i'm also excited to see interchangeable lens version of this camera. that's what i had been hoping the oversized, aps-c, touch screen monstrosity would be (though the Q's inability to magnify off center is still ridiculous).
uhoh7 wrote:
Today the Rx100 rules the backcountry, but we know the vast gap in image quality between that camera and a good FF. The fragile RX1 is also not meant for the backcountry, yet it's one of the few serious options, unless you want to distort the whole experience with alot of heavy gear.
is the rx1 more fragile than the rx100? it's certainly a lot sturdier than the nex-5n and nex-7.
adam – have you handled the rx1 much? how do think the Q compares in terms of ability to take a beating to the rx1 and m240?
Everyone expects to see an interchangeable lens version of this camera. I expect it too! It now seems like the obvious & logical next step and there seems to be a real demand for it — as long as it's a high quality camera with speedy functions and great lenses.
What's funny, however, is that the idea of an M-styled FF digital Leica *with autofocus lenses* has been laughed at and ridiculed on user forums for years. The response was usually something like, "Ha, ha, you want it to have face detection too!? Why don't you stick with your Canon/Nikon if you want autofocus?" Some people believed that such a camera would mean the end of the M line (wrongly assuming that Leica can't make two FF systems at the same time). Some people still think it would be a bad idea.
I think that the issue of software distortion correction degrading resolution is real but grossly exaggerated. It is disappointing that Leica did not manage to design a lens that does not need such drastic correction but let's keep things in perspective - corner sharpness is still impressive at f5.6 when I looked at Reid's test images and who would shoot a landscape wide open?
I am looking forward to receiving my pre-ordered Leica Q from Red Dot Cameras (3rd in queue) hopefully very shortly and will be comparing it against the Leica M240 and Elmarit 2.8 ASPH (it does need to be stopped down to f5.6 / f8 to be perfect). However I do expect the Ricoh GR to do a bit better than the Leica Q as the lens is just perfect on this little camera.
nicoimages wrote:
I think that the issue of software distortion correction degrading resolution is real but grossly exaggerated. It is disappointing that Leica did not manage to design a lens that does not need such drastic correction but let's keep things in perspective - corner sharpness is still impressive at f5.6 when I looked at Reid's test images and who would shoot a landscape wide open?
Another way of looking at it is that it's disappointing that such an uncorrected lens has to be so big.
I dont mind the software corrections either, but I mind the size, and you cant reduce the size of a lens with software
Which goes back to the diversity of the photographic crowd and the impossibility to keep us all happy. I think overall Leica did a great job with this camera.
I do mind the software corrections as stated earlier but am willing to shut my mouth if the end result is good, because ultimately this is what matters most. Clearly in this case the end result is good but not great. It could be much better
sebboh wrote:
i'm also excited to see interchangeable lens version of this camera. that's what i had been hoping the oversized, aps-c, touch screen monstrosity would be (though the Q's inability to magnify off center is still ridiculous).
is the rx1 more fragile than the rx100? it's certainly a lot sturdier than the nex-5n and nex-7.
adam – have you handled the rx1 much? how do think the Q compares in terms of ability to take a beating to the rx1 and m240?
Yes I have. I think the Q is somewhere between the RX1 and M240. It feels sturdy enough, but that rattling of the lens element makes me fear that a good knock would do something bad. I think the M lenses are better built then the fixed lens of the Q, but the Q really isn't that far behind in terms of build. It's just lighter so it probably seems more fragile, when in reality it's probably fine.
nicoimages wrote:
I think that the issue of software distortion correction degrading resolution is real but grossly exaggerated. It is disappointing that Leica did not manage to design a lens that does not need such drastic correction but let's keep things in perspective - corner sharpness is still impressive at f5.6 when I looked at Reid's test images and who would shoot a landscape wide open?
I am looking forward to receiving my pre-ordered Leica Q from Red Dot Cameras (3rd in queue) hopefully very shortly and will be comparing it against the Leica M240 and Elmarit 2.8 ASPH (it does need to be stopped down to f5.6 / f8 to be perfect). However I do expect the Ricoh GR to do a bit better than the Leica Q as the lens is just perfect on this little camera....Show more →
Hmmm.... The 28elmarit + M240 will beat the Q for pop and overall look w/landscapes. The Q would be more fun to have for quick shots.
