Amen - I have mine and I can definitely say the Q2M will definitely take you to new and interesting places in the development of your skills and abilities as a photographer.
I work in a photostore in Belgium, and we are among other brands also a Leica Boutique. I always make fun of the leica brand with my colleagues, I don't get the hype around leica and especially the M range. My camera is a Phase One IQ180 (CCD) and I love it, but I sold last week and I regret, so I ask the company to give it back to me. In the meantime, I was always interrested by the videos you make David, I lke your tone and the explanations you give. Missing my Phase One, after seeing your video on the Leica Q2M, I picked one from our shelves and tested it ! WOW ! I couldn't believe what I saw ! What I saw in Capture One gave me the same pleasure as looking in the Phase One files. I was toasted. So I bought one on the 31th of March, and from that moment, I watched every video you've made on the Monochrom cameras, and other tutorials as well. I would like to test a M10 Monochrom as well, but the price is too high for me, and adding a M lens is around 15K. My dream now is that Leica will make a SL2 Monochrom, that would interrest me, especially because of the fantastic glass they are making in L Mount. I won't make fun of leica from now on, I promise :))) Sorry for my poor English...
Michel. Your English is better than most and I am English!! I did more or less the very same thing as you. I went through a plethora of very high end cameras including GFX100 and several lenses and a Hasselblad H6D100c with 5 Orange Dot lenses before selling them all cashing out and ending up at Q2 Mono. Wow. SL2 Mono with M lenses? Yes please. I am to attend a Leica Day in UK in a couple of weeks so I will get back to you with what the Reps say about the possibility!!!!!! All good Simon J Miller
@@nelsonclub7722 Thank you very much for your nice reply Simon. Leica came to our boutique from Germany last week and I was teasing them, like : "I've seen rumours about a Leica SL2 Monochrom, and there was also a price on that forum". That was not true of course, and they didn't say anything about it, they were just smiling, and tell me that they didn't know anything about it. Hahaha. Let's hope you'll get more news about it in the next few weeks... Have a nice weekend...
This is my first time on your you tube channel. I found it helpful and informative. I photographed today on the Q2 Monochrom and was very pleased. Thanks for posting this video.
Bought a Q2M but sent it back before the 30 day trial was up. There is a subtle character present from viewing the Q2M images that cannot be duplicated in color conversion techniques. I don't regret returning it and will be anticipating a SL2M in the near future. For now I will continue to use the monochrome settings in my Nikon Df and post using Silver Efex Pro. Nice review.
I purchased an infrared-converted camera so I could shoot files convertible to b/w through the brightest hours of the day and I am finding the files of my Q2M with a red filter (you didn't mention filters!) at same bright hours are more attractive! You lose 2.5 stops with a proper red filter but it's ok with this camera. The only aesthetic advantage of infrared at midday might be foliage, which looks completely white. I still prefer the Q2M files w/filters, though.
Two months ago I bought a SL2 for use with my 8 M lenses. I also bought the Sigma 45mm their 85mm , 24-70mm and the Zeiss Milvus 50mm. So while the monochrome is nice, I will wait until the eventual SL2 monochome is released. Having an 5.7mp evf, IBIS, autofocus, and an electronic shutter are big advantages, as is 5mp 10 bit video.
Question. Now that the Q3 has arrived, comparing Q3 images to Q2 monochrom, does the larger size of the sensor improve transfer from color to B/W, reducing the advantage of a pure monochrom camera? Or is imagine quality still going to be better with the monochrom camera? And Thank You for a very informative and common sense review!
I'm not familiar with Daniel Morrison. Just speaking color -> B&W versus native monochrome from my own experience, I think that the mono sensor has an edge, in tonality, in detail and in noise. Admittedly, you do sacrifice some control since color channels can be adjusted during conversion. Here, using color filters smartly while shooting can make a big difference. It's also much less work to get a pleasing B&W image from the Monochrom - shoot and you're done.
@@RedDotForum danielmaorrisonimaging.com or monochrome imaging services. I’m agreeing with you: the tonalities of Leica Monochrome M10 or now Q2 are absolutely gorgeous. Daniel’s conversions are way cheaper than Leica. He shows some comparisons. I was curious about how a dedicated Leica Monochromer would respond to his conversions. I have a Sigma DP3 Merrill sitting at home waiting for me. I have not gotten into it. But there are some fantastic B&W results from this camera on dedicated Sigma Merrill Flickr groups for a reference. I’m new to digital monochrome, but love what I’ve seen. (Not ready to drop 6-10K on a Leica version just yet)
I'm perplexed. I recall you mentioning that in terms of image quality, detail, and resolution, the Q2-Monochrome holds an advantage over the Q2 due to the absence of a bayer filter over the 47.3 Megapixel sensor. However, when comparing the Q2-Monochrome to the M10-Monochrome, the M10-Monochrome exhibits superior image quality, more detail, and resolution despite having the same sensor size and only 84% of the megapixel count of the Q2-Monochrome. How can this be? Are the M lenses significantly better than those attached to the Q line of cameras?
How correct is this table? 28 mm, f/1.7, 47 MP 35 mm, f/2.1, 30 MP 50 mm, f/3.0, 15 MP 75 mm, f/4.6, 7 MP Not that f/3 # 50mm is bad, but this is just based on math - don't have the camera yet, so can't really test it, and different lenses on a different camera will ofcourse behave (read actual dof given) differently.Thanks
How would the image quality compare when using an M10M with a 28mm Elmairt to using the Q2m ? Also with the 2.8 lens do I lose the extra iso stops advantage since the Elmarit is 2 stops slower then the 1.7 Lux ? thanks
Interesting question. The 28 Lux on the Q is a better lens than the 28 Elmarit-M, both in terms of sharpness and light gathering. You are correct that the Elmarit is 1.5 stops slower than the Summilux, so some of the ISO advantage of the M10M will be lost. But... the M10M will open up future use of other lens options, so there's that. The Q2M has a lower cost of entry to get a ready-to-shoot B&W system with very little compromise. The M10M will be more expandable and offer superior image quality, but has a much higher total cost.
