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leica q camera review // mirrorless full frame camera

Click here to read my full review of the new Leica Q full frame mirrorless camera

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76 Comments
  • Whoa, that was unexpected.

  • I don’t get it! Click on the link and your wordpress site has an error

  • Did you put it offline?

  • Is it in draft form? It said I do not have permission to view a draft.

    • should be fixed now, sorry!

    • Thanks for the honesty. So what do you recommend instead? I had to carry my Markiii all around Italy last week and every part of my upper body hurt after.

  • “Amateur doctors” hahahaha

  • Couldn’t read it, Sam (y)

  • This is so amazing! So romantic! Gah! To bad you didn’t care for that particular camera, but I do love this image!

  • I couldn’t read it, Sam. The link goes to a photo of the camera. Don’t worry, the price tag already convinced me to not buy it ;-). Hope I can read your review soon though.

  • 4200$??? seriously?

  • Thank you for the honest review. Only wish others would follow this philosophy instead of trying to push blog/site sales to earn commissions. Best wishes!

  • Yes, too sharp. It was my first feeling, very happy to read that I’m not crazy or too much romantic about this aspect. You really pissed off on it man, but thanks for your honesty and time 😉

    • glad you’re in agreement. i feel most people would think that the sharper the better, but i’ve never thought that’s an absolute truth.

  • I like your product bashing prose.

  • That was awesome

  • Can’t wait for an updated M. I love my 240 but am dying for an updated sensor

  • Anthony White

  • Interesting Celesté Havenga

  • Images are great, looks better than the camera I have but the price tag, might as well go buy a full dslr

  • Leica’s are seriously overpriced – I wasn’t going for it no matter how good a review it might have gotten.

  • Joel Price

  • I thought you were kidding with your description above 😉 clearly not… lol (still, your photos are superb out of it)

  • Holy crap, I thought you were being sarcastic about not liking it, but then I read the whole post. That seems like an awful investment

  • Yet the images you created were superb as always. Thanks for the honest review.

  • Thank you Sam.​ Respect man. I admire you because you honestly expressed what you felt with this camera, specially because it is THE LEICA and many people would just play that it is nice camera even if they did not feel that way ! I do not own any and D750, D810 and old trusty D3s are mine workhorses but I know for sure where to come for some honest Leica review in the future :). You rock with those prisms images, big fan of your work!

  • I see what you mean with the “ugly banding”, I’ve never shot with that camera but that is the first thing I noticed in the photo you posted of the couple kissing at night. Thanks for sharing the review!

  • Geez. That banding alone. I was worried I was alone in finding its extreme sharpness off putting! Such a bummer.

  • I appreciate this honest review! Thank you!

  • I think the real problem here is it is the wrong tool for the kind of photography you are doing. I haven’t used it so I can’t comment on the actual use but this is a street photography tool. As Leicas have pretty much always been. Probably not much thought put into using it as a portrait camera.

    • I definitely see where you might be coming from, but I judging from the many books I’ve looked through at the Leica store in DC they most certainly care about portraits.

    • Certainly. I’m just speculating that this is not the tool for that style of shooting. I think that might explain the difference between your experience and that of many others who are reviewing it from that perspective.

  • Can’t read it. Your caption is enough to convince me though! ✌️

  • Laurent Nivalle ! 😉

  • Would love to hear your thoughts on the Fuji X-series as a comparison to the Leicas you’ve used.

    • For me, it’s gotta be full frame

    • I can understand that, and also love ff’s aesthetic, but…have you tried any of the x100 series?

    • of course! Owned the very first x100 actually 🙂 tried all of them in some capacity

    • Thanks for the replies. Guess I gotta sell everything I own and get a Leica.

  • Pourquoi tu me montres ça Charles ?

  • This is likely the most angry I have ever seen you. I won’t purchase this camera on the simple thought that you might walk up to me and smack it out of my hands out of pure frustration.

