Very valuable review. I read so many "long term review" articles on the web expecting to get exactly this, and so often they're still just regurgitations of the spec sheet. You actually point out important discoveries in how the camera works in real life. Not that I can afford a Q2, but if I was considering one I would take all of this into account.
Thanks Matt! That is exactly why I waited to talk about it because user experience comes with using a camera for a long time. You are absolutely right, most camera reviews are done within the first weeks of acquiring a new camera and reviewers don't have much to talk about in terms of actual user experience. Long term reviews are much more valuable.
Rent one and give it a go with these "issues" in mind. Might find it works for you, might not, but a few hundred dollars is better spent than thousands to decided.
I like these kinds of deep dives into usability quirks. It might sound picky to some people, but fluid usability is so important over time. The less you fight with the tools in your life the easier life becomes. For me 2, and 4 also affect Fuijfilm cameras. It's not so much about the price with them, but it nags at me that a brand who markets their jpegs so hard could miss these things. I just use Kelvin and the LCD only now, just to be sure, so there is a work around, but it could be better.
On a cam for 5k you should point out every single finding on usability for sure. If a company is calling a price like this for their product, the justification could not only be the quality of the lens.
Interesting. I bought the Q2 when it was first released but never gelled with it and sold it about 6mths later favouring my M10-P. But...Fast forward to the present and I now have a Q2 Monochrom and a Q2. The Q2M is a permanent addition to my daily life and always with me. The Q2 is consistently used as a back-up for second camera purposes to my SL2-S. The Q2, for me, doesn't work as well for street photography as I had imagined but, like life, it's all about adaptation. I'm a brand loyal type of person and I personally enjoy the aesthetics, the usage and the feeling that I get using the range. Thankfully there's so much choice out there and something for everyone.
I did the same thing. I bought a Q2 when it first came out, sold it and favored my M10. Then I got an SL2 and eventually got the Q2 again and now carry it all the time.
A lot of these are the reason I love the Q2 Monochrom. That solves all the colour-related issues, and I like the wide look (especially for street candid portraiture). BUT... now that I'm missing colour, I'm not at all interested in the Q2 to fill that niche. Never mind how noisy it is in low light. I'm actually planning on picking up the x100v (for the 3rd time ha!) instead.
Oh yes I would probably enjoy the Q2M much more without the color issues. And you are right about the noise. That was bothering me a little bit too. Enjoy the X100v :) Maybe I gotta pick one up for myself too.... I should stop thinking about other cameras haha.
Excelent points and video. Very useful story. Thorsten Overgaard is telling the same thing on his blog post review of the Q2 that it's actually a 24mm lens.
I am currently shooting with a Leica Q....like you Dylan Richards I am also considering picking up the X100V for the 3rd time and keeping forever! why? for many reasons
I love my x100V - there are so many times I just wanted to just get the Leica Q2 but the V is surprisingly wonderful and does the job. I even have the wide angle 28mm add-on and its perfect. Also with the V you have so many options to play with recipes - that the Q2 is not really wise in my opinion anymore. I wish the V was FF but that's still no big issue nowadays with these powerful sensors.
Literally everything said here is true and accurate. I definitely have each and every one of these annoyances along with the AF modes. I get that is a contrast detect system but the face and subject tracking boxes are extremely erratic at times making it impossibly inconsistent in certain situations. I’m on the fence about selling mine as well and seriously considering a Q2M as I’ve found myself enjoying shooting street in black and white. Great video with honest points. This is actually the only video that I’ve ever seen offering these criticisms. Keep up the great work my friend.
Exchanged my Q2 for a Q2M and I never regretted it a for one moment. A monochrome sensor is such a value add to your cameras (the Q2 really wasn't next to my Sony a7rIV) but the monochrome... The images are so extremely clean at higher ISO's. I can shoot images I simply cannot make with any of my other gear ✨👌🏼
Fun video Samuel. A lot of your peeves would not be relevant to me if I owned a Q2, since you are a professional and a perfectionist. I did buy a Q2 Monochrom and love it for the simplicity, ease of use and the quality of the RAWs. I did miss the ability to reach out and the occasional need to shoot color, so I bought an M-10R , a 50, 90, 35 and am waiting for a 28. Have sold a lot of Fuji lenses that I rarely used and am debating selling the X-Pro2, XE3 and X100V. While I enjoyed all the possibilities they presented, I realized that they were not being used, It's time to simplify life.
Looks like one camera, one lens is all you need! Manufacturers tell you that you need all the functions and buttons and huge megapixel images to get decent images. All not true. For many photographers, the best maxim is "Just focus on mastering one camera and lens that fits your photographic style, and enjoy!"
Great video-I’ve stumbled across a lot of this stuff as well in my time with the Q2, and you're right that no other reviews mention them. Still, I guess everyone’s different-I love the camera more than any I've ever owned. I even quite like the slightly-wider-than-28mm focal length-it was a major reason I was willing to buy it! And I’ve learned to live with everything else, including the WB. For me, it’s still the best all-in-one camera. I love using the crop modes and never changing (or thinking about) lenses. Also, I think you can assign ISO to the FN button using the Customize Controls section of the menu. Customize Controls let you edit the list of functions that pops up when you long-press either FN or the wheel button.
I just found this video and curious if you updated the latest firmware that was just released, and if so, has it improved many of the issues such as JPG performance, AF and possibly AWB? Thanks.
Congrats to your decision, comming from your experience with the comparison to the XF 18 1.4 LM WR. It seems we had the last months a comparabel history in changing gear between functionality and luxury, with finaly similiar results. I will sell all my digital Leica equipment too in the next days and will go further on with a X-PRO3 + 18 1.4 + 33 1.4. The X-PRO3 is for me a camera which a "feel good" feeling too and high functionality. The two new Fujinon lenses are superbe and I miss nothing. The set remains cheep, compared to Leica equipment. Leica Q2, SL2-S and M10-R I have tested personally in 2020/2021. Yes, my feeling with those cameras was great, but the overall functionality was far away from what I like to have for my kind of making and taking images, by a much more higher price to pay for and absolutely comparable images to my Sony computer with Voigtländer E-Lenses. I've decided to make me free of the unvisible, imaginary and phantasy triggered Leica feeling & look and to concentrate me more on my images as such, with a Sony computer as working horse and a poor man's Leica for my feel good :-) When I look at my best pictures of the last three years, which make me feel the best when I look at them, then they were taken with all kinds of cameras from different manufacturers. So why look for "happiness" in a camera brand? We're photographers aren't we?
Great Video! Your decision to sell the Leica is completely reasonable IMO. I had a M Typ 240 and after that a M10 and sold them both again after around two years. Maybe I just got bad luck, but I've never had that many annoying issues with any other brand. Both cameras froze up completely on a regular basis, so that you'd had to remove the battery and restart the camera -> Decisive moment my ass. Live View modes we're far from anything I'd consider usable - Always jittery, sometimes extremely glitchy, sometimes even with weird artifacts(!?). Also Auto-WB was completely unusable in my case and I had many other smaller Issues along the road. I always loved Leica, their hardware is extremely nice, but (at least in my case) they were simply unreliable. I always felt that they are just too expensive for what you get. Im now fully set for Fuji (and some Nikon stuff) and couldn't be happier. I always feel like Fuji has become what Leica used to be back in the 80s or so.
Interestingly, none of your problems are my problems. I shoot raw, and use the evf exclusively, so I don't have the WB issues, or shooting with the screen. I NEVER use auto ISO. As for the 28 really being closer to a 24, you're right. However, Leica authority Sean Reid addresses that issues in his excellent Reid Reviews site, and doesn't have a problem with it at all. Good enough for him is good enough for me. My main issue with the Q2 is not an issue for you, I guess. The problem is, is that even with all touch screen functions off, I can still sometimes center the focus point when my nose touches the screen, (left eye shooter) which is ridiculous because all touch functions are supposed to be off! I work around it by focusing and re-composing. Sorry the Q2 didn't work out for you. It's almost perfect for me and I can see it being my workhorse for many years to come.
I bought a Q2 when it came out before the price hike. Really wanted to love this camera, the lens is wonderful, autofocus is decent, sensor is nice. The most inconvenient thing for me is the lack of tilt screen, this goes for all Leica. One of the major change I switched to mirrorless is using live view instead of EVF to shoot, specially shooting low. I shoot a lot of close up and the macro feature is perfect but it’s hard to shoot low to the ground item without tile screen. I was hoping I will switch from struggling with how many lenses to bring to go out and just one, but that hope hasn’t happened yet. This is a very unique camera, great but not for everybody. No camera is perfect, sorry Q2 doesn’t fit your needs.
