The best camera is the one you have with you – Chase Jarvis
Much of the writing on this weblog focused on my involvement with guitars and roots music; however in addition to music, I’ve been a dedicated photographer too for many years. I spent years with film cameras, but I’ve used DSLR’s (digital single lens reflex cameras) almost as long as they were available, including the Nikons D70, D300, & D700.
For the past nine years, I’ve happily used a Nikon D810 kit for my photography. In addition to the camera itself, I also own a multiplicity of lenses, tripods and flash lighting systems. It was and still is a fantastic camera, and photos taken with it adorn the walls of my home and those of my kids. I generated over 4000 followers on Tumblr with photos shot from the D810 and I used it extensively to support my work as a university professor, including shooting fashion shows and teaching several semesters of fashion photography. I even held an art show of my photography at my local coffee shop when I lived in Iowa.
Over the years I’ve shot a variety of styles, including sports, fashion, and landscapes, but I have a special affection for macro images, particularly wild flowers in the woodlands and the prairie, which was facilitated by my residence in Iowa for over two decades.
Despite the incredible capabilities of the Nikon D810, I’ve found it. over the past couple of years, to be a major burden to haul around. The camera, particularly with one of my macro lenses attached, feels like a cinder block around my neck after just a short time out and about. Sadly, I am no spring chicken anymore, and as a result, I am less inclined to have my camera with me when I should. I find myself too often using my iPhone 11 Pro Max. In a pinch, the iPhone grabs a decent image, but there’s so much more a good camera can do by comparison.
Is There A Lighter More Capable Camera?
It occurred to me that it might be time to search the marketplace for a lighter camera that I would be more willing to carry around with me when I was out and about.
Since the time I acquired the D810, the technology for digital cameras transitioned rather dramatically away from Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR), technology, where the camera used a mirror to divert the light traveling through the lens to the view finder so the photographer could frame the image. When the shutter was activated the camera would lift the mirror up out of the way to let the light traveling through the lens strike the digital sensor. To reduce mechanical complexity and to limit the internal moving mass of the camera, the new technology eliminated the mirror and introduced an electric view finder (EVF) to take light directly from the lens to the viewfinder, to produce what is referred to in the marketplace as a Mirrorless digital camera. In very short order, the major manufacturers of digital cameras dropped production of DSLR’s.
To save weight I gave passing thought to acquiring a mirrorless Nikon, but examination of the specs indicated the newer cameras were not particularly lighter and there was serious question as to whether my existing lenses would work effectively on the newer mirrorless camera bodies. Buying a whole new kit with no appreciable gain in portability made no sense to me. I was further convinced when I saw a neighbor hauling around a new state-of=the-art Sony camera body with a telephoto lens and it looked like a back breaker.
In addition to the Nikon mirrorless cameras, I also considered a Leica as a lighter, but very capable “walk around” camera. I was influenced by images of war time photographers like the great Robert Capa and Horst Faas using the smallish Leica film cameras of their day. They now manufacture state-of-the art digital Leicas which are highly regarded. Further, my old fraternity brother John Gellman who has been a major influence on my development as a photographer, also shot with a Leica for a time.
Not knowing much at that time about the array of models that Leica offers, I initially only looked at their M body and some of the detachable lenses that they offer. I was put off very quickly by its prohibitive pricing, and did not realize at the time that the M is strictly a manual focus camera, which would have been a deal killer for me.
I Choose the Leica Q3
A year went by after I dismissed the notion of purchasing a Leica. In the meantime, springtime arrived again in the Piedmont of North Carolina where I live, and it can be stunningly beautiful. There were too many photographic opportunities that I was going to miss because I resisted schlepping my big Nikon around. Consequently, I decided to take another look at Leicas. This time around I dug deeper and attempted to familiarize myself with the broader array of Leica models and in very short order I noticed a great deal of positive buzz about the Q model camera. The Q3, which was announced in May 2023, is the third generation of this model camera.
I learned that the Q3 is regarded as a compact camera and that both Sony and Fuji also make popular versions in the same genre. These compact cameras are relatively small, have a fixed lens (around 28 mm), a mirrorless shutter, autofocus and selectable control of aperture, shutter speed and ISO sensitivity. They do vary in terms of the sensor resolution (i.e. megapixels), sensor size, and the proprietary algorithms used to process the image data. The viewfinders also vary too as to whether they are optical, electronic or their internal size.
