The new Leica Q3 43 - Review by Jonathan Slack

[Smogg]

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4 minutes ago, jonoslack said:

Well - see my messages above - it seems to me to work properly to me on the Q3 43 (I don't have a Q3 or Q2 to test, but I'm sure you're right that it didn't)

Focus lock via the dedicated AF-L button only works for one frame, making it completely useless. Just double-checked on Q3 43 (actually on Q2 and Q3 as well).

[Smogg]

1. Toggle AF-L

2. Press shutter button and camera will not refocus 

3. Make shot

4. Release Shutter button completely 

5. Press Shutter button again and camera WILL refocus although logically this shouldn't happen.

[Erich6]

38 minutes ago, SrMi said:

IIRC, a focus lock in Q3 is released after an image has been taken or any camera setting is changed. It does not stay locked until it is released manually. Also, BBF completely removes focus functionality from the shutter button and allows triggering focusing (AF-S or AF-C) via a button different from shutter button. BBF is more flexible and powerful than focus locking. 

Release after one shot is not very helpful….

[Kim Dahl]

It also works on the Q3 as Jono writes.

I have set AF-L to the FN button by the rotary wheel (but you can choose the FN button you want)

When I have set the focus I can take my photo and the focus is locked.

It works great if that's what you want. The Leica Q3 and Q3 43 work in the same way.

[jonoslack]

36 minutes ago, Smogg said:

Focus lock via the dedicated AF-L button only works for one frame, making it completely useless. Just double-checked on Q3 43 (actually on Q2 and Q3 as well).

 

27 minutes ago, Smogg said:

1. Toggle AF-L

2. Press shutter button and camera will not refocus 

3. Make shot

4. Release Shutter button completely 

5. Press Shutter button again and camera WILL refocus although logically this shouldn't happen.

I think I need to shut up for a bit!

[Jeff S]

4 hours ago, jonoslack said:

What do you reckon?

 

 

Well, Jono, I’ve never owned a Q model, but the 43 grabbed more of my attention as primarily a 35/50mm M shooter.  Past readings suggested that the BBF omission (and lack of joystick) was a point of concern.  I reckon this is still the case, for some!  I’ve personally come to like the BBF implementation on the SL2 (combined with manual focus image magnification). 

Jeff

Edited October 7, 2024 by Jeff S

[LocalHero1953]

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Q2 owner here. I have just checked, and it appears to work as Jono describes: once I have locked the focus (with AF-L assigned to the single upper button - what Leica calls the Zoom/Lock button) then I can't release it by pressing the shutter button, neither a half press, nor a press-and-release to shoot. That only works with the Zoom/Lock button. If I assign Zoom/Lock to the wheel button or the Fn button, then they simply bring up the Zoom/Lock button assignment choice. The Q2 does not allow you to assign AF-L to any other button than the Zoom/Lock button.

If I change from AFs to AFc then it appears to stay as if it was AFs - no continuous focus. If I select tracking, it focuses on an object and stays tracking the same object no matter whether a shot is taken or not. The other focus modes (multi, spot, field, face) behave as expected.

Lens focus ring set to AF; f/w 5.0.0

Edited October 7, 2024 by LocalHero1953

[Likaleica]

I'm not a BBF focuser, but I just tried it on my Q3 43.

I set a back button to AF-L and focused.  The shutter button did not override the focus after recomposing.

After shutter release, it stayed focused where I locked it, but it released and refocused when I pressed the shutter button for a second exposure.

I can see where this would be painful if you plan to make more than one exposure after locking focus and recomposing.

But otherwise it seems to work well.

[Smogg]

25 minutes ago, Likaleica said:

I'm not a BBF focuser, but I just tried it on my Q3 43.

I set a back button to AF-L and focused.  The shutter button did not override the focus after recomposing.

After shutter release, it stayed focused where I locked it, but it released and refocused when I pressed the shutter button for a second exposure.

I can see where this would be painful if you plan to make more than one exposure after locking focus and recomposing.

But otherwise it seems to work well.

This is a fairly common situation in street photography, when a frame consists of several planes and the photographer focuses in advance at a certain distance, waiting for the events he needs to happen on one of the planes. In this case, many shots are usually taken. There are cases when I can wait for several minutes without moving from one place, waiting, for example, for a spot of the color I need to appear in the right place in the frame. Now this has to be done in manual focus mode only. A normally working AF-L would make the task much easier. 

[Jeff S]

On the SL2, I press back button (joystick) to focus on selected area.  I can check critical focus by manually turning the focus ring on the (SL) lens, which magnifies view.  Half pressing the shutter release button, which is decoupled from focus, brings back full view.  I’m not worried about subsequent shots; each treated individually.