@@RedDotForum Thank you for your reply and insight. I have a M10P with a 21 SEM, 35 Cron, 50 Lux and a 90 Summarit, and was planning on getting a 28 for primarily street photography so probably the Elmarit, given it's size and weight. So money aside, it seems like you are suggesting the M10M would be the better choice, or is the Q2M with weather sealing, IS, and better 28mm lens and ease of use the way to go ? H
Wow. That is a tough call! Either camera would be a big upgrade to your kit. The M10M would give you the absolute best image quality in B&W and is a good step up from the MM246. But the upgrade from the Q116 to the Q2M would be bigger if you are willing to sacrifice the color capabilities of your Q. And, you'd have two Monochrom cameras. I might actually suggest taking a look at the M10-R. Huge upgrade to your color setup with amazing quality and low light ability. And depending on what you gravitated to using more, you could then get into either the Q2M or an M10M at that point.
I am looking at getting my first Leica camera and I do love B&W photography but I feel that I am limiting myself by just having one camera only B&W. I think I'm going to go for the normal Q2 as having the ability to shoot in colour as well for a one camera setup wouldn't make sense to give up. The Q2M is very tempting...
I shoot M Monochrom then I shoot this Q2 Monochrom . It’s blew me away with how easy and how good this camera compare to the M . All I can say once you used the Q2 Monochrom then made you hesitate to used the slow M , made you a bit lazy because the Q do everything you have to physically do with the M . If you are not a pro then get the Q you will be very happy .
There's a little lock button on the focus tab. Press in and turn the focus ring. You're now in manual focus. To put back into AF, just rotate the focus ring all the way back until it clicks at the AF position. No digging through menus or custom functions. It's just a focus ring on the lens. Such great design.
@@RedDotForum Once I switch to manual focusing on the Q2 and use the focus ring, how can I tell if my object of interest is in sharp focus as I can do now with my precision split image M rangefinder? Thank you, Paul
My good fortune in finding a secondhand M10M for 5000 euros and 1 and half years of warranty left six months back makes this a choice I don't even have to consider.
I always thought it would be cheaper to buy a film m and stock up on b&w. There’s something about the way the images look when you crank hp5 to 1600 and print them.
No. The Leica Monochrom cameras are purely for B&W. The sensors lack a color filter array, therefore there is no way to take a color photograph. But that is what gives the camera its resolution, tonality and high ISO advantages.
Great one again but hey, look. You mention 2 stops higher ISO. But what about if you add a color filter on the Lens for better rendition of s'y or skin tonnes or green... Than the filter makes you loose 1 to 1.5 stop doesn't it ? Have you already considered this point threw this perspective ? So at the end, if you use color filters you loose thé additional ISO performance against thé Q2 don't you ?
Great point! Certainly, this makes a difference, but I'd offer a few thoughts: 1) With no RGB color filters over the sensor, there is no interpolation nor per-channel gain applied. Even if you use a single color filter on the lens, the benefits of no CFA still apply. 2) Generally, I use color filters on the lens in brighter light conditions. I rarely, if ever, use filters when shooting low light, night photography. Therefore, I'm getting the full 2-stop ISO advantage here. 3) Not everyone uses color filters when shooting in B&W. This comes down to creative choice and subject matter.
Is the sensor stitched on Q2 m ? because a line shows up on long exposures with tonal difference on left and right side. Its only on long exposures and with some tonal adjustments in Post.
Not that we're aware of. Stitched sensors haven't been much of a thing since the Kodak 14N of yesteryear. It's possible that the sensor calibration data for your camera needs to be tweaked though. Leica Customer Care can often do this with custom firmware that you install after sending them a DNG showing the issue.
@@RedDotForum I did email the files to Leica Germany and they said they will pass on the message to development. This is what was emailed to me. I am not technically savvy hence cannot make out and interpret the cause. All I know that this camera has a limited capability of handling long exposures for now. "many thanks for your request. Due to the size of the sensor, the image of the sensor is composed of 2 images (left / right) You shouldn't recognize this line in the middle. Now it is the case that various "controls" have been changed, and it will probably only then appear. With this extreme adjustment on / from the image, what is known as "stitching" occurs, and the merged image no longer flows in the middle. This is normal behavior of the sensor and does not represent a technical error." Normal behavior ? other ff sensor do not do like the canon eos R
@@RedDotForum May be you should see the files I have. I have not heard from them after they requested the DNG files. That was over a month ago. There is very clear line in the center. I just want to know whether its a hardware issue and is it my camera or all q2 sensors are like that. With the same picture from a canon Eos r and same adjustments applied the picturr is clean. You I thought you should be more aware of what is being sold at this kind of price point. I hope they can fix it with firmware update.
Love your show, absolutly amazing content for å new Leica man :) have to say one thing tho, dots and puxels on å screen is not the same. A 921 000 dots screen is actuly only 0,3 megapixels (640x 480) and the amazing wiewfinder on the SL2 is about 2 megapixels. You have to devide the resulution by three. Keep up the good work looking forward to more :) And also I am considering bying one topp class leica M lens that can do it all. Is the 35 Summilux fle much better than the 35 Summicron asph. Om sharpnes, chromatic absorbation and general image quality? I use Leica M-P (240) :)
In a blind test I seriously doubt anyone, anyone, would be able to discern between photos taken by the M10-M, Q2-M, or color sensors equivalents M10 and Q2 converted to BW- without pixel peeping. This is the camera world’s equivalence to high fidelity audiophiles comparing the sound from one DSP chip and another, only much worse.
