I’m an amateur Toronto-based documentary and street photographer, and have been making images on the street for over a decade. In the fall of 2023 I purchased a used Leica Q2. I’d wanted the camera for a while, but it wasn’t until late 2023 that I began running into situations where I’d benefit from a full-frame sensor. Since then I’ve been going out and making images with it at least once a week for hours at a time and have made tens of thousands of frames in all kinds of weather.
In this post I discuss my experiences using the Leica Q2 in a variety of weather conditions to make monochromatic JPG images. I tend to exclusively use either single-point autofocus or zone focusing, and either multi-field or highlight-weighted exposure modes, generally while using aperture priority at 1/500s to freeze action on the street. My edits to images have, previously, used Apple Photos and now rely on the Darkroom app on my iPad Pro. You can see the kinds of images that I’ve been making on my Glass profile.
Before I get into the review it’s worth being clear what I’m not reviewing. I am not undertaking a technical sensor analysis, evaluating the Q2’s RAW flexibility, or assessing its colour rendering because I exclusively make monochromatic JPGs. There are lots of reviewers who have covered off those areas and I’d encourage you to check them out for a wider assessment of the Q2’s abilities.
TLDR: I really like this camera and it’s good for the specific uses that I have for it. However, I generally wouldn’t recommend it (or other Leica Q-series cameras) to most people because they can get most of the Q2’s benefits at a fraction of the cost.
Why I chose the Q2
I previously used a Fuji X100F for many years. It’s a great camera but I had started to run into challenges when making images into the night during the fall and winter seasons; it just couldn’t capture images quickly enough to effectively freeze action, even when shot wide open at f/2.0. I wanted to continue using a rangefinder-style camera, a fixed lens to keep things simple, a full-frame sensor to collect more light, and also wanted weather sealing to give me some peace of mind for when I had the camera out in rain and snow.
This didn’t leave a lot of options! I ultimately selected the ‘regular’ Q2 because at the time I waffled on whether I’d ever want to be able to make colour images (I haven’t) and because the Q2 Monochrom tended to sell for about $1,500 (CAD) more. That pushed the cost of the Monochrom over $8,000 from reputable online sellers, and the price point was a bit too rich for my blood.
How the Q2 handles in practice
Day to day, the Q2 is intuitive. The menus make sense, the body feels excellent in the hand, and it encourages steady handheld shooting. The button placement largely aligns with how I work, though I do wish I could assign one control specifically for exposure lock such as by remapping the crop button that I never use (save for when pressed accidentally with gloves).
In Toronto’s spring, summer, and fall the Q2 never overheats and handles seasonal rain showers with no issues. Even after taking it to windy beaches I don’t have any dust on the sensor. Negatively, the strap lugs can be slightly abrasive against my index finger depending on how I’m holding the camera. Also, on the hottest summer days when the humidex pushes temperature to 40 °C or more I perspire a lot, which can sometimes cause the camera body to get a bit slippery in my hands.
Winter is a bit different. The Q2 is an all-metal body. In winter I add the Leica leather half-case because the body gets cold quickly, and I also wear gloves and attach a thumb grip. The Leica thumb grip (purchased used on eBay!) is really helpful to stabilize the camera because the camera’s indented thumb rest just isn’t sufficient in that situation. I’ve had no issues using the camera in the snow, including heavy snowfalls. I carry two batteries with me during the winter but it’s pretty rare that I need the second one save for particularly long walks on exceedingly cold days. 1
Living at 28mm on full frame
Whereas once I saw in 35mm (equivalent) with the Fuji X100F, now I see in the 28mm of the Leica Q2. I really like fixed lenses because they let me immediately pre-visualize scenes and I know exactly where I need to be to make certain images.
While there was a learning period with the Q2 — I just had to get closer to my subjects! — at this point I have an instinctive understanding of what the Q2 ‘sees’ before even raising the camera. 28mm is a relatively wide focal length and so I’m careful to check the edges of my frame before making an image to ensure that I don’t have unnecessary extras lingering on the outskirts of the frame. The sensor produces huge 47-megapixel images which gives me cropping flexibility, though I try to mostly compose in-camera.
The full-frame sensor is a huge benefit to me and how I make images. I prefer working at 1/500s and let my ISO roam as high as 6400. The Q2 lets me have this and, also, a relatively narrow aperture to capture depth across the scene. And, in the depths of fall and winter when night arrives somewhat early, it’s super helpful to be able to open the lens as wide as f/1.7. While I don’t tend to shoot a lot of images at this aperture I really do appreciate the option and will use it during the evenings, as well as in low-lit indoor locations. The combination of the sensor and terrific lens means that I’m rarely prevented from making an image in any given situation.
