Hugh is absolutely the king of articulate , entertaining , and persuasive advocacy for Leica I am aware of …….. hold that thought…. I switched my order for the Q3 to the Q3 43 today . Probably means more months than I had expected ….started out with a Yashica and 50 mm fixed lens in 1967 . In a way , considering my advances in life , is a bit of a full circle
The Jeff Goldbloom of camera review aficionados. Honestly love how these are put together and the tone of voice balanced with facts / experienced POV. With the “eyes and back” tax I’m paying for shooting with the M10-P Safari - despite my love of its look - I may just have to sell it to grab the Q3-43.
Yours is the only photography channel where almost no photos are shown and most certainly the only one where there's nothing else on screen (apart from yourself) for the entirety of 30 min. And yet, it's my no. 1 channel on photography. Maybe it's got something to do with efficiency: I get to satiate my intellectual and photographic appetite at the same time. Thanks so much.
It was so surreal to look up at a TV screen in the Leica store today just as I was making my purchase of the Q3 43! It was an omen of good fortune! Great portrait of your mother!
Outside of the sponsor notice, this is the most intriguing/enjoyable intro/prologue to any of your videos. Couldnt wait to hear your take on this canera
Well said. The spirit of Leica. My Grand Dad had several Leica from a III he bought in 1934 to IIIf with 50mm and 35mm. The 43mm is between the two. Well done Leica. Your B&W in your video is just gorgeous.
Lovely intro with the historical context! I see these reviews as a perfect mix of objective observations and video essay-like ruminations on the artform as a whilei. Great as always. And I can only imagine how good this Q3 is after I got to try the M11 with that sensor and a 28mm for a week a couple of years ago. 40mm is my favourite walking around focal length and I wish I could afford this updated Q3.
Great review as always and Thank you for helping cool down the gear acquisition syndrome by mentioning alternatives that I already own. But this is the Leica I will eventually get. The 43 will be a great seller.
Oh, how unfortunate for my wallet. :D The primary thing keeping me from the Q3 is that 28mm just isn't my jam most of the time. But I love the 40-50mm focal range. I'm pretty seriously tempted...
Hugh, great video. Also wanted to say I just installed your Helium grip on my Q3 and the ergonomics are fantastic. Considering going w the 43 and selling my 28, great that the new grip will work. Well done!
Oh, Michael - you’ve made our day! So glad you like it - and you saw just how beautifully it works in this video with the ‘43 (if you looked closely)! For Ed and myself: thanks man, for trusting us to deliver what we set out to deliver. 😊🙏🏻👊🏻🖖🏻
Thanks for the shout-out to the Panasonic GX85 with the Pan/Leica 15mm f1.7 lens. I have gotten some great shots with this combo, and produced beautiful 20"x30" prints.
Very true, however using a Made in Germany Leica is a fulfilling experience in its own right, the engineering and build quality is sublime. Like owning a sports car, it offers a lot more than just getting to your destination, but you probably should also have a more practical car in the garage as well. 😊
Well, I think one must have been in the financially very privileged bubble of long time Leica users to be able to call a 7,000 USD camera astonishingly low priced. The unique selling point of Leica cameras is not in the realm of photography, but in the realm of high precision technical instruments designed to capture light on micrometer pixels in the most perfect way for those who don't look at photographic art, but at pixels of digital imaging. What actually also goes back to Leica's roots of microscopic imaging, where technical perfection in showing the smallest parts of an object is the aim.
Hugh acknowledges that he is privileged in the video, and lists a number of less expensive alternatives that could give in a similar (and in some aspects better) experience. What do you want him to do? Withhold his true feelings about the camera for fear of upsetting the less privileged? I don’t want that.
I understand but also remember buying my first Black paint m4 in 1972 because a new one was a quarter of the price of a new car. It’s a precision instrument that inspires passion. So I’ll eventually pick up a Q3 43 and travel the world with it. And also somehow convince myself that 250 dollars for a spare battery is reasonable.
If you lived in NYC and paid what they pay for rent and living expenses, you would understand. People earn more there because it costs more to live there compared to 95% of the US; similar to San Francisco. Wages and costs are skewed; which skews a persons perception of expensive or not.
Hugh I always appreciate that you present alternatives at different price points and also being sensitive in presenting luxury or premium products in times when many people in the world are facing dire situations. I am over in the cheap seats with a Lumix GX85 and the 15 and 25 panleica lenses all from MPB and ebay and as happy as a pig in mud.
Two best photos by far. 1. The pink-hair man with the skeleton. Brilliant. 2. Your mom. Bless you for including her in this video. She looks great, which means you are either in your 60s or breaking into your 70s. Not one tout a certain brand, I have shot with a Pentax F, Canon FTB, Yashica 645, Mamiya 6x7 (never should have sold it) and Nikon F2. Now firmly with Sony, but that doesn't matter. The old cameras all produced great images. It's the person who determines the worth of the image regardless of camera. Keep pumping skill with examples, please. Too many pushes product, not how to get unique images.
Your images have a beautiful, artistic character that I don't often see anymore. I realized recently that I left my first love and started pursuing technical photography which is simply not beautiful most of the time. I never quit selling prints, but I looked at my work recently and thought, "There has to be something better than this." I don't care if I ever sell another one. I'm going back to my first love, even if she's old like me. I've shipped in a mountain of equipment and glass, and I am currently trying to settle on the last platform I will use in what remains of my photographic journey. The camera is just a tool, but having the right tool for the job is still important.