Hi! Great video thank you!! I am considering saving up for a q2 monochrom, but this is bugging me... can one assign the zoom function (for the purpuses of focusing) to a customizable button? I would like to be able to manually focus, but not have it always zoom in automatically when I turn the focus ring. I use manual lenses or just like to focus manually with my current camera sometimes, and sometimes you don’t want it to zoom in and sometimes you do... So I was hoping one can assign this function to one of the customizable buttons on the Q2. Thank you for your time! Pau
Thanks for the great review as always. I intend to buy my first Lieca monochrome. Will I miss range finder experience buying Q2 monochrome? I can not go back and buy a range finder later. I am interested in street photography and some other niche. Thanks
Tough for me to say if you'll miss the rangefinder experience. An M is extremely rewarding to use, but I'd guess that your hit rate for street photography would be higher with the Q. The Q2M is fun, quick and easy to use. Choices, choices.
OK, I know I am late to the party, but I have a question. I have a reasonable amount of Nikon gear which is rarely used. The most used elements are the D850 with either a 14mm - 24mm f2.8 or 20mm f1.8. I use these to shoot my projects which, in every case, needs an ultra wide of 14 - 24, or the 20mm f1.8 - nothing more. I fell into the trap :-) of buying a Q2 reporter and since I had it, the Nikon hasn't come out of the bag. Is having both Q2s', mono and colour a waste of time, in your opinion? I know it is probably a waste of money but are they sufficiently different to be worth owning both?
I won't ever buy a monochrome, but the Q2M has many advantages vs M10M : IBIS, wether resistant, Macro lens, AF. However, I'd love to come back to Leica with a classic Q2, even if my favorite focal lens is 50mm. Too bad you didn't show the same picture with a Q2 in B&W vs Q2M. I wonder if most of us could see any difference...
@@RedDotForum Great ! I hope we'll have some daily pictures (portraits, family, landscape, street photo etc...) and not pictures of a kind of calibration chart only here to show that in some extreme cases you can see a difference when croping the corners 400%. Please be professional and give us a fair information.
Thanks a lot for this very interesting video about Leica Q Monochrom. I love black and white ... and use my Leica Q for this, converting coloured files in post-production with PS. My question: how you manage the post-production with raw files from Leica Q M ? What specifications especially for this camera ? I would like to buy one, but I cannot answer to this interrogation. Sorry for my poor english ... and thanks !
If you set the shutter type to Extended in the menu, and shoot in Aperture Priority mode, the camera will automatically utilize shutter speeds faster than the 1/2000th of a second mechanical shutter when needed. To get all the way to 1/40,000th of a second, you'd need to be shooting wide-open (f/1.7) at a fairly high ISO in bright daylight.
Great review and IMHO the Q2M is a GREAT shooting experience. What is to become of my other cameras is still unanswered. My question, were the the photos at the end of your video shot in DNG or .jpeg? Thanks, AG
We did an exhaustive test between the Q2 Monochrom, Q2, M10 Monochrom and M10-R for B&W image quality. For the M10M and M10-R, we used the top-performing 28mm Summilux-M ASPH. Check it out: www.reddotforum.com/content/2021/02/bw-iso-showdown-2021-leica-q2-monochrom-vs-m10-monochrom-vs-q2-vs-m10-r/
Hi David, Thanks for the review and image gallery. Two weeks in to using a Q2M here in the uK I am finding that C1 seems to do a quite poor job of managing the high iSO files. Controlling noise in shots with large dark areas is a real issue , I find in C1. The noise control in OOC jpegs is much more accomplished than anything I seem to achieve in C1. I wonder if LR has the edge ? Any tips for sharpening/noise reduction at ISO 3200 upwards ?
You could argue that an M10 + 90mm would make a good compliment to the Q2. Mono or Bayer. That is, if you don't care whether you're using MF or AF. Really nice use of background music here, BTW. Some creators often use music that draws attention to itself.
Great video. Thanks for it. Quick question: when I think of a Leica , I think of a red dot on the front of the camera. It’s there a way to get one on this camera? I’m sure I’m not the only person that thinks that. I’m also sure that there are a few of us that would love this camera if it had the red dot on it. Thanks.
Very true. But considering the image quality of the Q2 Monochcrom relative to the M10 Monochrom with a 28 Summilux-M ASPH, the Q2M represents an amazing value.
Wrong info here: not ALL (which the honorable presenters claims) digital cameras use color filter array-equipped monochrome sensing devices: my Polaroid X530, my Sigma DP2s and DP3M all use Foveon full color direct image sensors and can not only produce pixel sharp micro detail, but also allow for Sigma Photo Pro to utilize all three color channels to taste and varied degrees when generating totally unique monochrome images in PP that would ordinarily require three primary color filtered b/w images stacked and channel-merged from a non-Foveon-sensor digital camera to achieve the same results. Also: Wouldn't it be interesting, if one could try and use high quality screw-on lenses on the Q2 Monochrom to conveniently vary the focal length without cropping? Anyone tried this yet?
That's ok if you are happy processing to b&w in post, and like to carry more than one lens, but then you are missing the point of the Q2M....pick a M10M or invest in silver efex software - to me it's the system simplicity and mindset needed to shot with it; others do have different ideas 💡, opinions and needs, and diversity is good 👍 too. BTW I use an Olympus Pen F too for hybrid shots (color in raw, b&W in jpeg))
@@phillipferreira2984 I'm not really missing the point in the Q2 Monochrom at all by thinking outside the box and - logically - assuming that a bunch of high quality lightweight screw-on focal extension lenses allowing for more creative freedom could actually substantially change the whole artistic reach of a Q2 Monochrom, and I don't really see a non-AF M10 Monochrom in that same category of camera at all, for obvious practical reasons.
@@phillipferreira2984 Well, I had been wondering about that, since the SL-system would of course be the ideal Monochrome candidate for flexibility. Thx for the heads-up :-)
If you're honest, except for low light conditions there is no difference between the monochrom files and the Q2 files and converted to B&W. I've compared them side by side and have done the same with monochrome adapted Fuji sensors and you're wasting your money by paying either for a conversion or if buying the Q2 Monochrom. Try a side by side yourself and you'll see what I mean. On their own you can easily be fooled....If you only do low light stuff you will get an improvement however but it's pretty minimal.