  • Wow. It’s a very personal point of view. 28 mm isn’t “weird”. At least for reportage-street pictures. Ricoh and Daydo Moriyama style it’s a strong example. I don’t agree ….it’s a true, modern Leica camera. The lens is not a perfect one but it has its character . Love it. It takes the best from the T camera ( touch focus ), the best from the X camera ( very light ) and the best from M cameras ( integrated viewfinder, very silent , discreet, etc ). It’s slimmer than a ” fat” typ 240, it’ s like an M6. Perfect, as the digital M should be.

    • Agreed that it’s completely my own opinion. Obviously many will disagree with me, but many won’t.

  • Crazy, I’ve read some glowing reviews, but your reasons are certainly special.

  • Andrew Samuel Embury

  • Thanks for your honesty. It’s good you do this. I remember you going cold on the d750- and I’m so glad I didn’t buy one. I’m chuffed with my d810. I LOVE it. This one sounds pretty crap, which I doubt we will hear in many other places until consumer reviews start filtering in.

  • David Clarke

  • Phew thank god I got my X100t instead!

  • Still. .. a very beautiful moment that you captured. ♡

  • Sam! My husband and I just came across this and read your whole review. Love your honesty and sorry Leica pissed you off.

    • We have been thinking about buying one for a while now but this helped in our decision on the Q.

  • Mario G

    I understand you don’t like it, and I respect that. My issue with your article is that you discribing its build inaccurate for example you mention the 160.00 plastic hand grip you can add to the camera, well that’s inaccurate. I own the grip myself and happy to report that whole this is made of metal. And also has the matching leather the Q comes with I don’t know if you have a nock off made from Chinese The way you describe how cheap it feels is misleading because is made of magnesium it’s a very light metal almost as light at titanium. Also the top part is made of aluminum , this is also a very light weight metal. And could seem that’s it made of cheap material but it’s Not. If your use to using a DSLR camera like Nikon, Canon. Which I used myself over the years, the Q will feel like it’s nothing. If you don’t like Leica in general and just trying to trash it I find it insulting.

    • I said in the article that even if it does have metal components… It doesn’t matter because to me it feels like plastic. Just my opinion, but it feels very poor… metal or not. I love Leica and stated in the article that I’ve owned 3 leica cameras two M240 and one M9. So, I’m glad you’re not insulted.

  • Tried this body at the LA Leica store and the first thing I thought was how cheap it felt in comparison to the m240. So much plastic on such an expensive body. The Sony RX1 which I used to own felt so much better and was constructed with metal. And the Sony are now being sold at $1300-1500 used and it’s phenomenal. I was extremely turned off by the Q as well.

  • gazza Roonii

    i cant understand for a why you bought the Q. It’s a advanced FF, AF camera with a lens and a EVF maybe aimed at a different audience to those that love the M style of shooting.. Why on grass would you think it would be like an M or that not being like an M is a valid thing.. It’s not an M, it’s a Q. Sure, don’t like it if you don’t like it, but the thing throughout just sounds like attention seeking. Surgically removing bits of your soul? Rubbish, it’s just a camera and a sort of good one. And why would Leivca be out to please you in particular and, wow, you’re sooo pissed at them!

    It’s been a while since I’ve read such a weird piece of self writing. Get over yourself.

  • WOW

  • joe

    The banding you speak of is no where to be found on my copy.
    The price is to high … a give-in.
    While reading this, images of red hair crossed my mind.
    Tell me the truth, aren’t you really Donald Trump!
    I like the IQ , the size and the wt and build.
    I’m curious as to what camera you take to shoot a wedding. do you use leica, nikon, canon,
    Do you also shoot video with the same camera, Im just trying to figure out how you have come to trash this tool.
    It seems like your mad at someone , I’m sure it will be all you readers. The 240 is great and whats next will blow your mind , well maybe not. Cheers!

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  • SK

    Given how overly processed your photos are, does it really matter what gear you use?