Perhaps no camera brand is more polarizing than Leica, with many photographers absolutely swearing by both the experience and the image rendering and quality, while others claim they are nothing more than overpriced status symbols. If you have been wondering what the experience is like but are not ready to spend thousands of dollars to find out, check out this interesting video that features a Fujifilm X100V user discussing his thoughts on the Leica Q2.
Coming to you from Manny Ortiz, this excellent video review compares the Fujifilm X100V to the Leica Q2. I have never been a big fan of fixed prime lens cameras, but the X100 series has always been the exception for me, thanks to the intuitive and fun experience that inspired me to keep picking up the camera and taking it to new places. That being said, the Leica Q2 is no slouch and has some noteworthy advantages over the X100V, including a larger full frame sensor that carries about twice the resolution. This can be particularly important when using a fixed prime lens camera, as you might find yourself cropping to the perfect composition more often than you would with a fixed zoom lens or interchangeable lens camera. That being said, the Q2 is about four times the price of the X100V, so you really have to consider how important those upgrades and the Leica experience are to you. Check out the video above for Ortiz' full thoughts.
Great video, and I specially like the comment that what lies behind the Leica mystique has to do more with the overall experience than with the specs. My exact feelings when I take out my old M240. Like he says, there's just something about a well-shot Leica photo that it's hard to describe. It just makes you feel something. Slow, difficult, and somewhat unassuming, but when it delivers, it really delivers.
Had the x100f, which was great, and which was my personal "poor man's Leica", although this was rather stupid. Then the death of a friend reminded me of the finitude of life. So I tried the only Leica experience within reach, a second hand Leica Q. It blew me away. Sold the x100f rather quickly.
After one year with the Q, I regretted going for the Q and not the Q2, because the Q's quirks made the experience, well, not what it was meant to be. So I sold it for the Q2, which is my main travel camera nowadays. The x100v came out later, would have been a nice replacement for the x100f too, but once you became a Leica fanboy, you stay. (Btw I taped the red button. No need to be recognised as fanboy.)
If I even got one, first thing I'd do is obliterate any Leica branding also!
A guilty pleasure doesn't have to be a signal to the world (or wife!) that I that I have such an expensive photo making machine.
Had the x100v. Liked the experience per se, but wished it started wider, like 16 or 18mm instead of 23mm. Also not my favourite of the Fuji sensors - the one in the x100f and now x-t5 both better IMO. The lens was nice, though, as was some of the unique functions. But the AF wasn't as good as people like to think, it overheats and it's really not that compact - which is fine, but the Leica isn't compact either and offers a lot more. For a price.
Bought the x100v for €1000 when prices were normal and falling even. Sold for €1750. Either Fuji is going to blow me away with a new more compact x100 next year with an x100 with an 18mm lens and the x-t5 40MP sensor, or that €1750 is my down payment for a Q2 or Q3!
Alright I won’t get into Leica now other than to say , they shoot a nice photo and his being noticed in Italy (a place very into fashion) is a good example of how Leica doesn’t work anymore for blending in.
What I will say is that the first 7 minutes of praise for that terrible yearly churn machine killing waste of a program luminar coupled with his use of the words “low key” when he actually was espousing the greatness killed my desire to enjoy the video. The presenter is clearly a decent model/ instagram photographer, which is a very popular thing now, his presentation abilities coupled with his inability to pronounce basic words properly meant I couldn’t make it through the video, bluntly.
I’m teetering on no longer visiting. For everything worth reading through that gets posted here there’s a plethora of time waste filler. This is one of those.
He said. Nothing. And badly.
Cool story bro