Leica Q2 Monochrom
Royal Class "M" system. The measuring probe, a physical component. Very precise, and it works. I stand by what I've already written about the M-System. It's the top of the line. But. The M-System has several aspects that I find negative.
Firstly, what actually makes the M so special: the measuring probe. This is physical in nature and therefore also prone to failure. Yes, I'm biased. If the measuring probe on my M8 hadn't broken (the roller inside got stuck), I would be sitting here now, still claiming there's nothing better than the M-System. An M-System requires maintenance, and that costs money. Unless you're rich, the M-System simply isn't for you. If you don't have €2,000 readily available, then the M-System is simply unrealistically expensive. I'm someone who only buys. I don't pay in installments. Leasing is a good option for some. But I don't want to tie myself down financially. Of course, everyone decides that for themselves.
The M-lenses are also expensive. Yes, there are Voigtländer lenses, for example. But even those are expensive. On average, a good Voigtländer costs around €500. But if you need a lot of focal lengths, that also adds up. Keeping expensive lenses as a hobby is something you have to be able to afford. So, with the Q2, starting at €4,000, you get a system that makes a lot of economic sense.
But another point of criticism for me is the lack of weather sealing of the M system. I spent a long time considering which system to get: M or Q2. I thought about it for a long time. But one of the main reasons for choosing the Q2 system is its weather sealing. The question was, "When and where do I like to take photos?" And the answer is quite simple for me: Where it's quiet. Where there are few people. As someone with autism, and back when I didn't know I had Asperger's syndrome, it was very important to me to have peace and quiet. People are loud. Consequently, there are few people in my pictures. I like to be out and about when it's unpleasant for others. I like it eerie. Cold and uncomfortable. That's where I personally feel at home. And so, the answer quickly follows, similar to Q(2). Being able to take photos in general, even in unpleasant conditions. Without having to wonder whether it's okay to take photos at the harbor in an industrial area. Always having the right camera with me on every adventure, and one that actually works, without having to worry about the circumstances.
Yes, the Q2 has a fixed lens. It's also a bit larger, which I don't really like. But you have to make compromises if you want certain features. And with the standard lens hood (the narrow, square one), the Q's lens also looks a bit "smaller." At least the Q has the body of an M.
Another major advantage, in my opinion, is the Q's lens in general. It's a Summilux with an aperture of f/1.7, which is very good for the price. With a Q, you get a Leica in an M body with a lens that would cost almost €8,000 as a Leica M lens at f/1.4. Another advantage is the various focal length options/frames. Yes, it's a digital crop. But with 47 MP (Q2), you can crop without hesitation. At 75 mm, you'd have to check whether the image needs to be upscaled for printing. But at 50 mm, 47 MP is more than enough.
Furthermore, the Q is not a "point and shoot" camera, as some might claim. It is a fully-fledged Leica. The Q is a premium product. No question about it. The quality speaks for itself.
One thing I deliberated about for a long time, however, was the viewfinder. The EVF. And here, too, I was won over. The EVF looks elegant compared to other cameras. It's large. And best of all, it's an OLED display. Since using an OLED display for gaming on my Windows PC, I never want to go back to "just" an LCD display. The quality is truly so much better. Not to mention the P3 color gamut. sRGB looks washed out in comparison. So, OLED EVF, and with high resolution, too. 3.68 MP for a tiny display is more than enough. At least for now. The 5.76 MP of the Q3 might become the norm later on. At 60 and 120 Hz. Which shouldn't be a major factor for a still image. As long as the battery can handle 120 Hz, then why not? Long-term experience will tell.
And of course, the Q doesn't have a physical probe, unlike the current M-EV1. This eliminates the maintenance issue entirely. Another advantage is that the Q2M was manufactured in 2020.
Another point to consider with the Q2 Monochrom is its sensor. I mentioned earlier that I like to be out and about when there are few people around. And that certainly applies to nighttime as well. Being able to take pictures at night is simply a very compelling argument. And the Q2 Monochrom's sensor makes this possible, even at ISO 100,000. With a monochrome camera, the relationship to ISO is different. There's less noise than with a color image. You can research this topic further. A color sensor that captures the image in color channels behaves differently than a sensor that only captures contrast. This allows for the creation of images that wouldn't be possible with the weak ISO performance of a less capable color camera. And yes, you can already take relatively good photos at night with an M11 or an M-EV1.
Another advantage of the 47 MP resolution is, of course, the image size. This is sufficient for professional sales purposes and will remain so for a long time. It's not without reason that many professionals in the print industry still work with the Canon 5DSR, for example, with its 50 MP.
My biggest concern was also that you "shoot differently" with the M system. Shooting with the rangefinder and the optical viewfinder (OVF), without looking at the back LCD. Leica D users know what I mean. Shooting like with a film camera. But of course, that's also possible with the Q. For example, since I had the M8, I've forced myself not to use the back screen and its Live View. Not that the M8 didn't have Live View. With the M8, the only option was to work with the OVF, not to hold the camera away from your body. That makes a difference. Everything is manually focused. But I'll address the topic of "how to shoot" in another post. What I want to say is, shoot like you would with a film camera. You can do this very well with a digital camera, too. You should just shoot in a way that you enjoy.
Well, there you have it. If I were to suddenly find myself swimming in money, I'd add the M system to my Q2. But the Q(2) will always be there alongside the M, too. Among other things, as a weather backup camera and a general backup camera.
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