I am vacationing in SF as this Q launches, so I stopped by the Leica store for a hands-on and to flip through the glossy. My experience with the brand are film bodies (Barnack, M), and many LTM/M/R lenses of postwar vintage (some used on DSLR).
The Q is an intriguing camera, being closer to a film M but far lighter. Even with its fast prime, the rig feels nice and maneuverable. I rank the build quality half a notch below the M--high praise, of course! The resolution and responsiveness of EVF and back LCD kill the A7ii which I just bought. Manual focus is aided by focus peaking, and a zoom box which cannot be moved (this needs immediate attention).
I thought the macro feature was clever--perhaps a bit too clever. The original 90 Elmar macro was a more fussy affair, but looked ready for the ages mechanically.
The most impressive design aspect is the leaf shutter, which works like a dream. In a quiet space (Leica showroom), you hear the slightest click...a whisper. Highest speeds are very high, and implemented electronically.
Summary: big thumbs up from this 28mm fan. I've been playing tourist in Chinatown with A7ii and CZ D28/2.8 C/Y for the last two days.
zlatko wrote:
Some people believed that such a camera would mean the end of the M line (wrongly assuming that Leica can't make two FF systems at the same time). Some people still think it would be a bad idea.
I think it would be a great idea.
But no, Leica can't support two FF systems at the same time (see: Leica R); they just don't have the sales volume. And if they try, the Q-based system which adds autofocus and an EVF, loses on the rangefinder most people don't even care about, and is drastically more competitively priced, will win in a landslide and, yes, it will mean the end of the M system. And Leica will be stronger than they've been since the digital era began.
If they want to keep the M system going they have to make the Q-based ILC part of the M system. Add autofocus to the M lenses in such a way that they're still a joy to use in manual focus mode (early reports on the Q suggest they are able to do this - take note, Nikon and Canon, who have utterly failed in this regard). Continue to make the expensive, niche M240 (or, by that time, hopefully its successor) with rangefinder, but add a much more affordable Q-based "M239" with EVF. They could even omit autofocus from the M240 for the sake of the purists, although I think that would be moronic.
rico wrote:
The resolution and responsiveness of EVF and back LCD kill the A7ii which I just bought.
It's really an impressive feat that Leica has trumped every other camera manufacturer - including Sony with their unreleased A7rII - with this higher resolution EVF. I'm very curious to see where this EVF shows up next (Panasonic, Olympus or...). I do think the use of this EVF is strong evidence that Leica plan to use it in an ILC version.
Tariq Gibran wrote:
It's really an impressive feat that Leica has trumped every other camera manufacturer - including Sony with their unreleased A7rII - with this higher resolution EVF. I'm very curious to see where this EVF shows up next (Panasonic, Olympus or...). I do think the use of this EVF is strong evidence that Leica plan to use it in an ILC version.
Not only the EVF but the entire Q design is too much effort to be used on just one fixed lens model. 90% of the work is already done in the Q so I would expect the interchangeable lens model to be coming sooner than later. Perhaps the sacking of the CEO wasn't such a bad idea after all. Too many missed opportunities for Leica in the T while it should have been this all along.
To Adam or anyone else who's had a chance to put this camera through it's paces.
I know that you can save up to four custom combinations of settings as "user profiles" on this camera, but I haven't heard anyone say you can call these up quickly and easily. By, say, calling up whatever sub-menu they live in with the fn button or something to move back and forth between them in the field. Can anyone explain how this is done on a Leica? I understand it's done the same way as on the X and the M models, so any experienced Leica user should be able to help...
I tend to do a combination of street photography and more general photography and when I'm walking around a city, I like to be able to switch between street and more general scenic shooting quickly and often. For street, I use an auto ISO setup that works for getting the shot with zone focus under what can be pretty challenging situations, where often the subject is moving and so am I. I tend to use an auto-ISO setup with a very high ISO ceiling (6400 on some cameras, 12,800 on my DF) and a fast minimum shutter speed of about 1/500. For more general shooting, where the shots are less challenging and where I'm putting a higher priority on the best IQ, I'll use a much slower shutter speed, probably something like 1/60 or 1/80 with a 28mm lens. I'd probably use a lower max ISO too, although that's less critical because the ISO will only go as high as it needs to and with the slower shutter speed, it will rarely get up that high unless there's just NO light.