Thanks Hugh for another fantastic review. I’m a Q2 owner and I absolutely love the camera. Certainly I’ll struggle to afford the Q3 43 but I’m happy to struggle and make sacrifices because the camera is amazing and Leica is well, Leica. See you on the streets, regards Dave
Great review! Bought a Q3 and the 28mm took some getting used to but I love it now! 43mm also seems great but I probably cannot justify having both and seeing this and other reviews I think I'll stick to the 28mm, purely because I like the challenge and the unique look it gives my pictures😊
Getting a good composition at “28mm” is really satisfying and makes your pictures stand out, I agree. The focal length itself however is closer to a 24mm than to a true 28mm and is basically what a standard iPhone camera sees - so basically the least unique FOV(!) in existence
Hi Hugh. A great review. A brilliant camera. Personally, of late, I have largely given up on watching gear reviews. Outside of a very long lens for wildlife the kit I have fulfils my needs and the quality exceeds my talent. Putting you and Claudia aside, I wonder how many purchasers will have the ability to produce images that will do justice to the capability of the Q3? I concluded a while back that 'gear' is a distraction in some ways. Inspiration and opportunity, a good creative eye combined with a decent camera and suitable lens(es) plus the means and ability to print (in my case at least) good images using a professional grade printer is a holistic approach of an end to end practice. I guess that essential message is that expensive gear can't replace talent.
I would also check out an a7cr in person and see if you like it. I nearly picked one up given this common spec comparison and have no doubt IQ is amazing. Personally, the EVF and rear screen were deal breakers- worse than I anticipated even with a low expectation.
The cr win… the leica is a luxury brick, amazing how the big complaints on other cameras at leica are seen as quality, at least by some!! They must be paid for this or else something has affected their brain....
Its a pure joy for the mind to listen to your eloquent reviews (in harsh contrast to some other folks here). And needless to say, my q343 is about to arrive tomorrow ;)
Hello,Hugh, as a German Hobby Photographer with a different vendor equipment this video catches me. It is like in the beginning a commercial for Leica, but then you explained very clear the advantages of this new Leica model in your way ❤. I was shooting the last years more or less on the streets of Berlin, Munich, New York, Paris and Rome. But all the time thinking of having one kit to run through the city and catch the Moment in a picture, thank you for this great video. Best regards from Germany
Hugh, I decided against pre-ordering a Q3/43 yesterday (frankly, I have much more photo kit than I deserve), but some of your comments here made me reconsider. I loved my Q2M (regrettably sold it), but the new Q3/43 provides new opportunities in simplicity and IQ. In the Macro mode at the closest focusing distance, the reproduction ratio in the Q3/43 should be nearly identical to that in the Q3/28, which I find most attractive. I miss the Q’s easy to use Macro feature in my M11, M11 Monochrom, CL, and SL2 (yes, I can use a Macro-Adapter-M, etc.). In the Q3/43, the distortion should be sufficiently small that accurate wide-angle photos can be made by stitching together multiple shots taken at different angles (on a tripod for best results of course). A few questions for you: in desaturated shots, do you know if the low-light performance and acutance (apparent sharpness or resolution) compares well to those in the Q2M? Ditto for the M11 Monochrom.
Hey, John. Monochrom will be Monochrom (no news flash there). The question is - always: what can’t you do with what you’ve got that you can with the latest object of fascination. In your particular case, the answer is not much! But the equivalent of a weather sealed, better EVF- equipped, articulating screen-equipped, lens IS-equipped ,autofocusing M makes (for me) a brilliant main camera because by my M11 with Super-Elmar 18/3.8 and APO Skopar 90-2.8. 😊🖖🏻
@@3BMEP The Q3’s weather sealing (over the M11s), its articulating screen (kneeling to get some shots is getting almost as old as me), its ability to use “real” manual focus (not focus by wire as in the SL2, which works but . . . ) or autofocus, image stabilization (I wish I didn’t need this), and more convenient Macro mode are very compelling features. I think twice (ok, 3x) about going out with my M11s or CL in inclement weather, and the SL2 is not as compact as the M11s or Q cameras. I really miss the feel of my Q2. It felt more like my old film SLRs than any other camera I have, and I really like that. I’m not knocking M rangefinders, but I need to use a +2.0 diopter corrector, and clean the darn thing often because I have very long eyelashes. I usually use the VisoFlex2 EVF to get around that issue, but that makes things less simple. This certainly isn’t a must-have camera for me. However, I’m not 40 anymore, and playing with different high-quality cameras brings real pleasure to me. I feel that I don’t have enough time left to play with and test different kit over a longer period.
I got mine the day before yesterday (Sept 26th) the day it was presented officially, I actually own one of the first few in my country. I already love it very much, complements the Q2 28 I also have. For sports, wildlife, etc. I use my Nikons (much, much faster AF), but for street the Q3 43 is unbeatable. The lens is breathtakingly good!
It’s OK: there are SO many great options out there, and the single most important piece of kit is neither hardware nor software, but wetware: it’s you. 😊🖖🏻
Gorgeous camera, and I love my original Q. I take it everywhere. But it still only has one card slot and zero redundancy. So it will forever remain a hobby camera. It just cannot be used for professional work where redundancy is necessary.
Great..Let's hope this camera doesn't freeze. I'd love to buy one but very cautious..In the meanwhile I'll stick with the Barnack 35mm film cameras which seem to be more dependable.
Hugh- your best ever! I have been waiting a very long time for Leica to make a normal view Q and it has been difficult to resist getting the 28 so I bought a A7CR. I was half way through your video when Leica called and said that they have a 43 for me!!! (I called last week and put myself on the rumors wait list) Receiving it tomorrow. Giddy.
I bought the Q3, my first Q; loved the camera but not the focal length. I was always cropping to 35 or 50. Sold the Q3 and the Q3 43 arrives tomorrow. This camera will be perfect for my needs.
