LEICA Q2

47 MP Full-Frame, 10 FPS, 4K

28mm f/1.7 Stabilized Lens

35mm, 50mm & 75mm Crops

1/2,000 Flash Sync

MADE IN GERMANY

Sample Images   Introduction

Specifications   Accessories   Unboxing

Performance   Compared   User's Guide

Recommendations   More

auch in deutscher Sprache erhältlich

LEICA Q2

LEICA Q2 (49mm filters, 25.4oz./721g with battery and card as shown, 1'/0.3m close focus (0.56'/0.17m in macro mode), $4,995 new or about $4,500 used if you know How to Win at eBay). größer.

I got my Q2 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

This all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Thanks for helping me help you! Ken.

 

June 2020   Better Pictures   LEICA Reviews   LEICA Lenses   lesser-brand reviews

Why Fixed Lenses Take Better Pictures

The old LEICA Q from 2016 sells used for about $2,750 if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

LEICA Q2

LEICA Q2. größer.

 

LEICA Q2

LEICA Q2. größer.

 

LEICA Q2

LEICA Q2. größer.

 

LEICA Q2

Ryan und LEICA M3 im Display der LEICA Q2. größer.

Please help KenRockwell.com

Sample Images       top

Sample Images   Introduction

Specifications   Accessories   Unboxing

Performance   Compared   User's Guide

Recommendations   More

These are just snapshots; my real work is in my Gallery. There are more samples at High ISOs and throughout the review..

These are all shot hand-held as JPGs; no tripods or DNG (raw) files were used or needed. (the Q2 can shoot raw DNG files if you want them).

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

Palm Drive, Sevilla, Andalucia, España, 7:14 PM, 06 June 2020. LEICA Q2, LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH at f/5.6 at 1/125 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 11.9), exactly as shot. größer or camera-original 22 MB, 47 MP © JPG file.

 

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

Inflatable Orange Volleyball Net, 8:38 AM, 02 June 2020. LEICA Q2, LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH at f/11 hand-held at 1/125 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 13.9), Perfectly Clear. größer or camera-original 22 MB, 47 MP © JPG file.

 

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

Agave, 8:42 AM, 02 June 2020. LEICA Q2, LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH at f/11 hand-held at 1/125 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 13.9), Perfectly Clear. größer, full resolution or camera-original 19 MB, 47 MP © JPG file.

 

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

Palm Tree Reflexion im Wasser, 7:12 AM, 03 June 2020. LEICA Q2, LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH, 35mm (30 MP) crop mode, at f/8 hand-held at 1/60 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 11.9), exactly as shot. größer or camera-original 13 MB, 30 MP © JPG file.

 

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

Palm Grove enjoyed from the Veranda, 3:25 PM, 03 June 2020. LEICA Q2, LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH at f/8 hand-held at 1/125 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 13.0), Perfectly Clear. größer or camera-original 21 MB, 47 MP © JPG file.

 

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

Morning Sky, 6:56 AM, 05 June 2020. LEICA Q2, LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH at f/6.3 at 1/1,000 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 15.3), Perfectly Clear. größer or camera-original 14 MB, 47 MP © JPG file.

 

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

Sevilla, Andalucia, España, 7:02 AM, 05 June 2020. LEICA Q2, LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH at f/8 hand-held at 1/100 at Auto ISO 100, -0.3 stop exposure compensation (LV 12.5), Perfectly Clear. größer.

 

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

Tile, Sevilla, Andalucia, España, 7:24 AM, 05 June 2020. LEICA Q2, LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH at f/6.3 hand-held at 1/800 at Auto ISO 100, -0.3 stop exposure compensation (LV 15.0), Perfectly Clear. größer or full resolution.

 

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

Sprinklers, 6:59 PM, 06 June 2020. LEICA Q2, LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH at f/6.3 at 1/30 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 10.2), exactly as shot. größer or camera-original 23 MB, 47 MP © JPG file.

It's so easy to shoot the Q2: wanting to make the moving water drops look as they do to my eye, I know that a 1/30 shutter speed is ideal, so without taking my eye off the finder I simply clicked the shutter dial to 1/30 and shot.

With 47 million pixels, every droplet is clearly rendered:

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

1200 × 900 pixel crop from above. größer or camera-original 24 MB, 47 MP © JPG file.

 

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

Chandelier, 9:19 AM, 11 June 2020. LEICA Q2, LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH at f/2.2 hand-held at 1/20 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 6.6), Perfectly Clear. größer or camera-original © JPG.

 

KK Slider Pinata

K. K. Slider Piñata, 9:21 AM, 11 June 2020. LEICA Q2, LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH at f/1.7 hand-held at 1/15 at Auto ISO 125 (LV 5.1), Perfectly Clear. größer or camera-original © JPG.

 

Introduction       top

Sample Images   Introduction

Specifications   Accessories   Unboxing

Performance   Compared   User's Guide

Recommendations   More

New   Good   Bad   Missing

Adorama Pays Top Dollar for Used Gear

Amazon

B&H Photo - Video - Pro Audio

Crutchfield

I buy only from these approved sources. I can't vouch for ads below.

This LEICA Q2 is a fixed-lens full-frame mirrorless camera with an electronic finder.

The Q2 bridges the gap between the immortal M series and earthly cameras. The Q2 is an immortal MADE IN GERMANY full-frame LEICA, but priced so everyone can afford it. Remember, the most basic LEICA M10 and 50mm f/1.4 lens will set you back well into the five-figure range; as real LEICAs go, the Q2 is a bargain.

The Q2 is both immortal as well as practical and inexpensive, which is why it's so wildly popular. It's much easier to use than the manual-focus M series; the Q2 works both completely manually as well as completely automatically, and everywhere in between.

The Q2 is worlds ahead of everything from Fuji or Sony because the Q2 handles so much more brilliantly. Its clear, simple menus are way better than Fuji or Sony, and its controls are also way ahead of Sony and even simpler than Fuji. Neither Nikon nor Canon make any fixed-lens full-frame digital cameras.

We can just grab our Q2 and shoot, paying rapt attention to our subject which begets immortal images, while everything from Sony and Fuji has us spending too much time fiddling with settings and confused menus.

The Q2's mechanical leaf shutter is essentially silent and synchronizes with flash all the up to 1/2,000, even wide-open at f/1.7 where we need it. If that's not quiet or fast enough, the electronic shutter is completely silent and goes to 1/40,000.

The OLED finder, coupled with LEICA's superior viewfinder optics with a huge exit pupil, give a much brighter and sharper image than other electronic viewfinders. The key is the superior finder optics, lacking in other brands of cameras.

I'm impressed; the Q2 handles brilliantly, and autofocuses and tracks focus and just shoots, fast. The Q2 just gets out of my way more than I had ever expected. Bravo!

I got my LEICA Q2 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

New since the LEICA Q       intro       top

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com 46 MP, up from 24 MP.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com 4K video, up from 1,080.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com 3.69 MDot OLED finder.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com New pulled ISO 50 mode.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com 1/2,000 flash sync speed, up from 1/500.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com 1/40,000 top electronic shutter speed, up from 1/16,000.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com Two-minutes longest shutter speed, up from 30 seconds.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com No more battery door! The new BP-SCL4 batteries can be swapped by feel, no door needed, just like magazines on firearms. They are so brilliantly designed that you can swap batteries as you run from one assignment to the next without looking. Bravo!

