chris_tribble Posted March 30 Share #1 Posted March 30 Advertisement (gone after registration) For years I've used an M with 35 and 90 as my core travel / hiking combination. Now I have the Q I've been impressed by what you can get out of the 75 crop, but am concerned that 90 is pushing it. As I no longer have a 90 lens for my M10R, I can't do a side by side comparison. Has anyone made such a comparison - or would be willing to do one? I'd be interested to see the results. If I can, i'd like to work with the Q as a one camera travel companion - it has so many advantages! I'm just concerned about how good the quality of the cropped images at longer notional focal lengths is going to be... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 30 Posted March 30 Hi chris_tribble, Take a look here Q3 performance cropped vs M10R with 90mm lens. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Dazzajl Posted March 30 Share #2 Posted March 30 There’s a huge difference in image size, 40mp to just under 6mp but it’s all about usage. If you’re shooting for a blog or any online use, you won’t really see anything between them. If you want to print, you could probably get a 10x8 from the Q3 crop but not more. The file is less than 3000 pixels on the long edge. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leica_kh Posted March 30 Share #3 Posted March 30 Q3/28 owner here. I feel like the 75 and 90mm crop may be too much even for a 60MP sensor. At most, I feel like 50mm crop should be the max crop for the Q3/28. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikep996 Posted March 30 Share #4 Posted March 30 (edited) 90mm crop will work fine if you are viewing on a computer/TV/other display. Re prints - I have a 6MP image printed to 16x20 on the wall and it is razor sharp viewed at normal viewing distance. The only time you need the MP count that we all think we need is if the INTENT of the photographer is that the photo will be pixel-peeped or if printed, examined with a magnifying glass. I would compare it to classic paintings this way: H. Bosch would have needed a Leica Q3 paintbrush; Leonardo would have needed a Leica Q paintbrush. Picasso would have needed... well, a Leica digilux 1 paintbrush would be overkill. 😆 Edited March 30 by Mikep996 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_tribble Posted March 31 Author Share #5 Posted March 31 (edited) 11 hours ago, leica_kh said: Q3/28 owner here. I feel like the 75 and 90mm crop may be too much even for a 60MP sensor. At most, I feel like 50mm crop should be the max crop for the Q3/28. Completely agree re the 28. The 43 does give more leeway… 17 hours ago, Dazzajl said: There’s a huge difference in image size, 40mp to just under 6mp but it’s all about usage. If you’re shooting for a blog or any online use, you won’t really see anything between them. If you want to print, you could probably get a 10x8 from the Q3 crop but not more. The file is less than 3000 pixels on the long edge. Yes - that’s my concern. 75 feels safer. 19.8mp + the quality of the APO lens is likely to be printable at A3+. And viewing distance also comes in. I had images printed that were 30 ft on the longest edge from a Canon 20D (8.2 MP!). But that was hung from the front wall of a theatre! Thanks for thoughtful responses. I might get a 90mm Voigtlander APO Skopar for when I don’t want to carry the SL2 and I know I’ll need to go longer. Otherwise the Q3 43 will cover a very large part of my needs… Edited March 31 by chris_tribble Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNK100 Posted March 31 Share #6 Posted March 31 12 hours ago, leica_kh said: Q3/28 owner here. I feel like the 75 and 90mm crop may be too much even for a 60MP sensor. At most, I feel like 50mm crop should be the max crop for the Q3/28. Agreed - I only go to 50mm too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikep996 Posted March 31 Share #7 Posted March 31 Advertisement (gone after registration) IMO, the concept that you need X-number of megapixels to produce a Y-sized crop totally depends on what you are doing.. I have 90mm equiv shots from my Q TWO that look great on a 16" laptop. But they don't make a good 16x20 print! I have other pics that required the full resolution of my M10R with 50 or 90mm lens. And heck, though not MP related, I have pics that required my 4x5 Linhof/Tri-X to obtain the results I wanted. Pixel peeping seems to now be the standard on-line method of evaluating photographs. Fortunately, this didn't exist in the past or there might be NO historical/classic photos from small frame (35mm) cameras available for viewing! 