Why is the lens so wide? 35mm everywhere between f1.8 and f1.4 would be much better. That would make it a true street photography camera. 28mm seems a little too wide. I know you can crop,but I would prefer the ability to attach lens converters like the X100 series does.
I'm in the other extreme when it comes to "niche" and "beautiful" cameras. I have an a6400 and the tamron 17-70. There's nothing I miss, the system does all I need it to do and does it very well. But every couple a weeks or so, I get the "beauty" craving and I start looking at the x100v's and the like. I've so far managed to stay strong and not give in to the temptation :) Maybe we all tend to want what we don't have.
I shot an X100F for a year, exclusively. It wasn’t quite ready for prime time. Too many usability issues and limitations, and I never liked the jpegs. Maybe because Fuji makes such a point about “film simulations”, and they look nothing whatsoever like film.
@@joeltunnah have you tried loading in a film recipe? I agree, the 'film simulations' don't look like film but I have had pretty good results using the film recipes on my XT4 with a vintage Pentax lens. Unless shooting RAW, I don't bother with the fujfilm's stock film simulations.
Had an M9, couldn't justify owning it and swapped to a Fuji X-E3 and Ricoh GR3, no regrets but also kind of regrets. The M9 is just so nice to use and the whole feel of photography being about the moment rather than focusing and menus etc I really miss. Also, sort of miss my Sigma DP2 Merrill, that's an amazing camera in very niche and specific ways. Kind of want an M9 and Merrill again... But maybe I'll just get the X-Pro 4 when it arrives... Or maybe I should spend more time taking photos with the gear I already have.
I own a DP2 Merrill, in fact I own all three and I won't part with them. These are very special cameras, add a grip and you can carry one all day long. I was contemplating getting a Q2, but I am more leaning towards a M9 (with a replaced sensor).
@@karimnasser9226 I liked the idea of the Q2 but like you I think I'd get an M9 or maybe even a different Leica if it came down to it. I'm tempted to pick up another Sigma DP2 Merrill, when they hit, they really produce something next level. I really hoped Sigma would have made newer cameras that improved some of the shortcomings I found for my style of photography but I don't think they have. Still, I might have to pick another up. :)
How about getting an M Typ 240 and the cobalt image M9 color profiles? Should be the same price by the time the X Pro 4 comes out. Full frame of 2014 will still blow any crop sensor out of the water. Just a suggestion, no offence.
@@JLeoH No offence taken and thanks for the suggestion - I'll have to look in to that! I found myself eyeing up an M10 last night but the prices put me right off so your suggestion might be right on the mark, thank you!
Interesting about the wider than 28mm image. I was about to buy a Q2 but what was holding me back was the wide 28mm focal length, I tend to shoot mostly between 35mm and 75mm, and mostly 50mm. If the Q2 is rather a 24mm than a 28mm then I won't even bother.
Really informative, as ever, thanks a million. I have no need for a Q as my X-Pro2 and his little brothers/sisters serves me beautifully but I’m always interested in hearing about other camera experiences out of sheer curiosity. Health and happiness for 2022 to you and your viewers.
I use an a7iv with a 35gm lens and it is an amazing combo; I also never have to worry about battery life. Sure it's a bit bulkier but a small messenger bag is enough to carry it around with another small lens like a 20mm g lens which is perfect for vlogging.
I love my Q2 precisely because there is so little to adjust. I also like the very spartan menu and the not so sophisticated JPG settings. The JPGs out of the camera are crappy anyway. Fuji can do that much better. But that's not why I bought the Q2. I love my Q2 precisely because it is so simple and has few setting options. But it has a great lens, 28mm and f1.7 is my favorite. It has long been known that JPG out of the box is not Leica's strength. The JPGs on the Leica M series are just as crappy. I only work in RAW and am very happy with the image quality. The fact that the LCD display limits the entire image section also bothers me. But it requires me to use the viewfinder. The Q2 is not optimal for every purpose. But for what I want it is just right. Namely, decelerated photography with a good lens. I won't give my Q2 back.
Hi Samuel, I have got a Q2 aswell. I upgraded my Leica M8 with the 28mm Elmarit 2.8 honestly? The M8 with the 28 was everything you need for emotional, documentary Pictures. But I was intrigued by the new stuff, interested in checking out what’s new. Also a bit disappointed with Q2, but hey: since prices are so stabLLLLe (L for Leica), it’s relatively easy to step in and out of different Leica experiences. We all want that one camera, but we don’t acknowledge it once we found it. … it must be a constant process of buying new stuff, Marketing made uns this way🙆🏻♂️
Well, I found it useful. I was just about hooked on the Q2 and was starting to price a few. I'm very casual with my photography, but this has convinced me to give it more thought. Numerous issues for the price.
Yikes, several of these points would be total dealbreakers for me - not that I can afford a Leica, but still. At least now I don't have to pine over this model anymore haha. Really good review, and good on you for moving on from a camera that doesn't work for you. This was a year ago so I hope you found a happy buyer!
Thank you, Samuel. I found it extremely helpful. I am on the process of choosing a new camera - coming from a full frame Nikon entry level, going into mirrorless. I almost decided for a sl2-s, then changed for Q2, should I say , Q3. Yours is an honest, non comercial driven, insightful and straight to the point review. Thank you again. You avoid me a very frustrating error.
This was really helpful info. Thanks! I also briefly had and sold a Q2 for reason 7. I could get used to getting a little closer for a photo, but I couldn't get around the odd distortion. It just wasn't worth having such an expensive camera that I had to work around. I still miss it just for the great feel and build quality, but 35-50 is the best range for me. (If Leica ever sells a 35mm Q... Take my money!). I also think all the good things you have said in the past about the Q still hold true. Reason 7 is just a deal breaker.
You are awesome man! Love your authenticity and humor. “I’m done searching for emotional cameras…” had me lol! Thanks for the video and all the best to you and family.
Thanks for the video! Actually, in the menu you can chose the options for the function buttons. Also, I recently compared the Leica Elmarit 28 to a Zeiss 28 Biogon ZM. Actually the Elmarit is a little less wide angle than the Zeiss. So maybe it is the Elmarit that is off, and not the Q2. Leica does the in camera cropping of the edges for clearer images with all their fixed lens cameras (X series and Q series). Keep up the good work!
I am a professional photographer, so I understand that I come from a different place. I have a Q1 since 2018, essentially for scouting. I must say that I haven’t noticed -nor would care much about- your annoyances. For instance, I shoot with the EVF and don’t use liveview, and I don’t shoot jpegs. I don’t care about the color shown on the evf because what matters is the base rendering on LR, and if the white balance is wrong it takes a second to correct I switched from a Fuji x100 f which had all kinds of buttons, film simulations and whatnot, because a) the lens was just the opposite of sharp, b) rhe ISO performance was a joke. The Leica has no no bells and whistles -nothing compared to the Z9 and the D850 I use for other work- but it has a beautiful lens, produces great quality images, and is easy and convenient to use. I would say that this philosophy extends to the M and S Leica series -maybe excepted the M11, which freezes… now, that would be an annoyance!-. So probably you should switch brands.
Honest and clear review. Iconic products have their drawbacks sometimes. Thank's. Expensive cameras and cars push their owners to just describe them as perfect, what they are not.
That is great feedback that I hope the software engineers at Leica take to heart. The points concerning the lens don't bother me in the way I use my Q2. And, besides I like the wide angle look. :D
Thanks for your thought's, very honest, like it 👍🏻. That AWB issue at about 5:35, just set the camera to the BWNAT or BWHC in the JPG settings. I love my Leicas. But what really is annoying me, is the fact, that Leica is the solely camera manufacturer not adding the in body profiles STD, VIV, NAT, BWNAT, BWHC to the raw files. Leica, do you listen? The mathematical profile please and not Luts which can be uploaded to the Q3 and are only useful on 8 bit jpgs. All other manufacturers put that in body profiles into the raw file. If they are not listed in LrC, you must activate them for each brand and body it in the Developer view, open "Basic", click on profile, in the menu on "Browse" and add it to the favourites, finally click on "Close". Nikon etc. have all profiles there, Leica only a Leica M10 or PROFILE M11. Totally useless. I'm specially keen on BWNAT and BWHC.
Interesting criticisms, but none of those issues bother me in the least. I find the Q2 to be an absolute pleasure of a camera that essentially gets out of my way and doesn't bog me down with technology that I don't need and never use. I want simplicity so I can concentrate on the creative, not the technical. But, everyone has their own style of shooting and their "must haves". My next favorite camera is the Fujifilm X-T4. Again, I don't use 90 percent of the 'stuff'.
