Is the Leica Q2 worth it in 2022?

The Leica Q2 is arguably one of the most popular and best selling products in Leica's portfolio. There have been rumors about a Q3 coming in the next few months? Is there any truth to this? And also importantly - is the Q2 still worth buying in 2022?

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Ted Forbes
The Art of Photography
2830 S. Hulen, Studio 133
Fort Worth, TX 76109
US of A

[jacobh]

My Q2 Monochrome is the camera that’s almost always with me. I love it. It’s on manual focus most of the time. That slows me down just enough to enjoy the process. The lens is great. It renders beautifully. I’ve just finished a shoot for which we used the Q2 next to an H6D and it holds up great. I’ve no need for video, but if Leica could make a Q2 version with a 65-75mm lens…

[IamUke]

I have the Q2 monochrom and it's amazing. It has become my go-to B&W camera, the raw files have incredible tonality and can be pushed around ridiculously in post. It's a wonderful camera in every way. The Q2M was my first Leica and it has turned me into a Leica fanboy. I added an SL2-S recently which I use for low light and astro and I'm really happy with both cameras. They are permanent residents of my go-to camera setup for landscapes and cityscapes alongside a GFX 100S.

[bassem]

After trying a lot of the cameras which were touted as being the best for street photography, I decided in 2019 to give the Q2 a try. I fell in love, so much so, that I sold off all of my other gear and moved to Leica, buying the SL2 with two Zooms.
The user interface and ergonomics of these two Leica cameras are so intuitive and easy to use, that they are the fastest cameras I was able to setup for a shot.
But back to the Q2... I went on a ten day trip to New York last year with both of my cameras. Later while going through and editing the images I shot, I noticed two things. First, I shot two thirds of my photos with the Q2 and that I had a very high rate of keepers at that.
My message to anyone who likes shooting street is: If you like 35mm for street like I do, moving to 28mm is a blessing... I have room to crop to the best 35mm frame in post, and 28mm has its own charm too. :D

[WristGame]

I can’t recall exactly, but I think I’ve had 6 or 7 Qs lol… Currently still have 2 of them. The 007 and the Daniel Craig edition. Absolutely love the Qs!

[ccharlie]

Using the Q2 as your only camera is a delightful, yet frustrating experience that will make you a way better photographer. That’s what happened to me. For portraits, the 28mm lens will distort your subject when shot at close range as compared to a 35 or a 50. The key is to back up five or ten feet then use the digital crop mode. The distortion will go away, and you will have enough megapixels left over to still get a usable file. When you back up, your depth of field will increase, which will result in less bokeh (if that is what you’re after). You can mitigate that by opening the aperture up to 1.7. The camera sucks big time in low light. I now cap the ISO at 1600 because anything more than that results in too much noise. The good news is you can use Denoise AI to improve this (but it’s not a panacea). This also incentivizes you to look for better light which I have found makes you more creative and results in more interesting photos.

[williamsingman]

I own both versions of the Q2 and absolutely love them. Western Washington can be a little wet much of the year, so having a camera that is both resistant to moisture and has a great macro feature is definitely another plus for these high quality extremely versatile cameras.

[swhiser]

Ted - your stuff is getting so strong. I appreciate your presentation on this one.

[PhantomPhxer]

I've used my Q2 for street, and landscape, including long exposure. I couldn't be happier.

[Pilpup]

Oh hell yeah, I remember you from my introduction to photography course you did. Really good to see you still active on YouTube!

[tutzu]

As a Q2 owner I couldn't agree more, its just the way they handle makes the whole process rewarding.

[Bryan-ludu]

I loved my original Q and I love my Q2 Monochrom. These are so much fun to use and I’ve always loved the files coming out of them. I throw a red filter on when I want high contrast black and white or an orange when I want it to be a little more manageable contrast

[labibhaddad]

Thank you for the video, very well put. God and my wife know I spent a ton of money buying fixed lens cameras in the pursuit of the Q2, including Ricoh, Fuji and the Sony RX1RII, I finally bit the bullet and bought the Q2 last year and I could not be any happier, love the simplicity the response and EVF, the shallow depth of field at 28 is unreal, the photos are so sharp and the shadows well controlled. That said I think the IQ of the RX1 is superior including the dynamic range, however the dreadful EVF, and battery life on the Sony coupled with awful manual focusing experience make me reach for the Q2 almost always. The Q2 is such a pleasure to use and create with, it’s a keeper for sure

[ArminHirmer]

I love my Q2M and can wait until 2023 when they come up with the Q3 and the M11 sensor :D

[RaviMistry]

I bought x100v due to the price of q2, used it for a year.
But eventually ended up buying Q2 selling x100v and it’s absolutely worth it, Q2 is much more elevated experience along with brilliant IQ.

[rg]

The only feature I'm missing on my Q2 is a Live View zoom in the viewfinder that matches the selected focal length.
So it would look like you had a 75mm mounted on the lens for instance.
Way easier see details on the subject.
This could be used optionally if you like the current M-viewfinder-like experience of seeing around the subject.

[davidenpunktse]

Using both M10 and Q2. Hard to beat the M with 50 Lux, but the Q2 got a special place in my heart.
And I agree, you buy the Q-lens and get the camera body for free. It’s an incredible lens.

Also, happy to see that people are talking about Leica all of a sudden without being sarcastic about the price level.

[LCM]

Hello, will grab my Leica Q2 Reporter edition this week in on of the Leica stores here in Paris. I was focused on getting the Monochrom version. They lend me for a few days (free of charge) the Monochrom version, but seems that even though I love B&W photography, I think the Q2 color version will suit more my needs. Leica's advise: if you do more than 80% of your shots in B&W, then the Monochrom version is the way to go, else prefer the regular version...

[TheDoctorPhotographer]

Love your channel and videos. I am a hobbyist and selling my Sony A7IV and all my lenses and planning on getting a q2. Just tired of the whole feature heavy system and feeling uninspired. I hope I can slow down and experience more inspiration.

P.S. you said 2020 in your introduction, a mistake I make all the time 😄

[mtyn]

The Q2 is a beautiful camera and I have enjoyed using it over the past 12 months. It feels like a million dollars.👍

[lrb]

I just got a Q2M used, like brand new from B&H for a steal, lol,not a mark, nearly used. I have been enjoying it and my instagram has been growing since posting my new B&W photos.I bought it to print posters and print books