🤣 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jared Posted March 31 Share #8 Posted March 31 It will depend completely on the situation. If you need an image you are going to share with friends and family, or if you are going to make a print up to A4 size, there is no reason you can’t use the Q3 cropped to a 90mm field of view, at least at low ISO’s. Above ISO 640 or so, you would need to be a bit more aggressive on the noise reduction with the Q3 images. The "grain" from noise becomes more visible with a tight crop. Balance that against the fact the Q3 may not need as high an ISO as the M11 due to OIS. If you are going to make a large print, then I would think in terms of 50mm field of view being the limit rather than 90mm. Let me know if you need an example image. - Jared 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jared Posted March 31 Share #9 Posted March 31 (edited) Here are a couple of examples... The Q3 image is actually from a Q3 43 but zoomed in to 150mm equivalent (similar to the Q3 28mm at 90mm). The M image is form an M11 with a 75mm, but I moved in a bit closer to have a similar field of view as the Q3. Aside from the slight difference in perspective from my stepping in closer with the M11, this should be essentially what you were wondering about. Both images are 2100mm across the long edge. That is almost the full resolution for the Q3 cropped in and nowhere near the full resolution for the M. Just viewed on a monitor, though, or printed at a small to moderate size, they give very similar results. Both are hand-held. Both had my default input sharpening. Each had noise reduction applied to taste. The exposure value was equalized. Both were taken wide open at f/2. The M11 image was shot at a lower ISO--the Q3 bumps the shutter speed up quite a bit when you select a tight crop to ensure there is no motion blur. In general, I have found the Q a bit aggressive in its shutter speed choice given the effectiveness of the OIS. 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! Edited March 31 by Jared Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/420157-q3-performance-cropped-vs-m10r-with-90mm-lens/?do=findComment&comment=5779705'>More sharing options...
chris_tribble Posted April 1 Author Share #10 Posted April 1 That’s 13 hours ago, Jared said: Here are a couple of examples... The Q3 image is actually from a Q3 43 but zoomed in to 150mm equivalent (similar to the Q3 28mm at 90mm). The M image is form an M11 with a 75mm, but I moved in a bit closer to have a similar field of view as the Q3. Thanks. Interesting. As I’m using the Q3 43 and have no plan to crop to 150mm equivalent, I’m encouraged. The maximum I print at myself is A3+ - though 10x8 is a common choice. I need to do some print testing, but I reckon 75 and 90 crops will be useful. In the meantime I delight in the flexibility the Q3 42 provides. https://www.flickr.com/photos/ctribble/shares/f4H12XG6k3 im grateful for these response to my question. The forum can be a useful place! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjroroek Posted April 13 Share #11 Posted April 13 (edited) I'am surprised the discussion only goes about MP. The main problem are not the pixels but DOF. Cropping a 28mm 1.7 immage to 90 mm wil be like shooting 90 mm at 5.6. So you will never get de same DOF as shooting 90 mm 2.0 on a M camera. DOF can make or break an image. in all my digital photo live i never got a reaction on my pictures concernering MP but allways about composition , light , sharpness and DOF Edited April 13 by jjroroek Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjroroek Posted April 13 Share #12 Posted April 13 On 3/31/2025 at 7:20 PM, Jared said: Here are a couple of examples... The Q3 image is actually from a Q3 43 but zoomed in to 150mm equivalent (similar to the Q3 28mm at 90mm). The M image is form an M11 with a 75mm, but I moved in a bit closer to have a similar field of view as the Q3. Aside from the slight difference in perspective from my stepping in closer with the M11, this should be essentially what you were wondering about. Both images are 2100mm across the long edge. That is almost the full resolution for the Q3 cropped in and nowhere near the full resolution for the M. Just viewed on a monitor, though, or printed at a small to moderate size, they give very similar results. Both are hand-held. Both had my default input sharpening. Each had noise reduction applied to taste. The exposure value was equalized. Both were taken wide open at f/2. The M11 image was shot at a lower ISO--the Q3 bumps the shutter speed up quite a bit when you select a tight crop to ensure there is no motion blur. In general, I have found the Q a bit aggressive in its shutter speed choice given the effectiveness of the OIS. 