Been using the Q2 for the last year. But after selling the GRIII for the Q2 I am now wanting to get that camera again as I miss the size of it and miss it ever since I got rid.
I watched this video 4 times before deciding to buy a second hand Leica Q instead of a fuji x100v or x-e4. I agree with all of your points and decided to take it. I think it's a nice combo with my GRIIIx. thank you Samuel.
you saved me - not really, cause since I added the Ricoh GR IIIx to my equipment I'm satisfied. Now I have 2 GR´s in my pocket and nothing can stop me. The only thing what I missed sometimes is a finder and a flip screen - but I sold my X100V, and maybe I give my XT3 away to buy a XE4? No! I went out to take pictures. A happy new year for you and your family!
This sums up the entire problem with most camera 'reviews' put out on RUclips; people generally review stuff when it is shiny and new, they're still excited about having it/using it, and they haven't actually worked out what works and doesn't work yet. If you look back through your own videos that mention the Q2, what impression of the camera are you giving off to your viewers? And then it's only when they are selling the camera, or the next thing has come out, does the honest truth about the camera come out
Exactly that's why you should always try it out yourself and not listen to camera reviews too much. I am in peace with myself when it comes to my youtube videos :) Whenever I talk about gear I talk about it from my perspective and I haven't done a review about the Q2 or talked about it much because I needed more time with it. I can not know how I think about a camera (any product) in the future. Whenever I change my mind, my viewers will know first :)
@@SamuelStreetlife The huge elephant in the room that no one wants to really see is that the perfect camera has not, does not, and never will exist. But the technology, the influencers, the reviewers, the new model releases and the always upward price increases are constantly changing. Everyone meanwhile is searching for the philosopher's stone. The Leica M11 has just arrived, wow! that camera and a Leica 50mm Summicron f/2 apo lens will set you back 14,000 gbp. Say that again: 14 thousand UK big ones! People buy them and drool over them and post their photos to Instagram which has a max file size of 4gb. What's the point of it all? Is it, to constantly buy more and more newer higher-specced equipment or is it to document projects with a good working tool with all its inherent flaws learning to live with these small niggles? There is never ever any end to the newer equipment road story. But still hundreds of new videos appear and cash is laid down, expectations raised to distant and ever higher levels only to be dashed in short measure as the perceived glory fades (when it almost certainly will) to those who ascribe to this never ending winding path. Cartier-Bresson in the 30s made photographs in Mexico and Paris and elsewhere with old antiquated equipment. He used what he had and excelled at his craft. How many can say, that fine images can be made with a single lens and a small inexpensive camera without jumping about all over the place, constantly churning gear, in an equipment squirrel chase - which, has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with photography.
Horses for courses….use the viewfinder and dng files and at least half your problems are solved…(happens to be my favorite camera, so I’m biased). Great channel btw…I’ve watched (and enjoyed) many of your videos.
I just got an origional Q and am also kinda disappointed because like you I watched every video I could and yet the issues I was having had not been discussed, even in this video you dont bring up 2 really important points. First is the manual focus will focus past infinity and does not hard stop at infinity so its possible to have literally nothing in focus if you focus all the way to the right. Secondly is the way shutter speeds over 1/500th effect the image, at 1/1000 and 1/2000 and to a lesser degree 1/500th the leaf shutter actually isnt fast enough to get out of the way of the aperature blades and causes the bokeh to be softer on the edges than in the middle instead of being a perfect circle. It blows my mind that these things are never mentioned, thanks for making this video Samuel and sheading light on some of these other issues because I am very dissapointed in the community as a whole for not noticing or discussing these problems.
Thank you so much for your straightforwardness and frankness! We will not find these 7 points in the advertisement of Leica ... Very useful arguments for me - because I have to advice a friend if she should buy this expensive camera or not. It wouldn't be for me neither - I am very happy with my Nikon Z- System. Best regards from Switzerland.
Agree about the niche cameras. I have a GFX 50sii with a couple of lenses. I also have the Leica Q which was supposed to be my travel camera. Like you, I struggle with the stretched view which also seems to apply to the Q. I just ordered the Leica D Lux 7 as my travel camera and am considering selling the Q. The D Lux with the different focal lengths might not be as sharp or fancy as the the Q but should still get the job done. With kids as well. The smaller, the better.
The quest for the perfect camera is a never ending one... (Especially because our tastes and situation change from time to time). 😅 I still found a close one with the Sigma fp. So much so that I think about selling my other camera and keep only the fp and the GRIII (mostly for family)... Didn't expected to love it so much. But it fits my needs like a glove.😅 As a father of a young boy, I understand you for the almost no time to go out... 🙃😭
Dear Samuel. As a new photographer I saw a lot of your videos When you first started with a GRiii and the joy and enthusiasm you brought with you (along with the camera). It was a lot of inspiration for many of us. I now use a new leica film camera and it complements my GRIII. You did a lot for many of us. And this video was sad seeing you realised what you wanted wasn’t what you hoped for. By the way Elmar is crazy. In a good way.
Whilst two years old this has a come at a very timely junction for me … I was (or am!) considering one probably a monchrom, but as much as I think they are just so beautiful, I am still not sold on the price tag for a fixed lens shooter … I was completely unaware of the issues you’ve mentioned (except the 24mm), from any other review … Thanks .. hard to believe baby is a couple of years old now!! 😊 📷
Min. 8:00: no problem to amend the list of quick access functions (incl. ISO) for the FN button at all, see manual pg. 46. „RTFM“ 😉 I tried it, works flawlessly - there is no „limitation“ to this regard.
i felt this, im a proud Q owner and im glad i didnt even consider the Q2 the Q was perfect for what i needed it for but honestly i like the low light performance its the best ive ever used on a camera
@@CrueLoaf yes! The things Samuel said are true. I noticed them. But they don’t bother me. And if they do, I use the M. I think the Q is a great companion for the M
Hi Samuel ! Respect your opinion and here is my 5 cents. I own Q2 1,5year from new (already one trip to Germany for service) and as well own GR3. Auto WB for sure it’s not impressive on both cameras that’s why I’m setting daylight or specific kelvin value on my both cameras. What I learned with Q2 and back screen is to setup once and work with limitations. First thing i always use crop 35mm and think as it’s 28mm. Second step already mentioned about Stable WB and learn eyes 😂 As part of customization I’m not very interested. Usually using my cameras with default setting or very subtle changes. My biggest complaint is manual option, you’re right scale is bitt odd, and for me switch between Manual and AF is catastrophic. I’m traveling between both modes within uncomfortable feeling of tiny button. Hope you will find your new companion soon 🤟🏻🤝🇸🇪
Once I got over the fact that I dropped 5k on a camera I stopped worrying about finding faults with the Q2. I use it all the time and don't worry about babying it.
Good for you! I had a moment where I thought the same and I decided to just use it until it breaks. After a wedding shoot and a little field trip with a friend I concluded that the Q2 will stay with me. But over time the little annoyances where hard to ignore and I stopped enjoying it. Hope you have fun with yours for a long time! It's a fantastic camera without much competition.
I still use my nikon D2Hs (~2006) with a 28 mm f2.8 (AI-s) and still like the pictures (no cropping). The fun for me is to get good compositions when I travel.
I borrowed a Q2 from a friend to ry out because I REALLY want a Q2M, but there were two things that bothered me and prevented an immediate purchase: (1) I could not figure out how to turn off LCD touch functionality, which I found important because the focus position would change between every shot just from the camera bouncing against my body when hanging on my neck, and (2) while it is not a "fault" of the camera, if I were to have a single focal length camera, I would prefer a 40 to 50 mm lens. My most used lens now is the Sony 50 f/1.2 on the A7R4, the combination of which produce magical results every time (just unbelievable). I thought a Q2M would be a perfect companion to the Sony, but again I prefer 40 to 50 mm lens. I know one can crop, but then there is a huge megapixel loss. I have not ruled out the Q2M yet, but for $6K I would really like to get the focal length right. For now I have a Ricoh iiix on order at 1/6th the price of the Q2M. It's not a mono camera, but it will provide the pocketable everyday carry alternative to my Sony combination. I'll have to keep lusting over the Q2M for awhile, hoping they follow Ricoh's lead and produce a Q2Mx with a 40 to 50 mm lens. Thanks for a great video.
my Canon R6 does all of the same things, even the lens corrections. The only exception is the R6 has plenty of customization. Other than that I've had most of these issues across all mirrorless brands. Gotta make the decision for you though of course. Thanks for the detailed info. I don't think these issues will bother me much.
I tried the R6 and it is much more customizable than the Q2 and feels better in the hand. EVF was worse though. But overall a great camera. Yes most mirrorless cameras suffer from the same inconsistencies.
