Q3 - observations and opinions

[Karim Ghantous]

Observations:

All accessories that I know of for the Q2 will fit the Q3. That’s despite the tilting LCD and the new location of the play and menu buttons.

The Q3 battery is compatible with the Q2 and SL2, and holds more charge. A lot of people will be grateful that batteries on these cameras are interchangeable.

Nobody seems to care about the wireless charging.

The lens cap is deeper, and will never fall off by accident. You will probably want to buy a Q3 cap for your Q 116 or Q2.

It’s the first Leica with the Maestro IV processor. It also has the same TriRes option as the M11 (IMHO it’s not a feature that suits this camera).

Video mode allows for custom LUTs.

The maximum crop to a 90mm FOV gives you a 6Mpx file. Not too bad.

The FN button is gone and now there are two customisable buttons at the top right above the LCD. Previously there was just one.

The Q2 has USB-C and micro HDMI ports. The previous Q cameras have no ports at all. There is no microphone input, but the USB port could be the solution for external microphones.

Edit: there is also a cable release thread on the shutter button.

 

Opinions:

I want one.

The Q3 is going to show the way for the SL system, although that goes without saying. I suspect that Leica will release two more Q cameras, one with a 21mm lens and another with a 50mm. Together, these will be all the cameras that some photographers would ever want.

Me, I need supertelephoto lenses, which is why I shoot MFT most of the time. But if you need nothing longer than a short portrait lens, the Q is the meeting point of quality, size, price, convenience, and performance.

Personally I would prefer the lens to be a Summicron, as it is a little bit bigger than it could be. It's not a huge deal, but it is my preference.

The only criticisms I have are two:

1. No proper back-button AF

2. No 16-bit compressed file format (e.g. JP2K, HEIF)

Both of those criticisms can be fixed with firmware updates.

 

A thorough first look:

(46:17)

A written first look:

https://www.overgaard.dk/Leica-Q3-digital-rangefinder-camera.html 

 

Edited May 26, 2023 by Karim Ghantous

[Allen Herbert]

Hmm, lots of wonderfulness. However, it has the same weak, not supported by Leica, the weak badly designed battery catch, as on the X cameras.

Hey Ho.. sort of in a weird way puts a smile on your face.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 28, 2023 by Allen Herbert

[Greg M]

I only need one 28mm lens or, that is, to buy one, one time, not three.

[mark_l6]

Just to make a minor correction, the thread in the shutter button is for fitting expensive Leica soft releases into, it is a blind socket and cannot function with a cable release.

It has fooled many reviewers and pretty much all YouTubers.

We've had a fake cable socket, fake wind on lever (M10-d), fake brass rubbing (Lenny Kravitz model), just waiting on the fake Leica camera so the Hipsters can pose with no unnecessary pressure to actually take a photograph.

I own 6 Leicas, but this Q3 shutter button socket is taking the Mickey.

[Karim Ghantous]

On 7/10/2023 at 4:23 PM, mark_l6 said:

I own 6 Leicas, but this Q3 shutter button socket is taking the Mickey.

A fair criticism. But, perhaps they made it that way for better weather sealing? Possibly.