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com New BP-SCL4 battery has 62% more capacity and gives 30% more rated battery life than the old LEICA Q's dinky little BP-DC12 battery. The Q2 is now rated 370 shots, even with all the added resolution.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com ECI RGB V.2.0 color space, as well as the usual sRGB and AdobeRGB.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com New 75mm (6.5MP) cropped-equivalent mode.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com New diopter control is a tiny little nub that pushes-in so it doesn't get knocked when not in use (good), but it's too tiny to turn easily when it pops out to adjust.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com IP52 dust, moisture and weather-sealed.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com No more single/continuous advance switch, now just a simple ON/OFF switch so you have to select advance mode in menus.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com No more programmable red button near the shutter release.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com No more rear ISO button.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com No more DELETE button. As a LEICA, it turns out no one ever had to use this button on the original LEICA Q.

blue ball icon © KenRockwell.com No more Silver or Titanium finishes; Black Paint only.

 

Good       intro       top

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com MADE IN GERMANY.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Finder data updates instantly as I change camera settings. I hate it when my Sonys and Fujis make me wait for a fraction of a second as I try to set apertures; my Q2 shows me what I'm doing immediately as I make adjustments.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Optical Image Stabilization for stills and video.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Can save and recall six different complete camera-state setups ("User Profiles") from internal memory or to and from a card or computer, and you can edit and rename them.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Leaf shutter gives an amazing 1/2,000 flash sync speed.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Huge range of Kelvin white balance adjustment: 2,000 ~ 11,500 K.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Automatic brightness control for rear LCD (finder is manual only).

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com IP52 dust, moisture and weather-sealed in accordance with DIN EN 60529. LEICA warns that the splash-protection coating is not permanent and will diminish over time.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Odd for LEICA, and thank goodness the Q2 stays in one piece as you load cards or batteries. Most other LEICAs have to be taken apart to change film or batteries!

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Programmable button inside the top rear thumb wheel dial.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Dedicated macro mode, but limits lens to an f/2.8 maximum aperture.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com 35mm (30 MP), 50mm (15 MP) and 75mm (6.5 MP) cropped-equivalent modes. How to Use the Crop Feature.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com The big, new battery no longer needs a battery door. It's easy to drop it out and slam a fresh one home just by feel. In fact, it's easy to do blindfolded! Bravo!

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Standard (to 1/2,000) and silent electronic (to 1/40,000) shutters.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Standard shutter goes to 120s, not just 30s.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Touch screen, covered in Corning Gorilla glass, not plastic.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Up to 15 items programmable into your FAVORITES menu.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Lots of expensive cases and straps available in black, brown or red leather, as well as pink for the ladies.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Wi-Fi for use with LEICA FOTOS app.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Bluetooth Low Energy claims a permanent connection to the camera to wake it at any time.

 

Bad       intro       top

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com ISO 25,000 (H1) and ISO 50,000 (H2) look horrible.

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com Very little highlight dynamic range often blows-out highlights unless you're very careful with your lighting.

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com PLAY button is right under the eyepiece, so you have to poke yourself in the eye with a second thumb to hit PLAY.

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com SINGLE or CONTINUOUS shutter modes now have to be set in a menu, they're no longer part of the power switch.

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com Self Timer has has to be set in a menu, it's not part of the power switch.

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com You have to go out of your way to turn off the foolish fake shutter sound at MENU > page 4 > Acoustic Signal > Electronic Shutter Sound > OFF.

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com Poorly translated Owner's Manual.

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com No color histograms, and the B&W ones aren't necessarily accurate (see page 85 in the Owner's Manual.)

 

Missing       intro       top

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No built-in-flash.

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No half-stop clicks on the shutter speed dial; full stops only (use the electronic dials to set third stops).

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com While the electronic shutter goes to 1/20,000 in third-stops, paradoxically it jumps a full stop to 1/40,000. The 1/25,000 and 1/32,000 speeds are missing.

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No Trash or Delete button. Every Q2 photo is perfect, so this isn't needed. (You can delete photos with options displayed if you hit FN while playing.)

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No 49mm lens cap included; the included cap only works reliably with the included hood.

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No color histograms, making this feature nearly useless if you shoot in color.

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No manual-focus infinity stop (manual focus goes past infinity).

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No automatic brightness control for finder (does have it for rear LCD).

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No 4:3 or 4:5 "Ideal Format" crops.

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No illuminated buttons.

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No second card slot.

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No cable release socket (use the app).

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No remote-control terminal (use the app).

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No connectors other than a battery bay and a card slot. This is camera, not a computer peripheral:

  • No USB connector.
  • No HDMI connector.
  • No headphone jack.
  • No microphone jack.
  • No AC adapter port.

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No USB port means no in-camera battery charging; you have to use the included external charger.

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com The B&W modes have no ability to simulate the use of a colored contrast filter; most other cameras give us the option to simulate the use of a yellow, green or red filter.

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No more single/continuous advance switch, now just a simple ON/OFF switch so you have to select advance mode in menus.

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No BULB mode.

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No exposures longer than 120 seconds.

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com Electronic shutter only goes to 1 second.

gray ball icon © KenRockwell.com No GPS; use the app.

 

Specifications       top

Sample Images   Introduction

Specifications   Accessories   Unboxing

Performance   Compared   User's Guide

Recommendations   More

 

I got my LEICA Q2 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

See also LEICA's printed list of Q2 specifications.

 

LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH Lens

LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH Internal construction diagram

28mm f/1.7 ASPH Internal optical construction. Aspherical elements. größer.

11 elements in 9 groups mit 3 aspherical elements.

1' (0.3m) close focus.

Dedicated macro mode covers 1' ~ 0.56' (0.3 ~ 0.17m), but limits the lens to an f/2.8 maximum aperture.

The front surface is concave (curves in); you're not missing part of your lens.

 

Diaphragm       specifications       top

Nine rounded blades.

f/1.7 ~ f/16 in third-stops.

 

Hood       specifications       top

LEICA Q2

LEICA Q2 with included hood. größer.

 

LEICA Q2

Included screw-on metal hood. größer.

 

Cap       specifications       top

LEICA Q2

Included felt-lined metal cap. größer.

The included felt-lined metal cap slips over the hood.

If you don't use the hood and use the thread protector instead, the cap does fit, but it's not that stable and likely to get lost. You'll want to get a 49mm cap separately (I don't use caps; I use a UV filter instead so I can shoot through it.)

 

Image Sensor       specifications       top

8,368 × 5,584 pixels native (46,726,912 pixels or 47 MP).

24 × 36 mm CMOS.

14-bit quantization.

13 stop dynamic range.

3:2 aspect ratio.

1.0 × crop factor.

 

Image Sizes & Crop Modes       specifications       top

The Q2 provides easy digital zoom (crop modes) to 35mm (30 MP), 50mm (15 MP) und 75mm (6.6 MP) equivalents:

LEICA Q2 Resolution

More at Crop Mode Samples, How to Use the Crop Modes and Crop Factors.

 

ISO       specifications       top

Automatic, ISO 50 (L), 100, 200, 400, 800, 1,600, 3,200, 6,400, 12,500, 25,000 (H1) and 50,000 (H2).

 

Still Formats       specifications       top

JPG and/or DNG raw.

sRGB, Adobe RGB und ECI RGBv2.0 color spaces.

 

Still Frame Rates (rated)       specifications       top

10 FPS Continuous High.

5 FPS Continuous Medium.

3 FPS Continuous low.

See also actual tested frame rates.

 

Still Image Buffer       specifications       top

25 frames JPG.

14 frames DNG (raw).

 

Color Spaces       specifications       top

ECI RGB V.2.0 color space, as well as the usual sRGB and AdobeRGB.