If you take the time to explore YouTube there is an abundance of information about cameras and photography, including dozens of reviews on compact cameras, thus making an informed purchase decision possible. Below is an example of a typical Q3 review:
On YouTube most reviews for the various cameras are enthusiastically positive, so they should be taken with a grain of salt; nevertheless, the basic camera specifications and capabilities differentiating the devices become pretty obvious. There were some key elements that made the Q3 stand out in my meta-analysis. The Summilux 28 mm, f/1.7 lens paired with the state-of-the-art 60 megapixel sensor set the Leica apart. Also attractive to me was the large bright EVF, and the sleek relatively simple control features to manage the camera. The downside was the expense, but no compromises are made in the design of this device. You pay for the legendary history of Leica, the design, and their incomparable lenses.
Purchasing a Leica Q3: Largely a Matter of Timing and Luck
Deciding to purchase a Lieica Q3 and actually acquiring one are not the same thing. There are limited supplies of the camera and considerable global demand making it a challenging purchase. Initially unaware of the limited supply of Q3’s, I went to trusted national retailer B&H Photo but was informed that the Leicas were on backorder with no estimate of resupply. The same was true with Adorama, as well as every other reputable online camera sales organizations. Scalper prices were available on Amazon and eBay, but aside from the extra exorbitant pricing, there was probably a very good chance that their supply was from the gray market, meaning they were slipped into the U.S. from Europe or Asia through the back door, putting legitimate service and warranty at question!
I placed an order with B&H but had no idea what the wait time would be. After a couple of weeks of frustration, I received some advice from one of the several Leica Q Facebook groups. One knowledgeable member suggested calling around to the U.S. corporate Leica stores. I had no idea that there were such stores, and a quick search indicated there were eight of them. The third call was to the recently opened Leica Shop and Gallery at the Meatpacking District of NYC. I stumbled into good luck because the store was so new, they had a very small Q3 waiting list and a shipment arriving very shortly. Two days later I closed the deal on a Q3. The people at the shop were very accommodating.
I completed the order on a Friday, and the camera arrived on Monday, which I thought was pretty amazing. To the left, you can see what arrived with my order. The Q3 camera itself and the battery comprised the basic order. In addition, I grabbed the Leica half leather protective case, a Leica UV filter and a 128 Gig SD card.
Setting Up My Leica Kit
There is a prevailing belief that a filter to protect the lens limits how much light can transmit through to the sensor. On the other hand, the Summilux lens is so exquisite and expensive, I am not going to leave it vulnerable to scratching, so I put a Leica filter on it. In fact, the Leica ambassador in New York recommended one. By the same token, I want to protect the camera body as best I can because I plan to keep it around my neck a lot, so I purchased the Leica buff-colored leather half case. The front half of the camera is protected by the case, but the back is left open for the LCD Panel and the various surface control interfaces. You can see on the right that the protective case has a trap door at its bottom to access the battery compartment, which is great, but the SD card slot and the side ports are not accessible, which makes the case a bit of a pain in the ass because it must be removed to get to those features. Fortunately it is a relatively easy install and removal… still…
To the left you can see the lower portion of the camera where the battery compartment is, as well as the memory card slot. As I mentioned above, with the leather half case installed the battery is easy to exchange, but not the memory card. I’ve seen half cases from other non-Leica manufacturers that have a larger access area so that the memory card can also be accessed.
At this point, I should note how outrageously expensive Leica brand accessories are. There are less expensive after-market products that perform the same basic function; however, I decided to trust Leica engineers to produce a case that fits perfectly onto the camera since it serves such a major protective function. The same logic held true when I made a decision to mount the Leica brand thumb grip. The Q3 was a bit like holding onto a wet bar of soap until I mounted the thumb grip. There are other aftermarket grips but in my opinion none engineered as precisely as the Leica version. You can see above the brass thumb grip which locks firmly onto the flash shoe. Note also the two black function buttons on the grip that sit astride similar buttons built into the Q3’s body and work perfectly.
On the other hand, I mounted an aftermarket soft release shutter button onto the Q3. You can see it in the image to the left. The standard shutter button is flush within a circular enclosure on the camera body, so you have to dig down a bit with your finger to activate it. The soft release screws into the shutter button, and makes it far easier to fire off a photo. I saw no reason to pay the exorbitant Leica price and instead acquired a very nice one from Popflash Photo for one third the cost.
To complete my kit I also added a spare battery and a small carry bag. The extra battery I purchased because the Q3 too rapidly drained the battery when I had the camera on for an extended period of time while watching Youtube videos for proper set-up advice. Now that I am using the camera on daily photography walks, I keep it turned off until I need it for a shot, and as a result the battery charge is lasting much longer. Still, I think it’s good form to have a backup battery even though it was quite pricey.
