Some brands attract vitriol to a degree that is hard to fathom. Typically, they are expensive brands that many photographers do not believe can justify their price. At the top of that pile is Leica, and yet, the brand has die-hard followers and disciples.
My regular readers — and there are at least 3 — will remember my U-turn with Leica. Some years back, I wrote an article on Leica and criticized the pricing of the brand. In the classiest of fashions, Leica invited me to their London offices to try the cameras and learn about what they do, and I accepted. While I stand by the fact that some of what they produce is priced in a way I cannot justify, a lot of their range isn't. In fact, using some of their cameras, even just around the street next to their office, I felt like I finally understood why Leica had a cult following. There was something special to shooting with their cameras after all.
Nevertheless, Leica is a brand that is polarizing to photographers, revered by many, and labeled as overpriced by many others. In this video, Evan Ranft primarily discusses the Leica Q2, a compact body with a fixed lens but a spec sheet that would impress even the staunchest of detractors. This camera is now in vogue with YouTubers particularly, which attracts more fans and more hate. At $5,795 for a compact, fixed-lens camera, you can understand why people are outraged by it. However, if you've not tried it, your hate doesn't hold quite the same weight.
Have you used the Leica Q2? What did you think of it?
It seems like the correct argument would be that the feel / usability of the camera may justify the price. There are lots of great professional 28mm lenses out there, and there is no "quantifiable" difference between those and the glass on the Q2. That said, he did capture some nice images - a video about his process would have been a lot more interesting.
While I don't have a Q2, I do have the original Q. The Q may not be right in all circumstances, but I find it be extremely flexible in its ability to capture a wide range of scenes from wide angle landscapes to macros and a variety of in-between shots. I do think the Qs are a bit overpriced but that's all part of the Leica name.
If you can afford to purchase a Q I would say it's a great addition.
Not seeing any compelling reasons to own this camera. Just a video with a guy sharing how much he loves it. I certainly won’t ever trash any camera brand (pointless and counterproductive) but do think too much emphasis is put on the gear people use a lot of the time. I won’t use Leica because I find the rangefinder limited to a few focal lengths and doesn’t accommodate my favourite 40mm focal length very well. It’s also too expensive and I doubt I’d get better photos with one over my current setup.
Owned a second hand Q, with great image quality, and a bunch of flaws I didn't like: The on/off mechanism was kind of cheap and unstable, the sensor got dusty rather fast, no weather sealing and not the best battery. Sold it at a good price, bought the Q2 instead and it's my main travel camera for City travel.