Introduction
The 28mm focal length fixed that comes when you purchase Leica Q. The fixed 28mm focal length you get with Leica Q can be versatile and imaginative, but it is also able to produce simple images such as this one to set the scene. Photo taken by Carey Rose, processed to taste using Raw.
Between the lumber industry and its reputation for racketeering and organized crime ear,ly Portland, OR, is a town that, like a lot of other Pacific Northwest settlements, started out rough. However, today, Portland has grown into and is recognized as an extremely modern city in the nation. This transformation from humble beginnings to prominence is somewhat reminiscent of the advent of cameras that use mirrorless technology however, the latter is happening significantly faster. These once sluggish as well as poorly-focused and extremely energy-intensive devices have transformed into technological giants, hosting to the latest and most innovative developments regarding camera technologies. For instance, the Leica Q is, unarguably, one of those mirrorless cameras.
Portland is also known as “Bridgetown” because of its numerous bridges that cross across cities. In a way, it’s fitting that the Leica Q is a bridge that I can call my own. It’s the first mirrorless camera I’ve taken to photograph a wedding along with my standard full-frame DSLRs and also the first camera that I’ve owned that has performed similar to what I’m used to from my old and heavy-duty cameras.
Remember that The Leica Q was used in combination with two other cameras to capture this wedding, however all photos included in this article are taken from the Q. Its 28mm lens is flexible but it certainly has a certain look but it’s not a substitute for an excellent normal or telephoto lens, but it can provide some variety in the final image.
Fitting in the kit
I typically shoot a wedding with two full-frame DSLRs and then switch between 35mm lens, 50mm and 85mm (with the 80-200mm F2.8 being used only for the ceremony). Incorporating Leica Q to my collection Leica Q to the mix could have added some extra weight certain, but I was carrying three camera instead of just two. It also meant virtually no possibility of swapping lenses as I could get the 35mm focal range mostly covered by the Q’s superb 28mm F1.7 Summilux lens. It also allowed me to maintain the 85mm and 50mm lenses glued with the cameras. It was the result that I might have appeared somewhat ridiculous to the majority of the guests, however the fact that I had three F1.7-and-wider lenses in my arsenal helped me get the most out of the situation that I encountered.
The Q was able to keep the focus of the subject’s head in spite of dim lighting and low contrast. What is the reason why all CDAF systems do this? Photo taken by Carey Rose, processed to taste Raw.
I set my Q camera to record with aperture priority, using auto ISO, and the shutter speed must be a minimum between 1/60 and 1/250 based on the conditions. I set it to Single-AF mode and then recorded it in RAW+JPEG for all of it.
What was successful, and what wasn’t?
The Q’s autofocus system isn’t just accurate, it’s also very close to being quick to detect phase (even even though it’s a contrast detection system). I used it in Single-AF mode for the entire day because it worked perfectly. The four-way controller at the rear of the camera made it easy to change focal point’s position. And due to the focal length of 28mm and focus-andrecompose-based shooting, it did not make much of an impact on crucial sharpness. When I did want to utilize Face Detection (such as handing the camera to someone who will take the shot) I was a bit disappointed that it to be difficult to go through the menus to alter the focus point. This might be alleviated by assigning something that is autofocus-related to any of the functions that can be customized on the rear of the camera. However, it’s not possible to do so. The menus, however, are well-organized.
Although its DNG files might have less processing power than other systems of cameras, Q will perform well in low lighting when you are attentive to the exposure.
In terms of buttons, the buttons, dials, and controls are all easy to touch using your eye on the finder and have enough positive movement that there’s no doubt of whether you’ve hit something. This is a good starting point. For cameras that are so focused on stills, it is nice to have, at the very least, the option of changing the button for ‘Movie Record’ to another function. Additionally, if you’re shooting using Auto-ISO mode, it is possible to adjust the dial for shutter speed to change the minimum shutter speed that you have selected. However, the control dial in the rear shifts from adjusting exposure compensation to controlling the speed of the shutter in 1/3 stop increments. It is possible to mitigate this by assigning the “FN” button to the ‘exposure compensation however, it is nice to have a control dial that could be more consistent or adjustable. Additionally, the LCD and EVF can indeed provide you with an accurate preview when you under-expose. Still, in dim lighting, the option of dialing in an intentional over-exposure won’t affect the preview in any way and was an inconvenience rather than a major issue.