Great review! I have the original Q and I love it. It has a superbly sharp lens on a beautiful, functional and engaging camera body. I have used it a lot, despite 28mm not being my favorite all around focal length. A few years ago I was using the K-1 with the Pentax FA Limitied 43mm f/1.9, which has that 3d pop or "pixie dust" as the Pentaxians say. This made me familiar with the lovely focal length, and I'm the kind of guy who can't decide if I love 35mm or 50mm more. So when they launched this kit, I cancelled my $6000 order of the SL APO 35, and ordered the $8000 Q3 43 apo. It's as you say a nice package. Let's say the lens is worth $6000 as the SL 35 apo (despite being smaller even), then you get a 60 mpx German built Leica camera with phase detection af and far beyond decent video in a small EDC package for the remanining $2000? And you never get a ff camera from Leica for $2000 new. Long story short, I have ordered it ;)
It is an exquisite camera. I can’t afford it. My hope is that the Q2 and original Q3 will come down a bit in the used market to make one of those attainable. But that’ll take a while.
First video I've seen and hit 'subscribe' almost immediately. I had a Leica Q, I sold it with the intention of buying a Q3 but never actually did. The Q was a camera I wanted to fall in love with but for me 28mm just didn't work. I've looked at lots of photos I took with the Q and saw how heavily I cropped them, I've now ordered the Q3 43.
Damn. What a review. Also which camera and lens did you use for that shot in the beginning with you holding the leica? Absolutely beautiful. You made me appreciate BnW a lot. Cheers sir.
A good 2 weeks ago I bought a Ricoh GRIIIx, because my 28mm Leica Q was 'too wide'. I am very happy with the 40mm and it makes me realize how good a Leica Q3 43 could fit my needs. at the same time I am in doubt, for the same money I can enter the Leica M arena with a good second hand unit.
Hi Hugh have my camera now and other than the hood issue this is something you might want to share in a video. I could not transfer my profiles from Q3 to Q3 43. I asked Leica and they gave me this solution and it works! there is a way to transfer settings from the Q3 28 to the Q3 43: “Save the settings file and open it with a simple text editor. The second line states the camera: "Camera":"LEICA Q3", or "Camera":"LEICA Q3 43", Simply remove or add the " 43" ("SPACE43") and the profiles can be used on either camera. Please make sure the text editor does not add anything else to the file.” Hope this is helpful! Best Ken
Great video. I’ve just put my M11, 50mm Summicron and CV 35mm f1.5 up for sale because I didn’t enjoy using them as much as my Q2. When I was using them, I gravitated towards the 35mm. I’m not sure if 43mm is for me so I’ll keep the Q2 for now but when I come to replace it, it might be a close call to get the Q43 instead. Regardless of focal length, I always crop the hell out of my pics so maybe it doesn’t really matter.
I'm happy to see Leica making things like this. I dont think I'll cancel my X100VI order for it, but I love the idea of a fixed normal lens and an IP rating.
Oh I so love your videos, I bought my Q3 after you review. If I had magic pixie dust then I would have a Q4 with a 28-43 lens and because of the pixie dust it would the lens would be as good at 28mm and at 43mm as both Q3 variants. I sold my R5 and several lenses when I realised that my knackered back meant that I left my camera bag at home most of the time, instead pocketing my X1100V. I watched your video and hey presto the Q3 arrived. I know that there were times when I wish I had my ultra wide or super long lens with me, but most of the time I didn’t. I had chosen my ‘wide’ lens and accepted that there would be compromises (and if I needed to get closer I used my ‘walkie-zoom’ or cropped in post). The Q3 is a beautiful camera and clearly buying both would be daft. Neither one is better than the other, it’s about whether you are happy with the focal length that best supports the pictures you take most of the time and accept the compromises you will have to make with a fixed lens camera when you need to go wider or closer. Until I find that bag of pixie dust, I am happy with the decision I have made. Keep up with the stunning films snd sharing your pictures, they are inspiring.
Hasselblad has been using 80 mm on 6*6 for years which is 42/43mm on 35mm equivalent , its great to see the other quality camera manufacturer embrace this focal length ... as a hassle/leica film shooter 80mm and 35mm lengths mostly , 42/43 is a very balance length and a great alternative to 35mm or 50mm you get the best of both ..
As usual great commentary on Leica's new and superlative offering. This one will be hard for me to resist. By the way I had a chance to handle Alan's Q3 with your new grip. Maybe the most comfortable camera I have ever held. Congratulations on a Fantastic job with the grip. It should fit this new Q3 43 perfectly too. better ramp up production! Give Claudia my best. Steve
I have always run my Q2 in crop mode to get close to my second fave cam of all time, CL with 40 cron. This Q is almost perfect for me as my fav portrait focal is 60mm. So base for everything and crop for portraits! I hate flip screens but what ya going to do. lol I’ll take one.
How dare Leica produce this Camera, like others I didn't want the Q3 with its 28mm lens, now it has a 43mm AGH! My only hope is that they sell out quickly.
As a wedding photographer using the Sony A7R V for my professional work and the Fujifilm X100V for personal projects, I’m considering adding the Leica Q3 to my gear. I’m debating between the 28mm or 43mm focal lengths and wondering if the Leica Q3 would be a good fit for wedding photography. Would it complement my Sony setup effectively?
a7R V’s AF is significantly better at the margin, so it depends (in part) on the light available to you. It also depends upon your appetite for dual card slot redundancy and most important of all, your priority for leveraging a single mount for greater flexibility. Given that you already use Sony, I’d be more inclined to pick up an a7CR for your second body - and splurge on a Q3 for your personal work when you can justify it on that basis alone. Keep me posted!
Those photos knocked my socks off! I guess I need to keep my M3 and M4 and use them. My spouse would knock by socks off and maybe more if I bought one right now! Definitely looks like a nice camera.
I passed on the Q3 28mm and opted for a used Q2M. Now if a Q3M 43mm comes out . . . . I will be hard pressed to not upgrade. Decisions, decisions. Some are more enticing than others.
Yes a Q3M 43mm would make a great companion to the Standard Q3. Otherwise it would be one or the other for most in the Q3 buyer market. I am happy with my Q3, but I do miss my Q2M sometimes.