Thank you Samuel! That's the best Leica Q2 review ever. I care so much about the "look" of the focal length of the lens. Like some others, I hope Leica can make a 40mm Q without distortion. Do you think the LR 40mm crop (based on the 35mm in camera crop) feels like 40mm?
I've sold my Q2 after 6 months of love-hate relationship. Also felt that the lens is too wide (compared to 18mm Fujinon). Poor highlight recovery was the second most annoying thing for me. Luckily I was wise enough to keep my Fuji kit while I was evaluating the Q2 :)
Hey brotha I actually figured out the issue you had with customizing your FN button. If you go on the settings on page 3 and click “Customize Control” , you can change which options you can select on each FN button. Great video you made. And great points that you made. But I think it’s fair if you know that one of your complaints about that camera, can actually be resolved in the settings.
I had the X100V. Beautiful camera but way to much functionality. Didn‘t need much of tha Fuji-Features. Therefore I sell it and bought a Q2. Best camera I ever bought Minimalism, excellent handcraft. Btw, I do street photography. Mostly working with zone.focussing.
Thanks Samuel, you have pointed out some of the continuing strange Leica idiosyncrasies that we are afraid to talk about as we have spent so much money. They are all true and sure, why shouldn't Leica address these strange issues? The virtually un-anjustable contrast and saturation and inaccurate white balance are frustrating. It forces a lot of Leica shooters to expose for highlights and you end up with the super crushed blacks, which can look beautiful, its a bit of a signature for Leica but its a limitation. It makes it more difficult to use the cameras professionally (I am referring to the M240, CL digital and Leica SL2-S). There is some fun to retrieving the shadows in post though.
Great video!! Enough honest to tell the truth about a great camera that might have some issues… At the beginning I didn’t know these issues were going to be that important and interesting. That point of the screen black bar, for example, is enough to think of not liking it that much! Thanks for the explanations and greetings from Spain!
Great video. You know you totally nailed it with the lens comment, I noticed it on the original Q and I could never figure out why the photos looked different, but it is the distortion and the wider field of view. You are right it is still a good camera, but the lens is not a 28. Cheers!
Interesting video! I can't say that I saw the same issues with my Q2 but I think it is because I use it more as a documentary / travelling camera rather than a street one. I definitely take my GR3 and X100V around a lot more day to day (it is a bit of a luxury to have all of them, such is life).
Thanks Samuel for the informative video! I would add the very poor AF to the list of deficits. I make a lot of street in Thailand and tried several cameras. By far the best combo is for me the Sony A7C with the Tamron 20-40/2.8.
You are right. A camera this expensive should at least be as good as the competition regarding the things you mentioned. Especially when it's four times the price 🤷🏽♂️
Thanks for sharing! I recently got myself a Q2, and I noticed issues with the distortion as well. It seems like the correction applied to the JPEG and DNG are a bit different. The JPEG correction looks exactly like what I see through the EVF, but is a bit more "stretched" for a wider look, and the DNG correction seems more "normal". But what annoys me the most is that while straight lines appear straight in JPEGs throughout the frame, the straight lines in DNGs (with built-in correction applied in Lightroom) become visibly curved towards the 4 corners. This is fine in most situations, but is very frustrating when photographing things like buildings or interiors. I think I see it a bit in the sample photo at 12:15 as well. Wondering if anyone has experienced this and any tips/advice would be super helpful :(
Very interesting. Thank you for this honest review. I own a Leica M10 and hesitate to switch to the Q2 or Q3 because sometimes autofocus is nice... And is that Elle Fanning on your photo (3mn51) ahah? Nice shot :)
Ah! What a really nice surprise! This is a very honest review of the Q2 and I'm glad you keep being honest. This is so appreciated! I was glancing at it and now will pass and prefer to wait and see about a Q3 or revise my option of a Mx instead. Thanks! (5 out 7 are deal breakers, rest is, yeah, annoying)
There are two reasons why I don't have the Leica Q2: firstly, my wife won't let me spend 5 grand on a camera. Secondly, I think I would miss the customisation on my Fuji. This video has really helped feel better about it! (Along with your poor man's Q2 video..) I think I'll get the Fuji 18mm 1.4 and my wife probably won't notice.. 😏🤷♂️
I never use lens corrections with my M8 and M9 with all of my vintage Leitz glass from 21 to 135mm. There‘s just no need for correction just perfection.
Great video, the Q2 is a great camera but definitely still has room for improvement whenever they get around to the next generation of camera. I also would have trouble with that focal length, as nice as the lens is. You joke about getting a Sony a7 IV but...that camera is great, it just does not have the "fun factor" of the best Leicas, Fujis, GRs and so on.
I thought about the A7IV a lot because I am missing a camera that can do it all. But there is nothing I couldn't do with the cameras I already own so I passed in the A7IV :) If I wouldn't have my fuji cameras for youtube already, I would probably go for sony...
I’ve had a Q2 since April 2021 and the only similar problem I’ve noticed is a tendency to underexpose in strong contrast (which can introduce a slightly painterly grandmaster look to some photos). Other than that, and the space and time consuming 100mb raw and jpeg files (and the flamboyant price of the camera and accessories), I love it. I also find that the manual focus and DoF scale work well for me too. Set to f/8, everything from 6 feet to infinity is in focus. Perfect for my needs. And then there’s the useful macro capability. Good point about the wider than 28mm focal length though. I’ve always found 28mm too narrow and have much preferred 24mm. Perhaps that’s why I like it so much!
Hatte das gleiche Problem mit meiner XT2. Evf und LCD waren so unterschiedlich, wie du es gerade gezeigt hast. Der Service von Fuji hat die beiden „Displays“ kalibriert 😮 danach war es kein Problem mehr 😊
About point 7. I don't think that's how lenses work though. If that's the case then all crop sensors users will feel it. It probably feels more distorted not because it's wider than 28.. but because it can focus closer than an elmarit (0.3m vs 0.7m) thus making you walk closer? I'm also trying to find out more about this topic but nobody ever explains this. Does a 28mm lens still have the 28mm lens look after cropping in? Most definitely does if you keep the same distance? But in real world applications. On a longer focal length. We tend to just walk further away from the subject. Thus making the photo having the look of that longer focal length right?
Very valuable review. I read so many "long term review" articles on the web expecting to get exactly this, and so often they're still just regurgitations of the spec sheet. You actually point out important discoveries in how the camera works in real life. Not that I can afford a Q2, but if I was considering one I would take all of this into account.
Thanks Matt! That is exactly why I waited to talk about it because user experience comes with using a camera for a long time. You are absolutely right, most camera reviews are done within the first weeks of acquiring a new camera and reviewers don't have much to talk about in terms of actual user experience. Long term reviews are much more valuable.
Rent one and give it a go with these "issues" in mind. Might find it works for you, might not, but a few hundred dollars is better spent than thousands to decided.
I like these kinds of deep dives into usability quirks. It might sound picky to some people, but fluid usability is so important over time. The less you fight with the tools in your life the easier life becomes.
For me 2, and 4 also affect Fuijfilm cameras. It's not so much about the price with them, but it nags at me that a brand who markets their jpegs so hard could miss these things. I just use Kelvin and the LCD only now, just to be sure, so there is a work around, but it could be better.
On a cam for 5k you should point out every single finding on usability for sure. If a company is calling a price like this for their product, the justification could not only be the quality of the lens.
Agree with you and I don’t think he’s beeing picky, moreover for a 5k euro cam
Interesting. I bought the Q2 when it was first released but never gelled with it and sold it about 6mths later favouring my M10-P. But...Fast forward to the present and I now have a Q2 Monochrom and a Q2. The Q2M is a permanent addition to my daily life and always with me. The Q2 is consistently used as a back-up for second camera purposes to my SL2-S. The Q2, for me, doesn't work as well for street photography as I had imagined but, like life, it's all about adaptation. I'm a brand loyal type of person and I personally enjoy the aesthetics, the usage and the feeling that I get using the range. Thankfully there's so much choice out there and something for everyone.
I did the same thing. I bought a Q2 when it first came out, sold it and favored my M10. Then I got an SL2 and eventually got the Q2 again and now carry it all the time.
A lot of these are the reason I love the Q2 Monochrom. That solves all the colour-related issues, and I like the wide look (especially for street candid portraiture). BUT... now that I'm missing colour, I'm not at all interested in the Q2 to fill that niche. Never mind how noisy it is in low light. I'm actually planning on picking up the x100v (for the 3rd time ha!) instead.
Oh yes I would probably enjoy the Q2M much more without the color issues. And you are right about the noise. That was bothering me a little bit too. Enjoy the X100v :) Maybe I gotta pick one up for myself too.... I should stop thinking about other cameras haha.