 

Picture Settings       specifications       top

LEICA calls these "Film Styles."

Standard, Vivid, Natural, B&W & High-Contrast B&W modes.

Contrast, Saturation and Sharpening adjustable in ±5 steps.

 

Video       specifications       top

MP4 files.

C4K at 24 FPS.

4K at 24 or 30 FPS.

1,080 at 24, 30, 60 or 120 FPS.

 

Audio       specifications       top

AAC.

Recorded only along with video.

Stereo microphones built in.

Mono speaker.

 

Autofocus       specifications       top

Loads of AF points.

Continuous or Single.

Face recognition.

Auto area-select and tracking.

Amber LED AF assist illuminator.

 

Electronic Finder       specifications       top

4:3 aspect ratio.

1,280 × 960 pixels.

3,686,400 dots.

-4 ~ +3 diopters.

21 mm eyepoint.

Eye sensor.

 

Shutters       specifications       top

Intervalometer.

Speeds read to half stops, while they set steplessly in auto exposure.

 

Mechanical Shutter

1/2,000 sync speed.

1/2,000 ~ 120 seconds.

 

Silent Electronic Shutter

1/40,000 ~ 1 second.

 

Remote Release       specifications       top

Via app and Bluetooth.

 

Flash       specifications       top

No Built-In Flash.

1/2,000 sync speed.

Dedicated hot shoe for your choice of flash. I prefer my LEICA SF-24D.

 

LCD Monitor       specifications       top

LEICA Q2

Ryan und LEICA M3 im Display der LEICA Q2. größer.

Touch screen.

Doesn't swivel.

Corning Gorilla Glass cover.

3" diagonal.

3:2 aspect ratio.

1,040,000 dots.

Automatic brightness control.

 

WiFi       specifications       top

IEEE 802.11b/g/n compliant (standard WLAN protocol), channels 1-11, encryption method: WLAN-compatible WPA™/WPA2™ encryption; access mode: infrastructure mode.

 

Bluetooth       specifications       top

Bluetooth LE.

 

GPS       specifications       top

None; use the app.

 

Storage       specifications       top

SD (up to 2GB), SDHC (up to 32GB) and SDXC (up to 512GB) cards.

UHS II recommended.

Needs at least a 1GB card to work.

 

Connectors       specifications       top

LEICA Q2

LEICA Q2, battery half-out and card door open. größer.

There are NO connectors other than a battery port and a single SD slot. This is a camera and artist's tool, not a computer toy.

 

Body       specifications       top

Magnesium alloy.

 

Quality       specifications       top

LEICA Q2

LEICA Q2, battery half-out and card door open. größer.

MADE IN GERMANY.

 

BP-SCL4 Battery       specifications       top

Rated 370 shots per charge.

7.2V, 1,860 mAh.

There is also an internal rechargeable battery for the clock. It charges in an hour when the main battery is in, and can run the clock for two months with no main battery.

LEICA Q2

LEICA BP-SCL4 Battery. größer.

LEICA Q2

LEICA Q2

 

BC-SCL4 Charger       specifications       top

LEICA Q2

BC-SCL4 Charger. größer.

 

LEICA Q2

BC-SCL4 Charger. größer.

Input: 100–240 V, 50/60 Hz, 0.25 A, with international adapters.

Output: 8.4 V DC at 850 mA.

Charging time: rated 3 hours

 

Size       specifications       top

3.15 × 5.12 × 3.62 inches HWD.

80 × 130 × 91.9 millimeters HWD.

 

Weight       specifications       top

25.430 oz. (720.9 g) actual measured weight with protector ring, battery and card.

Rated 25.4 oz. (720 g) with battery and card.

Rated 22.5 oz. (637g) stripped.

 

LEICA's Model Numbers (Verk. Nrs.)       specifications       top

19 050 in U. S. A., Europe and Japan.

19 051 in the rest of the world.

Typ 4889.

 

Included Accessories   (packed in bottom accessory drawer)

BP-SCL4 Battery.

BC-SCL4 Charger with USA and European power cords.

Thin leather strap.

Metal cap (shipped on lens).

Accessory shoe cover (shipped on camera).

Screw-on metal hood (shipped on lens) and screw-on front trim ring (shipped in the drawer with accessories) to use if you don't use the hood:

LEICA Q2

LEICA Q2 with included metal hood and trim ring. größer.

Leica calls the trim ring a "thread protection ring." Either this hood or this ring screw onto the male threads on the front of the lens as seen above.

 

Included Paperwork       (packed in top paperwork drawer)

3 Month Creative Cloud membership.

Prüfzertifikat (test certificate).

Quick-Start Guide in German and another in English.

 

Announced       specifications       top

07 March 2019, 9:25AM NYC time.

 

Available Since       specifications       top

07 March 2019.

 

Price, U. S. A.       specifications       top

$4,995, March 2019 ~ June 2020.

 

Accessories       top

Sample Images   Introduction

Specifications   Accessories   Unboxing

Performance   Compared   User's Guide

Recommendations   More

 

I got my LEICA Q2 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

Included Accessories

BP-SCL4 Battery.

BC-SCL4 Charger.

Screw-on metal hood.

 

Optional Accessories

LEICA Classic Instant-On 14312 Strap.

LEICA 49mm UVa II Filter 13035.

LEICA Black leather half-case.

LEICA Q2 Bigger Thumb Grip.

LEICA Q2 Bigger Leather Strap.

LEICA Hybrid Glass Screen Protector.

 

HOYA HD3 Bulletproof 49mm Protective UV Filter.

B+W UV Filters.

 

Unboxing       top

Sample Images   Introduction

Specifications   Accessories   Unboxing

Performance   Compared   User's Guide

Recommendations   More

Subscribe for more videos.

 

Performance       top

Sample Images   Introduction

Specifications   Accessories   Unboxing

Performance   Compared   User's Guide

Recommendations   More

 

Overall   Autofocus   Manual Focus   Breathing   Bokeh

Auto ISO   Auto White Balance   Color Rendition

Crop Modes   Distortion   Ergonomics   Exposure

Falloff   Film Styles   Filters   Finder   Flare & Ghosts

Flash   Frame Rates   High ISOs   Lateral Color Fringes

Lens Corrections   Macro   Mechanics   Sharpness

Sound & Noise   Spherochromatism   Stabilization

Sunstars   Rear Touch Screen   Playback   Data  

Power & Battery   Clock Accuracy

 

I got my LEICA Q2 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

Overall       performance       top

The Q2 amazes with how well it just gets out of the way and shoots. Everything works much better than I expected.

The finder is brilliant and superior to other cameras.

Autofocus is fast and clairvoyant.

Its mechanical leaf shutter is essentially silent, and if that's not quiet enough, the electronic shutter is completely silent.

The highest ISO 25,000 (H1) and ISO 50,000 (H2) look awful.

Highlight dynamic range is very limited.

Power management is great; the Q2 wakes and sleeps magically as it should so you can leave it turned on all day.

Of course the lens is ultra-sharp; we expect that.

 

Autofocus       performance       top

Autofocus is fast! Not only is it fast, it has face recognition and automatic AF-Area Selection and tracking, so AF is magic; the Q2 just nails focus and shoots way better than any M Kamera.

 

Manual Focus       performance       top

performance          top

Manual focus is perfect. Just press the tab to unlock the mechanical focus ring, and turn it.

Duh!

There's no manual-focus infinity stop; manual focus goes past infinity.

 

Focus Breathing       performance       top

Focus breathing is the image changing size as focused in and out. It's important to cinematographers that the image not breathe because it looks funny if the image changes size as focus gets pulled back and forth between actors. If the lens does this, the image "breathes" by growing and contracting slightly as the dialog goes back and forth.