The Q2 and Q2 Monochrom feature a leaf shutter in the lens. Typically, these top out at 1/1000th of a second, so the one in the Q is quite fast. Leica's other cameras all use focal plane shutters which go at much faster speeds. Of course, you always have the option of going all the way up to 1/40,000th of a second with the electronic shutter in the Q2.
@@RedDotForum yes 1/2000 is already a solid speed. at least for Hasselblad medium format lenses. You shouldn't go too much for specifications of all designs, but with the price, you should get the full program. Then we will see if the Q3 can beat a fiddly fuji x100V with 1/4000 leaf shutter.
Since camera is discrete and there is no RED Leica logo, the name Q2P Monochrome would be more in place. In your story at 2:33 you are mentioning that the color filter blocks light to various degrees ... NOW THIS IS IMPORTANT ..... in the result the firmware will deal with this by amplifying the difference so the signal of every color will be equal to the rate it was before it hit the sensor. Now there are companies who offer to modify sensors (cameras) to Monochrome by taking away that color filter but what they can't do is altering the firmware to take away the amplification afterwards so those camera's are not the real deal !!! Well I listened to your story, with some repeating stuff, and basically I was waiting for a comparison between some B/W shots taken by a Q2 Color (SOOC and than modified only by setting the image to B/W and if you are using that terrible LR , please turn off the default horrible sharping -the worst there is ) and the B/W shots of this Q2 Mono. (same subject, setup, time) Maybe for your other users, these (moreover nice) shot will do the trick but I am looking at images ruined by a YT compression sauce and whatever you guys did with it in post . It would be so much better, and more professional, to add a link to two RAW files, one made by a Color Q2 and one made by a Monochrome Q2 , of course at the same moment, of the same subjects, under same setup conditions.
Value is relative, I suppose. The original Q came out in 2015 for $5k and was sold out for three years following its release. The Q2 came out 18 months ago, again for $5k and is still in short supply. Now, Leica has something very unique with the Q2 Monochrom. Purpose-built for B&W, the mage quality is off the charts, yet the camera is compact and super intuitive to use. And while digital technology marches on, that original Q from five years ago still feels modern and responsive, and continues to offer incredible image quality.
The Q2M is a very compact camera considering it's packing a full frame sensor, a 28mm f/1.7, large battery, touchscreen and high-res OLED EVF. There simply isn't room for it. The larger SL2 does have dual SD card slots, as the camera is geared more toward professional applications.
@@RedDotForum The Q2 is then by what you said is a non-professional gear?!?!?! Considering the price tag, this isn’t justified. Sony a7riii is about the same size and is a full frame and has even a larger battery but yet, less than half of the price of the Q2.
The Q2M is a great camera for taking top quality pictures ... but its not a the right Leica camera for taking photographs. And if you only want to take pictures ...for 4k less you can buy an iPhone 12.
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Amen - I have mine and I can definitely say the Q2M will definitely take you to new and interesting places in the development of your skills and abilities as a photographer.
I love my Q2 and have no complaints whatsoever. But your images, well they are something else. Wonderful. Thanks.
Thank you so much.
I work in a photostore in Belgium, and we are among other brands also a Leica Boutique. I always make fun of the leica brand with my colleagues, I don't get the hype around leica and especially the M range. My camera is a Phase One IQ180 (CCD) and I love it, but I sold last week and I regret, so I ask the company to give it back to me. In the meantime, I was always interrested by the videos you make David, I lke your tone and the explanations you give. Missing my Phase One, after seeing your video on the Leica Q2M, I picked one from our shelves and tested it ! WOW ! I couldn't believe what I saw ! What I saw in Capture One gave me the same pleasure as looking in the Phase One files. I was toasted. So I bought one on the 31th of March, and from that moment, I watched every video you've made on the Monochrom cameras, and other tutorials as well. I would like to test a M10 Monochrom as well, but the price is too high for me, and adding a M lens is around 15K. My dream now is that Leica will make a SL2 Monochrom, that would interrest me, especially because of the fantastic glass they are making in L Mount.
I won't make fun of leica from now on, I promise :)))
Sorry for my poor English...
Michel. Your English is better than most and I am English!! I did more or less the very same thing as you. I went through a plethora of very high end cameras including GFX100 and several lenses and a Hasselblad H6D100c with 5 Orange Dot lenses before selling them all cashing out and ending up at Q2 Mono. Wow. SL2 Mono with M lenses? Yes please. I am to attend a Leica Day in UK in a couple of weeks so I will get back to you with what the Reps say about the possibility!!!!!! All good Simon J Miller
@@nelsonclub7722 Thank you very much for your nice reply Simon. Leica came to our boutique from Germany last week and I was teasing them, like : "I've seen rumours about a Leica SL2 Monochrom, and there was also a price on that forum". That was not true of course, and they didn't say anything about it, they were just smiling, and tell me that they didn't know anything about it. Hahaha.
Let's hope you'll get more news about it in the next few weeks...
Have a nice weekend...
This is my first time on your you tube channel. I found it helpful and informative. I photographed today on the Q2 Monochrom and was very pleased. Thanks for posting this video.
Thanks, David. I should be getting my Q2M today from you. Cant wait!
Awesome. You should love it, Tony!
Why does the M10 Monochrome have superior image quality over the Q2 Monochrome?
As always,
First class easy to understand presentation
Glad you think so!
We now need an Q3-43M !
Great to the point review and comparison. Mine is on the way.
Bought a Q2M but sent it back before the 30 day trial was up. There is a subtle character present from viewing the Q2M images that cannot be duplicated in color conversion techniques. I don't regret returning it and will be anticipating a SL2M in the near future. For now I will continue to use the monochrome settings in my Nikon Df and post using Silver Efex Pro. Nice review.
