As it is, Leica can’t keep the Q2 in stock. It’s an excellent camera wedding photographers and photojournalists really love. Quite honestly, it’s probably the best full-frame point and shoot camera on the market. But there are ways that Leica could improve it. Amid all the reports going around right now, we’re weighing in to give our own thoughts on this. So, how can the Leica Q3 improve on the Q2?
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Give It the Damn Joystick We’ve Wanted
Both the Leica Q and the Q2 didn’t have joysticks. And for a long time, I’ve seen the argument that it’s not necessarily needed. Of any autofocus camera I’ve used, the Q and the Q2 have the best manual focus override I’ve seen. But sometimes, I just want to use the joystick and get it right in the first place.
Just imagine this: you’re shooting some street photography or second shooting at a wedding. So you bring your Leica Q3 camera along to get the shots you want. There’s a moment where you’ve got the camera set to Face and Body Detection. However, you actually want to focus on something else. Let’s say it’s the cake being cut or some other important detail. But the camera keeps focusing on faces. You need to switch the lens to manual focus and crank it to override it. You realize then it could’ve been done so much faster with a joystick overriding Face Detection.
The Leica Q3 needs a joystick, and I don’t believe any argument that says otherwise. I’ve seen people ask for this in forums and in photography groups. I’m also very optimistic that it wouldn’t compromise the build quality because the Leica SL series have joysticks, and those are also IP rated.
I’ve also got a feeling that the Leica Q3 will have all the new autofocus revamps of the Leica SL2s, and that will come with its own host of problems.
The Leica M11’s Better Dynamic Range at Lower Resolutions
One of the best things about the Leica M11 is that it gives you reasonable options. If you’re not aware, the dynamic range goes up to 15 stops at the medium and small RAW options. But at 60MP, which is full resolution, it goes to 14 stops. This is fantastic as I know tons of Leica shooters who don’t necessarily care about the 60MP mode. The Leica Q3 could have this without also needing to do the cropped frame lines for 35mm, 50mm, 75mm, or 90mm.
A Possible Lens Revamp
The original 28mm f1.7 lens for the Leica Q was also used for the Q2. I feel it might be time for a revision. I say this because the Leica Q was a 24MP sensor, and if the resolution jumps to the 60MP being reported, then the lens will need an overhaul. Look at what happened with the Fujifilm X100 series. They started at 12MP, and once the sensor resolution jumped into the 20s, it needed to be redone. I’m positive the same will need to be done with Leica.
Improve the LCD Screen
The state of camera LCD screens is pretty sad right now. Across the board, they’re more or less using the same variants of one screen or another. More importantly, they’re all pretty low resolution as they opt for higher-end EVFs. But the LCD screen on the rear is also essential. Why not give the Leica Q3 a higher resolution screen of some sort?
Low Light Autofocus Performance and Tracking
The Leica Q2 and Q2 Monochrome have pretty good autofocus, but you’re still bound to miss moments. With that said, I think the autofocus revisions brought to the Leica SL2s should come to the Q3. But the revisions should be even further improved on. I still like the SL2s, but it’s a bit difficult to work with at times. Admittedly, I need to spend more time with it after the last firmware update, but I’ve been swamped using many other cameras. And more importantly, our site and coverage aren’t bought by the manufacturers; we’re very much brand agnostic.
Dual Card Slots or the Internal Memory?
I understand Leica seems to not want to do dual card slots. If that’s the case, they could bring the same excellent innovation they brought to the Leica M11. That’s to say they could give the camera a few gigabytes of internal storage. I think this could be a fantastic offering for working photographers and for those of us who only want to bring along one camera.
There are times that I’ve debated buying the Leica Q2. But, for various work-related reasons, I opted for the Leica SL2s instead. You may think Leica cameras are overpriced, but let’s not deny just how good the brand’s products are when they’re on point.