The image from the LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH gets a bit smaller as focussed more closely.

 

Bokeh       performance       top

Bokeh, the feel, character or quality of out-of-focus areas as opposed to how far out of focus they are, is marvelous. While a lens this wide never really gets anything that far out of focus, whatever is out of focus is always soft and smooth.

Here are photos from headshot distance wide-open:

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

Made-in-U. S. A. Davis 6250 weather station, 8:43 AM, 02 June 2020. LEICA Q2, LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH at f/1.7 at 1/10,000 at Auto ISO 100, +0.6 stops exposure compensation (LV 14.8), Perfectly Clear. größer or camera-original 11 MB, 47 MP © JPG file.

 

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

Made-in-U. S. A. Davis 6250 weather station, 8:43 AM, 02 June 2020. LEICA Q2, LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH at f/4 at 1/1,600 at Auto ISO 100, +0.6 stops exposure compensation (LV 14.6), Perfectly Clear. größer or camera-original 11 MB, 47 MP © JPG file.

 

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

Made-in-U. S. A. Davis 6250 weather station, 8:58 AM, 11 June 2020. LEICA Q2 set to synthesize a LEICA SUMMILUX 75mm f/1.7 ASPH at f/1.7 at 1/16,000 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 15.5), Perfectly Clear. größer or camera-original 2.3 MB, 6.6 MP © JPG file.

As always, if you want to throw the background as far out of focus as possible, shoot at f/1.7 and get as close as possible.

 

Auto ISO       performance       top

Auto ISO is perfect. We can set the high limit, and can set our choice of slowest shutter speed.

Interesting is the selection of minimum shutter speeds. It allows setting these in the usual full stops from 1/4,000 to 1/2, and also offers settings of 1/f, 1/2f, 1/3f and 1/4f. While you might think that f always equals 28mm, remember there are cropped modes with 35mm, 50mm and 75mm equivalents. Clever!

 

Auto White Balance       performance       top

Auto White Balance works well, much better than it has in the past. No surprises here.

 

Color & Tonal Rendition       performance       top

Color rendition is how pictures look when shot in the real world. Real-world color rendition has nothing to do with color accuracy measured in a lab. Color rendition is dependant on how a maker programs all the color matrices, curves, and look-up tables to generate color from the data read from the sensor, and varies widely between makers once you set a camera away from its defaults. I never shoot at defaults.

Every brand, Fuji, LEICA, Canon, Nikon and Sony, make images that look very different from the other brands, at least to my expert artist's eyes. Most cameras of the same brand render colors and tones that match the other models very closely when set alike, while comparing brand to brand always looks very different.

We all have our own personal tastes. This is what makes us artists rather than photographers just trying to duplicate reality. Artists create tangible works from visions that previously only existed in our imaginations. Like it or not, cameras and musical instruments, and especially the LEICA, are artists' tools, not copying machines.

I don't like the look of the JPG or DNG images I get from my Q2. While the camera handles well, shoots fast and makes ultra-sharp images, the pictures don't look very good because the color rendition and handling of highlights are inferior to the brands from America and Japan. My Q2 makes yuckier-looking colors that look fine by themselves, but fall flat compared to other cameras — and I didn't dare compare to Canon or Nikon which are even better.

Specifically, even set to MENU > Film Style > VIVID and then MENU > Film Style > Film Style Settings > VIVID > Saturation > High, the colors aren't that exciting. My work is all about color; when I shoot in color, it's a deliberate artistic choice wherein I'm trying to show you COLOR! as my message rather than just blindly shooting in color rather than in B&W mode.

If you shoot raw then your colors and tones aren't created until you process the raw data later in software, and your choice of software will have as much effect on your images as the camera itself. I shoot JPG.

I'm a working artist, not some online tweaker, YouTuber or tech blogger. COLOR is critical to my work. I'm pickier about color than almost anyone; I see things most people don't. I can get photos that get oohs and ahhs with my Q2, but I rarely, if ever, do I get to WOW! as I do with my Nikons and Canons.

Color is one thing, and tone (light, dark and everything in between) is another. The highlights are always blowing out on my Q2. At first I thought the blinking highlight warnings were over-enthusiastic, but looking at my images, I often lose my highlights unless I dial-in negative exposure compensation — and then the overall picture is too dark. Nikon, Canon, Fuji and Sony are way better here; if you're not careful with the Q2 you'll be getting lots of ugly images with blown-out highlights See my pool image; the fire ring at the top left is blown — and would look great if I shot it on another brand. The Nikon D780 is brilliant here, but the Q2 opts for more highlight contrast, expecting that you as a master are in control of your lighting. Shooting DNG I can pull the highlights back, but even once I've controlled the highlights, the colors are still yucky.

See also my shocking brand to brand comparison that ought to make this vividly clear.

Something the Q2 does very well is get accurate color when shooting black fabric. Most digital cameras have too much sensitivity to infra-red, and most black dyes are only black in visible light, but look white under infra-red, so most cameras tend to make black fabrics look more dark purple than black. With my Q2, black fabrics look exactly as they should.

This is just me; your preferences and results will vary.

 

Crop Modes       performance       top

The Q2 provides easy digital zoom to 35mm (30 MP), 50mm (15 MP) und 75mm (6.6 MP) equivalents. Just press the rear unmarked button just behind the shutter speed dial and crop marks appear in the finder or rear LCD. It won't zoom the image as you're shooting; it just shows crop lines.

It works great; here are two samples shot at the most extreme 75mm crop (see also the 75mm shot at Bokeh):

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

Shot in 75mm f/1.7 SUMMILUX ASPH mode, 7:10 PM, 06 June 2020. LEICA Q2, LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH at f/5 at 1/320 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 13.0), as shot. größer or camera-original 3.7 MB, 6.6 MP © JPG file.

 

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

Shot in 75mm f/1.7 SUMMILUX ASPH mode, 7:25 PM, 06 June 2020. LEICA Q2, LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH at f/4 at 1/125 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 11.0), as shot. größer or camera-original 3.4 MB, 6.6 MP © JPG file.

A design flaw in this feature is that if you're shooting in a lower-resolution setting (Medium or Small), that the cropped images are also reduced in resolution. Sadly the Q2 isn't as smart as the Fuji X100F and X100V that still records cropped images in full resolution if the camera is set to lower resolutions for the full image. In other words, these 75mm crops look fine set to record at LARGE, but if you have the Q2 set to SMALL these crops get even smaller.

 

See also How to Use the Crop Feature, Crop-Mode specifications and Crop Factors.

 

Distortion       performance       top

There is no visible distortion; this is excellent performance.

JPG images automatically have the invisible distortion corrected. For more critical use you can use a correction factor of +0.5 in Photoshop's Lens Correction Filter for even better correction of JPG images.

Here's the cool part: DNG (raw) images are just raw data; they have no distortion correction, and they also have no visible distortion. The SUMMILUX is that good.

Opening DNGs in my 2012 copy of PhotoShop CS6 that I use every day that doesn't correct the distortion, it's still invisible. The difference is that the JPGs are corrected for the slightly complex, higher-order distortion, so that while you still can use the same correction factor of +0.5 in Photoshop's Lens Correction Filter for completely uncorrected DNG files, there will be some residual uncorrected waviness left over.

Again, don't fret; there isn't any visible distortion in actual photography, uncorrected DNG or corrected JPG shooting. This is excellent and one less thing to worry about in post production.