@@sdwjapan5466 that's what I thought too. i love q2m, I love k33m more. but I get your point, a 2aa lens is born for monochrome, that's for sure. For daily use, I prefer 28, I can't remember how many times I felt that 28mm is not even wide enough, especially in some crowded environments. a 43mm is good for portraits, but I prefer monochrome for serious portraits.
Not something I would buy personally, but nonetheless excited to see Leica come out with a camera that is sure to please its intended audience, at a price that is at least attainable for many (though still absurdly expensive from my perspective). I’m glad that Leica is still out there doing their own thing, and the stars really seemed to be aligned for them right now with the current fixed lens camera renaissance.
I’m a 50mm shooter at heart, so 43 is close enough. Looks brilliant, not something I can afford. It’ll be an instant pickup if I win a lottery, however.
Would there be a situation where one would use both q3s, dual wielding e.g event photography/reportage? I’m contemplating sl3 as I need the focal range to replace xh2s
I believe so; on my list to explore as we have both and I like the idea. But I also own an SL3 with APO 90 and Super-Elmar 18 and Elmar 24 to bracket either one.
Good morning! Just received the Q3 but was wondering about your thoughts on the new Q3 43 for Street photography?? Pros? Cons? Any opinion would be appreciated. Thx!
Great Video as always, thank you. I use a Leica T with a Sigma dc dn 1.4 exclusively - it‘s almost the same field of view and identical depth of field as the new Leica Q3 43 but brighter aperture and I love it. It costs just a fraction and in most scenarios 16mpix are enough for me as an amateur.
You mean the 30mm? I think it doesn't come close 😂 (I'm talking about minimum focal distance here because afaik the Q has a macro mode. Field of view should be almost the same. And it reminds me that I should put the Sony 30mm macro on my A6400. Not a very good lens but focal length is similar and did I mention that I like short minimum focal distances? 😂 )
Who wouldn’t buy a Leica if affordable? A Leica is not a camera; it is a monument, it is a piece of art …... I can’t afford one but am happy for anyone who can. ENJOY, brother
Whenever a new Leica is announced, I'm almost more excited for Hugh's review than I am for the camera itself... hold THAT thought...
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Hugh is absolutely the king of articulate , entertaining , and persuasive advocacy for Leica I am aware of …….. hold that thought…. I switched my order for the Q3 to the Q3 43 today . Probably means more months than I had expected ….started out with a Yashica and 50 mm fixed lens in 1967 . In a way , considering my advances in life , is a bit of a full circle
@@easygoingbutgoingwhat a lovely memory. Enjoy your ‘43; thanks so much for your generous sentiment! 😊🖖🏻
But that’s just me.
I feel exactly the same :-)
Sold my left kidney for the M11D. Looks like the right one has to go too!
🤪
My 11-d is arriving in a couple of days…. Still think you made the right choice
Right? Space these hits out Leica. The m11-d and q3 43 are basically my long awaited “perfect for me” cameras
😂
The Jeff Goldbloom of camera review aficionados. Honestly love how these are put together and the tone of voice balanced with facts / experienced POV. With the “eyes and back” tax I’m paying for shooting with the M10-P Safari - despite my love of its look - I may just have to sell it to grab the Q3-43.
😊🖖🏻
Yours is the only photography channel where almost no photos are shown and most certainly the only one where there's nothing else on screen (apart from yourself) for the entirety of 30 min.
And yet, it's my no. 1 channel on photography.
Maybe it's got something to do with efficiency: I get to satiate my intellectual and photographic appetite at the same time.
Thanks so much.
Hmmm… thanks? 😊🖖🏻
@@3BMEP Hahaha....can't recall how that last sentence got into the mix. Must be the beer. But you know what I mean. (Here to rewatch the video 👍🏽)
Hugh is Leica's ultimate salesman. And I mean that in a good way.
High you’ve topped your superlatives in this one….Wonderful review. Wonderful photos. A joy to listen to. Thank you!
According to the title its actually superatives
Hugh, great discussion and great introduction to the camera. I always appreciate the context you provide in your analysis.
Thanks, David!🖖🏻
It was so surreal to look up at a TV screen in the Leica store today just as I was making my purchase of the Q3 43! It was an omen of good fortune! Great portrait of your mother!
Thanks, Craig!I love that image because every time I look at it, I see in it everything I have known her to be.
I love your implicit earnestness and love for finding the ‘best’ detail Hugh Laurie Grant!
😉🙏🏻🖖🏻
Outside of the sponsor notice, this is the most intriguing/enjoyable intro/prologue to any of your videos. Couldnt wait to hear your take on this canera
Well said. The spirit of Leica. My Grand Dad had several Leica from a III he bought in 1934 to IIIf with 50mm and 35mm. The 43mm is between the two. Well done Leica.
Your B&W in your video is just gorgeous.
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Love the music, makes the images even better,... Well done.
Much appreciated! 🙏🏻😊🖖🏻
Lovely intro with the historical context! I see these reviews as a perfect mix of objective observations and video essay-like ruminations on the artform as a whilei. Great as always. And I can only imagine how good this Q3 is after I got to try the M11 with that sensor and a 28mm for a week a couple of years ago. 40mm is my favourite walking around focal length and I wish I could afford this updated Q3.
Glad you enjoyed it! You COULD go Sony a7CR with 40/2.5 G…
Great review as always and Thank you for helping cool down the gear acquisition syndrome by mentioning alternatives that I already own. But this is the Leica I will eventually get. The 43 will be a great seller.
Tasty camera but even tastier jazz background music. Thx Hugh.
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I have to agree!
Oh, how unfortunate for my wallet. :D The primary thing keeping me from the Q3 is that 28mm just isn't my jam most of the time. But I love the 40-50mm focal range. I'm pretty seriously tempted...
😎
Cr*p! I never thought a Q3 would be on my radar because 28mm just isn’t how I see the world, but this gets a whole lot closer. Oh boy! 😀
😂👊🏻
Another gem of a video, thanks Hugh! Fav part -> 22:30
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Hugh, great video. Also wanted to say I just installed your Helium grip on my Q3 and the ergonomics are fantastic. Considering going w the 43 and selling my 28, great that the new grip will work. Well done!
