Test driving the Leica Q2...sorta.

If you want to see more photos and some more discussion on the idea, follow this link to the video where I do this walk. Other wise, read on friend!

I went for a little stroll in downtown Chattanooga and decided that on this photowalk that I wanted to simulate the Leica Q2 to see if i really wanted on. Photography is a funny thing, some photographers will buy one camera and use it all their life and others will change out lenses and camera bodies numerous times.

My simulated Leica Q2 for the day: Leica SL2 + Asahi Optical 28mm f/3.5 prime lens. Not as compact as the real Q2, but it's got the same 47MP sensor and 28mm focal length to test the shooting experience!

I am a little of both as I love to play with new gear as well as use gear that has become my favorite kit so to speak. Well, I have the Leica SL2 and I also have a nice little Asahi optical 28mm prime lens that I have an adapter for so I figured I would put this together and see if the shooting experience would be close enough to the Q2 to give me an idea of what it would be like without having to spend 6000$ on it.

Breaking Down the Numbers: Q2 vs My Simulation Setup

Before I headed out for this photowalk, I wanted to understand exactly what I'd be testing. Here's how the Leica Q2 stacks up against my Leica SL2 with a 28mm lens setup.

The Leica Q2 has a 47.3 megapixel full-frame sensor, a fixed 28mm f/1.7 Summilux ASPH lens, weighs about 718 grams (1.58 lbs), measures 130 x 80 x 91.9mm, and costs around $5995. It's got fast contrast-detect autofocus, built-in macro mode (focus down to 17cm), weather sealing, and that famous Leica build quality with brass top and bottom plates.

My simulation setup used the Leica SL2 with a 47 megapixel full-frame sensor (nearly identical to the Q2), an Asahi Optical 28mm f/3.5 prime lens on an adapter, total weight of about 850+ grams with the adapter, much larger body dimensions, and total cost of what I already owned. This setup meant manual focus only, f/3.5 maximum aperture (two stops slower), no macro capability, and definitely not as compact or refined!

The key similarities were the sensor resolution and the 28mm focal length. The key differences were autofocus capability, maximum aperture, size and weight, and overall shooting experience. But for testing whether I'd actually enjoy shooting with a fixed 28mm for street photography? This simulation was close enough to give me real answers!

Shooting street photography in downtown Chattanooga with the SL2 + 28mm combo. I really love those Leica colors - the images just seem more rich in color to me! Maybe it's bias, maybe it's real, but these results have me happy.

I really love those Leica colors for some reason, maybe it is a bias I have towards the brand but to me the images just seem more rich in color. I really love how they turned out though and the idea of the Q2 is a great one for a general street camera. The high megapixel sensor combined with the 28mm lens is a potent street combination as you can see below where I shot the image as a candid just in passing and was able to adjust the composition later in post to get what I was looking for.

Is the Leica Q2 Worth $6000? Let's Do the Math

Here's the question that started this whole experiment: is the Leica Q2 worth $6000? To answer that, I needed to figure out what I'd be paying for versus what I could achieve with gear I already own.

The Leica Q2 at $5995 gets you a complete, ready-to-shoot system! One camera, one lens, no decisions about what to bring. You're paying for that Summilux lens (which would cost $4000+ if sold separately), the compact integrated design, Leica's legendary build quality, and the refined shooting experience. If you shot nothing but 28mm street photography, that's actually pretty reasonable for a professional tool!

My alternative approach using the SL2 I already own plus a vintage 28mm lens (which I picked up for about $150 used) costs essentially nothing additional. I already had the SL2 body, I already had the adapter, I just needed a good 28mm lens. Total additional investment: under $200. The compromise? Manual focus, slower aperture, bulkier setup, and no integrated refinement.

So is the Q2 worth the extra money? If you're starting from scratch and you know you love 28mm, absolutely! The convenience, the autofocus, that f/1.7 aperture, the compact size - those are real benefits worth paying for. But if you already own a camera body with a similar sensor and you can adapt lenses? You can get 80% of the Q2 experience for a fraction of the cost. That's what this test proved to me!

This photo was shot about 10 feet away with the 28mm on a full frame sensor - it looks MUCH further away than it actually is! But through the power of cropping with 47 megapixels, I can make it take on a couple of different looks. This is the original uncropped frame.