 

Ergonomics       performance       top

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Ergonomics are wonderful. The Q2 just gets out of the way. It's better than anything from Fuji or from Sony.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Power on and sleep are as fast as every other modern camera.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com LEICA's font is used everywhere and looks great, both as engraved into metal and as used in all the menus. Bravo!

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Good is that set to the default of MENU > Page 2 > Electronic Shutter > Extended, the Q2 uses the regular mechanical leaf shutter for everything and magically switches to the electronic shutter at 1/2,500 and faster.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com The big battery needs no battery door. It's easy to drop it out and slam a fresh one home without having to stop and look carefully or fiddle with anything. In fact, it's easy to do blindfolded.

green ball icon © KenRockwell.com Count-down timer displayed during long exposures or dark-frame noise-reduction exposures.

Here are some minor gripes:

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com Buttons are flush to look minimalist, but this also means they are harder to find by feel. Forget it with gloves.

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com The PLAY button is right under the eyepiece, so you have to poke yourself in the eye with a second thumb to hit PLAY.

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com The MENU button is also on the wrong (left) side, demanding a second had to set it.

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com The touch screen works great, but the virtual keyboard is too small to work well with my big American fingers for typing-in data (think copyright information).

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com While my vivid product photography makes the red As on the shutter and aperture dials stand out, in actual use they are only a dark red and mostly invisible. They should be painted with fluorescent or bright red paint, but instead are more of a dark burgundy and look more like A (on black).

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com The diopter control is crappy. It's a tiny nubbin that, even when you get it to pop out, is hard to turn as it's too small.

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com Lens crop-mode selection is just three fixed settings, not a zoom.

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com When cropped, instead of magnifying the finder image, it just shows crop lines inside a larger image. (Images look fine played-back).

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com No obvious indication of active exposure compensation; the display doesn't stand out when set away from 0 so it's easy to shoot all day and not realize it's set incorrectly from yesterday.

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com The plastic focus lock release button on the plastic focus lever is crappy. Instead of being big and easy to use as it is on most of LEICA's real lenses like the 35mm SUMMICRON made from 1958-1974, instead you have to grope around to find a tiny release located on one half of one side of the plastic finger holder.

red ball icon © KenRockwell.com The card slot is very dark; it needs a big white rectangle around it as well as an icon to show which side is up since we still have to fiddle around to find the slot for our cards.

 

Exposure       performance       top

Except for a propensity to blow-out its highlights often if you're not careful, exposure is pretty much right-on all the time, as typical for most mirrorless cameras.

The PROGRAM exposure mode opts for larger apertures at faster shutter speeds. Of course you can shift this.

 

Falloff       performance       top

I can't see any falloff.

I didn't bother with the blank wall test; no one owns a LEICA to photograph blank walls.

Even when Andreas Gursky shoots blank walls, there's something in or on them.

 

Film Styles       performance       top

LEICA calls its Picture Controls or Picture Styles "Film Styles." There is no film involved and it's not trying to look like any particular sort of film.

There are but five main options: Standard, Vivid, Natural, B&W and B&W High Contrast.

In each of these we can set each of Contrast, Sharpening and Saturation as far as ±2 steps. The B&W modes have no saturation settings.

Sadly the B&W modes have no ability to simulate the use of a colored contrast filter; most other cameras give us the option to simulate the use of a yellow, green or red filter.

 

Filters, use with       performance       top

There's no need for thin filters. I can stack a couple of regular 49mm filters without vignetting.

Go ahead and use your standard rotating polarizer and grad filters.

 

Finder       performance       top

The OLED finder is superior because of LEICA's superior viewfinder optics, with a huge exit pupil not seen in other brands. The Q2's finder is much brighter and sharper than other electronic viewfinders because of the better optics.

The Q2 uses a similar OLED screen to other brands of cameras, while the Q2's superior finder optics make the finder much sharper edge-to-edge than in other camera brands.

The diopter adjustment is a pain, but stays set once adjusted.

I didn't need to, but you can adjust the sensitivity of the eye-control sensor that selects between the rear LCD and finder.

The OLED has a 4:3 aspect ratio, so you can see your 3:2 image with data along the top and bottom without covering any of the image.

 

Flare & Ghosts       performance       top

I can't see any significant flare or ghosts.

See examples at Sunstars.

 

Flash       performance       top

There is no built-in flash, but there is a dedicated hot shoe. The best flash for the Q2 is the LEICA SF-24D, which is the perfect size, weighs less than six ounces (168g) with batteries, has loads of power and has all the features we actually need:

LEICA Q2 and SF-24D Flash

LEICA Q2 with SF-24D Flash. größer.

Flash is important; lighting is by far the most important technical aspect of every photo.

With my SF-24D at reasonable distances it easily shoots in continuous shutter mode with multiple flashes.

 

Without Flash:

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

Backlit Palms, no flash, 7:15 AM, 03 June 2020. LEICA Q2, LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH at f/1.7 at 1/2,000 at Auto ISO 160 (LV 11.8), Perfectly Clear. größer.

 

With Flash:

This is with 2/3 stop less ambient exposure; the little SF‑24D flash can light up a whole palm forest against broad daylight when you have a super-fast sync speed like the 1/2,000 sync of the Q2:

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

Backlit Palms with Fill Flash, 7:16 AM, 03 June 2020. LEICA Q2, LEICA SF‑24D Flash at full-power in manual mode, LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH at f/1.7 at 1/2,000 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 12.5), Perfectly Clear. größer

 

without flash

With LEICA SF-24D Flash

No flash. bigger.

Hand-held self-portraits. Fill Flash fills the shadows. LEICA Q2 at f/5.6 at 1/900, SF‑24D flash in TTL flash mode.

 

Frame Rates, Still Photos, Actual Measured Rates       performance       top

10 FPS with locked exposure and focus in Continuous Very High Speed (S) mode.

6 FPS with locked exposure and focus in Continuous High Speed (H) mode.

4 FPS with tracking auto exposure and autofocus (Continuous Medium Speed (M) mode). Slows down as it has to to grab focus or change exposure.

2 FPS with tracking auto exposure and autofocus (Continuous Low Speed (L) mode). Slows down as it has to to grab focus or change exposure.

The buffer is only 25 frames JPG or 14 frames DNG (raw), so it stops after this many frames. The Q2 doesn't write to the card very quickly so when the buffer's full, you're done. Autofocus does a decent job of tracking.

See also rated frame rates.

 

High ISO Performance       performance       top

The Q2 is pretty bad by modern standards at the highest ISOs, worse than many common APS-C cameras like the otherwise crummy Fuji X-T200!

While LEICA doesn't acknowledge this, it's pretty obvious to see that ISO 50 is merely a "pulled" version of ISO 100, with even more limited highlight dynamic range, and that ISO 25,000 is a one-stop push and that ISO 50,000 is a two-stop push, and both pushed speeds look awful:

 

Complete Images   performance   top

As seen at normal image sizes below, the Q2 pretty much makes the same images from ISO 100 to ISO 12,500.

ISO 50 (L) is a pulled ISO, and has an even more limited highlight dynamic range as seen in the blown-out reflection in the clock's cover glass.

ISO 25,000 (H1) gets a little more yellow and its blacks are a dark gray instead of black.

ISO 50,000 (H2) looks awful, with everything too orange and blacks turned into gray.