On my DF and Coolpix A and Canon G7X there are easily accessible custom settings that allow me to move quickly and easily between my most common street settings and more general settings. I know with the Q I could store the settings I need - I'm just not sure how quickly I can call them up and move between them...
Spyro P. wrote:
how does this LCOS technology on the EVF work? Why do they say "equivalent" resolution of 3.68MP?
No idea.. I just know it's a pleasure to use. And it's not laggy in dim light, and it's downright realistic in bright light.
I've done a walk around today. Will put up some STRAIGHT OUT OF CAMERA JPG files in a bit. Followed by a full conclusion of the Q w/images (probably tomorrow).
I'm still excited to try this out at a wedding, and possibly other jobs that are coming up next week and the week after.
That's good, I wouldn't understand the technology anyway, so I'm more interested in real life experiences
There are two basic shortfalls of EVFs today: first one is that they dont have enough resolution to focus manually without this disgusting and distracting focus peaking. How does the Q do in that regard? Does it even offer the option to focus manually without peaking or magnification?
And the second one is situations with massive DR (think the typical situation with the bright window in a dark room), where the EVF can only expose for the window or the room, and all the details in the other half of the frame disappear leaving you half blind essentially. How is that new EVF coping?
On the M240, user profiles can be accessed by pressing the SET button, which is the bottom button of the row of buttons along the left side of the LCD. It then requires scrolling one click to the bottom option in the list of basic settings that is presented whenever the SET button is pressed. Therefore it requires at least a couple button presses and a bit of scrolling to access.
Not sure how it works on the Q. Looking at product images of the camera, the SET button is not one of the Q buttons on the back by the LCD. My understanding is the Fn button has a limited number of settings available to it. Maybe user profile selection could be one via a firmware update, if it isn't already an option?
Ray S. wrote:
To Adam or anyone else who's had a chance to put this camera through it's paces.
I know that you can save up to four custom combinations of settings as "user profiles" on this camera, but I haven't heard anyone say you can call these up quickly and easily. By, say, calling up whatever sub-menu they live in with the fn button or something to move back and forth between them in the field. Can anyone explain how this is done on a Leica? I understand it's done the same way as on the X and the M models, so any experienced Leica user should be able to help...
I tend to do a combination of street photography and more general photography and when I'm walking around a city, I like to be able to switch between street and more general scenic shooting quickly and often. For street, I use an auto ISO setup that works for getting the shot with zone focus under what can be pretty challenging situations, where often the subject is moving and so am I. I tend to use an auto-ISO setup with a very high ISO ceiling (6400 on some cameras, 12,800 on my DF) and a fast minimum shutter speed of about 1/500. For more general shooting, where the shots are less challenging and where I'm putting a higher priority on the best IQ, I'll use a much slower shutter speed, probably something like 1/60 or 1/80 with a 28mm lens. I'd probably use a lower max ISO too, although that's less critical because the ISO will only go as high as it needs to and with the slower shutter speed, it will rarely get up that high unless there's just NO light.
On my DF and Coolpix A and Canon G7X there are easily accessible custom settings that allow me to move quickly and easily between my most common street settings and more general settings. I know with the Q I could store the settings I need - I'm just not sure how quickly I can call them up and move between them...
Press Menu then press UP UP UP (3 times) then press Select button, then pick the one you want, then press Select button again.
It's faster on an M240.
Just to add for your style of shooting. All you would have to do with the Q is twist your aperture ring from one setting to the next and twist your shutter dial. In both scenarios you'd keep Auto ISO on. Then you can go from street shooting 250th to hand held landscapes 30th. Two flicks
rscheffler wrote:
On the M240, user profiles can be accessed by pressing the SET button, which is the bottom button of the row of buttons along the left side of the LCD. It then requires scrolling one click to the bottom option in the list of basic settings that is presented whenever the SET button is pressed. Therefore it requires at least a couple button presses and a bit of scrolling to access.
Not sure how it works on the Q. Looking at product images of the camera, the SET button is not one of the Q buttons on the back by the LCD. My understanding is the Fn button has a limited number of settings available to it. Maybe user profile selection could be one via a firmware update, if it isn't already an option?...Show more →
It's not.
WB
Exposure Compensation
Scene Mode (this is a stupid waste of time, essentially turns your camera into a iPhone or Casio Exilim)
File Format
Meter Mode
Wifi thingy
Self Timer
I keep it on metering mode, as that's the best for my workflow.
