ON TRIAL LEICA Q3
Do you wonder whether camera designers are surprised when a new model turns out to be a big hit? After all, for it to get to market (many don't), plenty of people along the way must have thought it was a good idea. But how good? For Leica, its heritage casts a long shadow over any new camera project, especially one that makes significant breaks with tradition which is why there's been the softly-softly approach to the digital Ms. So there must have been a bit of trepidation when the wraps came off the original Q back in early 2015… and some relief when it was so enthusiastically embraced by the market.
Tellingly, the Q concept works as much because of what it isn't as because of what it is. It isn't an M, but has some key M-like qualities in its size, styling and build quality. It isn't an interchangeable lens camera either, but there are benefits from going down the fixed lens route, and Leica has been progressively enhancing the flexibility with each new generation's higher-res sensor. And high-performance prime lenses are a Leica speciality. They're the beating heart of the M system and it's made a lot of sense to impart some of this magic to the Q series cameras. The Summilux 28mm f/1.7 ASPH has remained the constant through the three generations of Leica Q so far despite, undoubtedly, many pleas for something else… a 35mm most likely being top of the wish list. With its 60.3 megapixels sensor, the Q3 is the best response to these requests, based on a practice that was very common with film – even the 35mm format – cropping. There seems to be an obsession now with squeezing every pixel
