wrong face among many. Autofocus is very useful with the touch screen because you can quickly select the exact part of the image you want in focus, and take the picture at the same time.  

[Chris W]

Overgaard seems to be a somewhat controversial figure. In any case you might want to watch a few diverse opinions on Q2 usage.

I always had my Q on autofocus, and I'm well used to M rangefinder manual.

Going back to the OP......

I had read some reports of dust a few years ago just when I bought my Q. You can't remove the kens, so dust was blamed on the microphone ports.

I wasn't going to use my Q for video, so I covered all the microphone ports with some light (paper based) tape. I also covered the red dot. Although I think most muggers would think a large DSLR camera with hefty lens as worth more than a Q.

Other than that I added a good quality filter over the lens.

[FlickM]

4 hours ago, Chris W said:

Overgaard seems to be a somewhat controversial figure. In any case you might want to watch a few diverse opinions on Q2 usage.

I always had my Q on autofocus, and I'm well used to M rangefinder manual.

Yes, I can understand that, and i only mentioned it because it cropped up in a video I was watching directly after the discussion on autofocus. I use a mixture of autofocus and zone. Often zone for street, but autofocus for other subjects - I find focus peaking and/magnification really confusing, especially since having a traumatic brain injury and subsequent surgery a year ago - it seems to befuddle my brain. I had the Q before this. The jury is out on how I'll find rangefinder focusing, since my 262 arrives Tuesday ...

 

Edited January 21, 2024 by FlickM

[ianforber]

The dust issue on the original site Q seems to have been resolved with the Q2 and its IP52 rating. I’ve never had a problem anyway. I’d put a rear screen protector on and a UV or specific protection filter on the lens. I’d use the screen protector not just to protect the screen but the metal edge around the screen. The first time I took my Q2 out, having owned it for a couple of hours, I managed to ding the metal edge at the top right of the screen when it rubbed against the rivet in my jeans. Fitting the screen protector has not only stopped that but makes the ding invisible. Win, win!

[FlickM]

40 minutes ago, ianforber said:

The dust issue on the original site Q seems to have been resolved with the Q2 and its IP52 rating. I’ve never had a problem anyway. I’d put a rear screen protector on and a UV or specific protection filter on the lens. I’d use the screen protector not just to protect the screen but the metal edge around the screen. The first time I took my Q2 out, having owned it for a couple of hours, I managed to ding the metal edge at the top right of the screen when it rubbed against the rivet in my jeans. Fitting the screen protector has not only stopped that but makes the ding invisible. Win, win!

I've read in a couple of places that the screen protector messes with touch screen autofocus. Presumably that's not the case, if you've fitted one? If it's ok, I'm putting a protector on mine. I've got some I bought for my X-T5

[Le Chef]

No issues with Expert Shield screen protectors. I have them on my CL and Q3.

[FlickM]

21 minutes ago, Le Chef said:

No issues with Expert Shield screen protectors. I have them on my CL and Q3.

excellent - thank you

[ianforber]

On 1/21/2024 at 8:46 PM, FlickM said:

excellent - thank you

Same. I always use Expert Shield. 

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[MikeD70]

The thing to avoid?  Number one....SALT SPRAY!  You live in the Bay Area, photo op's are everywhere, I used to live there.  Salt spray is a very real camera killer.