This is the camera I’ve been waiting on for over a decade, even if I didn’t know it. Ever since I decided to get into digital photography; I was slow to try digital. I know, I know, I can hear some of you saying what a surprise! The reason was I had loved my Leica Range Finder film cameras for years.
I couldn’t imagine any other manufacture for a camera, but when I went to look at the Leica M Series Digital Cameras gave me sticker shock. Not only sticker shock but also I couldn’t believe how big and heavy they were. So, I purchase a Leica X and then an X2. I also purchase the little D-Lux. I immediately fell in love with both of these, but only for certain uses. The little D-Lux, which I now have the G-Star RAW D-Lux 6, is the best point and shoot I have used.
The X2 is made in Germany, but I know the little D-Lux isn’t. Still to me how a camera fits my hand, how it’s view finder works, and how much it seems like a camera and not a computer with a lens stuck on it are all extremely important to me. Now, I must confess the fact that it’s a Leica is also important to me. So, there is no reason to start telling me about other brands that give you more for the buck; I don’t care.
The new Leica Q gives me almost everything I had dreamed of in a camera. It’s a fixed lens compact camera that is very similar to their M-series rangefinders. It uses a 24MP full-frame sensor and a Leica Summilux 28mm F1.7 lens. The images are so sharp that you can use the camera’s software to allow it to shoot like a 35mm or 50mm lens. I promise you it does this with no loss of quality that I can see when the image is blown up really big.
It has a high-resolution electronic viewfinder, an easy to use mechanical manual focus ring makes focusing very easy, but the AF is so good I can only see using MF for special shots.The manual aperture and shutter speed controls both have dedicated dials.
I’m not a camera reviewer, so I’ll stop rattling on. I’m so excited to get out and shoot some pics with this camera that I’m going to shut up and go out to have fun!