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! There is one very important aspect missing in these two pictures. DOF. for the quality of the picture DOF is much more important than MP. This example shows a flat composition so no DOF visible Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikep996 Posted April 13 Share #13 Posted April 13 There is no argument that the DOF of a 90mm lens will be dramatically narrower than a cropped 90mm shot from a wider lens and if that DOF at 90mm is important - then neither of these cameras is a good choice although, of course, the 43 would better than the 28. OTOH, in addition to making those 90mm crops you also need wider than 43, the 28 is the better choice. I have some Q2 images cropped to around 90 mm in which the DOF wasn't important for the shot and, since the perspective of the cropped image is the same as it would have been with a 90mm lens it wasn't an issue. If you need both wide and narrow with appropriate DOF, It would make a lot more sense to carry an interchangeable lens camera with a couple of lenses! I'm trying to decide that particular issue for an upcoming (Sep) 10 day trip to Egypt/Nile cruise - the Q3 or the 10R/some lenses. Two years ago we went to Italy for 2 weeks and I carried the Q2 and my 10R and split their use equally. When reviewing the pics back home It turned out that on average we preferred the Q2 pics. That leans me toward the Q3. Plus the issue of the sand/dust and changing lenses on the 10R gives me some pause as well. I will not carry both of them out together - one or the other. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshuaR Posted April 13 Share #14 Posted April 13 I’d be curious to see what Lightroom’s A.I. lens blur tool could do with a 90mm-e crop from a Q3. (Although of course I understand that there are good reasons not to want to use it.) When I had a Q2, I regularly cropped to 75mm, and just accepted the deep DOF. It was a trade-off for the portability of the setup. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjroroek Posted April 13 Share #15 Posted April 13 (edited) here is an example q3 crop to 90 mm and second same but blurring in lightroom to imitate the DOF of a 90 mm 2.0. the cat lost some hair 🙂 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! Edited April 13 by jjroroek Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/420157-q3-performance-cropped-vs-m10r-with-90mm-lens/?do=findComment&comment=5786000'>More sharing options...
JoshuaR Posted April 13 Share #16 Posted April 13 Honestly, that first photograph looks great! I think I'd be just fine cropping the Q3 that much. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNK100 Posted April 13 Share #17 Posted April 13 2 minutes ago, JoshuaR said: Honestly, that first photograph looks great! I think I'd be just fine cropping the Q3 that much. Yes the first shot looks great , the software-blurred version looks unrealistic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_tribble Posted April 14 Author Share #18 Posted April 14 Picked up a mint Voigtlander APO 90 for pennies compared to the Leica equivalent. I’ll post some comparisons. BTW, the Voigtlander lens is beautifully engineered and little larger than a 50 lux. I’ll see how it draws… 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_tribble Posted April 14 Author Share #19 Posted April 14 (edited) Well - interesting. Obviously the full frame from the M10-R gives more resolution at 7864 x 5200 but the Q 90mm crop at a mere 4560 x 3040 would certainly be more than useable for web and would printable at A4 / 10" x 8" Leica M-10 R full frame 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! Leica M-10 R crop Leica Q 90mm zoom Leica Q 90mm zoom crop IMHO, OOF is comparable Edited April 14 by chris_tribble 1 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Leica M-10 R crop Leica Q 90mm zoom Leica Q 90mm zoom crop IMHO, OOF is comparable ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/420157-q3-performance-cropped-vs-m10r-with-90mm-lens/?do=findComment&comment=5786316'>More sharing options...
chris_tribble Posted April 14 Author Share #20 Posted April 14 And another set... Leica M-10 R Full frame 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! Leica M-10 R Crop Leica Q 90mm zoom Leica Q 90mm zoom crop One of the things I note is that the text from the Q 90mm zoom is possibly a tad sharper than the crop from the VC lens. This may be a matter of lens quality, or the problem of focusing 90mm on an M! In both instances, the image were taken using a tripod and I used Live View on the M10R. When you take into account the edge that the Q3's excellent AF and IBIS offer, my initial conclusion that the Q3 43 is going to be a VERY competent companion camera holds up pretty well. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Leica M-10 R Crop Leica Q 90mm zoom Leica Q 90mm zoom crop One of the things I note is that the text from the Q 90mm zoom is possibly a tad sharper than the crop from the VC lens. This may be a matter of lens quality, or the problem of focusing 90mm on an M! In both instances, the image were taken using a tripod and I used Live View on the M10R. When you take into account the edge that the Q3's excellent AF and IBIS offer, my initial conclusion that the Q3 43 is going to be a VERY competent companion camera holds up pretty well. ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/420157-q3-performance-cropped-vs-m10r-with-90mm-lens/?do=findComment&comment=5786321'>More sharing options...
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