Momentary brain-lapse on my (David's) part - the M6 top plates are made from zinc alloy.
Clear, precise and informative as always.
Much appreciated!
I purchased an infrared-converted camera so I could shoot files convertible to b/w through the brightest hours of the day and I am finding the files of my Q2M with a red filter (you didn't mention filters!) at same bright hours are more attractive! You lose 2.5 stops with a proper red filter but it's ok with this camera. The only aesthetic advantage of infrared at midday might be foliage, which looks completely white. I still prefer the Q2M files w/filters, though.
Thanks for an interesting and pleasant review. Quite worthwhile to watch.
Crystal clear as always, and stunningly beautiful images, thank you!
Many thanks!
How did you come up with the 20-30% improvement in details. What's the metrics you're using?
Excellent review. Thank you!
Great review thank you. I will buy one. Take care and keep well Rob from the UK
Love the reviews, they are both informational and educational. You really know what you are buying. Thanks!
Clear, concise review. Thank you.
Thanks for watching!
Love it. I bet Leica also does an SL2 Monochrom although I hope they modify the sensor to be dual gain like the M10 Monochrom has.
I highly doubt that. Since the SL is aimed for hybrid-shooter.
Obviously, anything is possible, but this is doubtful. The SL2 sensor is built for IBIS operation.
TL-Monochrom would be brilliant
love the channel… any recommendations for editing software to use along with the Q2M? Keep on keeping on ❤️✌🏻
Two months ago I bought a SL2 for use with my 8 M lenses. I also bought the Sigma 45mm their
85mm , 24-70mm and the Zeiss Milvus 50mm. So while the monochrome is nice, I will wait
until the eventual SL2 monochome is released. Having an 5.7mp evf, IBIS, autofocus, and an electronic shutter are big advantages, as is 5mp 10 bit video.
Question. Now that the Q3 has arrived, comparing Q3 images to Q2 monochrom, does the larger size of the sensor improve transfer from color to B/W, reducing the advantage of a pure monochrom camera? Or is imagine quality still going to be better with the monochrom camera? And Thank You for a very informative and common sense review!
Great pictures David !!!
Thanks.
Hi ,any video to set the Q2 monocrome? Thank you for your help
Thank you for your great videos
Superb video. Thanks a ton.
Thank you David, very useful video.
Very clear video thank you. Would like to see m10 mono v Q2 mono images when possible
Stay tuned. We've got a Q2 vs Q2M vs M10-R vs M10M B&W showdown article coming soon on reddotfotforum.com.
Gorgeous tonality. No question. How do you think the Leica Monochrome’s compare to to Daniel Morrison B&W conversions with say Sony A7’s?
I'm not familiar with Daniel Morrison. Just speaking color -> B&W versus native monochrome from my own experience, I think that the mono sensor has an edge, in tonality, in detail and in noise. Admittedly, you do sacrifice some control since color channels can be adjusted during conversion. Here, using color filters smartly while shooting can make a big difference. It's also much less work to get a pleasing B&W image from the Monochrom - shoot and you're done.
@@RedDotForum danielmaorrisonimaging.com or monochrome imaging services. I’m agreeing with you: the tonalities of Leica Monochrome M10 or now Q2 are absolutely gorgeous. Daniel’s conversions are way cheaper than Leica. He shows some comparisons. I was curious about how a dedicated Leica Monochromer would respond to his conversions. I have a Sigma DP3 Merrill sitting at home waiting for me. I have not gotten into it. But there are some fantastic B&W results from this camera on dedicated Sigma Merrill Flickr groups for a reference. I’m new to digital monochrome, but love what I’ve seen. (Not ready to drop 6-10K on a Leica version just yet)
Thank you Sir for the video.
Great video! Just got mine-
Hope you enjoy it!
I'm perplexed. I recall you mentioning that in terms of image quality, detail, and resolution, the Q2-Monochrome holds an advantage over the Q2 due to the absence of a bayer filter over the 47.3 Megapixel sensor. However, when comparing the Q2-Monochrome to the M10-Monochrome, the M10-Monochrome exhibits superior image quality, more detail, and resolution despite having the same sensor size and only 84% of the megapixel count of the Q2-Monochrome. How can this be? Are the M lenses significantly better than those attached to the Q line of cameras?
Great video! Enjoyed it and very informative!
Glad it was helpful!
RedDotForum looking forward to your comparisons of q2 b&w and q2m
How correct is this table?
28 mm, f/1.7, 47 MP
35 mm, f/2.1, 30 MP
50 mm, f/3.0, 15 MP
75 mm, f/4.6, 7 MP
Not that f/3 # 50mm is bad, but this is just based on math - don't have the camera yet, so can't really test it, and different lenses on a different camera will ofcourse behave (read actual dof given) differently.Thanks
How would the image quality compare when using an M10M with a 28mm Elmairt to using the Q2m ? Also with the 2.8 lens do I lose the extra iso stops advantage since the Elmarit is 2 stops slower then the 1.7 Lux ? thanks
Interesting question. The 28 Lux on the Q is a better lens than the 28 Elmarit-M, both in terms of sharpness and light gathering. You are correct that the Elmarit is 1.5 stops slower than the Summilux, so some of the ISO advantage of the M10M will be lost. But... the M10M will open up future use of other lens options, so there's that. The Q2M has a lower cost of entry to get a ready-to-shoot B&W system with very little compromise. The M10M will be more expandable and offer superior image quality, but has a much higher total cost.
@@RedDotForum Thank you for your reply and insight.
I have a M10P with a 21 SEM, 35 Cron, 50 Lux and a 90 Summarit, and was planning on getting a 28 for primarily street photography so probably the Elmarit, given it's size and weight.
So money aside, it seems like you are suggesting the M10M would be the better choice, or is the Q2M with weather sealing, IS, and better 28mm lens and ease of use the way to go ?
H
If I already have M-246, M9-P and a Q already , and with approx 10 M-mount lens.... should I go for a Q2M or M10M?.....