Oh, Michael - you’ve made our day! So glad you like it - and you saw just how beautifully it works in this video with the ‘43 (if you looked closely)! For Ed and myself: thanks man, for trusting us to deliver what we set out to deliver. 😊🙏🏻👊🏻🖖🏻
I'm a simple kinda guy...I watch...I subscribe when I see entertaining content like this.
Welcome!
I do so enjoy these insights into how things came about - great stuff!
A very interesting review. Leica is a great company, and i had one from the 70's that my father gave me, sadly stolen.
Thanks for the shout-out to the Panasonic GX85 with the Pan/Leica 15mm f1.7 lens. I have gotten some great shots with this combo, and produced beautiful 20"x30" prints.
😉🖖🏻
Me too. Actually won an award at an art show with a print made with the GX85 and the 15 mm!
Sure, but in the end it’s the images you capture and the stories they tell.
You DO NOT need any Leica to do exactly that.
Yep!😊🖖🏻
I keep repeating this to myself but it's not working.
Very true, however using a Made in Germany Leica is a fulfilling experience in its own right, the engineering and build quality is sublime. Like owning a sports car, it offers a lot more than just getting to your destination, but you probably should also have a more practical car in the garage as well. 😊
maybe but using a Sony is an horror
Well, I think one must have been in the financially very privileged bubble of long time Leica users to be able to call a 7,000 USD camera astonishingly low priced. The unique selling point of Leica cameras is not in the realm of photography, but in the realm of high precision technical instruments designed to capture light on micrometer pixels in the most perfect way for those who don't look at photographic art, but at pixels of digital imaging. What actually also goes back to Leica's roots of microscopic imaging, where technical perfection in showing the smallest parts of an object is the aim.
Hugh acknowledges that he is privileged in the video, and lists a number of less expensive alternatives that could give in a similar (and in some aspects better) experience. What do you want him to do? Withhold his true feelings about the camera for fear of upsetting the less privileged? I don’t want that.
I understand but also remember buying my first Black paint m4 in 1972 because a new one was a quarter of the price of a new car. It’s a precision instrument that inspires passion. So I’ll eventually pick up a Q3 43 and travel the world with it. And also somehow convince myself that 250 dollars for a spare battery is reasonable.
If you lived in NYC and paid what they pay for rent and living expenses, you would understand. People earn more there because it costs more to live there compared to 95% of the US; similar to San Francisco. Wages and costs are skewed; which skews a persons perception of expensive or not.
I think the qualifier was compared to equivalents in the Leica system
Hugh I always appreciate that you present alternatives at different price points and also being sensitive in presenting luxury or premium products in times when many people in the world are facing dire situations. I am over in the cheap seats with a Lumix GX85 and the 15 and 25 panleica lenses all from MPB and ebay and as happy as a pig in mud.
Thank you for another wonderful review
I love the way you use the language
Your photos are adorable
Two best photos by far.
1. The pink-hair man with the skeleton. Brilliant.
2. Your mom. Bless you for including her in this video. She looks great, which means you are either in your 60s or breaking into your 70s.
Not one tout a certain brand, I have shot with a Pentax F, Canon FTB, Yashica 645, Mamiya 6x7 (never should have sold it) and Nikon F2. Now firmly with Sony, but that doesn't matter. The old cameras all produced great images. It's the person who determines the worth of the image regardless of camera.
Keep pumping skill with examples, please. Too many pushes product, not how to get unique images.
Your images have a beautiful, artistic character that I don't often see anymore. I realized recently that I left my first love and started pursuing technical photography which is simply not beautiful most of the time. I never quit selling prints, but I looked at my work recently and thought, "There has to be something better than this." I don't care if I ever sell another one. I'm going back to my first love, even if she's old like me.
I've shipped in a mountain of equipment and glass, and I am currently trying to settle on the last platform I will use in what remains of my photographic journey. The camera is just a tool, but having the right tool for the job is still important.
Thanks so much for your encouragement and for sharing a bit of your story. What a wonderful audience we have here!
Thanks Hugh for another fantastic review. I’m a Q2 owner and I absolutely love the camera. Certainly I’ll struggle to afford the Q3 43 but I’m happy to struggle and make sacrifices because the camera is amazing and Leica is well, Leica. See you on the streets, regards Dave
😊👍🏼🖖🏻
Great review! Bought a Q3 and the 28mm took some getting used to but I love it now! 43mm also seems great but I probably cannot justify having both and seeing this and other reviews I think I'll stick to the 28mm, purely because I like the challenge and the unique look it gives my pictures😊
Getting a good composition at “28mm” is really satisfying and makes your pictures stand out, I agree.
The focal length itself however is closer to a 24mm than to a true 28mm and is basically what a standard iPhone camera sees - so basically the least unique FOV(!) in existence
Ordered day one. Can't wait for mine to arrive..
Hi Hugh.
A great review. A brilliant camera.
Personally, of late, I have largely given up on watching gear reviews. Outside of a very long lens for wildlife the kit I have fulfils my needs and the quality exceeds my talent.
Putting you and Claudia aside, I wonder how many purchasers will have the ability to produce images that will do justice to the capability of the Q3? I concluded a while back that 'gear' is a distraction in some ways. Inspiration and opportunity, a good creative eye combined with a decent camera and suitable lens(es) plus the means and ability to print (in my case at least) good images using a professional grade printer is a holistic approach of an end to end practice.
I guess that essential message is that expensive gear can't replace talent.
I need someone to compare this with the 40mm G on the A7CR.
Interesting.
I thought Hugh did…at least in passing.
I would also check out an a7cr in person and see if you like it. I nearly picked one up given this common spec comparison and have no doubt IQ is amazing. Personally, the EVF and rear screen were deal breakers- worse than I anticipated even with a low expectation.