What’s the simplest, comparable method for accomplishing this on the Q3-43… back button focus, magnification, and easy return to full view… before fully pressing shutter release?

Jeff

Edited October 7, 2024 by Jeff S

[yanidel]

1 hour ago, Smogg said:

This is a fairly common situation in street photography, when a frame consists of several planes and the photographer focuses in advance at a certain distance, waiting for the events he needs to happen on one of the planes. In this case, many shots are usually taken. There are cases when I can wait for several minutes without moving from one place, waiting, for example, for a spot of the color I need to appear in the right place in the frame. Now this has to be done in manual focus mode only. A normally working AF-L would make the task much easier. 

I would believe that manual focus is anyways more efficient for these kind of street scenes. Pre-focus manually on the plane you want in focus and  concentrate purely on the action afterwards.

[jonoslack]

1 hour ago, Jeff S said:

On the SL2, I press back button (joystick) to focus on selected area.  I can check critical focus by manually turning the focus ring on the (SL) lens, which magnifies view.  Half pressing the shutter release button, which is decoupled from focus, brings back full view.  I’m not worried about subsequent shots; each treated individually.

What’s the simplest, comparable method for accomplishing this on the Q3-43… back button focus, magnification, and easy return to full view… before fully pressing shutter release?

Jeff

Hi Jeff

Well, the SL lenses are all 'focus by wire' . but the Q lenses manual focus is mechanical (like an M lens). So it can't quite work like that!

[Smogg]

56 minutes ago, yanidel said:

I would believe that manual focus is anyways more efficient for these kind of street scenes. Pre-focus manually on the plane you want in focus and  concentrate purely on the action afterwards.

This technique works fast and convenient on M11, on Q3 43 it is much slower for me

[Jeff S]

1 hour ago, jonoslack said:

Hi Jeff

Well, the SL lenses are all 'focus by wire' . but the Q lenses manual focus is mechanical (like an M lens). So it can't quite work like that!

So no way to bring up magnification if using BBF type approach?

Jeff

[Likaleica]

51 minutes ago, Jeff S said:

So no way to bring up magnification if using BBF type approach?

Jeff

Jeff, I just tested this out.  I assigned one function button to AF-L and the other to magnification.  AF-L locked the focus, and then magnification enlarged that area.  But when I pressed the magnification button again to return to full view, the AF-L was cancelled.  

[Cogito]

2 hours ago, jonoslack said:

Hi Jeff

Well, the SL lenses are all 'focus by wire' . but the Q lenses manual focus is mechanical (like an M lens). So it can't quite work like that!

Jono,

One of the Leica reps at the store here in Los Angeles told me the Q lens is 'focus by wire' even in manual mode, which I found hard to believe but he was insistent. He's been to the factory and worked for Leica for a dozen years so I took his word. The lens certainly feels manual to me, is there documentation? Thanks for all your help here on this forum. 

-Craig

[Jeff S]

47 minutes ago, Cogito said:

Jono,

One of the Leica reps at the store here in Los Angeles told me the Q lens is 'focus by wire' even in manual mode, which I found hard to believe but he was insistent. He's been to the factory and worked for Leica for a dozen years so I took his word. The lens certainly feels manual to me, is there documentation? Thanks for all your help here on this forum. 

-Craig

Michael (whom I trusted long ago, but no longer see his posts) confirms focus by wire from the outset.

Jeff

[SrMi]

3 hours ago, jonoslack said:

Hi Jeff

Well, the SL lenses are all 'focus by wire' . but the Q lenses manual focus is mechanical (like an M lens). So it can't quite work like that!

It is probably more that the MF mode disables AF connection like is done with MF clutch on Panasonic, Olympus, and Hasselblad lenses.

[yanidel]

I think that whether the manual focus system is mechanical or fly by wire is irrelevant if the latter one is calibrated to an engraved distance scale on the lens. Take the X1 which had fly by wire  manual focus; you could not set it without looking at the screen since there was no scale on the lens. It was slow and cumbersome to use. I believe the Q3 has that distance scale, so it can be basically used as an M. 

I remember the early Sigma DP2 which was fly by the wire too, but it was coupled to a wonderful distance wheel next to the thumb, that was a joy to use, just as using a M is. 

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica Q

[SrMi]

6 hours ago, yanidel said:

I would believe that manual focus is anyways more efficient for these kind of street scenes. Pre-focus manually on the plane you want in focus and  concentrate purely on the action afterwards.

BBF is more efficient as it acquires focus quicker (use AF field for pre-focusing), while keeping all the benefits of MF.