This photo was shot about 10 feet away and with the 28mm on a full frame sensor it looks MUCH further away. But through the power of cropping… I can make it take on a couple of different looks as you can see below.

This is a 12 megapixel crop of the original image - still plenty of resolution for web or print! Notice how the tighter crop changes the entire mood? This version has a lonely, almost bleak feeling to it. Same photo, completely different story.

This is a 16 megapixel crop of the original image - a slightly wider crop than the 12MP version above. This one has a warmer, almost restful feel to it. That's the power of 47 megapixels - you can change the entire dynamic of the image with a simple crop!

As you can see I can get two very different feeling images from this single frame. That is kinda powerful to be honest. I mean, you can change the entire dynamic of the image with a simple crop. That is actually liberating to be honest. I mean just look at the two again. One has this lonly, almost bleak feeling to it while the other has a warmer almost restful feel to it. That is really cool to me. So this is a perk of the Leica Q2 in my book.

So what else comes with the Q2 that I didnt have today? Well, autofocus is one, another is larger aperture. This lens is f3.5 which is two full stops slower than the lens on the Q2. This would matter more in low light as I was shooting most of this day at f11 to reduce the need to adjust focus. Range focus at f11 on a 28mm prime is basically 4 feet (1.3 meters) to infinitiy. So it literally was point the camera, press the shutter and the image was in focus. But if I wanted to shoot indoors or in the evening, the f1.7 aperture would be nice to have to keep my ISO down some or be able to raise the shutter speed a little to freeze action better.

What I really liked about the 28mm was that it made me interact with people more! These two guys were walking by and I just asked them if I could grab a quick photo - they were stoked and so was I. The 28mm forces you to get closer if you want the detail, which means you have to actually talk to people. This is helping me overcome my shyness about street photography!

Is the Leica Q2 Right for You? Here's My Honest Assessment

After this simulation experiment, I've got a pretty clear picture of who the Leica Q2 is perfect for and who should probably look elsewhere. Let me break this down based on what I learned!

You should seriously consider the Q2 if you primarily shoot street photography at 28mm, value compact size and don't want to carry multiple lenses, are willing to pay for premium build quality and refinement, want that f/1.7 aperture for low light, love the idea of a one-camera solution for travel, and appreciate Leica's color science and shooting experience.

The Q2 really shines for minimalist photographers who've already decided 28mm is their focal length. If you know you love this field of view and you want the best possible 28mm compact camera, the Q2 is hard to beat! The autofocus, the aperture, the size, the build - it's all there. You're paying a premium, but you're getting a refined tool that just works.

But you should probably skip the Q2 if you already own a high-megapixel full-frame camera (just buy a 28mm lens like I did!), like to switch between different focal lengths regularly, aren't sure if 28mm is your preferred street photography focal length, are on any kind of budget, or want the flexibility of interchangeable lenses for different situations.

For me personally? I do really like the ergonomics of the SL family of camera bodies, so I will keep my SL2 and use a 28mm lens when I want to have the Q2 experience. The simulation proved I'd enjoy the Q2, but it also proved I don't need it! I get most of the benefits with gear I already own, and I get to keep lens flexibility for other types of shooting.

The key is being honest about your actual shooting style versus your aspirational shooting style. Do you really shoot primarily at 28mm, or do you just like the idea of being a minimalist street photographer? If it's the former, the Q2 might be worth every penny. If it's the latter, save your money!

What I really liked about the 28mm was that it made me interact with the people more. The photo above is a great example of this, these two guys were walking by and I just asked them if I could grab a quick photo, they were stoked and so was I. This is honestly a problem I have that I am working to get past. I don’t like bothering people and will walk by potentially great photos simply because I don’t want to bother them. The 28mm forces you to get closer if you want the detail in the photos so I have to get closer to do that. So I think honestly, this is going to have be a perk of the 28mm Summilux lens after all…

All in all, this kit performed really well for me and I think the Leica Q2 would perform equally as well. BUT I do really like the ergonomics of the SL family of camera bodies so for me I will keep my SL2 and use a 28mm lens when I want to have the Q2 experience in a camera. So until next time, get your camera out and go take a photo with it.