Learning curve, tips, and a few warnings
Coming to the Leica Q2 from the X100F felt like a natural progression. Widening from a 35mm-equivalent to 28mm pushed me to get a little closer, but I was already comfortable working near my subjects, so the adaptation was more about refining habits than learning new ones. What I do miss from the Fuji system are the recipes; Fuji’s approach to in-camera JPG looks is brilliant and the Q2 doesn’t offer anything comparable. I understand Leica added more styles on the Q3, but on the Q2 those options are extremely limited to slight modifications of contrast, highlight, shadow, and sharpness.2
In my experience, the camera also has a real tendency to blow out highlights and can be inconsistent with white balance. If you shoot RAW that’s more of an inconvenience than a problem, but as a JPG shooter it can be frustrating. That said, I am often able to reduce the blowouts by using highlight-weighted metering. This metering mode helps me protect bright areas while allowing deep shadows in my images.
The single-point autofocus is reliable and I rarely have issues focusing on a subject or pre-focusing on an area where I expect people to pass. The zone-focusing scale could use finer spacing—the 2m to ∞ gap feels too compressed—and it’s too easy to accidentally nudge the focus ring if I brush against it. A bit more resistance on the ring would reduce the chance of the zone shifting accidentally and costing me a shot.
The other reality of the Q2 is its weight. This is a heavy camera! I carry it in my hand, tethered with a Peak Design Leash, for four to eight hours at a stretch on photowalk days. I’m used to it but whenever I grab my X100F or a Ricoh GR IIIx for a short walk, I’m reminded of how substantial the Leica really is.
Has the Q2 improved my street photography?
No, not really.
The improvements I’ve seen come from being out and making images. The Q2’s full-frame sensor and weather sealing removed some frictions that I’d experienced but they didn’t magically transform either my eye or the calibre of images that I’ve been making. It’s the hundreds of hours put into walking the streets, reviewing images, studying photobooks, and learning from YouTube (and applying those learnings in practice) that have benefitted my images. I have no doubt that if I’d just kept using my Fuji I would also be a better photographer today than I was the day I purchased my Leica.
I will say, however, that the switch didn’t significantly set me back: because I was so used to the 35mm (equivalent) focal length, and the Leica pares away most of the options in contemporary cameras, that it was quick to learn. I suspect that wouldn’t have been the case if I’d tried switching to a camera system with more baroque or confusing menus or features, or shifted to a radically different focal length.
Likes, dislikes, and the small things that matter
One of the intangibles is that the Q2 is beautiful. I live in a small home and it’s on display so I pass it, and appreciate it, several times every day.
A small but meaningful quality-of-life detail is the battery mechanism that holds the battery in place until you push to release it. It’s a very small thing but it’s one that I appreciate each time I need to charge a battery.
The Q2 does lack a flip screen though that hasn’t been a practical problem for me. I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable this past year zone focusing; between that and my familiarity with what the 28mm lens will ‘see’ I can reliably get low-angle images without a tilting back screen.
I can confirm what some reviewers have found, that the EVF and the rear screen don’t always match in brightness/tonal presentation, which makes it hard to use them interchangeably when setting exposure for monochromatic images. I recommend committing to one viewing method and letting your eye calibrate to it.
It’s worth recognizing that file sizes on the Q2 are big, especially once you start aggregating thousands of images. Regarding image formats, JPEG XL has been getting more attention lately for its compression efficiency, improved dynamic range as compared with JPG images, and future proofing around data storage. The Q2 was released before this format began to see adoption, so I don’t fault Leica for leaving it out. However, whenever I do upgrade I’d definitely want my next camera to support it.
Would I recommend the Q2 to other street photographers?
In most cases, no.
I bought this camera for very specific reasons: I wanted a full-frame sensor, weather sealing, and a fixed lens with a wide aperture. Very few cameras meet that combination and most photographers don’t truly ‘need’ all three at once. If you can compromise on one or more of those requirements, there are fixed-lens cameras and interchangeable-lens systems that offer better flexibility and value. And I’d note that I wasn’t exactly kind to my Fuji X100F — it went out and got wet in light rain and snow, and was exposed to extreme temperatures and dust — so even non-weather sealed systems can survive a lot more than we tend to credit them for!
As for the “Leica look,” I don’t have much to say. I honestly don’t really know what it means after making images on the Q2 for a few years. Of course, I’m not editing RAW images, nor using advanced Photoshop features, but that’s largely because I only have so much time and I’d rather be making images on the streets than designing them at home in Photoshop or other editing software.
In Summary
Ultimately, if you want a supremely reliable camera that will hold up for years, you’re comfortable with a fixed 28mm and being physically close to your subjects, and you accept the Leica premium, then I think you’d be pretty happy owning a Leica Q2. Of course that’s a very, very narrow audience but it’s one that I happen to inhabit.
I’m very glad I bought mine, I’ve used it a lot, and I’m nowhere near its technical or artistic limits. I expect to get many, many, many more years of use out of it before I’m even tempted to upgrade to a new camera.
- As a pro tip: if you’re buying a second battery for the Q2 make sure you get one that fits in the Q3 — it’s the same size but has significantly more capacity, and is officially supported in the Q2 series of cameras. You can even charge it using the Q2’s own charger! ↩︎
- See Phil Clark’s assessment for how minor these adjustments are when applied to native JPGs produced by the Leica Q2. ↩︎
Excited Pixels 