Curious: Anyone owning and using both, the Q3 and the Q3 43?

[Alexander108]

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I am using my Q3 for 1.5y now and I am rather happy. Main focus is street photography, here are two examples of typical shots with my 28mm Q3:

This one's rather heavily cropped. Maybe to 50mm or even longer (resulting in 25MP).

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The next one is not cropped (besides 4:3 ratio) and taken also with my Q3.

One cold argue that the first picture would have been better with the Q3 43 while the second shot would not have worked with the 43mm lens at all. I was on the brink to dive into the M11 experience but there are so many things that just seem not to make sense to me. Alone the lacking stabilization is a killer. I love motion blur (see 2nd) and I often shoot at rather slow shutter speeds without a tripod. The first picture was taken 1/15s hand held and the next 0.4s no tripod, just leaning on the parapet. I cannot imagine taking these shots without any stabilization. Even with stabilization I sometimes need to repeat the shot because I was shaking too much (always look at the taken shot with magnification when shooting long SS).

My questions:

1. Does anyone own both Q3s, the original 28mm and the 43mm and carries both when shooting? 
2. If so how does your workflow look like?
3. If you don't carry them at the same time, how do you select which one to take when you go out for a shoot? 

You may guess it: with tens of thousands of Euros saved not buying an M11 plus 3 lenses I have special funds (for the Germans here: Sondervermögen 🤣) and I am wondering if having an additional Q3 43 is something that makes any sense at all. I am actually torn as I wonder if I would switch cameras when walking the streets of a city at all. I can also hardly believe anyone does. That's why I'm asking. Maybe I miss something.

 

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[keithlaban.co.uk]

Don't own both but do own the Q3 43 and have seriously considered adding the Q3. The problem for me is the Q3 really isn't wide enough as a second camera. A 21mm version, if it existed, would be.

When I was shooting M cameras I would typically use two bodies, one with a 21mm and the other with a 35mm, one in the bag and the other in hand. This worked well.

[Le Chef]

I have both.

I use the 28 more for landscapes, though some shots looking out over Lake Michigan would work better with the 43.

I use the 43 for people shots and some landscapes.

I have set up matching profiles on both cameras for “Landscape”, “Street”, “Portrait”, “Macro”, “Manual”

I shoot RAW 100% and use Lightroom and Nik. I crop in post when needed.

I only take one camera out at a time.

[LocalHero1953]

1 hour ago, Alexander108 said:

One cold argue that the first picture would have been better with the Q3 43

I have to ask: why?

Edit. Perhaps I should explain. I like the photo; it's the sort of shot I might post on social media, including here. I could envisage it being included in a book, or in an exhibition about (e.g.) museum attendants, in a line or array of A4/A3 images. But it's not a shot to be posted as a print at A1 or larger, or to be inspected for fine detail - all it needs is for it to have an appropriate tonal range, and it looks like it has. So how would a Q3 43 make this better? It looks exactly like the sort of shot a Q3 is good for - at a savings of £6000, one thing less to carry, and no need to choose between cameras while the attendant wakes up and wanders off..

Edited August 5 by LocalHero1953

[Alexander108]

vor 50 Minuten schrieb LocalHero1953:

I have to ask: why?

Edit. Perhaps I should explain. I like the photo; it's the sort of shot I might post on social media, including here. I could envisage it being included in a book, or in an exhibition about (e.g.) museum attendants, in a line or array of A4/A3 images. But it's not a shot to be posted as a print at A1 or larger, or to be inspected for fine detail - all it needs is for it to have an appropriate tonal range, and it looks like it has. So how would a Q3 43 make this better? It looks exactly like the sort of shot a Q3 is good for - at a savings of £6000, one thing less to carry, and no need to choose between cameras while the attendant wakes up and wanders off..

Thank you all for your helpful comments.

@LocalHero1953 I think you are right. This is indeed not a picture to really blow up. I sometimes do a photo book for friends as a b'day present. These pictures are 24cm x 24cm max. which is less than 10x10 inches (requires less than 3000x3000px). I have the first of the two printed in 60x40cm for my wall (roughly 24x16 inches) and it would certainly work to this size as well.

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No excuse to buy a Q3 43. Maybe instead take the money and explore a great city with the Q3.

[SrMi]

3 hours ago, Alexander108 said:

Does anyone own both Q3s, the original 28mm and the 43mm and carries both when shooting? 

I own both and carried both as my only cameras, plus the D-Lux 8, on my recent trip to Europe. The Q3 (28mm) was used the most. In the second half of the trip, I left the Q43 in the hotel room most of the time.

However, this experience is specific to me and what works for me. I could imagine it would be the opposite for others. Once I travelled only with Q3 43 and was missing the Q3's wider angle.

[nykv]

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30 minutes ago, SrMi said:

I own both and carried both as my only cameras, plus the D-Lux 8, on my recent trip to Europe. The Q3 (28mm) was used the most. In the second half of the trip, I left the Q43 in the hotel room most of the time.

However, this experience is specific to me and what works for me. I could imagine it would be the opposite for others. Once I travelled only with Q3 43 and was missing the Q3's wider angle.

Stitching vertical shots taken with the Q343 is not your cup of tea? 

[Mr Perceptive]

I have both (only added the 43 recently), and I’ve taken both out together, though usually would only take  one.

I am enjoying the 43 but IMO the lens only really comes into its own at wider apertures, at which point the rendering is sublime.

I have also used the 43 for more ‘action’ shots where 28mm would be too wide.

Having both of them is nice, but certainly not essential, for me it has been a reduction in gear from two ILC systems and shortly I’ll be down to 3 bodies each with its own lens.