Click any for the camera-original © LARGE JPG files:

LEICA Q2 High ISO Sample Image Files

LEICA Q2 High ISO Sample Image Files

LEICA Q2 High ISO Sample Image Files

LEICA Q2 High ISO Sample Image Files

LEICA Q2 High ISO Sample Image Files

LEICA Q2 High ISO Sample Image Files

LEICA Q2 High ISO Sample Image Files

LEICA Q2 High ISO Sample Image Files

LEICA Q2 High ISO Sample Image Files

LEICA Q2 High ISO Sample Image Files

LEICA Q2 High ISO Sample Image Files

Click any for the camera-original © JPG files (about 22 MB each).

 

600 × 450 Pixel Crops from Above   performance   top

What we see at the crazy-high magnifications below is that fine details go away as the ISO increases. This happens with all cameras and is an artifact of the noise reduction working harder as the ISO increases.

In the Q2, the most detail is at ISO 50 (L), and becomes softer at every higher ISO. This is normal and how noise reduction works in every camera.

ISO 50 is a "pull" ISO, and thus has more highlight contrast. This usually increases perceived highlight detail, and can lead to clipped highlights if you have too much subject contrast, as in the case of the window reflection in the glass of the clock face.

By ISO 1,600 most of the detailed scrollwork between the clock numbers is gone.

By ISO 50,000 all the detail is gone from the clock face, leaving only the numbers.

These 600 × 450 pixel crops will vary in size to fit your browser window.

If they are about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, the complete images would print at a jumbo 28 × 42″ (2½ × 3½ feet or 71 × 106 cm) at this same high magnification.

If they are about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, the complete images would print at a huge 56 × 84″ (5 × 7 feet or 1.4 × 2.1 meters) at this same high magnification.

If they are about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, the complete images would print at a mammoth 112 × 167″ (9 × 14 feet or 2.8 × 4.2 meters) at this same extremely high magnification!

Click any for the camera-original © JPG files:

LEICA Q2 High ISO Sample Image Files

LEICA Q2 High ISO Sample Image Files

LEICA Q2 High ISO Sample Image Files

LEICA Q2 High ISO Sample Image Files

LEICA Q2 High ISO Sample Image Files

LEICA Q2 High ISO Sample Image Files

LEICA Q2 High ISO Sample Image Files

LEICA Q2 High ISO Sample Image Files

LEICA Q2 High ISO Sample Image Files

LEICA Q2 High ISO Sample Image Files

LEICA Q2 High ISO Sample Image Files

Click any for the camera-original © JPG files (about 22 MB each).

 

Lateral Color Fringes       performance       top

There are no lateral color fringes, at least as shot as JPG.

There can be a little bit of spherochromatism, which can cause color fringes on things that aren't in perfect focus. Spherochromatism is a completely different aberration in a different dimension than lateral color fringes.

 

Lens Corrections       performance       top

Whatever corrections, like distortion, that may take place automatically, there is no way to turn any of them ON or OFF.

JPGs have whatever corrections that are applied always applied, and DNG files don't.

 

Macro Performance       performance       top

Macro gets pretty close, and sharpness and bokeh look great.

Just turn the lens ring nearest the body to MACRO and you're in business.

The crop modes also work in MACRO mode, so you can appear to get even closer. I'm not showing that here.

The lens will not open beyond f/2.8 in the MACRO setting. This is to limit lens aberrations at close distances.

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

MADE IN GERMANY GPW Military Titanium Watch at closest macro distance, 8:54 AM, 02 June 2020. LEICA Q2, LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH at f/2.8 at 1/4,000 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14.9), Perfectly Clear. größer or camera-original 11 MB, 47 MP © JPG file.

 

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

1200 × 900 pixel crop from above. größer or camera-original 11 MB, 47 MP © JPG file.

This 1200 × 900 pixel crop varies in size to fit your browser window.

If this is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, the complete images would print at a jumbo 14 × 21″ (35 × 53 cm) at this same high magnification.

If this is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, the complete images would print at a jumbo 28 × 42″ (2½ × 3½ feet or 71 × 106 cm) at this same high magnification.

If this is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, the complete images would print at a huge 56 × 84″ (5 × 7 feet or 1.4 × 2.1 meters) at this same high magnification.

 

Mechanical Quality       performance       top

This is a LEICA. It is flawless. The body is magnesium alloy. It feels like the solid metal block of precision that it is.

The only plastic parts are the focus-ring finger grip and AF-mode lock release on the metal focus ring, and the PLAY, FN, MENU and unmarked Lens Change buttons.

Except for those and the rubber eyepiece guard and textured body grip covering, everything else is metal.

Every part of the lens and body are metal. The card door is solid alloy. The lens hood and front protector rings are metal. The battery release lever is metal. All the top controls and dials and buttons are metal. Even the 4-way rear controller is metal.

The rear touch screen is covered in Corning Gorilla glass, not plastic.

All the markings are engraved. Major markings are engraved and filled with paint, while minor markings are all LASER engraved.

The manufacture date is both on the outside of the box as well as the warranty paperwork.

Bravo!

 

Sharpness       performance       top

Camera resolution and lens sharpness has nothing to do with picture sharpness; every camera and lens made in the past 100 years is more than sharp enough to make super-sharp pictures if you know what you're doing. The only limitation to picture sharpness is your skill as a photographer. It's the least talented who spend the most time worrying about sharpness and blame crummy pictures on their equipment rather than themselves. Skilled photographers make great images with whatever camera is in their hands; I've made some of my best images of all time with an irreparably broken camera! Most pixels are thrown away before you see them, but camera makers don't want you to know that.

If you're not getting ultra-sharp pictures with your Q2, be sure not to shoot at f/11 or smaller where all lenses are softer due to diffraction, always shoot at ISO 100 or below with plenty of light because cameras become softer at ISO 200 and above, be sure everything is in perfect focus, be sure nothing is moving (camera or subject) and set your camera's sharpening as you want it. I set my Q2 to the maximum sharpening at MENU > Film Style > Film Style Settings > (choose the one you're using) > Sharpness > High.

If you want to ensure a soft image, shoot at f/16 at ISO 12,500 at default sharpening in daylight of subjects at differing distances.

These warnings aside, the 28mm f/1.7 SUMMILUX ASPH is super sharp at most apertures, as are most lenses are today:

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

Palm Drive, Sevilla, Andalucia, España, 8:10 AM, 05 June 2020. LEICA Q2, LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH at f/5 at 1/500 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 13.6), Perfectly Clear. größer or camera-original 24 MB, 47 MP © JPG file.

 

The SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH is ultrasharp even wide-open in the center, but gets a little softer in the sides and corners at f/1.7:

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

Canary Palm, 8:41 AM, 02 June 2020. LEICA Q2, LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH wide-open at f/1.7 at 1/1,600 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 12.2), Perfectly Clear. größer, full resolution or camera-original 22 MB, 47 MP © JPG file.

Of course know that very little is in focus at f/1.7 and most of the softness you might see in the full resolution or camera-original 22 MB, 47 MP © JPG files are because this is a real, three-dimensional tree and most of it isn't in perfect focus.

 

Modulationsübertragungsfunktion (MTF oder Modulationsuebertragung)

LEICA's Modulationsuebertragung confirm that it's a little softer on the sides wide-open.

These are measured with white light at infinity at 5, 10, 40 und 40 line pairs per millimeter.

The solid lines are the sagittal (radial) and the dotted lines are the meridional (tangential) measurements:

LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH MTF

Modulationsübertragungsfunktion bei f/1.7. größer.

 

It sharpens up as stopped down:

LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH MTF

Modulationsübertragungsfunktion bei f/5.6. größer.

 

Sound, Noise & Vibration       performance       top

The Q2 is a very quiet camera due to its nearly silent leaf shutter. Even in its normal mode it's barely audible.

