Fuji X100VI XT5 vs Q3 28

[janf85]

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Ні,

I would like to hear your opinion.

I have been with Fuji for 3 years and am very happy. I am a hobby photographer and mainly use it to document my family's life.

I will soon have 2 children and I like travel, portrait and street photography. My favorite focal lengths are 28 and 40mm.

I photograph in RAW and JPEG - but I like to use SOOC

Jpeg - and they are really great on the Fuji.

I own:

Fuji X100 VI with WCL

X-t5

XF 18 1.4 LM WR

Viltrox 27 1.2

XF 35 1.4 r

Sigma 56 1.4

Viltrox 75 1.2

I was lucky enough to get a used Leica Q3 28 in perfect condition from a dealer. For only 4635 EUR.

I wanted to at least test it once. And I'm really excited about it. The image sharpness is brilliant. The colors are great. The bokeh, even with a 35mm crop, is better and more beautiful than with the X100.

Even the SOOC JPEGs are great, as the Q3 supports the Leica look (I really like the chrome look).

I take the X100VI with me everywhere (including on vacation) and I like the compact size. I usually have a small sling bag for it.

The image quality of the Q3 is beyond any doubt. Even when cropping to 35 or 50mm, the Q3 is superior to the x100. However, if I screw the Viltrox 27 1.2 onto my X-T5, l think the Leica comes up short - even in low light. A sling bag is then no longer sufficient.

My idea is to keep the Q3 and sell all my Fuji gear. Then I would get about the same price as the Q3. It's not an option for me to keep the Q3 AND a Fuji (cost). What I also see as a problem is that with the Q3 you always have a very expensive camera with you and the fear of damage and theft is always there.

I'm really undecided. Such a "good" price for the Q3... Of course I have to know for myself in the end but I wanted to hear what you think about it.

Greetings Jan

 

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[jefe]

Hi Jan,

I had the original Q, then bought Q2M and the Q2. Looking at Q3. They are brilliant cameras ..... masterpieces of design, ergonomics and performance. The 28 Summi is a dream. The size factor makes it a joy for travel. If

I anticipate going into dodgy areas, I black out the red dot and other Leica identifiers with black electrician tape. I also insure the camera against all hazards including theft for a modest annual charge. Get the Q3. You will never look back.

[Smogg]

Q3 or Q3 43 will of course give you significantly better quality than Fuji in almost all parameters (colors, sharpness, bokeh). However, it is not so easy to compare these cameras directly, Q3 is noticeably larger than x100vi and will not fit in a jacket pocket. Much depends on the usage scenario. What is more important to you? Frame quality? Camera compactness? Optical undistorted viewfinder?

[Ko.Fe.]

If Fuji satisfies you, you are one of the lucky ones. I was goofing around Toronto with Ricoh GRD, because Leica I own is too expensive to travel with without trustable insurance. If I lose it, it will be no replacement. I have to spend money elsewhere.... Big family and else...

I meet tree members of Toronto Street Photography yesterday. Two were with Fuji cameras, lenses. 

I don't think you will recover 4.3K from sale of your gear. Only X100VI is hot potato. 

So, you'll end up with one and only, expensive camera. Which have only one real advantage - low light performance due to larger sensor.

But you have no choice. The price of Q3 you got is 2/3 from current price.  Use it, if you don't like it, you will sell it at the same price. 

Edited January 6 by Ko.Fe.

[jmschuh]

 

Years ago I sold my entire Fuji system for my first Q.

When I look at my Fuji photos today and also look again and again at the optical mud that Fuji produces, especially with green tones (nature), I ask myself in retrospect how I could have been satisfied with Fujifilm for so long time.

Today I use a Q3 28mm and a Q3 43mm and haven't regretted it for a second.

 

[Olaf_ZG]

Sell all, keep the Q. Stop worrying it is expensive and just use it. Having one camera, one lens is great documenting family life. Both setups could do this, but having just one, will keep your attention on your subject and less on gear.

[Tobers]

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Seeing as you are already carrying your X100VI in a small sling bag, you won’t need to worry about the larger size of the Q3 as it will not matter much if it’s also going in a bag.