Excelent points and video. Very useful story. Thorsten Overgaard is telling the same thing on his blog post review of the Q2 that it's actually a 24mm lens.
I am currently shooting with a Leica Q....like you Dylan Richards I am also considering picking up the X100V for the 3rd time and keeping forever! why? for many reasons
X100V 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I love my x100V - there are so many times I just wanted to just get the Leica Q2 but the V is surprisingly wonderful and does the job. I even have the wide angle 28mm add-on and its perfect. Also with the V you have so many options to play with recipes - that the Q2 is not really wise in my opinion anymore. I wish the V was FF but that's still no big issue nowadays with these powerful sensors.
Literally everything said here is true and accurate. I definitely have each and every one of these annoyances along with the AF modes. I get that is a contrast detect system but the face and subject tracking boxes are extremely erratic at times making it impossibly inconsistent in certain situations. I’m on the fence about selling mine as well and seriously considering a Q2M as I’ve found myself enjoying shooting street in black and white. Great video with honest points. This is actually the only video that I’ve ever seen offering these criticisms. Keep up the great work my friend.
Exchanged my Q2 for a Q2M and I never regretted it a for one moment. A monochrome sensor is such a value add to your cameras (the Q2 really wasn't next to my Sony a7rIV) but the monochrome... The images are so extremely clean at higher ISO's. I can shoot images I simply cannot make with any of my other gear ✨👌🏼
Fun video Samuel. A lot of your peeves would not be relevant to me if I owned a Q2, since you are a professional and a perfectionist. I did buy a Q2 Monochrom and love it for the simplicity, ease of use and the quality of the RAWs. I did miss the ability to reach out and the occasional need to shoot color, so I bought an M-10R , a 50, 90, 35 and am waiting for a 28. Have sold a lot of Fuji lenses that I rarely used and am debating selling the X-Pro2, XE3 and X100V. While I enjoyed all the possibilities they presented, I realized that they were not being used, It's time to simplify life.
Looks like one camera, one lens is all you need! Manufacturers tell you that you need all the functions and buttons and huge megapixel images to get decent images. All not true. For many photographers, the best maxim is "Just focus on mastering one camera and lens that fits your photographic style, and enjoy!"
Great video-I’ve stumbled across a lot of this stuff as well in my time with the Q2, and you're right that no other reviews mention them. Still, I guess everyone’s different-I love the camera more than any I've ever owned. I even quite like the slightly-wider-than-28mm focal length-it was a major reason I was willing to buy it! And I’ve learned to live with everything else, including the WB. For me, it’s still the best all-in-one camera. I love using the crop modes and never changing (or thinking about) lenses. Also, I think you can assign ISO to the FN button using the Customize Controls section of the menu. Customize Controls let you edit the list of functions that pops up when you long-press either FN or the wheel button.
I just found this video and curious if you updated the latest firmware that was just released, and if so, has it improved many of the issues such as JPG performance, AF and possibly AWB? Thanks.
Congrats to your decision, comming from your experience with the comparison to the XF 18 1.4 LM WR. It seems we had the last months a comparabel history in changing gear between functionality and luxury, with finaly similiar results. I will sell all my digital Leica equipment too in the next days and will go further on with a X-PRO3 + 18 1.4 + 33 1.4. The X-PRO3 is for me a camera which a "feel good" feeling too and high functionality. The two new Fujinon lenses are superbe and I miss nothing. The set remains cheep, compared to Leica equipment. Leica Q2, SL2-S and M10-R I have tested personally in 2020/2021. Yes, my feeling with those cameras was great, but the overall functionality was far away from what I like to have for my kind of making and taking images, by a much more higher price to pay for and absolutely comparable images to my Sony computer with Voigtländer E-Lenses. I've decided to make me free of the unvisible, imaginary and phantasy triggered Leica feeling & look and to concentrate me more on my images as such, with a Sony computer as working horse and a poor man's Leica for my feel good :-) When I look at my best pictures of the last three years, which make me feel the best when I look at them, then they were taken with all kinds of cameras from different manufacturers. So why look for "happiness" in a camera brand? We're photographers aren't we?
Great Video! Your decision to sell the Leica is completely reasonable IMO. I had a M Typ 240 and after that a M10 and sold them both again after around two years. Maybe I just got bad luck, but I've never had that many annoying issues with any other brand. Both cameras froze up completely on a regular basis, so that you'd had to remove the battery and restart the camera -> Decisive moment my ass.
Live View modes we're far from anything I'd consider usable - Always jittery, sometimes extremely glitchy, sometimes even with weird artifacts(!?). Also Auto-WB was completely unusable in my case and I had many other smaller Issues along the road. I always loved Leica, their hardware is extremely nice, but (at least in my case) they were simply unreliable. I always felt that they are just too expensive for what you get. Im now fully set for Fuji (and some Nikon stuff) and couldn't be happier. I always feel like Fuji has become what Leica used to be back in the 80s or so.
Interestingly, none of your problems are my problems. I shoot raw, and use the evf exclusively, so I don't have the WB issues, or shooting with the screen. I NEVER use auto ISO. As for the 28 really being closer to a 24, you're right. However, Leica authority Sean Reid addresses that issues in his excellent Reid Reviews site, and doesn't have a problem with it at all. Good enough for him is good enough for me. My main issue with the Q2 is not an issue for you, I guess. The problem is, is that even with all touch screen functions off, I can still sometimes center the focus point when my nose touches the screen, (left eye shooter) which is ridiculous because all touch functions are supposed to be off! I work around it by focusing and re-composing. Sorry the Q2 didn't work out for you. It's almost perfect for me and I can see it being my workhorse for many years to come.
a cheap half case will possibly sort out your nose/focus issue Joe...
I feel the cropped 35mm distorts & feels more stretched than an actual 35mm
Exactly what i thought
I bought a Q2 when it came out before the price hike. Really wanted to love this camera, the lens is wonderful, autofocus is decent, sensor is nice. The most inconvenient thing for me is the lack of tilt screen, this goes for all Leica. One of the major change I switched to mirrorless is using live view instead of EVF to shoot, specially shooting low. I shoot a lot of close up and the macro feature is perfect but it’s hard to shoot low to the ground item without tile screen. I was hoping I will switch from struggling with how many lenses to bring to go out and just one, but that hope hasn’t happened yet. This is a very unique camera, great but not for everybody. No camera is perfect, sorry Q2 doesn’t fit your needs.
Then buy the Q3 ;-)
Why is the lens so wide? 35mm everywhere between f1.8 and f1.4 would be much better.
That would make it a true street photography camera. 28mm seems a little too wide. I know you can crop,but I would prefer the ability to attach lens converters like the X100 series does.
You can assign ISO to the FN button. Go into customize control, select FN Button and choose ISO from the drop down menu.
I'm in the other extreme when it comes to "niche" and "beautiful" cameras. I have an a6400 and the tamron 17-70. There's nothing I miss, the system does all I need it to do and does it very well. But every couple a weeks or so, I get the "beauty" craving and I start looking at the x100v's and the like. I've so far managed to stay strong and not give in to the temptation :) Maybe we all tend to want what we don't have.
I shot an X100F for a year, exclusively. It wasn’t quite ready for prime time. Too many usability issues and limitations, and I never liked the jpegs. Maybe because Fuji makes such a point about “film simulations”, and they look nothing whatsoever like film.
@@joeltunnah They are supposed to look like their own Fujifilm film.
@@karimnasser9226 yet they don’t. I shot those films.
@@joeltunnah have you tried loading in a film recipe? I agree, the 'film simulations' don't look like film but I have had pretty good results using the film recipes on my XT4 with a vintage Pentax lens. Unless shooting RAW, I don't bother with the fujfilm's stock film simulations.
@@NeonboiiZ I replied to you but for some reason my comment was deleted. Someone or something doesn’t want me mentioning dxo.
Had an M9, couldn't justify owning it and swapped to a Fuji X-E3 and Ricoh GR3, no regrets but also kind of regrets. The M9 is just so nice to use and the whole feel of photography being about the moment rather than focusing and menus etc I really miss. Also, sort of miss my Sigma DP2 Merrill, that's an amazing camera in very niche and specific ways. Kind of want an M9 and Merrill again... But maybe I'll just get the X-Pro 4 when it arrives... Or maybe I should spend more time taking photos with the gear I already have.
I own a DP2 Merrill, in fact I own all three and I won't part with them. These are very special cameras, add a grip and you can carry one all day long. I was contemplating getting a Q2, but I am more leaning towards a M9 (with a replaced sensor).
@@karimnasser9226 I liked the idea of the Q2 but like you I think I'd get an M9 or maybe even a different Leica if it came down to it.