It also has a completely silent electronic shutter mode.

 

Spherochromatism       performance       top

Spherochromatism, also called secondary spherical chromatic aberration or "color bokeh," is an advanced form of spherical and chromatic aberration in a different dimension than lateral chromatic aberration. It happens in fast lenses when spherical aberration at the ends of the color spectrum are corrected differently than in the middle of the spectrum. Spherochromatism can cause colored fringes on out-of-focus highlights, usually seen as green fringes on backgrounds and magenta fringes on foregrounds. Spherochromatism is common in fast lenses of moderate focal length when shooting contrasty items at full aperture. It goes away as stopped down.

The 28mm f/1.7 SUMMILUX ASPH has a little bit of spherochromatism, seen as green-cyan fringes on background highlights and magenta-red fringes on foreground highlights:

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

MADE IN GERMANY GPW Military Titanium Watch at closest macro distance, 8:54 AM, 02 June 2020. LEICA Q2, LEICA SUMMILUX 28mm f/1.7 ASPH at f/2.8 at 1/3,200 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14.8), Perfectly Clear. größer or camera-original 11 MB, 47 MP © JPG file.

 

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

Crop from above. größer or camera-original 11 MB, 47 MP © JPG file.

 

Image Stabilization       performance       top

Optical Image Stabilization (OIS, IS or VR (Vibration Reduction)) works great, letting me get perfect tripod-equivalent sharpness most of the time even down at 1/8 of a second hand-held. Your results will vary.

"Percent Perfectly Sharp Shots" are the percentage of frames with 100% perfect tripod-equivalent sharpness I get when I'm shooting hand-held while standing with no support. Hand tremor is a random occurrence, so at marginal speeds some frames will be perfectly sharp while others will be in various stages of blur — all at the same shutter speed. This rates what percentage of shots are perfectly sharp, not how sharp all the frames are:

% Perfectly Sharp Shots
1/2
1/4
1/8
1/15
1/30
1/60
1/125
1/250
Stabilizer OFF
0
0
2
10
33
95
100
100
Stabilizer ON
17
6
100
100
83
100
100
100

As we see above, the Q2's optical stabilizer gives me three real-world stops of improvement. I reliably can get perfectly sharp results at 1/8 with it ON, but only down to 1/60 with it OFF.

 

Sunstars       performance       top

With a 9-blade rounded diaphragm, I get little or no 18-pointed sunstars on brilliant points of light. If I get any, it's only at the smallest apertures.

Click any to enlarge:

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

LEICA Q2 Sample Image File

Click any to enlarge.

 

Rear Touch Screen       performance       top

The rear LCD works as we expect.

Excellent is that it has automatic brightness control, which works pretty well.

The touch screen works swell, although the spots are pretty small on the synthetic keyboard so it's not that easy to enter text - but still way better than many Sonys, whose touch screens can't even work for typing text.

Its 3:2 ratio, same shape as the images, means that if you have data displayed along the top and bottom that it will cover some of the image.

 

Playback          performance       top

No news here; everything works as we expect — but I never did figure out how to swap among images while zoomed-in. I'm unsure if I can do this or not on the Q2.

Images take a half second to come-in at full sharpness.

It zips very quickly forward and back to scan across hundreds of images.

The rear LCD has a 3:2 aspect ratio, so if you choose to have picture data displayed, it cuts off a bit of the top and bottom of the image.

The finder uses a 4:3 OLED, so you can see data without covering any of the image.

 

Data       performance       top

Cards are correctly titled as "LEICA Q2." Thank goodness, neither Sony nor Fuji have figured out how to title their cards.

47MP JPGs run about 21 MB each, varying with image complexity to as much as 25 MB for a busy image to 10 MB for a quiet one, to 5 MB for an empty frame.

JPG files are tagged as 300 DPI.

DNG raw files are about 92 MB (you can download a sample at Compared). Here's the cool part: DNGs are relatively standard, so my Q2 DNGs open flawlessly in my 2012 copy of Photoshop CS6 — no updates needed!

We can select the first letter (only) for file names, and that's it.

File numbers use all 7 remaining digits, so you can shoot long and hard and not have to worry about your hard drive having 48 different files named IMG_0123.JPG when you search by file name. You'll have to shoot ten million images before the file number repeats.

The Owner's Manual implies that new folders are created for every 1,000 images.

 

Power & Battery       performance       top

There isn't that much battery life, but it's plenty for a day's shooting.

Marvelous is that the batteries can be changed without having to look at them; you can do it by feel. There is no battery door; the whole battery pops in and out of a hole and lies flush to the bottom of the body.

 

Clock Accuracy       performance       top

Every sample is different, but my Q2 gains 1.5 seconds per day (fast 45 seconds per month), which is poor.

This matters when you shoot multiple cameras (or this camera and an iPhone) and then sort all the images based on capture time to compare the similar views of each scene.

 

Compared       top

Sample Images   Introduction

Specifications   Accessories   Unboxing

Performance   Compared   User's Guide

Recommendations   More

 

I got my LEICA Q2 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

See LEICA vs iPhone vs Fuji X100F vs Canon 90D, and LEICA vs iPhone.

 

User's Guide       top

Sample Images   Introduction

Specifications   Accessories   Unboxing

Performance   Compared   User's Guide

Recommendations   More

 

I got my LEICA Q2 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

See also LEICA's Q2 Owner's Manual.

 

Straps

I use the same classic instant-on LEICA 14312 straps I use with all my other LEICAs.

I don't use the included thin leather strap with the tiny split rings.

 

Batteries & Charging

There is no battery door; the whole battery pops in and out of a hole and lies flush to the bottom of the body.

To remove the battery, push the silver lever to the left, and the battery pops out a little. Here's the secret: the battery has a safety stop so it won't fall out. Tap the battery back in a little to release it all the way.

The battery arrives dead. Pop it in the charger as soon as your Q2 arrives so you can get out shooting as soon as possible while you set up the rest of the camera.

Flashing green CHARGE LED means charging.

Flashing green CHARGE LED and steady Orange 80% LED means charging, and that you have at least 80% charge. If you're in a rush, consider yourself charged and take out the battery and run with it. It takes about as long to get to 100% from 80% as it takes to get from 0% to 80%, so if you're in a rush, it's even better for long battery life to just take it at 80%.

When both the Green CHARGE LED and Orange 80% LED are steady, you're done charging at 100%.

 

Power Management

The good news is that the Q2 just goes to sleep when you ignore it so you can leave it on all the time. Just tap the shutter to wake it.

It ignores most buttons when sleeping, so if it's asleep and you want to play an image, tap the shutter then the Play button.

 

Film Styles (picture adjustments)

This is just a fancy name for saturation and similar picture adjustments, like a YouTuber calling themselves a "Filmmaker."

For people photos, I'd leave this alone.

For everything else, I love vivid COLORS, which I set at MENU > Film Style > VIVID and then MENU > Film Style > Film Style Settings > VIVID > Saturation > High. My work is all about color; when I shoot in color, it's a deliberate artistic choice wherein I'm trying to show you COLOR! as the subject rather than just having forgotten and left the camera in color, rather than B&W mode.

I also set SHARPENING to HIGH in the same place.

 

Auto ISO

Set what you want, but for still subjects I set 1/15 as the minimum speed, as I always get sharp results at 1/15.

For people I set 1/125, and for action I set 1/500.

I use the same setting regardless of the crop mode.

 

Macro

Just turn the lens ring nearest the body to MACRO and you're in business.

The lens will not open beyond f/2.8 in the MACRO setting. This is to limit lens aberrations at close distances.