Wow. That is a tough call! Either camera would be a big upgrade to your kit. The M10M would give you the absolute best image quality in B&W and is a good step up from the MM246. But the upgrade from the Q116 to the Q2M would be bigger if you are willing to sacrifice the color capabilities of your Q. And, you'd have two Monochrom cameras. I might actually suggest taking a look at the M10-R. Huge upgrade to your color setup with amazing quality and low light ability. And depending on what you gravitated to using more, you could then get into either the Q2M or an M10M at that point.
Fantastic video
I am looking at getting my first Leica camera and I do love B&W photography but I feel that I am limiting myself by just having one camera only B&W. I think I'm going to go for the normal Q2 as having the ability to shoot in colour as well for a one camera setup wouldn't make sense to give up. The Q2M is very tempting...
Thanks for the video. Also noticed your watch. Is this a Seamaster?
I shoot M Monochrom then I shoot this Q2 Monochrom . It’s blew me away with how easy and how good this camera compare to the M . All I can say once you used the Q2 Monochrom then made you hesitate to used the slow M , made you a bit lazy because the Q do everything you have to physically do with the M . If you are not a pro then get the Q you will be very happy .
Great review and informative. I’m so wanting one now I can not decide m10r or q2 mono. Only thing missing is about dozen car commercials.
Like I said, both are such amazing options. Can't go wrong either way.
Wow! Macro lens included.
Excellent review
Thank you!
How do you do manual focus with the Q2? Thanks.
There's a little lock button on the focus tab. Press in and turn the focus ring. You're now in manual focus. To put back into AF, just rotate the focus ring all the way back until it clicks at the AF position. No digging through menus or custom functions. It's just a focus ring on the lens. Such great design.
@@RedDotForum Once I switch to manual focusing on the Q2 and use the focus ring, how can I tell if my object of interest is in sharp focus as I can do now with my precision split image M rangefinder? Thank you, Paul
My good fortune in finding a secondhand M10M for 5000 euros and 1 and half years of warranty left six months back makes this a choice I don't even have to consider.
Wow. That's a great deal on an amazing camera. Enjoy it!
I always thought it would be cheaper to buy a film m and stock up on b&w. There’s something about the way the images look when you crank hp5 to 1600 and print them.
I wish Leica will make a "Q" Camera with 60+ megapixels sensor, 9.5+ mill. dots EVF and Leica M mount !
can it take regular color photos as well or only monochrome?
No. The Leica Monochrom cameras are purely for B&W. The sensors lack a color filter array, therefore there is no way to take a color photograph. But that is what gives the camera its resolution, tonality and high ISO advantages.
Great one again but hey, look. You mention 2 stops higher ISO. But what about if you add a color filter on the Lens for better rendition of s'y or skin tonnes or green... Than the filter makes you loose 1 to 1.5 stop doesn't it ? Have you already considered this point threw this perspective ?
So at the end, if you use color filters you loose thé additional ISO performance against thé Q2 don't you ?
Great point! Certainly, this makes a difference, but I'd offer a few thoughts:
1) With no RGB color filters over the sensor, there is no interpolation nor per-channel gain applied. Even if you use a single color filter on the lens, the benefits of no CFA still apply.
2) Generally, I use color filters on the lens in brighter light conditions. I rarely, if ever, use filters when shooting low light, night photography. Therefore, I'm getting the full 2-stop ISO advantage here.
3) Not everyone uses color filters when shooting in B&W. This comes down to creative choice and subject matter.
@@RedDotForum great points ! You are right in your 3 points. Thanks for having taken the time to give me your thoughts.
Christmas is coming very soon for me.
Is the sensor stitched on Q2 m ? because a line shows up on long exposures with tonal difference on left and right side. Its only on long exposures and with some tonal adjustments in Post.
Not that we're aware of. Stitched sensors haven't been much of a thing since the Kodak 14N of yesteryear. It's possible that the sensor calibration data for your camera needs to be tweaked though. Leica Customer Care can often do this with custom firmware that you install after sending them a DNG showing the issue.
@@RedDotForum I did email the files to Leica Germany and they said they will pass on the message to development. This is what was emailed to me. I am not technically savvy hence cannot make out and interpret the cause. All I know that this camera has a limited capability of handling long exposures for now.
"many thanks for your request.
Due to the size of the sensor, the image of the sensor is composed of 2 images (left / right)
You shouldn't recognize this line in the middle.
Now it is the case that various "controls" have been changed, and it will probably only then appear.
With this extreme adjustment on / from the image, what is known as "stitching" occurs,
and the merged image no longer flows in the middle.
This is normal behavior of the sensor and does not represent a technical error."
Normal behavior ? other ff sensor do not do like the canon eos R
@@RedDotForum May be you should see the files I have. I have not heard from them after they requested the DNG files. That was over a month ago. There is very clear line in the center. I just want to know whether its a hardware issue and is it my camera or all q2 sensors are like that. With the same picture from a canon Eos r and same adjustments applied the picturr is clean. You I thought you should be more aware of what is being sold at this kind of price point. I hope they can fix it with firmware update.
Love your show, absolutly amazing content for å new Leica man :) have to say one thing tho, dots and puxels on å screen is not the same. A 921 000 dots screen is actuly only 0,3 megapixels (640x 480) and the amazing wiewfinder on the SL2 is about 2 megapixels. You have to devide the resulution by three. Keep up the good work looking forward to more :) And also I am considering bying one topp class leica M lens that can do it all. Is the 35 Summilux fle much better than the 35 Summicron asph. Om sharpnes, chromatic absorbation and general image quality? I use Leica M-P (240) :)
In a blind test I seriously doubt anyone, anyone, would be able to discern between photos taken by the M10-M, Q2-M, or color sensors equivalents M10 and Q2 converted to BW- without pixel peeping. This is the camera world’s equivalence to high fidelity audiophiles comparing the sound from one DSP chip and another, only much worse.
