The Y of Q

[Le Chef]

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While instruction books are useful for things like “First boil an egg”, they rarely fulfill the need for someone to know the “How” or “Why” of what an owner might want to do. Cameras these days are on the one hand very simple - point and shoot, but on the other hand incredibly nuanced. Those nuances, context etc., are rarely in the instruction book.

One day, maybe a group of smart and literate owners who understand the “Why” and “How” might collaborate to write a “Users Guide to the Q family of cameras”. Or maybe someone has done this already and it could be promoted here to help new owners.

Edited July 11, 2024 by Le Chef

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[David Wien]

I think I have seen one outrageously expensive book on the subject, and I passed on it.

Why do you think that only “new” owners could benefit from such a book?

David

[Le Chef]

I think anyone could benefit, regardless of experience if they felt they had gaps in their understanding, but new owners would likely have the most to gain.

[student]

8 hours ago, David Wien said:

I think I have seen one outrageously expensive book on the subject, and I passed on it.

Why do you think that only “new” owners could benefit from such a book?

David

Actually, I am tempted to say that if one has the time, one can make his/her own little book based on personal experience and resolution of issues and questions as these arise or are raised by other users, particularly those matters not sufficiently explained in the manual. There is much insight available on forums such as this one.

It would be a time consuming task of course, and requires deep interest in the subject besides an inclination to take notes all the time. As for the "one outrageously expensive book on the subject" you spotted, sadly it is not about to become a best seller because I suspect of the price factor alone

[David Wien]

32 minutes ago, student said:

Actually, I am tempted to say that if one has the time, one can make his/her own little book based on personal experience and resolution of issues and questions as these arise or are raised by other users, particularly those matters not sufficiently explained in the manual. There is much insight available on forums such as this one.

It would be a time consuming task of course, and requires deep interest in the subject besides an inclination to take notes all the time. As for the "one outrageously expensive book on the subject" you spotted, sadly it is not about to become a best seller because I suspect of the price factor alone

In my opinion, there are not many points on which the manual is unclear. Certainly, I never had any problem in changing the contents of a profile, and that without first deleting it! It is also a fact that the vast majority of beginners‘ problems are addressed in the user manual — which the new owner is advised to read, learn and inwardly digest, three times. 😃

We suffer from the fact that there are not as many Leica users as Canon users. The latter can avail themselves of Nina Bailey’s excellent, comprehensive and cheap pdfs, as I did.

David

[bobtodrick]

Yes, years ago there was a series of books out...in the days of the Nikon D200 or early Canon Rebels that were very good for new users...basically they went through the camera manual and explained why the features were there...not just how to access them.

Sadly they went the way of the Dodo about 10 years ago...yet needed now more than ever.

[Qwertynm]

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I bought issue 34 of Magazine B: "Leica". The issue was originally released in 2014 or 2015 and obviously it's not specific to the Leica Q as that camera was just introduced in summer of 2015. But the content goes in the direction of "why shoot Leica". There are a couple of opinions of photographers, shop owners and artists who shoot Leica and why they shoot Leica. You can read about the contents a bit more in detail here: https://coffeetablemags.de/products/magazine-b-issue-34-leica.

I found it a bit boring to be honest and certainly wouldn't buy a book about why shooting a Leica Q is so special - it's not. The legend or myth surrounding Leica is a good marketing tool. And I think the Leica M is still a bit special to this day. But every other Leica is just like any other camera from CaNiSony but in a nicer case - that's my opinion as a Q3 shooter at least.

[David Wien]

It may be that the writers of such articles (I have read many that are similar) are trying to justify spending so much money on a camera.

In my opinion, I shoot the Leica Q3 because, while it can work in many situations that my Canon R6 can, it does so without also obliging me to carry around an artillery of lenses. For me, this alone is worth the price of admission.

David

[Viv]

On 7/11/2024 at 4:39 AM, Le Chef said:

While instruction books are useful for things like “First boil an egg”, they rarely fulfill the need for someone to know the “How” or “Why” of what an owner might want to do. Cameras these days are on the one hand very simple - point and shoot, but on the other hand incredibly nuanced. Those nuances, context etc., are rarely in the instruction book.

One day, maybe a group of smart and literate owners who understand the “Why” and “How” might collaborate to write a “Users Guide to the Q family of cameras”. Or maybe someone has done this already and it could be promoted here to help new owners.

Don't over-think things.

The Q cameras are not complicated tools.

[student]

47 minutes ago, Viv said:

Don't over-think things.

The Q cameras are not complicated tools.

Where's the harm in a "Q3 for Dummies" sort of book to help reduce the need to "over-think"? There exist such books for an innumerable topics/subjects, and these books sell well

[Viv]

13 minutes ago, student said:

Where's the harm in a "Q3 for Dummies" sort of book to help reduce the need to "over-think"? There exist such books for an innumerable topics/subjects, and these books sell well

No harm, I suppose.

[Kay]

Not sure I see the point here ... bought a Q2 a year ago and it has easily become my most used camera while travelling. And that is because of its ease of use, simplicity, and superb image qualty. For my sony's that have a gazillion of programmable options I need a how to guide and fortunately there are helpful in-depth guides available. Nevertheless I often struggle when using my a1 again after time of non-use. Q2 is ready to shoot whenever and whereever I need it. Love that camera. 

[Viv]

8 minutes ago, Kay said:

Not sure I see the point here ... bought a Q2 a year ago and it has easily become my most used camera while travelling. And that is because of its ease of use, simplicity, and superb image qualty. For my sony's that have a gazillion of programmable options I need a how to guide and fortunately there are helpful in-depth guides available. Nevertheless I often struggle when using my a1 again after time of non-use. Q2 is ready to shoot whenever and whereever I need it. Love that camera. 

My feeling exactly.

[student]

12 minutes ago, Viv said:

My feeling exactly.

Faced with digital stuff, some among us do look for guidance etc, and fortunately there is always something available: https://www.overgaard.dk/Thorsten-von-Overgaard-Gallery-Store-The-Leica-Q3-Know-All-eBook-The-Art-of-Loving-the-Leica-Q3-Monochrom.html

[David Wien]

21 minutes ago, student said:

Faced with digital stuff, some among us do look for guidance etc, and fortunately there is always something available: https://www.overgaard.dk/Thorsten-von-Overgaard-Gallery-Store-The-Leica-Q3-Know-All-eBook-The-Art-of-Loving-the-Leica-Q3-Monochrom.html

Yes, an e-book for $438! A private tutor for a week might be a more economic option...

David

[Ad Dieleman]

5 hours ago, David Wien said:

Yes, an e-book for $438! A private tutor for a week might be a more economic option...

David

The last few weeks Thorsten von Overgaard bombarded me with emails offering 90 % reduction on almost all of his products. So I'd say, for those who want it, wait until those rebates appear again; might be some time though.