Leica Q2 vs Q3

deltron
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p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · Leica Q2 vs Q3

gordec wrote:
I had the Q2 now Q3. Currently we are on a 3 week trip in Europe (Switzerland, Spain, Italy). After 1 week, I can tell you I would be fine with the Q2, but there are killer upgrades in Q3 that I just can’t go back to Q2 for. Here are some real life improvement I really appreciate with the Q3.

#1. WiFi transfer speeds on Leica Fotos. Q2 was slow even though it’s a smaller file. Q3 transfers a 70mb-80mb file almost instantaneously, so I can go into Lightroom mobile to edit on my IPad Pro.
#2. Tilty screen. I...Show more →

This is very accurate! I had a Q2 that I loved but sold it for the Q3 mainly for USB-C charging and the Tilt screen but I was pleasantly surprised how fast the WiFi transfers raw files. I used to pull the SD card and use a dongle to drop the raw files into my phone for editing but now that I can transfer them wirelessly.

I also thought that 60mp would be overkill but since I like to crop to 35mm and it feels like having two lenses in one camera.

Jun 18, 2024 at 12:43 PM

theaesthetic
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p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · Leica Q2 vs Q3

To close the loop on this thread - I have now used both the Q2 and Q3 fairly extensively and have decided to keep the Q3. I’ve made the following observations:

IQ: Dynamic range is noticeably better on the Q3 when you push it. I don’t necessarily need to underexpose quite as much on the Q3 as on the Q2. The modest increase in resolution is appreciated, but doesn’t make a huge difference IMO unless I’m utilizing the crop modes. At 40mm (a preferred focal length of mine), I can start to see a difference. With no crop and anything but pretty harsh lighting, it’s hard to tell a difference between the two. I’d note that the Q3 files seem overly sharpened when I import in C1, but turning down the default sharpening addressed the issue
Autofocus: At the moment, I actually prefer the AF on the Q2. In field mode, they’re quite similar. However, the Q2 allows you to use field mode with face detection on and it does an okay job of picking up faces when they’re in the frame. With the current firmware on the Q3, the face/human/eye detect mode is all over the place. If there is more than one thing moving in the frame, forget about it. Looking back on the firmware updates to the Q2 though, I’m fairly confident that the Q3’s AF abilities will improve via firmware and better utilize the phase-detection hardware
Connectivity: Wifi connectivity on the Q3 is unreal. Culling photos via wifi on my ipad is awesome. Raw files take 1-2 seconds to transfer. Charging and transferring photos via USB-C is much appreciated as well
LCD: The tilt screen is fairly useful and very well-built. I do like the simplicity of the flush screen on the Q2, but every once in a while, the convenience of the flip is nice
Video: Neither camera is great for video. L-log from the Q3 is easy to grade and the 10-bit options are helpful, but both cameras suffer from limited dynamic range in video and pretty bad rolling shutter. As an aside, the addition of 422 10bit via a firmware update on the Q2 is remarkable - the video is just okay, but for a company to add a capability like that via firmware is very cool (and almost hard to believe as a former Canon user).
Buffer: The Q3 blows the Q2 out of the water when it comes to continuous shooting. Can generally get ~12-15 shots on the Q2 at “medium” continuous speed before the buffer fills. The Q3’s buffer is >60. Further, there is basically no blackout in continuous shooting on the Q3, which isn’t the case on the Q2. Not something I use all the time, but an awesome feature when I’m following my little one around

Jul 29, 2024 at 10:26 AM

RustyRus
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p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · Leica Q2 vs Q3

theaesthetic wrote:
To close the loop on this thread - I have now used both the Q2 and Q3 fairly extensively and have decided to keep the Q3. I’ve made the following observations:

IQ: Dynamic range is noticeably better on the Q3 when you push it. I don’t necessarily need to underexpose quite as much on the Q3 as on the Q2. The modest increase in resolution is appreciated, but doesn’t make a huge difference IMO unless I’m utilizing the crop modes. At 40mm (a preferred focal length of mine), I can start to see a difference. With no crop and anything but
Autofocus: At the moment, I actually prefer the AF on the Q2. In field mode, they’re quite similar. However, the Q2 allows you to use field mode with face detection on and it does an okay job of picking up faces when they’re in the frame. With the current firmware on the Q3, the face/human/eye detect mode is all over the place. If there is more than one thing moving in the frame, forget about it. Looking back on the firmware updates to the Q2 though, I’m fairly confident that the Q3’s AF abilities will improve via firmware and better utilize the phase-detection hardware
Connectivity: Wifi connectivity on the Q3 is unreal. Culling photos via wifi on my ipad is awesome. Raw files take 1-2 seconds to transfer. Charging and transferring photos via USB-C is much appreciated as well
LCD: The tilt screen is fairly useful and very well-built. I do like the simplicity of the flush screen on the Q2, but every once in a while, the convenience of the flip is nice
Video: Neither camera is great for video. L-log from the Q3 is easy to grade and the 10-bit options are helpful, but both cameras suffer from limited dynamic range in video and pretty bad rolling shutter. As an aside, the addition of 422 10bit via a firmware update on the Q2 is remarkable - the video is just okay, but for a company to add a capability like that via firmware is very cool (and almost hard to believe as a former Canon user).

