Leica Q (Typ 116)

Leica Q (Typ 116) Review

Leica Q In-depth Review

The Leica Q is the most affordable full-frame Leica camera to date. Its 24MP sensor is good though not class-leading, and the fixed 28mm F1.7 Summilux lens is superb. The camera is built beautifully and responds rapidly. With the exception of a few software issues and some troublesome noise banding in pushed Raw files, the Leica Q is an excellent camera that you'll want to bring along for documenting the world around you.

Leica Q (Typ 116) review review

Leica Q (Typ 116) review

The Q is a fantastic camera. It offers pretty much everything you could expect from a high-end point-and-shoot on both the imaging quality and features fronts, it’s built to last and it’s a pleasure to use. It is almost £3,000, however. Unless you’re dreadfully serious about your photography, I’d suggest you opt for a cheaper camera from Fujifilm, Olympus, Panasonic or Sony, because three grand is a truly hefty investment, and if you’re spending thousands you might want more versatility than the Q, with its fixed focal length lens, can offer. There’s an argument that says you’re getting a lot of the performance of (if less flexibility than) a Leica M series camera here for a substantially smaller amount of money (the 28mm f/1.4 M series Summilux lens alone costs more than the Q); and buying a proper Leica camera, which the Q certainly qualifies as, has always meant parting with a lot of money. Plus, when you look at the only other full-frame point-and-shoot on the market, the similarly-priced Sony RX1, the Q’s excellent viewfinder makes it look like better value for money. Is the Q a bargain? Absolutely not. Is it a camera I would personally spend £3,000 on? Probably not (if I were a millionaire, on the other hand…). Is it the best full-frame point-and-shoot around? Yes. This is a luxury camera for people who love photography and, in the right pair of hands, it’ll become a cherished companion that delivers fantastic results for many years. But given the sheer amount of excellent, far more affordable cameras on the market right now, I can’t award it a full five stars – much as my heart tells me I should.

Leica Q (Typ 116) Review

The Leica Q (Typ 116) is a niche camera, with a full-frame image sensor and a dedicated 28mm lens. It's not for every photographer, but it's fantastic at what it does. The Leica Q (Typ 116) ($4,250) is the rare camera that somehow manages to be both old-school and forward-thinking at the same time. It does so through a mix of minimalist, classic controls, an understated design, and the most polished firmware and advanced tech that Leica has put into a camera. It succeeds where the Leica T fell short in that it doesn't put its form ahead of its function, and while it carries with it a premium price tag, it delivers a product that's purpose isn't replicated by many other, less-expensive alternatives. The Q is most certainly a niche camera; its fixed 28mm wide-angle lens and full-frame image sensor cement that. But for those photographers in that niche, it's a treat. It doesn't have many peers in the realm of fixed-lens cameras with full-frame image sensors—just the Sony RX1 the and RX1R—but that doesn't make the Q any less worthy of being named Editors' Choice. Design and FeaturesThe Q is a little on the bulky side when compared with other fixed-...