Showcasing Leica Q3 insane image abilities

[odpr]

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I have seen many people in this forum asking if the Leica Q3 is a good travel companion and can replace the usual DSLR with several lenses.
Using the Leica in my last two trips to Europe as my only camera, I can say there is no need for any other camera.
The sensor of the camera, combined with the jaw-dropping lens, creates images I have never seen in any camera I used so far.
The 60MP, combined with the sharpest lens, creates images so sharp edge to edge that when you post-process the image in the computer, you can almost make any image you want with any area in the image.
This makes the crop feature built-in, very(!) handy, and usable. You can get a real 35/50/75 mm
Image with it.
I attached two examples that shos how insane the sensor and the lens are.

 

 

 

 

 

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[Qwertynm]

some loaded statements in there...

Zitat

sharpest lens, real 35/50/75, make any image you want with any area in the image

yes, it's a great travel companion.

no to the above

 

[Al Brown]

Tons of sharper lenses out there, NOT "REAL" 35/50/75 because cropping an image never equals replacing focal length and cropping is for the lazy tourists.
BUT I absolutely agree, there is no need for any other camera.

[M11 for me]

vor einer Stunde schrieb Al Brown:

BUT I absolutely agree, there is no need for any other camera.

Except for an M11. 

[JNK100]

51 minutes ago, M11 for me said:

Except for an M11. 

I agree. Both the Q3 and M11/28mm are very very good at a "50mm crop".

I used to travel with FF cameras with multiple zooms, but do not miss them.

 

 

[Al Brown]

There is no 28mm "50mm equivalent crop". The perspective, lens construction and physics just does not allow it. There is just "28mm crop".

Edited May 24, 2024 by Al Brown

[jaapv]

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If you don’t move the perspective won’t change it is not a function of focal length but of distance.  Xx-mm perspective is bollocks. 

[Paul W]

i completely agree with you odpr. Just back myself with Q3 and love the IQ, and the ease of carry.

[gotium]

Q lens is indeed very sharp in the center but I do not find it at all sharp at the edges or in the corners. Agree that it is a great travel camera. 

[ajmarton1]

I am the outlier.  I took the Q3 to Paris for 10 days and although I got all my shots and the crop works well, I regretted not bringing my Sony a1 with the 24-70mm f2.8.  I’m bringing it as my backup camera when I return to Nice, Monaco and Provence later this year.   The problem with the crop is that it’s hard to precisely see the cropped image through the viewfinder.  Zoom lens is much more effective.  So for those longer shoots across the room or in low light it was more challenging for me.  But the Q3 is light and easy to have all day.  Just my 2 cents.  

Edited May 25, 2024 by ajmarton1

[Kozonoh]

16 hours ago, Al Brown said:

Tons of sharper lenses out there, NOT "REAL" 35/50/75 because cropping an image never equals replacing focal length and cropping is for the lazy tourists.
BUT I absolutely agree, there is no need for any other camera.

Cropping is for people who want to crop. Otherwise you could say the same for using a zoom or even a Tele lens.

[odpr]

1 hour ago, ajmarton1 said:

I am the outlier.  I took the Q3 to Paris for 10 days and although I got all my shots and the crop works well, I regretted not bringing my Sony a1 with the 24-70mm f2.8.  I’m bringing it as my backup camera when I return to Nice, Monaco and Provence later this year.   The problem with the crop is that it’s hard to precisely see the cropped image through the viewfinder.  Zoom lens is much more effective.  So for those longer shoots across the room or in low light it was more challenging for me.  But the Q3 is light and easy to have all day.  Just my 2 cents.  

Agree that sometimes you need to "imagine" how it is going to look. I think it takes a bit of practice. Sometimes it has it advantages where you see the big pic and crop accordingly.

I guess in the future they will add the feature that allows you to see the image before shooting when you press on the crop.

 

[Al Brown]

10 hours ago, Kozonoh said:

Cropping is for people who want to crop. Otherwise you could say the same for using a zoom or even a Tele lens.

Zooming is changing focal length, a completely different thing from cropping. Tons of posts on the matter on this forum and in every Photography 101 book.
But of course, it is a free world, everybody should crop as much as they want if they are satisfied with results.

[Kozonoh]

Yes absolutely except for the question of laziness which was my point. You are no more lazy when you crop than when you zoom in

[bobtodrick]

On 5/25/2024 at 12:08 AM, Kozonoh said:

Cropping is for people who want to crop. Otherwise you could say the same for using a zoom or even a Tele lens.

Completely agree…if the image benefits from cropping…do it.

Nearly every one of Ansel Adams finished images was cropped.  
After lugging 50 lbs of photo gear up a mountain, and then waiting hours for the  ‘right’ light…calling him lazy for cropping is ludicrous.

[SrMi]

On 5/24/2024 at 3:31 PM, Al Brown said:

Tons of sharper lenses out there, NOT "REAL" 35/50/75 because cropping an image never equals replacing focal length and cropping is for the lazy tourists.

Cropping is also for professionals and has been used in legendary photographs (e.g., Strawinsky by Arnold Newman).

[Al Brown]

2 hours ago, SrMi said:

Cropping is also for professionals and has been used in legendary photographs (e.g., Strawinsky by Arnold Newman).

Yes of course, in post production cropping is used to aid in perfecting composition, not for replacing focal lengths in the field like some folks would like to. Saying 28mm is a tri-focal lens (28-35-50) because you have 60 megapixels is just very amateur. I crop all the time in Photoshop but I would never think of cropping into a 28mm image to pretend it was made with a 50mm. Bresson, the most quoted photographer in this forum, would immediatelly start turning in his grave. I do not want to invent hot water as we say and lots of megabytes of threads have been written on the subject. Everybody is stil lfree to do whatever they want.

I think most important thing is that we all agree Q3 is an insanely good and capable camera - and you of course pay the premium for that.

Edited May 26, 2024 by Al Brown

[jaapv]

Where did you read this stuff about the "intention" of cropping, zooming and "very amateur"?  What is choosing a focal length other than "refining resolution"?  The only visible difference in the end result is a slight change in DOF and resolution - the latter completely irrelevant with 60 MP. 

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[Al Brown]

Sure, it's the distance between subject and camera that matters. I choose focal lengths based on what I want to convey with the sense of depth between objects in a photo. I come from a school that says cropping makes a difference in DOF as you correctly state. And from a school that says do as much work in camera as possible so you do not have to crop much later, except if it aids your composition. Arny Freytag of Playboy fame taught me that. My post #13 was meant in this latter sense applicable to any resolution camera. Cropping in post to get to, say, 50mm from 28 mm because you have 60 megapixels is in my book amateurish laziness despite it being a favorite buzz word of Leica Q marketing department. Try that wit a 6 megapixel camera. BUT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG BEING AMATEURISH AND LAZY. Auto white balance, auto everything, shooting jpegs, all that falls under the same category in my book. Hopefully I have shed some light on what I wanted to say.
Just my opinion and view. Absolutely no need to agree.

Edited May 26, 2024 by Al Brown

[Qwertynm]

vor 15 Minuten schrieb Al Brown:

(…)do as much work in camera as possible(…)

I generally agree with that if we are talking DSLR/MILC. But this is the Leica Q subforum. The whole point of the Leica Q3 is to have a fixed FL and the ability to crop in camera up to 90mm to simulate different FoV. calling that lazy is a bit off base. If the Q3 doesn’t suit you, just move along and don’t engage. 

How many people here actually print their work? You mention 6MP which still is almost 300 dpi on a A4 print. That’s roughly the amount of pixels you get cropping the Q3 to 90mm. That’s more than enough resolution for social media and small prints.