Large aperture lens + 35mm full size LEICA Q

A Review and Photo example of the LEICA Q typ116.

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1．Overview

The LEICA Q typ116 is a compact digital camera with a lens and a 35mm full-frame sensor that was released in 2015.

The main specifications are as follows, and detailed specifications are listed in the table.

24.2 megapixels, 35mm full-frame sensor
SUMMILUX 28mm F1.7 lens
Viewfinder 3.68 million dots LCD
Rear display 3.0 inches (fixed) 1.04 million dots
Minimum shooting distance 0.17m in macro mode
Battery BP-DC12
Filter diameter 49mm

The simple appearance makes it easy to dress up, and you can use it with your favorite appearance such as leather case, grip, thumb rest, and optional hood. It is unfortunate that the battery model number has changed from Q to Q2 to Q3, but the external dimensions have been maintained, and it is also nice that you can reuse external options.

2．Usability

The LEICA Q is a lens-integrated digital camera with a bright lens, a 35mm full-frame sensor, and a detailed EVF, packed with useful features that are all in one place. It is a well-thought-out product. I liked the specs and style, so I bought it a little after its release when product supply stabilized.

Judging from the release date and specifications, the sensor is likely the same as that of the M typ240, but the matching of the dedicated lens and image processing will allow for more optimized images. If you want to compete with the Q with the M typ240, you will need to prepare a high-end lens.

It also has a wide range of shooting functions, and like the Leica M, the shutter dial is independent and has one multi-function dial. The buttons on the back are neatly arranged, so you will not be confused by the operation.

Switching between autofocus (AF) and manual focus (MF) and macro mode is done with a notch on the finger grip of the lens barrel. The AF focusing speed is reasonably fast and accurate except in the macro range, but if I’m not careful, the focus will be on a different spot than I intended, and I’ll be disappointed when I enlarge the image on my PC. Looking back at my past data, I see a lot of photos with poor focus.

This is partly due to my shooting style, but it’s also probably due to the fact that I set the preview time to 0 when taking photos, so I neglect to check the image after taking it. However, sometimes I press the play button to check the image, and the reduced image on the viewfinder and rear LCD screen seems to be focused on the spot I intended, but when displayed large on the PC monitor, the focus is sometimes not clear, and on the small LCD screen you can’t see the exact focus unless you enlarge it carefully, so I think the preview after taking the photo is just a consolation.

The camera is equipped with image stabilization, so I rarely had to worry about camera shake, even with slow shutter speeds and night scenes.

The original focal length is 28mm, but it has a 35mm and 50mm crop mechanism, and the JPEG image of the shooting result is saved as a cropped result of the specified size, but the RAW image is saved as the original 28mm. It would be nice if the RAW image recording could be saved at the specified crop size from the menu, but there is no such function.

The battery model number of the LEICA Q is BP-DC12, which is the same as CL typ7323, V-LUX4, V-LUX (typ 114), and V-LUX5. The original of this battery is Panasonic’s DMW-BLC12 *1, and Sigma’s BP-51 has the same shape and battery specifications. Therefore, many compatible batteries have been released, so you will not have any trouble obtaining batteries.

The LECIA Q2 uses the Leica original BP-SCL4, and only genuine batteries are available, and there are no compatible products.

When I was on a business trip or traveling, I found it useful because I could carry around the same image quality as the Leica SL typ601. The built-in lens specifications are excellent, with a focal length of 28mm and F1.7 lens, and the fact that it can be achieved in this size is only commendable; I think it would be difficult to achieve these specifications at this price with a prime lens with interchangeable lenses.
The Summicron 28mm F2 for the Leica SL mirrorless camera is about three times the size of this lens, and is priced at a price that would allow me to buy this camera.

3．Add Info.

Although the focal length is different from 35mm, the Sony RX1 series is a camera with a similar concept. The RX1/RX1R before the final model MKII is about 100,000 yen, so it can be purchased quite cheaply. The Q is stable at over 300,000 yen, probably due to the difference in specifications and brand power. When I owned it, I used it in conjunction with the M typ240 and SL typ601, so I had limited opportunities to take it out, so I sold it to buy something else. I thought I could buy it again for about 200,000 yen, but the price has not come down and it has not happened.

Because it is a popular camera, there are many used cameras and examples are overflowing on the web. As with any camera, it is important whether it suits your style or not, and I especially felt that when I used this camera.

Just before the release of the Q2, the Q-P was released as a clearance of parts inventory, which is a bad way to put it, but the only difference is the appearance that there is no red badge on the exterior, and there is no functional difference.

Q Series Cameras Specification

Items	LEICA Q	LEICA Q2	LEICA Q3	LEICA Q3-43
Lens name	SUMMILUX	SUMMILUX	SUMMILUX	APO SUMMICRON
Lens construction	9 groups, 11 elements, 3 aspherical lenses	9 groups, 11 elements, 3 aspherical lenses	9 groups, 11 elements, 3 aspherical lenses	11 elements in 8 groups, 7 aspherical lenses
Focal length	28	28	28	43
Max aperture	1.7	1.7	1.7	2
Min aperture	16	16	16	16
Min distance	0.3cm～∞ 0.17cm～∞(macro)	0.3cm～∞ 0.17cm～∞(macro)	0.3cm～∞ 0.17cm～∞(macro)	0.6~∞ 0.265~0.6
	35/50	35/50/75	35/50/75/90	60/75/90/120/150
Effective pixels(Megapixels)	24.2	47.3	60.3	60.3
Sensor size	35mm フルサイズ	35mm フルサイズ	35mm フルサイズ	35mm フルサイズ
View finder	368万ドット LCD	368万ドット有機EL	576万ドット有機EL	576万ドット有機EL
Rear LCD	3.0（固定） 104万ドット	← 104万ドット	3.0（バリアングル） 162万ドット	3.0（バリアングル） 162万ドット
Mechanical Shutter speed	30～1/2000 秒	60～1/2000秒	120秒～1/2000秒	120秒～1/2000秒
Electric Shutter speed	1/2500～1/16000 秒	1～1/40000秒	1秒～1/16000秒	1秒～1/16000秒
Filter Size	49	49	49	49
Battery	BP-DC12	BP-SCL4	BP-SCL6	BP-SCL6
Wireless charge	–	–	○ 10W charging pad required	○ 10W charging pad required
Recorded Media	SDXC	SDXC	SDXC	SDXC
Size(mm) W x H x D	130 × 80 × 93	130 × 80 × 91.9	130 × 80.3 × 92.6	130 × 80.3 × 92.6
Weight (g) (with battery)	640	718	743	793
Release date	2015.6.20	2019.4.16	2023.5.26	2024.9.27
Body color	Black, silver,titanium, safari,etc	Black	Black	Black