I'm tempted to pick up another Sigma DP2 Merrill, when they hit, they really produce something next level.
I really hoped Sigma would have made newer cameras that improved some of the shortcomings I found for my style of photography but I don't think they have. Still, I might have to pick another up. :)
I think if we all went with your last sentence and focused on that rather than worried about gear overmuch then the quality of photos would increase
How about getting an M Typ 240 and the cobalt image M9 color profiles? Should be the same price by the time the X Pro 4 comes out. Full frame of 2014 will still blow any crop sensor out of the water. Just a suggestion, no offence.
@@JLeoH No offence taken and thanks for the suggestion - I'll have to look in to that! I found myself eyeing up an M10 last night but the prices put me right off so your suggestion might be right on the mark, thank you!
Interesting about the wider than 28mm image. I was about to buy a Q2 but what was holding me back was the wide 28mm focal length, I tend to shoot mostly between 35mm and 75mm, and mostly 50mm. If the Q2 is rather a 24mm than a 28mm then I won't even bother.
Wow, Thank you for this. You saved me a bunch of money and, heartache. I think I owe you a coffee or something.
Keep up the good work.
The “tired of having so many niche cameras” really hit home… being overwhelmed by gear and what to take out is definitely detrimental to photography.
I agree. The tyranny of choice is something I am trying to get a handle on. I tell myself, get out and shoot.
Lol. The more the merrier.
GAS is a terrible illness. You will never be happy with any camera as long as you are a gearhead. Thanks for keeping us posted.
Really informative, as ever, thanks a million. I have no need for a Q as my X-Pro2 and his little brothers/sisters serves me beautifully but I’m always interested in hearing about other camera experiences out of sheer curiosity. Health and happiness for 2022 to you and your viewers.
I use an a7iv with a 35gm lens and it is an amazing combo; I also never have to worry about battery life. Sure it's a bit bulkier but a small messenger bag is enough to carry it around with another small lens like a 20mm g lens which is perfect for vlogging.
I love my Q2 precisely because there is so little to adjust. I also like the very spartan menu and the not so sophisticated JPG settings. The JPGs out of the camera are crappy anyway. Fuji can do that much better. But that's not why I bought the Q2.
I love my Q2 precisely because it is so simple and has few setting options. But it has a great lens, 28mm and f1.7 is my favorite. It has long been known that JPG out of the box is not Leica's strength. The JPGs on the Leica M series are just as crappy.
I only work in RAW and am very happy with the image quality.
The fact that the LCD display limits the entire image section also bothers me. But it requires me to use the viewfinder.
The Q2 is not optimal for every purpose. But for what I want it is just right. Namely, decelerated photography with a good lens. I won't give my Q2 back.
What an articulate intelligent analysis. I hope Leica are listening !
I always appreciate your opinion and your videos. I’d LOVE to see a 21mm Leica Q3 🤞🏽🤞🏽🤞🏽
Elle , Dakota and their Mother at 3:52... made you look right... Also good luck with the Sale 🙂
Hi Samuel, I have got a Q2 aswell. I upgraded my Leica M8 with the 28mm Elmarit 2.8 honestly? The M8 with the 28 was everything you need for emotional, documentary Pictures. But I was intrigued by the new stuff, interested in checking out what’s new. Also a bit disappointed with Q2, but hey: since prices are so stabLLLLe (L for Leica), it’s relatively easy to step in and out of different Leica experiences.
We all want that one camera, but we don’t acknowledge it once we found it. … it must be a constant process of buying new stuff, Marketing made uns this way🙆🏻♂️
Well, I found it useful. I was just about hooked on the Q2 and was starting to price a few. I'm very casual with my photography, but this has convinced me to give it more thought. Numerous issues for the price.
Yikes, several of these points would be total dealbreakers for me - not that I can afford a Leica, but still. At least now I don't have to pine over this model anymore haha. Really good review, and good on you for moving on from a camera that doesn't work for you. This was a year ago so I hope you found a happy buyer!
Thank you, Samuel. I found it extremely helpful. I am on the process of choosing a new camera - coming from a full frame Nikon entry level, going into mirrorless. I almost decided for a sl2-s, then changed for Q2, should I say , Q3. Yours is an honest, non comercial driven, insightful and straight to the point review. Thank you again. You avoid me a very frustrating error.
This was really helpful info. Thanks! I also briefly had and sold a Q2 for reason 7. I could get used to getting a little closer for a photo, but I couldn't get around the odd distortion. It just wasn't worth having such an expensive camera that I had to work around. I still miss it just for the great feel and build quality, but 35-50 is the best range for me. (If Leica ever sells a 35mm Q... Take my money!). I also think all the good things you have said in the past about the Q still hold true. Reason 7 is just a deal breaker.
Did that adapted Leica lens have a purple vignette on the R6?
You are awesome man! Love your authenticity and humor. “I’m done searching for emotional cameras…” had me lol! Thanks for the video and all the best to you and family.
Thanks for the video! Actually, in the menu you can chose the options for the function buttons.
Also, I recently compared the Leica Elmarit 28 to a Zeiss 28 Biogon ZM. Actually the Elmarit is a little less wide angle than the Zeiss. So maybe it is the Elmarit that is off, and not the Q2.
Leica does the in camera cropping of the edges for clearer images with all their fixed lens cameras (X series and Q series).
Keep up the good work!
I am a professional photographer, so I understand that I come from a different place. I have a Q1 since 2018, essentially for scouting. I must say that I haven’t noticed -nor would care much about- your annoyances. For instance, I shoot with the EVF and don’t use liveview, and I don’t shoot jpegs. I don’t care about the color shown on the evf because what matters is the base rendering on LR, and if the white balance is wrong it takes a second to correct I switched from a Fuji x100 f which had all kinds of buttons, film simulations and whatnot, because a) the lens was just the opposite of sharp, b) rhe ISO performance was a joke. The Leica has no no bells and whistles -nothing compared to the Z9 and the D850 I use for other work- but it has a beautiful lens, produces great quality images, and is easy and convenient to use. I would say that this philosophy extends to the M and S Leica series -maybe excepted the M11, which freezes… now, that would be an annoyance!-. So probably you should switch brands.
Honest and clear review. Iconic products have their drawbacks sometimes. Thank's.
Expensive cameras and cars push their owners to just describe them as perfect, what they are not.
That is great feedback that I hope the software engineers at Leica take to heart. The points concerning the lens don't bother me in the way I use my Q2. And, besides I like the wide angle look. :D
Thanks for your thought's, very honest, like it 👍🏻. That AWB issue at about 5:35, just set the camera to the BWNAT or BWHC in the JPG settings. I love my Leicas. But what really is annoying me, is the fact, that Leica is the solely camera manufacturer not adding the in body profiles STD, VIV, NAT, BWNAT, BWHC to the raw files. Leica, do you listen? The mathematical profile please and not Luts which can be uploaded to the Q3 and are only useful on 8 bit jpgs. All other manufacturers put that in body profiles into the raw file. If they are not listed in LrC, you must activate them for each brand and body it in the Developer view, open "Basic", click on profile, in the menu on "Browse" and add it to the favourites, finally click on "Close". Nikon etc. have all profiles there, Leica only a Leica M10 or PROFILE M11. Totally useless. I'm specially keen on BWNAT and BWHC.
Man, I was drooling for the new Q3, but this video completely dissuaded me. Very helpful and informative, thanks!
Interesting criticisms, but none of those issues bother me in the least. I find the Q2 to be an absolute pleasure of a camera that essentially gets out of my way and doesn't bog me down with technology that I don't need and never use. I want simplicity so I can concentrate on the creative, not the technical. But, everyone has their own style of shooting and their "must haves". My next favorite camera is the Fujifilm X-T4. Again, I don't use 90 percent of the 'stuff'.
I hope Fujifilm will come up with a new xpro4 soon!
It will be full frame apparently
@@markhou that makes no sense. They have no full frame lens
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Been using the Q2 for the last year. But after selling the GRIII for the Q2 I am now wanting to get that camera again as I miss the size of it and miss it ever since I got rid.
I watched this video 4 times before deciding to buy a second hand Leica Q instead of a fuji x100v or x-e4. I agree with all of your points and decided to take it.
I think it's a nice combo with my GRIIIx.
thank you Samuel.
you saved me - not really, cause since I added the Ricoh GR IIIx to my equipment I'm satisfied. Now I have 2 GR´s in my pocket and nothing can stop me. The only thing what I missed sometimes is a finder and a flip screen - but I sold my X100V, and maybe I give my XT3 away to buy a XE4? No! I went out to take pictures. A happy new year for you and your family!