The cr win… the leica is a luxury brick, amazing how the big complaints on other cameras at leica are seen as quality, at least by some!! They must be paid for this or else something has affected their brain....
Excellent introduction !! 😊👍🏻
😊🙏🏻🖖🏻
Just like the Q3 43 this review is pure flex ... love it! Thank you :)
Hah! 😊🙏🏻🖖🏻
Love this channel, Hugh.
Happy to be of service! 😊🖖🏻
Its a pure joy for the mind to listen to your eloquent reviews (in harsh contrast to some other folks here). And needless to say, my q343 is about to arrive tomorrow ;)
Enjoy, David - and thank you for your kind words! 😊🙏🏻🖖🏻
Here for the great tunes and superb photography.
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Another great review Hugh..!
ALFRED! 😍👊🏻
Could have added one more advantage to the list if Leica had chosen to, integrated optical and digital view finder. If only
Much more positive sounding look at this new Q, than I just read at DPR.
Sure - different people!
Lovely portrait of your mother.
Thanks, Ian!
I can’t wait to make prints with this.
Hello,Hugh, as a German Hobby Photographer with a different vendor equipment this video catches me. It is like in the beginning a commercial for Leica, but then you explained very clear the advantages of this new Leica model in your way ❤. I was shooting the last years more or less on the streets of Berlin, Munich, New York, Paris and Rome. But all the time thinking of having one kit to run through the city and catch the Moment in a picture, thank you for this great video. Best regards from Germany
Thank you for joining the conversation, Johannes. 😊🖖🏻
The difficult question is whether to go for 28 or 43…
Flawless pronunciation, Hugh ;)) See you on the streets of Berlin!
😅🙏🏻🖖🏻
Hugh, I decided against pre-ordering a Q3/43 yesterday (frankly, I have much more photo kit than I deserve), but some of your comments here made me reconsider. I loved my Q2M (regrettably sold it), but the new Q3/43 provides new opportunities in simplicity and IQ.
In the Macro mode at the closest focusing distance, the reproduction ratio in the Q3/43 should be nearly identical to that in the Q3/28, which I find most attractive. I miss the Q’s easy to use Macro feature in my M11, M11 Monochrom, CL, and SL2 (yes, I can use a Macro-Adapter-M, etc.).
In the Q3/43, the distortion should be sufficiently small that accurate wide-angle photos can be made by stitching together multiple shots taken at different angles (on a tripod for best results of course).
A few questions for you: in desaturated shots, do you know if the low-light performance and acutance (apparent sharpness or resolution) compares well to those in the Q2M? Ditto for the M11 Monochrom.
Hey, John. Monochrom will be Monochrom (no news flash there). The question is - always: what can’t you do with what you’ve got that you can with the latest object of fascination. In your particular case, the answer is not much! But the equivalent of a weather sealed, better EVF- equipped, articulating screen-equipped, lens IS-equipped ,autofocusing M makes (for me) a brilliant main camera because by my M11 with Super-Elmar 18/3.8 and APO Skopar 90-2.8. 😊🖖🏻
@@3BMEP The Q3’s weather sealing (over the M11s), its articulating screen (kneeling to get some shots is getting almost as old as me), its ability to use “real” manual focus (not focus by wire as in the SL2, which works but . . . ) or autofocus, image stabilization (I wish I didn’t need this), and more convenient Macro mode are very compelling features.
I think twice (ok, 3x) about going out with my M11s or CL in inclement weather, and the SL2 is not as compact as the M11s or Q cameras. I really miss the feel of my Q2. It felt more like my old film SLRs than any other camera I have, and I really like that. I’m not knocking M rangefinders, but I need to use a +2.0 diopter corrector, and clean the darn thing often because I have very long eyelashes. I usually use the VisoFlex2 EVF to get around that issue, but that makes things less simple.
This certainly isn’t a must-have camera for me. However, I’m not 40 anymore, and playing with different high-quality cameras brings real pleasure to me. I feel that I don’t have enough time left to play with and test different kit over a longer period.
APO “love-child” - that’s one for the ages. Enjoyed the review very much. Don’t know if I’m ready to give up my current Q3, but this is intriguing !
Sony A7CR + Voigtlander 40/1.2 👍
I got mine the day before yesterday (Sept 26th) the day it was presented officially, I actually own one of the first few in my country. I already love it very much, complements the Q2 28 I also have. For sports, wildlife, etc. I use my Nikons (much, much faster AF), but for street the Q3 43 is unbeatable. The lens is breathtakingly good!
Enjoy!-
Sheesh Hugh, your videos always give me the GAS! I ordered mine this morning to join my others…….🥴 sooooo excited!😊
So sorry! 😉🖖🏻
God when the music kicked in and the samples were showing, i really had to look away, to save my bank-account
Beautiful Pictures ✨
My new dream camera and probably destined to stay that way.
It’s OK: there are SO many great options out there, and the single most important piece of kit is neither hardware nor software, but wetware: it’s you. 😊🖖🏻
Your mother is lovely!
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Always love hearing your takes, Hugh. Especially on Leica :)
Hey Benj! Right back at you!
Gorgeous camera, and I love my original Q. I take it everywhere. But it still only has one card slot and zero redundancy. So it will forever remain a hobby camera. It just cannot be used for professional work where redundancy is necessary.
Great..Let's hope this camera doesn't freeze. I'd love to buy one but very cautious..In the meanwhile I'll stick with the Barnack 35mm film cameras which seem to be more dependable.
Hugh- your best ever! I have been waiting a very long time for Leica to make a normal view Q and it has been difficult to resist getting the 28 so I bought a A7CR. I was half way through your video when Leica called and said that they have a 43 for me!!! (I called last week and put myself on the rumors wait list) Receiving it tomorrow. Giddy.
Enjoy, Peter! 😊🙏🏻
I’m picking mine up on Tuesday. Selling my Sl2-s and 35 & 75 APO’s.
