I went Q2 --> Q3 --> Q2. Anyone have questions?

[anonymoose]

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Realized I'm in a relatively unique position to answer "Q2 or Q3?" type questions having gone full circle. I owned the Q2 for about a year, somewhat begrudgingly upgraded to the Q3 that I owned for over a year, and recently sold my Q3 and bought a Q2.

I upgraded for better AF (for pictures of my child), higher MP, better low-light, and 4K60 video (which I ended up way less frequently than I expected).

General observations reflecting my personal preferences/experience:

• The Q2's rear layout is better in my opinion. Having three buttons on the left and a nicer directional-pad (Q3's d-pad always bothered me, felt too small and I didn't like the click feel) + flat screen is a better user experience and more "calming" if that makes sense.
• I don't miss the tilting screen despite having a small child and taking a decent amount of low angle photos. Looking at the screen off-axis is fine.
• The relatively lack of shutter blackout on the Q2 (I didn't try newest Q3 firmware that reduced it) is a breath of fresh air. I never acclimated to the Q3's blackout for some reason even though I thought I would get used to it.
• Q3's AF is much better overall. The ability to focus on eyes and get tack-sharp images off-angle at f1.7 was impressive and I say this as someone that also owns a Sony A1.
  • I don't miss the Q3's AF yet, but I might. I intend to do more manual focusing on the Q2 than I did previously.
  • Q3's AF was oftentimes chaotic in switching between L/R eye and I had to fight it when I had more than one person in the frame
  • It also frequently found faces/eyes in places where they didn't exist (e.g. landscapes) forcing me to switch to MF
• Q2's rear screen being lower resolution is noticeable when pixel peeping for focus, but not enough to be bothersome.
• I definitely notice the reduction from 61MP to 47MP, but not enough to want to go back to the Q3. I do a decent amount of cropping + 13x19 prints, so I do care about MP to some extent.
• Q2 Reporter's matte finish is so much nicer than the glossy Q3 finish. Leica needs to come out with a Q3-P or something that isn't glossy. My Q3 constantly looked oily/dirty and it drove me nuts.
• Q3's low-light performance is noticeably better than Q2's. I personally don't like anything over 1600 on the Q2 whereas I could get away with 6400 on the Q3. The Q2 green-shifts/exhibits banding in shadows way too quickly for my comfort. I will miss the Q3's better low-light performance.

Overall I'd say I feel home again with the Q2 (for lack of better words). I never bonded with the Q3 despite reliably making phenomenal photos with it and I'm fairly convinced it's the rear layout + shutter blackout that prevented me from doing so.

Edited December 21, 2024 by anonymoose

[LocalHero1953]

All good reasons, though I prefer the Q3 43 I have (more useful FL for me, better AF, better in low light and the tilt screen). My main regret is the Reporter finish of my Q2.

[stephenmick]

Like Paul above, I also have the Q3 43 because I like the focal length better. But I also kept my Q2M, because you'll have to pry that from my cold, dead hands. 

[anonymoose]

I rented the Q3 43 for a Yosemite trip as well as some photos of my kid around the house. Discovered that my preference is Q3+crop vs. being punched-in right off the bat especially for photos of my kid where sometimes I didn't have the time/space to back up to capture a moment.

It also made me realize how good the Q3's lens is. It holds its own against the APO on the Q3 43 way better than I thought it would especially stopped down a tiny bit.

[FlashGordonPhotography]

I still have my Q2. Must sell it. I prefer the Q3 for the reasons you like the Q2.

1. The play button is on the correct side. It’s a mirrorless camera. You shouldn’t have to lower the camera to play images through the EVF.

2. I use the tilt screen almost every day.

3. I don’t tend to need A1 level AF on the on a Q. For me it’s a casual camera. I’m not in a rush.

4. Same for the EVF blackout but I do welcome any improvements, it’s not something I cared about. I have blackout free cameras for when I need that.

The Q3 needs a joystick. Then it’s near perfect. I also like the 43mm focal length. I’d love a 90mm as well.

Gordon

[aficionados]

No questions and quite frankly don’t even care

[Guest]

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2 hours ago, aficionados said:

No questions and quite frankly don’t even care

Yet you care enough to post this? Strange!

[anonymoose]

14 minutes ago, AussieQ said:

Seriously ........who cares what you did. I am not sure why we even need to know. Are you seeking some sort of validation? 

I've seen a lot of "Q2 or Q3" type topics both here and other places (e.g. reddit). I figured not a lot of people go Q2->Q3->Q2, so it might be useful to share insights.

I don't need validation. I was trying to help anyone that may be deciding between the two. Would you like an apology for somehow offending you?

Edited December 22, 2024 by anonymoose

[SrMi]

I still own Q2 and Q3 cameras. I love the Q2 special editions and the slender form factor. But lack of LPC make me pick Q3 more often than Q2.

[stephenmick]

2 minutes ago, Quarterpounder said:

That escalated quickly

It’s great to see the holiday cheer being spread this time of year!

[Guest]

10 minutes ago, stephenmick said:

It’s great to see the holiday cheer being spread this time of year!

Go to the pub... drink too much... fall out with partner...come home looking for a fight...Leica Forums here I come!

