Leica Q2 as a first camera? [̲̅$̲̅(̲̅ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)̲̅$̲̅] (edit: Q3) (edit 2: I don't want a camera)

[Peter.]

The OP was back in the building on 18 November. So he might see this.

The Leica Q2 when all is said and done is just a very pricey compact camera which doesn't even have a zoom lens. It is arguably a 'lifestyle' product. It could be an additional camera if a photographer had a proper system, ie a camera and a range of lenses, but frankly I wouldn't waste my money on something which primarily exists to flaunt your wealth!

 

[LensOfDylan]

I think the OP should spring for the $5000 Leica. Be a good lesson in life!

That was the idea.

First things first.

Take a basic photography class. This will teach you what a camera does and does not do.

Get a less, (cheap), expensive camera to learn on.

Then and only then jump in the deep end by getting the most expensive camera money can buy.

Just because I can drive a car does not mean I can enter and win a formula one race. (Or even be on the track with one.)

I'll do you one better. I completely changed my mind about getting a dedicated camera. If I want to take photos, I can just use my phone. If I really want to connect to the process, I'll buy a nice and relatively inexpensive film camera. I still enjoy the results I get from my phone so it really doesn't matter at all. I have other projects that are far more important to me than having a tool for a peripheral pursuit. I'd rather invest in a phone upgrade for my video series, instruments and audio recording gear for my music, and building a workstation/desktop for 3D modeling and animation. When I realized I didn't care about getting a camera, I felt free all of a sudden.

 

[cgw]

Time to lock this thread?

 

[LensOfDylan]

Time to lock this thread?

I think so...

my goofy a** has no more need for this thread lol

 

[Dave Maciak]

Hello everyone,

At the risk—no—the guarantee of being ridiculous, I am considering buying a Leica Q2 as my first camera purchase. "BUT DYLAN," you cry. However, I reply calmly, "No." [insert crying soyjack vs chad meme or something idk]

Budget:
As a student taking a partial break from school, with a good few job prospects, and no notable living expenses for the coming year (not counting the overloaded burgers I get from The Melt on occasion), I have a bit of flexibility to put my money towards mostly whatever I want as long as I put a good amount towards investing in my future (index fund, other investment accounts, workstation/PC, other gear for my work, etc). My budget is basically whatever money I can earn within the next year (up to $20k give or take with only 25 hours per week for 40 weeks plus another $10-12k for a 3D modeling project I’m hoping to sell soon) minus a chunk of currently uncertain size (enough to invest in my index fund and set aside money to build a top of the line 3D modeling/animation/rendering workstation plus displays and other peripherals over the course of the next year and a half being about $4000-4500 for the tower and ~$2000-2500 for the display array depending on when I get the parts).

Current Gear:
I currently use an iPhone 11 Pro and will be upgrading to an iPhone 14 Pro whenever the iPhone 15 lineup will be released. I have access to an "old" Canon DSLR of some sort that, upon searching the house as of writing, I cannot find, and hence, I haven't access to said camera. HEHE

My "Skill" Level:
I guess this is worth mentioning, but this wouldn't be the first camera that I have used, but it would be the first I buy. This is basically the key detail that the clickbait hinges on. To be clear, I've probably taken a photo or two with—say, a camera or so. I know much more about the elements of an image than I do about creating them with a camera as a result of my experience with pencil drawing, painting, 3D art/animation, and cinematography; and lack thereof with dedicated photo cameras.

Use Cases/Subject Matters:

primary priorities:
- scouting filming locations
- storyboarding for film projects
- self documentation
- album cover art
- 3D art reference material
- surreal
- abstract

secondary priorities:
- aviation
- nature
- landscape
- street photography
- architecture
- weather

experimentation:
- macro
- birds
- floral
- fashion
- video? (unlikely with an iPhone 14 for that job)

My Philosophy and Desired Features:
I play guitar among other instruments, and have a rather simple but quite good electric guitar rig. Many guitarists like to have a lot of pedals between their guitar and their amp, but I would prefer to hear as little as possible change between the 11 gauge roundwound strings on my Fender Jazz Stratocaster and the 12 inch Celestion Creamback speaker in my Chilewich Chalk Fender Deluxe Reverb - 1965 reissue amp. The only thing I have between the guitar and the amp is The White Pedal, which is a fuzz pedal or transistor based hard-clipping signal distortion unit modeled after the 1967 Vox Conqueror amp's solid state distortion circuit (which also uses germanium transistors). To me, a gain pedal such as that fuzz/distortion pedal is only an extension of the guitar amp's own preamp and amplifier sections. Nonlinearity is a natural component of both tube and transistor based amplifiers. By adding a fuzz pedal, this only expands that preexisting capacity and adds to the response to my picking dynamics. I don't like many other effects that alter things other than gain/dynamics/levels. Other effects like chorus, delay, modulation, etc distract me from my playing and strips away my ability to express myself as I begin to chase and tweak sounds that are beyond my voice as a guitarist. I definitely didn't feel like my playing was worth the gear I was getting at the time of buying the guitar and later the amp, but I've been growing into the rig as I have become a better player.

Photography is no different. I hate features and options. I don't like such frills due to their capacity for distraction as an artist and depletion of mental and emotional energy especially as a person with ADHD. The tendency of extra features to waste a tool designer's resources is also another problem which lends itself to cheaping out on other elements of a product or bloating it and its cost. I want a tool designed for its own purpose, not a tool for far more than its core function. The Leica Q2 has a fixed lens which means I can't mess around with all sorts of random options for lenses and unnecessary features of those random options. The sensor has a h*ck ton of megapixels which means the digital zoom is more than adequately usable. It isn't coated with buttons either which is a very nice thing for just focusing on the image and the composition.

A professor of mine said that having two monitors is great when working on 3D modeling, animation, and other such things in a piece of software like Autodesk Maya because you can throw all your tools on one display and keep the art on the other. This allows you to focus on the art and make good art when you look at the main display and allows you to set your tools accordingly when you focus on the secondary display. By minimizing the number of visible controls on the camera Leica has made a system that would allow me to focus on my composition and the story I want to tell with the image.

Also, the Q2 Ghost is the most beautiful camera I have ever seen in my life. As soon as I saw that camera for the first time, I realized that I have never liked the look of any camera before that moment and became so thoroughly inspired to spend more time on developing my photography skills. Being of durable and rugged construction would pair quite nicely with my cautious nature so assuming no catastrophic failure of judgement or muscular stability, I think I will have a camera to last me a great while.

My interest in this camera comes from the stripped back experience that people have described as well as the visual appeal of the camera itself. To be clear about my perspective on high end art related gear, the words of Kurt Cobain resonate with me, “I've never considered musical equipment very sacred.” Even if I want nice, rare, or expensive gear (I will get a Vox Conqueror someday), I recognize that it is just a tool. What is sacred, however, is your connection with your tools and your desire to express yourself with them. I'm fairly confident that a stripped back and focused shooting experience with more of a process than just clicking the button on my phone actually would speak to me.

Going by the assumption that money will not be an issue when I intend to buy in about 3-4 months, is there any other issue that anyone would recommend I consider before buying this camera? I've been reading about the camera and watching a lot of YouTube videos reviewing the camera. The only thing that once had deterred me before I had any job opportunities open up no longer bothers me.

Don't tell my mom.

HEHE

Fuji X100 series---any one of them

 

[LensOfDylan]

Fuji X100 series---any one of them

I'm good, thanks. I think you missed a key moment in the conversation.