Q3 28

Q3 43

X-T3+ 100-400mm (Motorsport use)

 

[Carrot]

I have both Q3 28&43.  When I go out with both they fit perfectly together in a used Ona Bowery bag I got hold of.  If I'm mainly in a town I might just take the 28 for the wider angle, but take both if I'm out and about more and not just in a town.  If I had to cut down to just one of them I think it would be the 28, though that may be down to the fact that I have an SL2-S with various M lenses ... I have all the F2 SL lenses, but am giving serious thought to selling them as they are just too heavy (for me) to lug around now.

[SrMi]

1 hour ago, nykv said:

Stitching vertical shots taken with the Q343 is not your cup of tea? 

I stitch Q3 (28) as well :).

Stitching is not always a solution, though.

[ravinj]

I have both. I don't carry both at the same time though. I prefer the 28 as I can crop upto 50mm with no compromise in quality for my needs.

Will likely sell the 43 as it is not getting much use - the lens is great but I don't feel I am giving up anything with the 28.

While the 43 can be cropped much more and still result in a good enough picture, to me 75mm is the max I would go cropping with the 43. After that the output is unacceptable. That is not long enough for me and if I really need a longer focal length, I carry my Pana G9 with the Olympus 75 F1.8 with my Q3 28 - this combo knocks it out of the park in total imaging quality while staying within what I consider reasonable weight limit. 

"Maybe instead take the money and explore a great city with the Q3." - a resounding yes to this. 

[Alexander108]

Thank you all. Your answers were very insightful and helped me in my decision not to buy a Q3 43.

I have a D-Lux 8 since a couple of weeks that I really like. The IQ is obviously not as great as the Q3 IQ but the results are really decent. This is my always with me camera for instance when on a business trip. I like the results better than my Canon G5X Mark II. With all that said, an additional Q3 43 won't help me in my photography. 

As I mainly do Street Photography in B&W I hope that Leica will bring a Q3 (28) Monochrome although that seems to be unlikely. This would be the one I'd buy. As I heavily use the tilt display taking pictures at waist level (people don't realize that and I love the perspective) the Q2 monochrome would be a setback although it seems to be sensor wise still an excellent choice. I am not Allan Schaller who is a true master of his M 🤣 (really love his photography). He takes waist shots all the time and does not even bother having no AF. A true master in my eyes. But he also mainly uses a 21mm lens (interesting with an M) which allows more DoF and gives him room for cropping. But that's a different story.

Again, thank you for your insights and helping me come to a conclusion. Looking forward to a Wetzlar-Lucerne-Liguria-Milano trip. The most challenging part, of course, will be Wetzlar. A challenge on how much I can resist the desire...

[Kim Dahl]

It might be a good decision. I have had the Q3 from the start and the Q343 from the start. So I have a lot of experience. I am on holiday in Italy now and the result today is I have the two Q's with an M with 18 mm 28 mm - and for video a Sony ZVE1 with a 24-70 - d only for video. With that I want to say:

When I had just bought (honeymoon) my Q3 I only took it with me (Frankrig) and it worked. Limitation is the crux of the matter. (I would like the Q3 to be much better for video though. AF and stabilization are not good - mostly stabilization is a problem)

But the Q343 is the one I take the best pictures with. Every picture can be used.

So today I would take the Q3 and the Q343 and the SonyZVE1 (24-50) with me.

But I would choose which camera I would use that day.

But I will not forget the time only with the Q3 which was very liberating and it worked so well.

[LeicaGuyUK]

2 hours ago, Alexander108 said:

Thank you all. Your answers were very insightful and helped me in my decision not to buy a Q3 43.

I have a D-Lux 8 since a couple of weeks that I really like. The IQ is obviously not as great as the Q3 IQ but the results are really decent. This is my always with me camera for instance when on a business trip. I like the results better than my Canon G5X Mark II. With all that said, an additional Q3 43 won't help me in my photography. 

As I mainly do Street Photography in B&W I hope that Leica will bring a Q3 (28) Monochrome although that seems to be unlikely. This would be the one I'd buy. As I heavily use the tilt display taking pictures at waist level (people don't realize that and I love the perspective) the Q2 monochrome would be a setback although it seems to be sensor wise still an excellent choice. I am not Allan Schaller who is a true master of his M 🤣 (really love his photography). He takes waist shots all the time and does not even bother having no AF. A true master in my eyes. But he also mainly uses a 21mm lens (interesting with an M) which allows more DoF and gives him room for cropping. But that's a different story.

Again, thank you for your insights and helping me come to a conclusion. Looking forward to a Wetzlar-Lucerne-Liguria-Milano trip. The most challenging part, of course, will be Wetzlar. A challenge on how much I can resist the desire...

Alan uses a Summilux 24mm lens  But yes he`s the GOAT with his style

I quite fancy trying a D-Lux8, i have the Q3-28 and M11 but recently noticed that i need something smaller for travel...

[Alexander108]

vor 45 Minuten schrieb LeicaGuyUK:

Alan uses a Summilux 24mm lens  But yes he`s the GOAT with his style

I quite fancy trying a D-Lux8, i have the Q3-28 and M11 but recently noticed that i need something smaller for travel...

You're right regarding Alan's gear 🙂

I bought the DL8 for that very reason. I am sometimes on business trips just for two days or three. Not sure whether there will be a shooting opportunity at all. I travel with extremely light baggage where the Q3 is already too bulky. The DL8 is much better suited. And, again, pictures are great.

Here's a shot with the DL8 that I took the very day I got it:

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Not a masterpiece but it gives you an idea.

Here's one in color. Just a vacation picture:

Given the criticism the DL8 got for its old sensor I am rather happy.