Hi! Great video thank you!!
I am considering saving up for a q2 monochrom, but this is bugging me...
can one assign the zoom function (for the purpuses of focusing) to a customizable button? I would like to be able to manually focus, but not have it always zoom in automatically when I turn the focus ring. I use manual lenses or just like to focus manually with my current camera sometimes, and sometimes you don’t want it to zoom in and sometimes you do... So I was hoping one can assign this function to one of the customizable buttons on the Q2.
Thank you for your time!
Pau
What are issues for using Q2M for zone photography
I'm not a regular practitioner of the the Zone System for B&W but I imagine you could develop a workflow for the Q2M.
I see no bolts in the bolted on lens. What am I missing?
Thanks for the great review as always. I intend to buy my first Lieca monochrome. Will I miss range finder experience buying Q2 monochrome? I can not go back and buy a range finder later. I am interested in street photography and some other niche. Thanks
Tough for me to say if you'll miss the rangefinder experience. An M is extremely rewarding to use, but I'd guess that your hit rate for street photography would be higher with the Q. The Q2M is fun, quick and easy to use. Choices, choices.
OK, I know I am late to the party, but I have a question. I have a reasonable amount of Nikon gear which is rarely used. The most used elements are the D850 with either a 14mm - 24mm f2.8 or 20mm f1.8. I use these to shoot my projects which, in every case, needs an ultra wide of 14 - 24, or the 20mm f1.8 - nothing more. I fell into the trap :-) of buying a Q2 reporter and since I had it, the Nikon hasn't come out of the bag. Is having both Q2s', mono and colour a waste of time, in your opinion? I know it is probably a waste of money but are they sufficiently different to be worth owning both?
I won't ever buy a monochrome, but the Q2M has many advantages vs M10M : IBIS, wether resistant, Macro lens, AF. However, I'd love to come back to Leica with a classic Q2, even if my favorite focal lens is 50mm. Too bad you didn't show the same picture with a Q2 in B&W vs Q2M. I wonder if most of us could see any difference...
Working on a head-to-head comparison for Q2 vs Q2M and M10-R vs M10M. Will be posted on Reddotforum.com when ready.
@@RedDotForum Great ! I hope we'll have some daily pictures (portraits, family, landscape, street photo etc...) and not pictures of a kind of calibration chart only here to show that in some extreme cases you can see a difference when croping the corners 400%. Please be professional and give us a fair information.
Thanks a lot for this very interesting video about Leica Q Monochrom. I love black and white ... and use my Leica Q for this, converting coloured files in post-production with PS. My question: how you manage the post-production with raw files from Leica Q M ? What specifications especially for this camera ? I would like to buy one, but I cannot answer to this interrogation. Sorry for my poor english ... and thanks !
Is the Leica Q2 monochrom a mirrorless or range finder ??
How do you make the electronic shutter reach 1/40000 of a second? I have the Q2 Monochrom but can’t seem to find that information. ;)
If you set the shutter type to Extended in the menu, and shoot in Aperture Priority mode, the camera will automatically utilize shutter speeds faster than the 1/2000th of a second mechanical shutter when needed. To get all the way to 1/40,000th of a second, you'd need to be shooting wide-open (f/1.7) at a fairly high ISO in bright daylight.
@@RedDotForum Very kind of you to reply in such detail. Thanks.
Great review and IMHO the Q2M is a GREAT shooting experience. What is to become of my other cameras is still unanswered. My question, were the the photos at the end of your video shot in DNG or .jpeg? Thanks, AG
All the photos were shot in DNG and processed in Lightroom Classic CC.
Your depth review insist me to buy this Monster Monochrome THE LEICA Q2M
Glad I could inspire you.
wish you'd try the m with a 28 mm lens
We did an exhaustive test between the Q2 Monochrom, Q2, M10 Monochrom and M10-R for B&W image quality. For the M10M and M10-R, we used the top-performing 28mm Summilux-M ASPH. Check it out:
www.reddotforum.com/content/2021/02/bw-iso-showdown-2021-leica-q2-monochrom-vs-m10-monochrom-vs-q2-vs-m10-r/
@@RedDotForum yeah but it's not side by side with the q2... the comparison is unfair, cause they have different lenses
Very good review & nice samples. Santa Klaus, could you hear me ? :)
Hi David, Thanks for the review and image gallery. Two weeks in to using a Q2M here in the uK I am finding that C1 seems to do a quite poor job of managing the high iSO files. Controlling noise in shots with large dark areas is a real issue , I find in C1. The noise control in OOC jpegs is much more accomplished than anything I seem to achieve in C1. I wonder if LR has the edge ? Any tips for sharpening/noise reduction at ISO 3200 upwards ?
Muchas gracias
¡De nada!
awesome review
those prices are ridiculous though. i'll stick to my sony alpha 😂
Hmmmmm maybe for my 60th birthday next February.......
You could argue that an M10 + 90mm would make a good compliment to the Q2. Mono or Bayer. That is, if you don't care whether you're using MF or AF.
Really nice use of background music here, BTW. Some creators often use music that draws attention to itself.
Good point!
Oh didn’t know Q2 had a Monochrome version too? Noice
Yes. Leica has had three generations of Monochrom M cameras, but this is the first Monochrom Q.
Great video. Thanks for it. Quick question: when I think of a Leica , I think of a red dot on the front of the camera. It’s there a way to get one on this camera? I’m sure I’m not the only person that thinks that. I’m also sure that there are a few of us that would love this camera if it had the red dot on it.
Thanks.
need Q3 with 35 lux!
We can all dream!
Then to follow a q3m with a 35lux
Geat video! thaanks, I fell asleep in the fifth minute. thank you
"Quite A value" everything is relative.
Very true. But considering the image quality of the Q2 Monochcrom relative to the M10 Monochrom with a 28 Summilux-M ASPH, the Q2M represents an amazing value.
