chiron
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 Re: Considering a Leica Q3 43 but used to Sony | |
KLaban wrote:
chiron wrote:
KLaban wrote:
chiron wrote:
KLaban wrote:
A gallery of images shot with the Q3 43 last month in Morocco.
Morocco 6
Wonderful images. Very striking and pleasurable to look at.
I would be most interested to know how the Q3 43 contributed to you getting the images and whether you think another camera would not have done as well. My imagining of things when I posted my original question was that the Q3 43 would be helpful in getting those kinds of street & travel images, but a number of the replies have made me think that is not so. Therefore, I would be very interested in your take on how (and whether) the Q3 43 contributed to taking these particular images.
Many thanks for your kind comments, they are much appreciated.
I'll start with a bit of history. I've owned and used many cameras over the years, including Nikon film, Hasselblad film and digital and more recently Leica M cameras, but sadly health and eyesight issues mean that I've had to look elsewhere to replace the Leica M cameras. I also use couple of Nikon Z7 bodies which I still use to this day.
I'll add a little here about how and why I shoot. Always RAW, often due to the nature of my subjects I have a maximum of a handful of seconds to see and capture images, but that said, my approach is always considered and very rarely using anything other than single shot capture. My enjoyment comes from capturing my subjects in difficult circumstances and processing each file on a completely individual basis - no pre-baked profiles for this tog. It always amuses me that I often spend mere seconds capturing the files and then can spend hours processing them. Anyone looking for OOC files should look elsewhere!
I've always admired the Q cameras but the 28mm is simply not my bag, preferring as I do 'standard' focal length lenses. For years I was praying that Leica would introduce a longer focal length version of the Q and I consequently pressed the button on the first day of release and bought the Q3 43. Happy days. This was to be my main travel option, lightweight, reasonably compact and above all else just pure simplicity. It hasn't disappointed. Discretion is key when I'm shooting in the street.
The lens is everything I hoped for, whether used wide open or stopped down, as good as anything I used on the M cameras. The 60MP sensor gives me the option to crop when necessary. I see the fixed lens as a positive, it's that SIMPLICITY thing again, just zoom with the feet. The profiles are useful but in reality I keep everything as simple as possible, hence all my concentration is focused on the subjects; my wife would say simple things for simple minds. Again, the menu UI is pure simplicity, or was until Leica introduced the latest firmware update, thankfully I resisted updating to FW 4. The Q3 43 is certainly not a speed machine, but neither am I. Horses for courses. I’ve nothing to add to comparisons with other cameras and will leave that to others.
I’ll end by saying I’d also buy a Leica Q3 90 in a heartbeat should it ever materialise.
...I do have two more questions, if you don't mind:
I am always interested in how people manage to get fairly close up candids of strangers. This might be especially difficult when one is traveling and in a culture not one's own. How did you get this images in terms of your interactions with or lack of interaction withe the subjects? Were most of them taken without the subjects knowing, did you establish rapport first, or did you jusst shoot quickly and move on?
My second question is whether you were concerned carrying a distinctive and highly visible camera that is probably worth a year's salary for many of the people around you. Did you take any special precautions? Were there any occasions that made you especially uncomfortable?
Thank you.
To your first question, both, often I'll interact with the subject and gain permission, particularly if I'm after a portrait, other times it's just a quick grab shot at some distance and move on. Sometimes I'll cross their palms with silver.
Second question, no special precautions other than covering branding which I do as a matter of course independent of manufacturer. I am naturally drawn to places that many would consider risky, red light and drug dealing areas are particularly interesting. There have been one or two occasions in India where I've felt somewhat threatened, but nothing I couldn't deal with by just calling them out. Thankfully I've never felt threatened in Morocco, but there have been many occasions where the subjects have made it very clear they didn't want to be photographed in which case I thank them and move on. Respect.
As an aside, there are plenty of towns and cities in the UK and elsewhere in Europe where I wouldn't venture with a camera or for that matter a phone.
You seem quite expert at this and very comfortable maneuvering, which is a great asset for street photography. I tend to be more inibited on the street, but that is something I should probably work against by practice. It would never have occurrred to me to "cross their palms wih silver"! Good work!
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