I hear you!
I bought the Q3, my first Q; loved the camera but not the focal length. I was always cropping to 35 or 50. Sold the Q3 and the Q3 43 arrives tomorrow. This camera will be perfect for my needs.
Congrats!
Enjoy!
Great review! I have the original Q and I love it. It has a superbly sharp lens on a beautiful, functional and engaging camera body. I have used it a lot, despite 28mm not being my favorite all around focal length. A few years ago I was using the K-1 with the Pentax FA Limitied 43mm f/1.9, which has that 3d pop or "pixie dust" as the Pentaxians say. This made me familiar with the lovely focal length, and I'm the kind of guy who can't decide if I love 35mm or 50mm more. So when they launched this kit, I cancelled my $6000 order of the SL APO 35, and ordered the $8000 Q3 43 apo. It's as you say a nice package. Let's say the lens is worth $6000 as the SL 35 apo (despite being smaller even), then you get a 60 mpx German built Leica camera with phase detection af and far beyond decent video in a small EDC package for the remanining $2000? And you never get a ff camera from Leica for $2000 new.
Long story short, I have ordered it ;)
Good call. Enjoy! Mine arrived a couple of days ago, but I’m only opening later today. Hold that thought. 😉
As ALWAYS, awesome, wonderful and highly informative clip. I quote and refer to you very often in my own videos. Thanks so much! 😀
Glad to be of service! 😊🖖🏻
It is an exquisite camera. I can’t afford it. My hope is that the Q2 and original Q3 will come down a bit in the used market to make one of those attainable. But that’ll take a while.
First video I've seen and hit 'subscribe' almost immediately. I had a Leica Q, I sold it with the intention of buying a Q3 but never actually did. The Q was a camera I wanted to fall in love with but for me 28mm just didn't work. I've looked at lots of photos I took with the Q and saw how heavily I cropped them, I've now ordered the Q3 43.
Welcome - and enjoy!
Damn. What a review.
Also which camera and lens did you use for that shot in the beginning with you holding the leica?
Absolutely beautiful. You made me appreciate BnW a lot. Cheers sir.
😊🙏🏻 Claudia shot this one with her Sony a7CR with 24-70/2.8 GM II. 🖖🏻
@@3BMEP Beautiful work. Thank you.
Dude--- you're killing me here! Q3M 43 please!! Gotta get me one.....
😉
Can’t get too excited about a camera I can’t afford. But I can sure squeeze a lot out of the ones I can!
A good 2 weeks ago I bought a Ricoh GRIIIx, because my 28mm Leica Q was 'too wide'. I am very happy with the 40mm and it makes me realize how good a Leica Q3 43 could fit my needs. at the same time I am in doubt, for the same money I can enter the Leica M arena with a good second hand unit.
Wonderful decision to be able to ponder! 😊🖖🏻
❤ greets from the old Villa Petersberg, Carsten
Hi Hugh have my camera now and other than the hood issue this is something you might want to share in a video. I could not transfer my profiles from Q3 to Q3 43. I asked Leica and they gave me this solution and it works!
there is a way to transfer settings from the Q3 28 to the Q3 43:
“Save the settings file and open it with a simple text editor.
The second line states the camera:
"Camera":"LEICA Q3",
or
"Camera":"LEICA Q3 43",
Simply remove or add the " 43" ("SPACE43") and the profiles can be used on either camera.
Please make sure the text editor does not add anything else to the file.”
Hope this is helpful! Best Ken
Thanks so much, Ken! 😊🖖🏻
Great video. I’ve just put my M11, 50mm Summicron and CV 35mm f1.5 up for sale because I didn’t enjoy using them as much as my Q2. When I was using them, I gravitated towards the 35mm. I’m not sure if 43mm is for me so I’ll keep the Q2 for now but when I come to replace it, it might be a close call to get the Q43 instead. Regardless of focal length, I always crop the hell out of my pics so maybe it doesn’t really matter.
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Of course you already ordered one; enjoy the journey (while we enjoy the reviews and the perspectives)!!
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Great video yet again! Looks like a Q4 might come with interchangeable lens option!
Fingers crossed!😊🖖🏻
I'm happy to see Leica making things like this. I dont think I'll cancel my X100VI order for it, but I love the idea of a fixed normal lens and an IP rating.
Oh I so love your videos, I bought my Q3 after you review. If I had magic pixie dust then I would have a Q4 with a 28-43 lens and because of the pixie dust it would the lens would be as good at 28mm and at 43mm as both Q3 variants. I sold my R5 and several lenses when I realised that my knackered back meant that I left my camera bag at home most of the time, instead pocketing my X1100V. I watched your video and hey presto the Q3 arrived.
I know that there were times when I wish I had my ultra wide or super long lens with me, but most of the time I didn’t. I had chosen my ‘wide’ lens and accepted that there would be compromises (and if I needed to get closer I used my ‘walkie-zoom’ or cropped in post).
The Q3 is a beautiful camera and clearly buying both would be daft. Neither one is better than the other, it’s about whether you are happy with the focal length that best supports the pictures you take most of the time and accept the compromises you will have to make with a fixed lens camera when you need to go wider or closer.
Until I find that bag of pixie dust, I am happy with the decision I have made.
Keep up with the stunning films snd sharing your pictures, they are inspiring.
I hear you! Thanks for such a lovely contribution to the discussion! 😊🙏🏻🖖🏻
Excellent perspective. Key word "Subset". Great move by Leica for its base.
Brilliant video.
Thank you, Greg. I try! 🙏🏻😊🖖🏻
As of yesterday, my local Leica store is predicting maybe a 2-3 month wait for the Q3 43.
Hasselblad has been using 80 mm on 6*6 for years which is 42/43mm on 35mm equivalent , its great to see the other quality camera manufacturer embrace this focal length ... as a hassle/leica film shooter 80mm and 35mm lengths mostly , 42/43 is a very balance length and a great alternative to 35mm or 50mm you get the best of both ..