This sums up the entire problem with most camera 'reviews' put out on RUclips; people generally review stuff when it is shiny and new, they're still excited about having it/using it, and they haven't actually worked out what works and doesn't work yet. If you look back through your own videos that mention the Q2, what impression of the camera are you giving off to your viewers? And then it's only when they are selling the camera, or the next thing has come out, does the honest truth about the camera come out
Exactly that's why you should always try it out yourself and not listen to camera reviews too much. I am in peace with myself when it comes to my youtube videos :) Whenever I talk about gear I talk about it from my perspective and I haven't done a review about the Q2 or talked about it much because I needed more time with it. I can not know how I think about a camera (any product) in the future. Whenever I change my mind, my viewers will know first :)
@@SamuelStreetlife The huge elephant in the room that no one wants to really see is that the perfect camera has not, does not, and never will exist. But the technology, the influencers, the reviewers, the new model releases and the always upward price increases are constantly changing. Everyone meanwhile is searching for the philosopher's stone. The Leica M11 has just arrived, wow! that camera and a Leica 50mm Summicron f/2 apo lens will set you back 14,000 gbp.
Say that again: 14 thousand UK big ones!
People buy them and drool over them and post their photos to Instagram which has a max file size of 4gb.
What's the point of it all?
Is it, to constantly buy more and more newer higher-specced equipment or is it to document projects with a good working tool with all its inherent flaws learning to live with these small niggles?
There is never ever any end to the newer equipment road story.
But still hundreds of new videos appear and cash is laid down, expectations raised to distant and ever higher levels only to be dashed in short measure as the perceived glory fades (when it almost certainly will) to those who ascribe to this never ending winding path. Cartier-Bresson in the 30s made photographs in Mexico and Paris and elsewhere with old antiquated equipment. He used what he had and excelled at his craft. How many can say, that fine images can be made with a single lens and a small inexpensive camera without jumping about all over the place, constantly churning gear, in an equipment squirrel chase - which, has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with photography.
If one has to put the price just beside the function, there is so much to cover. Thanks Samuel for your honest insightful comments.
Horses for courses….use the viewfinder and dng files and at least half your problems are solved…(happens to be my favorite camera, so I’m biased). Great channel btw…I’ve watched (and enjoyed) many of your videos.
I just got an origional Q and am also kinda disappointed because like you I watched every video I could and yet the issues I was having had not been discussed, even in this video you dont bring up 2 really important points. First is the manual focus will focus past infinity and does not hard stop at infinity so its possible to have literally nothing in focus if you focus all the way to the right. Secondly is the way shutter speeds over 1/500th effect the image, at 1/1000 and 1/2000 and to a lesser degree 1/500th the leaf shutter actually isnt fast enough to get out of the way of the aperature blades and causes the bokeh to be softer on the edges than in the middle instead of being a perfect circle. It blows my mind that these things are never mentioned, thanks for making this video Samuel and sheading light on some of these other issues because I am very dissapointed in the community as a whole for not noticing or discussing these problems.
I thought my Q was faulty at first when I saw it had no hard stop at infinity, makes no sense! I still love it though...
Thank you so much for your straightforwardness and frankness! We will not find these 7 points in the advertisement of Leica ... Very useful arguments for me - because I have to advice a friend if she should buy this expensive camera or not.
It wouldn't be for me neither - I am very happy with my Nikon Z- System.
Best regards from Switzerland.
Agree about the niche cameras. I have a GFX 50sii with a couple of lenses. I also have the Leica Q which was supposed to be my travel camera. Like you, I struggle with the stretched view which also seems to apply to the Q. I just ordered the Leica D Lux 7 as my travel camera and am considering selling the Q. The D Lux with the different focal lengths might not be as sharp or fancy as the the Q but should still get the job done. With kids as well. The smaller, the better.
Should've went for the lx100 mark 2, would've saved you a few hundred dollars
@@Legoman1352 wanted the silver version and the lx’s don’t come in that color. It was worth the extra cash for me. :)
*THANK YOU. I loved watching this. Fuji X-T4 and X-S10 does it all. Just some primes and zoom. Got it all and so much more for so much less money.*
The quest for the perfect camera is a never ending one... (Especially because our tastes and situation change from time to time). 😅
I still found a close one with the Sigma fp. So much so that I think about selling my other camera and keep only the fp and the GRIII (mostly for family)... Didn't expected to love it so much. But it fits my needs like a glove.😅
As a father of a young boy, I understand you for the almost no time to go out... 🙃😭
Dear Samuel. As a new photographer I saw a lot of your videos When you first started with a GRiii and the joy and enthusiasm you brought with you (along with the camera). It was a lot of inspiration for many of us. I now use a new leica film camera and it complements my GRIII. You did a lot for many of us. And this video was sad seeing you realised what you wanted wasn’t what you hoped for. By the way Elmar is crazy. In a good way.
Whilst two years old this has a come at a very timely junction for me … I was (or am!) considering one probably a monchrom, but as much as I think they are just so beautiful, I am still not sold on the price tag for a fixed lens shooter … I was completely unaware of the issues you’ve mentioned (except the 24mm), from any other review … Thanks .. hard to believe baby is a couple of years old now!! 😊 📷
Min. 8:00: no problem to amend the list of quick access functions (incl. ISO) for the FN button at all, see manual pg. 46. „RTFM“ 😉 I tried it, works flawlessly - there is no „limitation“ to this regard.
Was soo tempted to buy one of these, but I think I'd really regret it. Thanks for the post - good insight.
i felt this, im a proud Q owner and im glad i didnt even consider the Q2 the Q was perfect for what i needed it for but honestly i like the low light performance its the best ive ever used on a camera
Thank You Samuel You are a life savior
I’m the other way around, after shooting with only the M for 9 years, I just got the Q2 and I’m loving it lol maybe honeymoon effect 🤷🏼♂️
Had my Q2 since it was released and every month I’m loving and understanding it more.
@@CrueLoaf yes! The things Samuel said are true. I noticed them. But they don’t bother me. And if they do, I use the M. I think the Q is a great companion for the M
@@franciscosalas6779 same. I have a M6, M9, M10D and a M10-P. When I just want to shoot and not think in any weather, I grab my Q2.
Hi Samuel !
Respect your opinion and here is my 5 cents. I own Q2 1,5year from new (already one trip to Germany for service) and as well own GR3.
Auto WB for sure it’s not impressive on both cameras that’s why I’m setting daylight or specific kelvin value on my both cameras.
What I learned with Q2 and back screen is to setup once and work with limitations. First thing i always use crop 35mm and think as it’s 28mm. Second step already mentioned about Stable WB and learn eyes 😂
As part of customization I’m not very interested. Usually using my cameras with default setting or very subtle changes.
My biggest complaint is manual option, you’re right scale is bitt odd, and for me switch between Manual and AF is catastrophic. I’m traveling between both modes within uncomfortable feeling of tiny button.
Hope you will find your new companion soon 🤟🏻🤝🇸🇪
Once I got over the fact that I dropped 5k on a camera I stopped worrying about finding faults with the Q2. I use it all the time and don't worry about babying it.
Good for you! I had a moment where I thought the same and I decided to just use it until it breaks. After a wedding shoot and a little field trip with a friend I concluded that the Q2 will stay with me. But over time the little annoyances where hard to ignore and I stopped enjoying it. Hope you have fun with yours for a long time! It's a fantastic camera without much competition.
I still use my nikon D2Hs (~2006) with a 28 mm f2.8 (AI-s) and still like the pictures (no cropping). The fun for me is to get good compositions when I travel.
The scratched EVF issue puts me off buying one - they should have put a circular large round EVF like the SL/CL on there
I borrowed a Q2 from a friend to ry out because I REALLY want a Q2M, but there were two things that bothered me and prevented an immediate purchase: (1) I could not figure out how to turn off LCD touch functionality, which I found important because the focus position would change between every shot just from the camera bouncing against my body when hanging on my neck, and (2) while it is not a "fault" of the camera, if I were to have a single focal length camera, I would prefer a 40 to 50 mm lens. My most used lens now is the Sony 50 f/1.2 on the A7R4, the combination of which produce magical results every time (just unbelievable). I thought a Q2M would be a perfect companion to the Sony, but again I prefer 40 to 50 mm lens. I know one can crop, but then there is a huge megapixel loss. I have not ruled out the Q2M yet, but for $6K I would really like to get the focal length right. For now I have a Ricoh iiix on order at 1/6th the price of the Q2M. It's not a mono camera, but it will provide the pocketable everyday carry alternative to my Sony combination. I'll have to keep lusting over the Q2M for awhile, hoping they follow Ricoh's lead and produce a Q2Mx with a 40 to 50 mm lens. Thanks for a great video.
