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 p.1 #9 · Just tried out the Q3 Monochrom at the Leica store, I now get it and need $8K :) | |
Carlo_M wrote:
Longtime Canon shoote: R5mk2, array of L lenses (including VCMs). Weddings, parties, wildlife, birds in flight, sports, 60/40 photo/video. Never explored Leica because the Canon system never left me wanting for the things I do.
I found myself at a Leica store the other day and was talking to the service rep. He asked what type of photography I did, and what my gear was. I told him, and he was refreshingly honest, saying that there probably wasn't anything in there that would outdo what I already owned for what I did. He then said, if you'd be open to a new experience, let me show you something for a style of photography you may never have tried.
He put the Q3 Monochrom in my hand and went over the controls. When he put it in my hands, my first thought was "rudimentary AF and subject tracking compared to my R5ii, lackluster video capability, can't change the lens...this is going to be the shortest test shooting I've ever done."
I took some photos of the store, and of a few customers who agreed to let me take some shots of them so I could review them on my PC when I got home (I had my R5ii with me so I used the SD card from it in the Q3M--I use CFExpress so the SD card is just a backup and is usually empty).
The photos looked great when previewed on the Q3M's LCD...but it wasn't until I got home and looked at it through Photoshop on my 4K monitor. Holy smokes. The black and white photos were just...moving for me to review. For whatever reason, because of perhaps the "limitation" of the Q3 M (no color, fixed 28mm), I must have subconsciously placed more of an emphasis on framing and composition, and the presence of light and shadow. The 60MP sensor captured so much detail, especially in the shadows. I had experimented with using Photoshop to convert color photos to black and white before and was always less than satisfied with the result. These pictures looked perfect straight out of the camera (DNG and jpegs).
I only took about 10 photos, half of the store, half of strangers...and there is just something there that makes me realize the Q3M has unlocked something different in terms of how, and what, I want to shoot. I realize that I don't do much street photography, or architectural, because in my city, I get a little self conscious carrying around a ton of Canon gear if I'm not "on a shoot". You can't do real street photography because people react differently to you when you have a large camera and lens versus a point-n-shoot camera. I never carried a P&S because I was always frustrated at the quality difference between those and my R5ii.
The Q3M would solve all of that. It also doesn't have the red Leica badge so it's less likely to attract would-be thieves as, unless you truly knew your camera gear, this looks like any other compact camera. The Q3M is also small enough that I could take it out with me almost anywhere I go, versus the thought and planning I have to put into the R5ii (e.g. what lenses to pack). That rigamarole is required when I'm on my way to a shoot (whether paid or personal). But the Q3M would be an easy grab-n-go camera for the other 98% of my life, and would take much better pictures than my iPhone. The phone is there as a backup if I really needed to capture color for some reason, but I bet I would reach for the Leica way more often than the phone when I'm just out and about.
God help me I think I'm going to buy one....Show more →
If it was the LA Leica store, just go back and spend more time. They're really laid back and will let you try whatever you want for pretty much as long as you want inside the store. You can go upstairs too, to the gallery and balcony space. Bring someone to photograph. Bring your laptop and look at the photos on it there. If a service rep has some time, they might be able to go outside with you for shots along the street in front of the store.
That store is all about getting people comfortable with and into the Leica ecosystem. The one guy I spent time with a while back said that as a corporate store, they don't really care if you buy it from them, B&H or used off the Buy & Sell here as it's still a sale for Leica, directly or indirectly...
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