Wrong info here: not ALL (which the honorable presenters claims) digital cameras use color filter array-equipped monochrome sensing devices: my Polaroid X530, my Sigma DP2s and DP3M all use Foveon full color direct image sensors and can not only produce pixel sharp micro detail, but also allow for Sigma Photo Pro to utilize all three color channels to taste and varied degrees when generating totally unique monochrome images in PP that would ordinarily require three primary color filtered b/w images stacked and channel-merged from a non-Foveon-sensor digital camera to achieve the same results. Also: Wouldn't it be interesting, if one could try and use high quality screw-on lenses on the Q2 Monochrom to conveniently vary the focal length without cropping? Anyone tried this yet?
That's ok if you are happy processing to b&w in post, and like to carry more than one lens, but then you are missing the point of the Q2M....pick a M10M or invest in silver efex software - to me it's the system simplicity and mindset needed to shot with it; others do have different ideas 💡, opinions and needs, and diversity is good 👍 too. BTW I use an Olympus Pen F too for hybrid shots (color in raw, b&W in jpeg))
@@phillipferreira2984 I'm not really missing the point in the Q2 Monochrom at all by thinking outside the box and - logically - assuming that a bunch of high quality lightweight screw-on focal extension lenses allowing for more creative freedom could actually substantially change the whole artistic reach of a Q2 Monochrom, and I don't really see a non-AF M10 Monochrom in that same category of camera at all, for obvious practical reasons.
SL2 or SL3 monochrome is coming soon they say and wish
@@phillipferreira2984 Well, I had been wondering about that, since the SL-system would of course be the ideal Monochrome candidate for flexibility. Thx for the heads-up :-)
there are enough people invested in the SL system....Leica has the know-how, so it can happen - keep talking and asking about it
The life-size Leica, the image was curved.
If you're honest, except for low light conditions there is no difference between the monochrom files and the Q2 files and converted to B&W. I've compared them side by side and have done the same with monochrome adapted Fuji sensors and you're wasting your money by paying either for a conversion or if buying the Q2 Monochrom. Try a side by side yourself and you'll see what I mean. On their own you can easily be fooled....If you only do low light stuff you will get an improvement however but it's pretty minimal.
1982 the Nikon fm2 worlds first 1/4000sec mechanical shutter speed.
2020 Leica: best I can do is 1/2000.
The Q2 and Q2 Monochrom feature a leaf shutter in the lens. Typically, these top out at 1/1000th of a second, so the one in the Q is quite fast. Leica's other cameras all use focal plane shutters which go at much faster speeds. Of course, you always have the option of going all the way up to 1/40,000th of a second with the electronic shutter in the Q2.
@@RedDotForum yes 1/2000 is already a solid speed. at least for Hasselblad medium format lenses. You shouldn't go too much for specifications of all designs, but with the price, you should get the full program. Then we will see if the Q3 can beat a fiddly fuji x100V with 1/4000 leaf shutter.
Since camera is discrete and there is no RED Leica logo, the name Q2P Monochrome would be more in place.
In your story at 2:33 you are mentioning that the color filter blocks light to various degrees ... NOW THIS IS IMPORTANT ..... in the result the firmware will deal with this by amplifying the difference so the signal of every color will be equal to the rate it was before it hit the sensor. Now there are companies who offer to modify sensors (cameras) to Monochrome by taking away that color filter but what they can't do is altering the firmware to take away the amplification afterwards so those camera's are not the real deal !!!
Well I listened to your story, with some repeating stuff, and basically I was waiting for a comparison between some B/W shots taken by a Q2 Color (SOOC and than modified only by setting the image to B/W and if you are using that terrible LR , please turn off the default horrible sharping -the worst there is ) and the B/W shots of this Q2 Mono. (same subject, setup, time)
Maybe for your other users, these (moreover nice) shot will do the trick but I am looking at images ruined by a YT compression sauce and whatever you guys did with it in post .
It would be so much better, and more professional, to add a link to two RAW files, one made by a Color Q2 and one made by a Monochrome Q2 , of course at the same moment, of the same subjects, under same setup conditions.
Let me guess you live in Ft. Lauderdale 🙃
Ding, ding, ding. Good guess.
At $5,000 I don’t think this camera is affordable or a smart move. As it goes with digital cameras, what’s new today is old tomorrow.
Value is relative, I suppose. The original Q came out in 2015 for $5k and was sold out for three years following its release. The Q2 came out 18 months ago, again for $5k and is still in short supply. Now, Leica has something very unique with the Q2 Monochrom. Purpose-built for B&W, the mage quality is off the charts, yet the camera is compact and super intuitive to use. And while digital technology marches on, that original Q from five years ago still feels modern and responsive, and continues to offer incredible image quality.
I still can’t understand why Leica has only single card slot despite the pricy camera.
The Q2M is a very compact camera considering it's packing a full frame sensor, a 28mm f/1.7, large battery, touchscreen and high-res OLED EVF. There simply isn't room for it. The larger SL2 does have dual SD card slots, as the camera is geared more toward professional applications.
@@RedDotForum The Q2 is then by what you said is a non-professional gear?!?!?! Considering the price tag, this isn’t justified. Sony a7riii is about the same size and is a full frame and has even a larger battery but yet, less than half of the price of the Q2.
"staggering detailed images" ... not really. Q2 does the same as the monocrhome.
Saying there are few camera as satisfying to shoot as a M10 says a hell of a lot more about you than the camera.
Menu -> click -> Menu .. set setting. sorry .. no menus, just give me a f'n dial.
Is somebody offering a sheikh job?
Someone is being paid by Leica on this one. Paid reviewed.
Farkas OWNS Leica Store Miami. He's very upfront about this.
Touch AF -> touch as f*ck
The Q2M is a great camera for taking top quality pictures ... but its not a the right Leica camera for taking photographs. And if you only want to take pictures ...for 4k less you can buy an iPhone 12.
Wtf is Leica smoking lol
overpriced junk lol