If you aren’t worried about having a selection of lenses to choose from, the Q3 will suit you very well. I use my Q3 as a 28-75mm camera. The image quality is stellar. No need to change lenses. A beautiful camera with stunning output. Ditch the Fuji gear, simplify, and just use the Q3. You’ll love it.

[BradS]

Personally, I think I'd really regret selling the X100VI.  The Q3 is a lovely camera but its cost makes it very uncomfortable to carry around most times. I definitely would not want a Q3 (or the X100VI) to be my ONLY camera. It's a nice to have, for specific situations.

Edited January 6 by BradS

[Dazzajl]

You will obviously get a lot of pro Q opinions here. Go to a Fuji forum and you’ll get the opposite. And of course both sides will ‘know’ they’re right

The answer must be to choose the kit that makes you excited to use it. That way you’ll have more moments and memories and that seems to be what matters to you most. 
 

For the record, I work with Fuji gear and playtime is with Leica, so no axe to grind either way. I like the X100 line a lot and would probably choose that overall package over the Q3 if pushed to pick one but the look of the images from the original Q do make me a little weak at the knees. 

[Le Chef]

The issue of cost can be looked at two ways:

If you insure the camera with your home policy then if it gets stole or lost, it's replaceable. The only worry for me would be losing the images I had taken.

The other way to look at cost is amortization over time. The longer you own the camera the less it costs you on an annualized basis. But if you chop and change your kit every five minutes then any camera is going to be expensive.

Edited January 6 by Le Chef

[bobtodrick]

50 minutes ago, Dazzajl said:

You will obviously get a lot of pro Q opinions here. Go to a Fuji forum and you’ll get the opposite. And of course both sides will ‘know’ they’re right

The answer must be to choose the kit that makes you excited to use it. That way you’ll have more moments and memories and that seems to be what matters to you most. 
 

For the record, I work with Fuji gear and playtime is with Leica, so no axe to grind either way. I like the X100 line a lot and would probably choose that overall package over the Q3 if pushed to pick one but the look of the images from the original Q do make me a little weak at the knees. 

I'm a current Q owner,,.but have owned two of the X100's, the original and a X100F.

I'm not a pixel peeper.  I don't blow images hundreds of percent on my computer to minutely dissect the image...I print and exhibit in sizes 11x14 to 20x24".

Pretty much defy anyone to definitively tell which images came from which camera.

In truth I've used Leica cameras since the mid 80's...but I had no issue with the latest incarnations of the X100.

[Dazzajl]

4 minutes ago, bobtodrick said:

Pretty much defy anyone to definitively tell which images came from which camera.

Hopefully what people see is your vision and artistry. 

[bobtodrick]

1 minute ago, Dazzajl said:

Hopefully what people see is your vision and artistry. 

Agreed...what photography should (IMO) be about.

But to many it is all about gear...to heck with the image.

[Cogito]

I've never used a camera strap for cameras, but I got a comfy 47" silk cord strap for my Q343 and when I have the camera with me I have it slung across my body and can take a photo in two seconds. I distressed the brass thumb grip, shutter release, and lens cap (and of course covered the red dot with black tape) so no one ever thinks it's expensive gear. Unless you're really klutzy, I wouldn't worry about the camera being damaged or stolen. But if you wouldn't feel comfortable bringing the Leica everywhere you go, maybe that camera isn't for you. imho it's important to have a camera you can really use and not treat like a museum piece, otherwise you won't get the shots you want and won't improve as a photographer. If you'd like to stay with Leica, have a look at the photos in the the portraits thread on this forum, you'll see a great many excellent taken with the D-Lux 7 or 8. I used to own the D-Lux 3 and can tell you the shooting experience is wonderful. Don't let anyone tell you that camera isn't a real Leica, it's a wonderful camera, takes fabulous pictures, and fits in your pocket.

Edited January 6 by Cogito
typo

[Dazzajl]

11 minutes ago, Cogito said:

Don't let anyone tell you that camera isn't a real Leica, it's a wonderful camera

Surely it can be not Leica and wonderful at the same time? The LX2 was a camera I adored too and the D Lux 8 does keep calling to me as a fine spiritual successor. 

