3 Year Review - Leica Q2

Jun 23

June of 2022, Kristan and I went on a trip to Seattle for a wedding we were photographing. I only had one request. I wanted to visit the Leica store and scope out a Leica Q2. Kristan and I talked about it and I told her I just wanted to look and there was no way I could justify spending $6,000 on a camera with only one lens but I really wanted to see what one looked like in person.

Our first day in Seattle we made our way to the Leica store and was greeted by the amazing staff. They pulled out a Leica Q2 and handed it over. They also pulled up a book of photographs taken with the Q2. Kristan was actually sold on the camera almost before I was. She loved it, I loved it. It was amazing. A week later the camera arrived to our house and I have been using it ever since. Oh, and I should mention that Kristan picked up a Q2 ghost a few months later.

So, it has been three years with the Leica Q2. It has traveled with us to South Africa, to Quebec City, Canada and countless trips in the United States. It is my everyday personal camera. It takes pictures of our family, our adventures and just outings around town. I shoot macro with it, I shoot portraits with it, I shoot landscapes and I shoot my food with it. So how does it stack up? Let’s talk about a few key things with the Leica Q2.

28mm Lens

For me this was probably the biggest challenge when I started. I always loved a 50mm focal length and longer. Most of our professional work was always on a longer set of lenses so for me, getting used to a 28mm was the biggest challenge. It is wide, it is puts a lot more in the frame. The first probably 6 months I really loved the camera and wanted to love the 28mm but it was a challenge. I watched so many YouTube videos and read so many online reviews and the 28mm was just a challenge for me. Then, we went to South Africa. I brought the Q2 and forced myself to use it for everything and let me tell you. This trip changed my life with the Q2. I used it for everything on that trip. Walk around camera, portraits, landscapes, EVERYTHING. It forced me to see the world very differently. When I came home from Africa, I knew I loved the 28mm focal length.

It truly is a perfect walk around travel focal length. I feel like if I took a 50mm on vacation I would miss a lot of shots that were important to me. I couldn’t take photos of my wife or daughter across the table. I wouldn’t be able to get the landscaping or architecture shots fully in frame. You can always get closer (well, usually) but you can’t always step back. 28mm has since become one of my favorite focal lengths. It is something that I will keep with me forever.

Now, the downside is the 28mm is wide and you wont be taking photos of birds with this camera (at least not many). You can’t do most sports with this lens. But it was not meant for any of that.

In photography, they say that in order to make great photos you need to have good light, good access and a good subject. Let’s talk access. If I got to a baseball game with the Q2, I don’t have access to get on the field and take professional photos with a 500mm 2.8 Lens. What I do have access to is the stands, the crowd, the wide angle shots. So, if you keep this in mind and think about what you have access too and then make that your focus for photography you will be just fine.

Travel and Portability

The Q2 is very travel friendly. It is not the smallest camera and the lens is actually fairly big but compared to a modern day DSLR or Mirrorless camera it is smaller. It is a little heavier that most cameras but it is also built extremely well. The metal construction, weather sealing and all the components make it feel like you have a piece of art in your hands. For the most part the Q2 can go in any bag or modern sling. It is small enough that most places do not consider it a “professional camera” and they allow you to bring it in without question. For me, being able to travel and take it everywhere is important. So many people I talk to say they don’t bring their camera with them because of how big and heavy they are. I get it. I don’t think I would either if I had to carry my R5ii and a lens. But the Q2 is pretty perfect for an everyday, walk around camera and travel partner.

Image Quality

I mean, there is not much to say here but WOW. No matter what photo I have taken, they always come out amazing. I am able to edit them up beautifully and many of the photos in our home were taken on one of our Q2’s. We are able to crop when needed thanks to the 47MP resolution and I don’t believe we have ever wanted more MP. The images out of this camera are truly beautiful. We have no complaints with it.

Dislikes

This is hard. Are there things about the camera I don’t like? Well no, but yes.
First, now that the Q3 is out Leica has introduced a faster Wifi connection and the ability to download Leica Looks in to the Q3. I would love a faster Wifi connection. The Q2 has an OK wifi connection but it takes around 30 seconds to download 1 photo in full DNG format. So either I have to shoot DNG and JPEG and then download the JPEG for phone photos, or I have to wait till I get home to edit. I wish the wifi was faster like the Q3. The Leica looks would be really cool to have but honestly if I could have the faster Wifi I would be pretty set.

This next one is not so much a dislike but a mindset. When I first got the Q2 I was almost afraid to use it. This thing cost $6k and I was afraid to drop it, to scratch it. It hindered me in the beginning from using it for its intended purposes. After a while this wore off and now I look forward to the scratches I get. I love having it with me. But it is still a $6k camera. If I break it or if something happens, that is a big pill to swallow. Be prepared to want to baby this camera and not use it as much as you would like in the beginning. As the “newness” wears off you will begin to appreciate it and use it often.

Wrap up

The Leica Q2 for me has been my FAVORITE camera of all time. I got it in a point in my life that it meant a lot to me. It is my “mostly everyday companion”. I love the memories I make with it. I love the images, and I love the heritage of it. I hope the Q2 stays with me forever. I hope that I can use it for many many years and that it just keeps ticking away. It will be a camera I don’t ever plan to sell unless I need to upgrade to a different Q series camera, but for right now, I don’t have a desire to upgrade it. I love what it offers. I love the simplicity of it.