Jul 29, 2024 at 10:51 AM

highdesertmesa
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p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · Leica Q2 vs Q3

theaesthetic wrote:
To close the loop on this thread - I have now used both the Q2 and Q3 fairly extensively and have decided to keep the Q3. I’ve made the following observations:

IQ: Dynamic range is noticeably better on the Q3 when you push it. I don’t necessarily need to underexpose quite as much on the Q3 as on the Q2. The modest increase in resolution is appreciated, but doesn’t make a huge difference IMO unless I’m utilizing the crop modes. At 40mm (a preferred focal length of mine), I can start to see a difference. With no crop and anything but
Autofocus: At the moment, I actually prefer the AF on the Q2. In field mode, they’re quite similar. However, the Q2 allows you to use field mode with face detection on and it does an okay job of picking up faces when they’re in the frame. With the current firmware on the Q3, the face/human/eye detect mode is all over the place. If there is more than one thing moving in the frame, forget about it. Looking back on the firmware updates to the Q2 though, I’m fairly confident that the Q3’s AF abilities will improve via firmware and better utilize the phase-detection hardware
Connectivity: Wifi connectivity on the Q3 is unreal. Culling photos via wifi on my ipad is awesome. Raw files take 1-2 seconds to transfer. Charging and transferring photos via USB-C is much appreciated as well
LCD: The tilt screen is fairly useful and very well-built. I do like the simplicity of the flush screen on the Q2, but every once in a while, the convenience of the flip is nice
Video: Neither camera is great for video. L-log from the Q3 is easy to grade and the 10-bit options are helpful, but both cameras suffer from limited dynamic range in video and pretty bad rolling shutter. As an aside, the addition of 422 10bit via a firmware update on the Q2 is remarkable - the video is just okay, but for a company to add a capability like that via firmware is very cool (and almost hard to believe as a former Canon user).

So in total, is the Q3 worth the extra ~[$2,500] over the Q2? No, I don’t believe it is. So why keep the Q3 and sell the Q2? We’re talking about Leica cameras - if I only cared about value for money, I’d be using a different brand.
...Show more →

You'll also notice that in very low light at high ISOs, the Q3 has a more pleasing noise texture. That was the number one improvement I saw when I got the M11 (Q3 sensor) compared to the SL2/Q2 images. I plan on getting a Q3 down the road, perhaps the Reporter edition.

Jul 29, 2024 at 11:03 AM

Fred Miranda
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p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · Leica Q2 vs Q3

I’m really happy with my Leica Q2 and don’t feel the need to upgrade to the Q3, especially since they use the same lens.

I tried the Q3 at a Leica store in Tokyo and saw some functional improvements, but I couldn’t fully compare the image quality between the two cameras.

The Q2 already delivers excellent images and vibrant colors similar to my SL2, which I really love. I don’t shoot at high ISO very often, but when I do, I’m fine using software to manage any noise if it improves the image. If the Q3’s high ISO performance is similar to the A7R IV’s, it’s not a strong point, so it doesn’t make me want to upgrade.

I also prefer the Q2’s fixed LCD, which is more streamlined and less bulky than the Q3’s flip-out screen. Since I haven’t used the Q3 enough to form a detailed opinion, I’m sticking with my Q2 and looking forward to future models --- but there’s no rush.

Aug 04, 2024 at 08:46 PM

saxguy
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p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · Leica Q2 vs Q3

I had the Q2 and Q3 (sold them both because I don't like 28mm). The biggest difference for me was the way the Q3 rendered images in low light. It is much better than the Q2. It's not just the amount of noise, but the way it renders the noise. For me, the Q2 produced good files up to 1600 ISO. At 3200 it was starting to show characeristics in the noise that I didn't like and by 6400, for me, it wasn't really useable. With the Q3 I could comfortably use 12500 ISO and the noise was much easier to deal with. If you're not really a low light shooter who uses these ISOs then the Q2 would be perfectly fine and is a great camera.

FWIW, I had the SL2-S and now the SL3 with the 61 MP sensor. They are very close in real-world low light performance.

Aug 06, 2024 at 07:25 AM

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