Leica Q2 Camera Launch Test Review with Image Samples by Scott Morvay

Just Before the Launch event of the Leica Q2, I was fortunate enough to spend a good 45 minutes testing the camera, putting it’s through its paces. A little disclaimer here, I have never shot a Q before and mostly shoot M & S. It was a completely new experience for me. I could not believe how light the camera is. It’s only 1.5 pounds! The autofocus is unbelievably snappy and I had no trouble locking on to where I wanted to focus with the camera. I shot in Aperture Priority with everything else in automatic. I felt this was the way most Q shooters would use the camera, so I wanted to test the camera’s judgement on exposures. It was a tricky time of day because of how bright it was outside in the Miami Sunshine, but the camera continuously delivered with great results.

The Bokeh delivered from this camera is unmistakably Leica. The Dynamic Range is absolutely gorgeous and surprisingly, the Files need little to no editing. I shot in Raw and JPG formats at the same time, out of curiosity and let me tell you, the JPG files were pretty stunning. All of the samples are my edited raw photos.

I can see the Q2 as being a great travel companion especially with Leica’s Image FOTOS app where you can directly transfer the pictures to your phone for your immediate viewing and sharing. The uncompressed Raw Files are an astounding 84.5 Megabytes!

One of the most impressive things to me about the Q2 was it’s ability to make a good exposure on a backlit scene. In addition when pulling back the highlights in Lightroom there’s still great definition In the file. Yes I stopped for a Sorbet.

Stopped down, the camera captures great scenes with punchy contrast and beautiful color.

Flamingos are a must see if you’re in Miami.

Very Smooth Transitioning from the in focus to out of focus area. Leica did a beautiful job on this lens.

Code RED, Red is always one of the most difficult colors for cameras to get right, but Leica’s Colors have been dead on Accurate since the M10. Very impressive.

My Favorite photo of all; a lone flower. Shot wide open at F/1.7, the sharpness and bokeh are so beautiful. I kept calling this camera the “Baby Leica” and just thought of it as the “Leica with autofocus,” after the time with the Q2, I have so much respect for this compact powerhouse. If you were in the market for a 28 or 35mm ,and you already have a 50, I would tell you what an outstanding deal it is to have a 2nd body with a stellar lens. Also, if you want a light simple setup for daily use or world travels, the Q2 is a winner.

A tremendous value in a camera with state of the art performance and world class glass. Great Job Leica! This M shooter may have a Q in his future.