Yes!
Omg!!! Thank you for the amazing video 😊 I got this 2 days ago and I think I am going to sell my SL-3!
We're selling ONE of our SL3s to help cover the '43 we bought and arrived a couple of days ago!
@@3BMEP Q3 43 is literally insane!
Yes but Q3 can do what Q3 43 cant do.
De plus sur le 28 le crop de 35mm donc le centre de l’objectif est un meilleur qu’un apo 43.
As usual great commentary on Leica's new and superlative offering. This one will be hard for me to resist. By the way I had a chance to handle Alan's Q3 with your new grip. Maybe the most comfortable camera I have ever held. Congratulations on a Fantastic job with the grip. It should fit this new Q3 43 perfectly too. better ramp up production! Give Claudia my best. Steve
Will do - nice to see you here, Steve! Glad you both like the Helium 3 grip! We have an announcement or two coming soon!
I have always run my Q2 in crop mode to get close to my second fave cam of all time, CL with 40 cron. This Q is almost perfect for me as my fav portrait focal is 60mm. So base for everything and crop for portraits! I hate flip screens but what ya going to do. lol I’ll take one.
How dare Leica produce this Camera, like others I didn't want the Q3 with its 28mm lens, now it has a 43mm AGH! My only hope is that they sell out quickly.
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As a wedding photographer using the Sony A7R V for my professional work and the Fujifilm X100V for personal projects, I’m considering adding the Leica Q3 to my gear. I’m debating between the 28mm or 43mm focal lengths and wondering if the Leica Q3 would be a good fit for wedding photography. Would it complement my Sony setup effectively?
a7R V’s AF is significantly better at the margin, so it depends (in part) on the light available to you. It also depends upon your appetite for dual card slot redundancy and most important of all, your priority for leveraging a single mount for greater flexibility. Given that you already use Sony, I’d be more inclined to pick up an a7CR for your second body - and splurge on a Q3 for your personal work when you can justify it on that basis alone. Keep me posted!
Those photos knocked my socks off! I guess I need to keep my M3 and M4 and use them. My spouse would knock by socks off and maybe more if I bought one right now! Definitely looks like a nice camera.
Hah! 😊🖖🏻
Thanks for this, Hugh. My D-Lux 8 just arrived yesterday, and now this … Oh dear.
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I passed on the Q3 28mm and opted for a used Q2M. Now if a Q3M 43mm comes out . . . . I will be hard pressed to not upgrade. Decisions, decisions. Some are more enticing than others.
i love this camera.
but i'll stay with my pentax k33m and q3 28 for longer time.
@@avnidvyi understand - I am also saying with my X1D II.
Yes a Q3M 43mm would make a great companion to the Standard Q3. Otherwise it would be one or the other for most in the Q3 buyer market. I am happy with my Q3, but I do miss my Q2M sometimes.
@@sdwjapan5466 that's what I thought too. i love q2m, I love k33m more. but I get your point, a 2aa lens is born for monochrome, that's for sure. For daily use, I prefer 28, I can't remember how many times I felt that 28mm is not even wide enough, especially in some crowded environments. a 43mm is good for portraits, but I prefer monochrome for serious portraits.
Not something I would buy personally, but nonetheless excited to see Leica come out with a camera that is sure to please its intended audience, at a price that is at least attainable for many (though still absurdly expensive from my perspective). I’m glad that Leica is still out there doing their own thing, and the stars really seemed to be aligned for them right now with the current fixed lens camera renaissance.
I’m a 50mm shooter at heart, so 43 is close enough. Looks brilliant, not something I can afford. It’ll be an instant pickup if I win a lottery, however.
I’ve been saving for q3 as a 40th birthday gift to myself. Now I’m torn. On trips I usually carry an M Monochrom (original) and a GR3x
Ordered. Simple as that.
Enjoy!
Would there be a situation where one would use both q3s, dual wielding e.g event photography/reportage? I’m contemplating sl3 as I need the focal range to replace xh2s
I believe so; on my list to explore as we have both and I like the idea. But I also own an SL3 with APO 90 and Super-Elmar 18 and Elmar 24 to bracket either one.
I loved the 43mm on my 645z, now I use the Voigtländer 40mm 1.2 on my SL2S and the Q3 for 28mm. I m not sure about the new Q with 43 ...
I’ve an SL 601 which is made for the Voigtlander 40mm f1.2, there’s something just right about that combination.
Good morning! Just received the Q3 but was wondering about your thoughts on the new Q3 43 for Street photography?? Pros? Cons? Any opinion would be appreciated. Thx!
It’s KILLER for street photography!
Great Video as always, thank you. I use a Leica T with a Sigma dc dn 1.4 exclusively - it‘s almost the same field of view and identical depth of field as the new Leica Q3 43 but brighter aperture and I love it. It costs just a fraction and in most scenarios 16mpix are enough for me as an amateur.
Great alternative!
You mean the 30mm? I think it doesn't come close 😂
(I'm talking about minimum focal distance here because afaik the Q has a macro mode. Field of view should be almost the same. And it reminds me that I should put the Sony 30mm macro on my A6400. Not a very good lens but focal length is similar and did I mention that I like short minimum focal distances? 😂 )
Yes I also still have a T and mainly use the CL. And enjoy the lenses made for that system plus the Sigma 56 mm …
@@jochenkraus7016 Just clip a Raynox DCR-250 on your lens and you‘re good to go. And no, you cannot focus to infinity with Q in macro-mode either.
Developing our digital negatives on time is still mission impossible compared to the speed to publication offered by cellphones.
Very tempting....very tempting,,,,
😎🖖🏻
Who wouldn’t buy a Leica if affordable? A Leica is not a camera; it is a monument, it is a piece of art …... I can’t afford one but am happy for anyone who can.
ENJOY, brother