The Domke bag, that I purchased is shown on the left and is a brand I’ve used before. My main Nikon kit is in a large Domke bag, which you can see at the top of this article, and a similar but smaller one is used to hold a Nikon D700 which is now with my youngest son. Domke manufacturers well made coated canvas bags that are moderately priced. While sourcing other camera bags, I observed that some the bags very popular among Youtube and Facebook Q3 owners ranged in priced from $600 to almost $1000. The Domke is a fraction the cost. All this leads me to believe (as a person who co-authored a book on fashion theory) that those wildly expensive camera bags serve more as a status symbol than the functional Domke I now own. This also suggests that there may be some people who purchase the Q3 as much as a status symbol than for the extraordinary photographic technology that it represents.
Shooting With The Q3
For me, the Leica Q3 has been a delight to own and shoot with. I’ve been amazed at the initial color rendering, the dynamic range of light to dark, and the general clarity of the images. Of course, the image needs to be framed skillfully and the camera needs to be set properly at the outset to achieve the highest level of image quality (IQ).
Framing the photograph properly was my initial challenge with the Q3. I do not ordinarily shot with a wide angle 28 mm focal length. To get a photo that suits me with 28 mm, it requires getting close to the subject or cropping the image in post processing. A 28 mm lens grabs up a good deal of real estate, but because the camera’s resolution is so great at 60 megapixels there is the capability to crop the image quite dramatically, though it makes me a bit anxious to discard so much data.
Below you can see a surreptitious street photograph of a woman sitting across from me in my Village. I thought she looked interesting, but at the distance I was sitting from her, the 28 mm lens grabbed way more than I was interested in capturing:
Below is a severe crop of the above image, and now you can see the interesting visage of the woman sitting across from me. Despite the severe crop the image is not breaking up and is holding together well because 60 megapixels offers you a lot of leeway. I would not recommend this level of cropping as a habit, nor would I recommend making a large print of this image, but for a social media post it would serve its purpose quite well.
When taking your shot, the image can be observed and framed either through the EVF or from the LCD panel. The information available to the photographer is exactly the same. A light meter and other important settings including aperture, shutter speed and ISO are visible. I prefer to use the EVF when I shoot, with the possible exception of some down low macro shots, and there I’ll use the tilt-out LCD to great effect. In direct sunlight, when I use the EVF, I find my self cupping my hand around the viewfinder so that I can see it well.
I initially used the camera in complete manual mode, with the exception of autofocus, which really slowed me down to concentrate on what the camera was doing. After a while, on the recommendation of one of the many Q3 photographers on YouTube, I set the shutter speed and ISO to automatic with a ceiling of ISO 3500. I set the aperture myself and concentrate on framing the image. In addition, I have the camera exposure adjusted to one stop below optimal to preserve bright highlights. With this arrangement my exposures have produced many useable images like the one below of the Old Well at the University of North Carolina.
I mentioned earlier that I have a natural predilection for macro photography and as a result, the built in capacity of the Summilux lens for macro work was a major selling point to me. A simple twist on the barrel of the lens converts the Q3 into an effective macro shooter. My Nikon kit contains two macro lenses, a pair of screw on magnification lenses and a macro flash set, so it’s hard to beat the images it produces, but it is so heavy I now hesitate to drag it around. Fortunately, the Q3 is far more portable and the macro images are very nice indeed, as you can see below:
Another feature I really like about the Q3 is how fast the Summilux lens is, with its maximum aperture of f/1.7. With a lens that opens so widely, the photographer has lots of opportunity to play with shallow depth of field, which adds another element of art to my available palette. The Summilux’s out of focus bokeh is also very pleasing to the eye.
Further, the fast lens combined with the Q3 sensor’s wide dynamic range and low light noise control gives the photographer a great deal of leeway in low light circumstances. Most photographers on Youtube recommend using an ISO ceiling of 3500; however, others believe you can go a step higher and still maintain clarity, sharpness and low noise. I have yet to work with the Q3 in low light, but look forward to it. Below, you can see one of my experiments with narrow DOF indoors with natural light:
In Sum
I’ve owned the Leica Q3 for a few weeks and to this point, delighted with my purchase. The camera is light enough to carry around everywhere, which I do, and if I properly work within the constraints of the fixed 28 mm lens, it is possible to make some excellent photographs. In short, this camera is a very flexible companion and a great deal of fun to use.