If you forget and leave it in MACRO, it won't warn you for regular photos. If your Q2 won't focus on something, check that you're not in MACRO.

The MACRO ring needs to be all the way in MACRO or at the dot, not in between. If you're not all the way at either position the Q2 will warn you.

 

Self Timer

By default, hit the FN button to set the Self Timer.

Hint: the Self Timer ONLY works in Single Shutter mode. If you're in any of the continuous modes, the self timer disappears!

LEICA's Q2 Owner's Manual claims that the exposure isn't locked when you start the Self Timer, and instead sets exposure right before the shutter goes off.

 

Scene Modes

If you want Night Scene, Flower, Pet, etc, these are in the Q2, just hidden.

Press MENU > page 2 > Scene Mode and have at it.

Be sure to set this back to P-A-S-M for normal use.

 

Exposure Modes

There's no need for a PSAM dial or button or menu. All you do is set the aperture or shutter rings to A if you want the camera to select that value for you:

Mode
Shutter Dial
Aperture Dial
Program
A
A
Aperture-Priority
A
Choose Aperture
Shutter-Priority
Choose Shutter Speed
A
Manual
Choose Shutter Speed
Choose Aperture

Easy!

 

Focus and Exposure Locks

By default, these both lock when you half press the shutter. Feel free to program them otherwise.

 

Exposure Compensation

The top right dial usually sets exposure compensation. Sometimes I need to go into Aperture-preferred mode to get it to work, then that compensation value stays set in the other exposure modes.

The set value is remembered even with the power off; to return it to zero you have to change it deliberately.

 

Program Exposure

If you shift the program, say for smaller apertures, the Q2 resets after every shot.

Instead, if I want a different aperture or shutter speed, I find it much faster to grab either the aperture ring or shutter speed dial and just set what I want directly.

 

Electronic Shutter

I prefer my Q2 to use the usual leaf shutter all the time, but if it needs a speed above 1/2,000 to just swap to the electronic shutter. This is the default setting (MENU > Page 2 > Electronic Shutter > Extended).

You can force it OFF or ALWAYS ON at the same place.

Flash only works with the regular mechanical leaf shutter.

 

Crop Modes

To simulate a 35mm f/1.7 SUMMILUX ASPH, 50mm f/1.7 SUMMILUX ASPH or 75mm f/1.7 SUMMILUX ASPH, just tap the rear button and it will toggle among the 28mm, 35mm, 50mm and 75mm equivalents:

LEICA Q2 Rear Button

LEICA Q2 Rear Lens-Change Button. größer.

You can reprogram these buttons, so if yours doesn't switch lenses, someone changed it.

 

Level, Grid, Histogram & Clipping

To see these, enable them at MENU > page 3 > Capture Assistants.

 

Flash

By default, the hot shoe only works when your Q2 thinks it's dark out. This is wrong, so I set my Q2 flash to ALWAYS ON, so my flash works anytime I turn the flash's power switch ON. To set this, MENU > page 3 > Flash Settings > Flash Mode > ON.

In dim light with my SF-24D I have to close the aperture at very close distances to prevent over exposure; it's not smart enough to stop itself down.

Auto ISO always sets ISO 100 with flash.

My SF-24D is rated to cover a 35mm lens and the Q2 has a 28mm. You actually will get a darker bottom, so if you're shooting blank walls or at close distances, use the SF-24D's wide diffuser. I don't because it robs one stop of light, and using my flash for fill outdoors I need the power more than I need even light distribution.

 

Remote Control

I don't have time for apps, but if you do, know that LEICA's Q2 Owner's Manual says that the remote control app works even with the Q2's power switch OFF, and be careful because you can wake and shoot it at any time — and so can anyone else in range who has their phone paired to your Q2.

 

Profiles

You can save and recall six complete sets of settings. I use one for my usual shots, another if on a tripod (lock-in ISO 100 and self-timer), another for people (Auto ISO minimum speed 1/125 and normal saturation), etc.

If you share your Q2 with other people, you can save your settings, like the memory seats in your Porsche Turbo or S-Klasse, also popular with the LEICAMAN.

To play with these, go to MENU > USER PROFILE.

To export profiles to a card: MENU > USER PROFILE > MANAGE PROFILES > EXPORT PROFILES > YES. A 12 kB SETTINGS.LCS file is written to your card.

To import profiles from a card, copy a SETTINGS.LCS file to your card (you can download mine and then copy it to a memory card in your computer, [it won't do anything here in your browser]), and then press MENU > USER PROFILE > MANAGE PROFILES > IMPORT PROFILES > YES.

When saving to and from a card, all the six settings transfer at once; you can't pick and choose.

 

Beeps and Fake Shutter Sounds

Turn off the foolish fake shutter sound at MENU > page 4 > Acoustic Signal > Electronic Shutter Sound > OFF.

 

Playback

Tap the top of the top right dial to zoom, or turn the dial for different magnifications.

Tap the rear center button to swap among INFO modes.

 

Trash & Delete Button

LEICA Q2 photos are always masterpieces, so no one would delete them in camera. That's why there's no DELETE button!

If you insist, you can delete photos with options displayed if you hit FN while playing an image.

 

Recommendations       top

Sample Images   Introduction

Specifications   Accessories   Unboxing

Performance   Compared   User's Guide

Recommendations   More

I got my LEICA Q2 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

The LEICA Q2 is for the man who deserves the very best. It's not about taking pictures, it's about who you are. The LEICA MAN chooses LEICA because of who he is.

If you have to ask "Is It Worth It," your work probably isn't at the level that deserves this camera. If you consider the price high, then you don't understand what a bargain this is — and why the Q2 sells so well.

If you just want great pictures, the Fujifilm X100V does a better job for people pictures because it has a built-in flash with a 1/4,000 sync speed and a dual optical & electronic finder. The LEICA is more for casual landscape photographers who actually make 30-foot (10-meter) wide prints and need 47 megapixels, or for the man who deserves and has everything.

I use a clear (UV) protective filter instead of a cap so I'm always ready to shoot instantly. I only use a cap when I throw this in a bag with other gear without padding — which is never. The UV filter never gets in the way, and never gets lost, either.

I use the very best protective filter, the Multicoated Hoya HD3 49mm which uses hardened glass and repels dirt and fingerprints.

LEICA faithful use the LEICA 13 035 49mm UVa II filter.

For less money, the B+W 49mm 010 is an excellent filter, as are the multicoated B+W and the basic multicoated Hoya filters, but the Hoya HD3 is the toughest and the best.

Filters last a lifetime, so you may as well get the best. The Hoya HD3 stays cleaner than the others since it repels oil and dirt.

All these filters are just as sharp and take the same pictures, the difference is how much abuse they'll take and stay clean and stay in one piece.

I got my LEICA Q2 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

This 100% all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to my personally-approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Leica doesn't seal its boxes, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, non-USA, gray-market, store demo or used camera. Get yours only from the trusted sources I've used personally for decades for the best prices, service, return policies and selection. Thanks for helping me help you! Ken.

Thanks for helping me help you!

Ken, Mrs. Rockwell, Ryan and Katie.

 

More Information       top

Sample Images   Introduction

Specifications   Accessories   Unboxing

Performance   Compared   User's Guide

Recommendations   More

 

I got my LEICA Q2 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.

 

LEICA's Q2 Owner's Manual.

LEICA's printed list of Q2 specifications.

 

© Ken Rockwell. All rights reserved. Tous droits réservés. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

 

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03-08, 14 June 2020, 07 March 2019