[Anakronox]

5 hours ago, bobtodrick said:

I'm a current Q owner,,.but have owned two of the X100's, the original and a X100F.

I'm not a pixel peeper.  I don't blow images hundreds of percent on my computer to minutely dissect the image...I print and exhibit in sizes 11x14 to 20x24".

Pretty much defy anyone to definitively tell which images came from which camera.

In truth I've used Leica cameras since the mid 80's...but I had no issue with the latest incarnations of the X100.

I’m with you 100% and as someone who is selling their Q2 and Q2M and keeping the X100VI, I pick it up because it’s *fun* and the IQ is great, plus the TTL flash built-in is insanely handy.  

But then again I lean more towards the street side of photography, so what do I know?

[Archiver]

9 hours ago, janf85 said:

The image quality of the Q3 is beyond any doubt. Even when cropping to 35 or 50mm, the Q3 is superior to the x100. However, if I screw the Viltrox 27 1.2 onto my X-T5, l think the Leica comes up short - even in low light. A sling bag is then no longer sufficient.

My idea is to keep the Q3 and sell all my Fuji gear. Then I would get about the same price as the Q3. It's not an option for me to keep the Q3 AND a Fuji (cost). What I also see as a problem is that with the Q3 you always have a very expensive camera with you and the fear of damage and theft is always there.

I'm really undecided. Such a "good" price for the Q3... Of course I have to know for myself in the end but I wanted to hear what you think about it.

Just to clarify - for you, the image quality of the XT5 with the Viltrox 27/1.2 is better than the Q3, but the combination of Q3 + XT5 and Viltrox is too big to put in your sling bag, so you are thinking of selling all your Fuji gear to offset/regain the cost of the Q3?

I agree with @Le Chef that when the camera is insured, there is much less to worry about. Also, the cost of the camera is amortized over the time you own it. I spent AUD $9300 on my M9 in early 2010. As of now, 14 years later, the M9 is still my favourite camera, and has cost about $650 a year to own.

[RQ44]

The Fuji will give you the greatest flexibility with the option to change lenses and it still has a good sensor size and resolution. I too own a Fuji with 3 lenses. I kept them and still purchased the Q3. Why, I am still a Fuji lover at heart. The Q3 was more a love affair and still is for those times when I want it with me. I say, keep the XT5, ditch the Q3 and you will be happy. I say you are suffering some FOMO at the moment and think the Q3 is not meant for you. Or......just keep them all.

Edited January 7 by RQ44

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[Trankster]

Since you already have a Q3, why you use it extensively for 6 months or longer to fully experience the Q3.  I owned several X100 cameras including the X100v, but was never quite satisfied with the SOOC jpegs and simulations.  I found the Q3 jpgs not bad, and raw photos quite excellent after some post -processing in Lightroom.  Plus, with 60 megapixels and full frame, you have much more flexibility.  If it were me, I would keep the XT-5 and maybe the 75mm lens and sell the rest. The XT-5 could be your second camera for special uses such as portraits, sports, wildlife etc.  

Edited January 7 by Trankster

[JoshuaR]

I sold a big Fuji kit (incl. X100V and X-Pro3) to buy my first Leica, a Q2.

I had zero regrets. The Q camera was simply more fun to use. Through cropping I could replace two-thirds of my Fuji lenses (my favorites were the 18/2 and 35/1.4). The image quality was better, although not necessarily dramatically better than what I was getting out of the new generation of Fuji primes (like the 18/1.4). But the experience of using the camera was superior. It was smaller and more fun. I especially preferred it to the X100V. I'd loved my X100-series cameras (I'd also used the F extensively), but I got tired of the slow and audible autofocus and I preferred the colors out of the Q2.

Of course, I then ended up selling the Q2 and moving to the M system. So I'd make sure that what you're after isn't actually Leica M. I think there's a population of people (including me) who go to Fuji because they really want an M camera, make an intermediate stop at the Q, and then get a used M10 and a 35mm and find true happiness.