Fair points. I love my Q but added a Fuji X-Pro3 to the equation to be more flexible.
my Canon R6 does all of the same things, even the lens corrections. The only exception is the R6 has plenty of customization. Other than that I've had most of these issues across all mirrorless brands. Gotta make the decision for you though of course. Thanks for the detailed info. I don't think these issues will bother me much.
I tried the R6 and it is much more customizable than the Q2 and feels better in the hand. EVF was worse though. But overall a great camera. Yes most mirrorless cameras suffer from the same inconsistencies.
had to watch at 0.5 at the end for the sweet spot haha
though a lot of interesting points I've never heard about this camera.
Thank you Samuel! That's the best Leica Q2 review ever. I care so much about the "look" of the focal length of the lens. Like some others, I hope Leica can make a 40mm Q without distortion. Do you think the LR 40mm crop (based on the 35mm in camera crop) feels like 40mm?
I've sold my Q2 after 6 months of love-hate relationship. Also felt that the lens is too wide (compared to 18mm Fujinon). Poor highlight recovery was the second most annoying thing for me. Luckily I was wise enough to keep my Fuji kit while I was evaluating the Q2 :)
Hey brotha I actually figured out the issue you had with customizing your FN button. If you go on the settings on page 3 and click “Customize Control” , you can change which options you can select on each FN button.
Great video you made. And great points that you made. But I think it’s fair if you know that one of your complaints about that camera, can actually be resolved in the settings.
Thanks for a great review! Just out of curiosity. Would you say that the Ricoh GRiii feels more like a ”true” 28mm?
First video of 2022! Wanted to post a different video but this is a left over from last year :) Happy new year everyone and see you soon!
Happy NewYear Bro,When r u coming to Vienna?
I know you will get the new Leica that’s coming up
I had the X100V. Beautiful camera but way to much functionality. Didn‘t need much of tha Fuji-Features. Therefore I sell it and bought a Q2. Best camera I ever bought Minimalism, excellent handcraft. Btw, I do street photography. Mostly working with zone.focussing.
Try a M-D. It solves ALL the problems! Also, I run around with my son using proper zone focus with M-D.
Schaue dein Channel seit längerem, jetzt subbed auch. Danke für deine Ehrlichkeit und die Punkte sind wirklich unique und gleichzeitig relevant!
Hi, what did you glue on your camera for your thumb rest? Thanks
Thanks! Hope Leica is listening, and Q3 comes with improvements
Thanks Samuel, you have pointed out some of the continuing strange Leica idiosyncrasies that we are afraid to talk about as we have spent so much money. They are all true and sure, why shouldn't Leica address these strange issues? The virtually un-anjustable contrast and saturation and inaccurate white balance are frustrating. It forces a lot of Leica shooters to expose for highlights and you end up with the super crushed blacks, which can look beautiful, its a bit of a signature for Leica but its a limitation. It makes it more difficult to use the cameras professionally (I am referring to the M240, CL digital and Leica SL2-S). There is some fun to retrieving the shadows in post though.
Great video!! Enough honest to tell the truth about a great camera that might have some issues… At the beginning I didn’t know these issues were going to be that important and interesting. That point of the screen black bar, for example, is enough to think of not liking it that much!
Thanks for the explanations and greetings from Spain!
Good video. Plus it is difficult to recenter the focuspoint. Double tapping the screen does not cut it when using the evf. Not selling mine though.
Great video. You know you totally nailed it with the lens comment, I noticed it on the original Q and I could never figure out why the photos looked different, but it is the distortion and the wider field of view. You are right it is still a good camera, but the lens is not a 28. Cheers!
Interesting video! I can't say that I saw the same issues with my Q2 but I think it is because I use it more as a documentary / travelling camera rather than a street one. I definitely take my GR3 and X100V around a lot more day to day (it is a bit of a luxury to have all of them, such is life).
Thanks Sam you saved me a few thousands so I’ll be keeping my 100V. 👍👍
Thanks Samuel for the informative video! I would add the very poor AF to the list of deficits. I make a lot of street in Thailand and tried several cameras. By far the best combo is for me the Sony A7C with the Tamron 20-40/2.8.
You are right. A camera this expensive should at least be as good as the competition regarding the things you mentioned. Especially when it's four times the price 🤷🏽♂️
Thanks for sharing! I recently got myself a Q2, and I noticed issues with the distortion as well. It seems like the correction applied to the JPEG and DNG are a bit different. The JPEG correction looks exactly like what I see through the EVF, but is a bit more "stretched" for a wider look, and the DNG correction seems more "normal". But what annoys me the most is that while straight lines appear straight in JPEGs throughout the frame, the straight lines in DNGs (with built-in correction applied in Lightroom) become visibly curved towards the 4 corners. This is fine in most situations, but is very frustrating when photographing things like buildings or interiors. I think I see it a bit in the sample photo at 12:15 as well. Wondering if anyone has experienced this and any tips/advice would be super helpful :(
Thanks for the refreshingly honest review. For me it was the comment re the huge 47mp files that cured my Q2 psychosis.
#8 the friction on the side dial is excessive for the size of the dial. After shooting 1/2 a day it becomes a nuisance.
Very interesting. Thank you for this honest review. I own a Leica M10 and hesitate to switch to the Q2 or Q3 because sometimes autofocus is nice... And is that Elle Fanning on your photo (3mn51) ahah? Nice shot :)
Ah! What a really nice surprise! This is a very honest review of the Q2 and I'm glad you keep being honest. This is so appreciated! I was glancing at it and now will pass and prefer to wait and see about a Q3 or revise my option of a Mx instead. Thanks! (5 out 7 are deal breakers, rest is, yeah, annoying)
There are two reasons why I don't have the Leica Q2: firstly, my wife won't let me spend 5 grand on a camera. Secondly, I think I would miss the customisation on my Fuji. This video has really helped feel better about it! (Along with your poor man's Q2 video..) I think I'll get the Fuji 18mm 1.4 and my wife probably won't notice.. 😏🤷♂️
サムエルさん、色々びっくりしました！
13日の発表が楽しみですねｗ
今年も良い年になりますよう！
I never use lens corrections with my M8 and M9 with all of my vintage Leitz glass from 21 to 135mm. There‘s just no need for correction just perfection.
That photo of Elle Fanning and Dakota Fanning at the 3:52 mark totally caught me off guard lol
Great video, the Q2 is a great camera but definitely still has room for improvement whenever they get around to the next generation of camera. I also would have trouble with that focal length, as nice as the lens is.
You joke about getting a Sony a7 IV but...that camera is great, it just does not have the "fun factor" of the best Leicas, Fujis, GRs and so on.
I thought about the A7IV a lot because I am missing a camera that can do it all. But there is nothing I couldn't do with the cameras I already own so I passed in the A7IV :) If I wouldn't have my fuji cameras for youtube already, I would probably go for sony...
Thanks for the info on the lens, I really want a 35mm but was convincing myself that the 28mm could work. Not if it is wider!
I’ve had a Q2 since April 2021 and the only similar problem I’ve noticed is a tendency to underexpose in strong contrast (which can introduce a slightly painterly grandmaster look to some photos). Other than that, and the space and time consuming 100mb raw and jpeg files (and the flamboyant price of the camera and accessories), I love it. I also find that the manual focus and DoF scale work well for me too. Set to f/8, everything from 6 feet to infinity is in focus. Perfect for my needs. And then there’s the useful macro capability. Good point about the wider than 28mm focal length though. I’ve always found 28mm too narrow and have much preferred 24mm. Perhaps that’s why I like it so much!
Hatte das gleiche Problem mit meiner XT2. Evf und LCD waren so unterschiedlich, wie du es gerade gezeigt hast.
Der Service von Fuji hat die beiden „Displays“ kalibriert 😮 danach war es kein Problem mehr 😊
About point 7. I don't think that's how lenses work though. If that's the case then all crop sensors users will feel it. It probably feels more distorted not because it's wider than 28.. but because it can focus closer than an elmarit (0.3m vs 0.7m) thus making you walk closer? I'm also trying to find out more about this topic but nobody ever explains this. Does a 28mm lens still have the 28mm lens look after cropping in? Most definitely does if you keep the same distance? But in real world applications. On a longer focal length. We tend to just walk further away from the subject. Thus making the photo having the look of that longer focal length right?
Best camera for street life became FujiFilm X100V. Is just very comfortable to use, the lens it just works!
Thanks for your honest review compared to the shills out there trying to make a buck to customers whom are none the wiser.
I love you Samuel!!! Your videos bring me so much joy.. DANKE!
Glad I watched this, I’m considering this or the canon r5
Next years gift to me