[andybarton]

The attitude in the post referred to is not welcome on this forum. The poster has been advised to leave it at the door.

[Patrick NL]

Did you seek professional help? 🤣

[nameBrandon]

I have the Q3 and Q3 43, and would definitely trade the Q3 (28) in for a Q2 (especially that Hodinkee model.. mmmmm..) and be just fine with it, if not for lack of USB-C charging. Having standardized on M11-P/M-11M and the Q3's, I don't ever need to worry about dedicated battery chargers, and I'm just not willing to go back. Now if some ambitious company decided to create a 3rd party Q2 battery that included USB-C charging into the battery itself and did it in a way that protected the USB-C port from moisture (similar to what we've seen in the Fuji X space), I might consider it. 

Edited December 22, 2024 by nameBrandon

[goldgranada]

Viltrox has batteries with status of charge lights and USB-C built into them. Maybe that's who could produce them!

They have charge status lights with the push of a button and built in USB-C on the end caps. Just a little shape shifting and make them in black to match the camera body.

Putting the charging USB-C socket on the outside will be the challenge yet the 3rd party lens companies claim their lens USB-C input sockets are "water resistant" but don't think Leica would endorse that with their staunch IP52 ratings.

Then the real questions, how much would they cost? Would a 3rd party battery like this void the warranty? Who would build the 1/2 case covers with the integrated plug in to a battery like this? Better idea,...someone should build the 1/2 case that incorporates the the battery into the half case with a USB-C plugin so the csae wouldn't have to be removed for charging!

Probably not enough demand to warrant such a venture though.

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Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[anonymoose]

10 hours ago, nameBrandon said:

I have the Q3 and Q3 43, and would definitely trade the Q3 (28) in for a Q2 (especially that Hodinkee model.. mmmmm..) and be just fine with it, if not for lack of USB-C charging. Having standardized on M11-P/M-11M and the Q3's, I don't ever need to worry about dedicated battery chargers, and I'm just not willing to go back. Now if some ambitious company decided to create a 3rd party Q2 battery that included USB-C charging into the battery itself and did it in a way that protected the USB-C port from moisture (similar to what we've seen in the Fuji X space), I might consider it. 

You reminded me of one of my favorite Q3 features--being able to charge via USB-C without taking a charger with me!

[SrMi]

17 hours ago, nameBrandon said:

I have the Q3 and Q3 43, and would definitely trade the Q3 (28) in for a Q2 (especially that Hodinkee model.. mmmmm..) and be just fine with it, if not for lack of USB-C charging. Having standardized on M11-P/M-11M and the Q3's, I don't ever need to worry about dedicated battery chargers, and I'm just not willing to go back. Now if some ambitious company decided to create a 3rd party Q2 battery that included USB-C charging into the battery itself and did it in a way that protected the USB-C port from moisture (similar to what we've seen in the Fuji X space), I might consider it. 

Note that an iPhone, with an open USB-C port can be used underwater.

[nameBrandon]

14 hours ago, goldgranada said:

Viltrox has batteries with status of charge lights and USB-C built into them. Maybe that's who could produce them!

They have charge status lights with the push of a button and built in USB-C on the end caps. Just a little shape shifting and make them in black to match the camera body.

Putting the charging USB-C socket on the outside will be the challenge yet the 3rd party lens companies claim their lens USB-C input sockets are "water resistant" but don't think Leica would endorse that with their staunch IP52 ratings.

Then the real questions, how much would they cost? Would a 3rd party battery like this void the warranty? Who would build the 1/2 case covers with the integrated plug in to a battery like this? Better idea,...someone should build the 1/2 case that incorporates the the battery into the half case with a USB-C plugin so the csae wouldn't have to be removed for charging!

Probably not enough demand to warrant such a venture though.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Yep, exactly! I've got some similar ones from Neweer. Given the lack of development in the 3rd party battery space for Leica, I never expect them, but would definitely open up the possibility of a Q2 for me.

[haelio]

On 12/21/2024 at 6:33 PM, anonymoose said:

Q3's AF was oftentimes chaotic in switching between L/R eye and I had to fight it when I had more than one person in the frame

While I still have the Q3 28 and Q3 43, I would say that AF when there is more than one person in the frame is frankly not fit for purpose, especially in AF-C. It keeps jumping from person to person despite my efforts to use the D-pad to select one person. It's infuriating.

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[anonymoose]

1 hour ago, haelio said:

While I still have the Q3 28 and Q3 43, I would say that AF when there is more than one person in the frame is frankly not fit for purpose, especially in AF-C. It keeps jumping from person to person despite my efforts to use the D-pad to select one person. It's infuriating.

It's unfortunate to hear that this is somewhat common. I wasn't sure if I was doing something wrong or not understanding how to use it properly. My Sony seems to do a good job of picking a sensible person and essentially always the closest eye to the camera, so I rarely have to fix it. When I do, I can use the joystick to move quickly between recognized faces/eyes.

I learned to use point focus any time I anticipated taking pictures with more than one person in the frame, which worked out fine. Well, except for those few occasions where face/eye detect would find a face/eye in an inanimate object (e.g. tree, mountain) 🤣