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I’m one of those who, after using Fujifilm for over 10 years, has moved to Leica. Long story short – the files that the Leica Q2 produces blow the Fujifilm files out of the water. This is even compared to an X-Pro2 with the new 18mm f1.4 (which is an incredible lens).
My transition to the Q2 started about 18 months ago and, as my wife would tell you, I have gone back and forth of the decision over and over again. The idea of trading in so much Fujifilm kit, that I adored (and do miss) was no joke. The reason I traded my Fujifilm X-Pro2s, 18mm, 33mm, 90mm and X100V in for the Leica Q2 was simple really, I wanted one camera that did it all.
Laughably, I moved to Fuji because I was fed up with carrying around lots of Nikon kit. As I grow older, and continue to carve out my own photography niche, I realized that I still had too much stuff.
Believe what you read about Leicas. The punchy blacks and the rich colours, that aren’t over saturated, are a dream to work with. There is so much more depth to the files than anything I’ve used before (Nikon included). Fujifilm are still amazing. This is not supposed to sound like I regretted being in the Fujifilm system, the difference is, Leica files are just a nudge better in every way, and that makes a big difference when printing – which is the direction I am going.
The stunning (and it really is) sensor in the Q2 gives me SO much flexibility that I can now shrink everything down to the Leica and my X-T3 with one lens as a backup. How clean and simple is that?!
Interestingly, the Fujifilm JPEGs were so good, that I started to get lazy. I started taking too many snaps, that weren’t considered and thought through. The Leica Q2 slows me back down, again, and makes me seriously think about what I am capturing (maybe because file sizes are so big, memory real estate is more precious).
I would liken Fujifilm to the VW Passat – a great car that has it’s own cult following, because it does what it does really well. Leica is like an Audi S8 – similar DNA but everything is more refined, which delivers a more wholesome experience overall (the overpriced comparison also works, but I’m trying not to write about that).
I went up to Priddy Mineries (pronounced MIN-a-ries, not MEIN-a-ries as I keep getting corrected by the Mendip AONB team) on Saturday morning for sunrise. Looking at the photos on the LCD leaves a bit to be desired honestly. They’re nice, but nothing special.
As soon as you get them open on a big screen though… wow. The 28mm Summilux renders detail in a mind-blowing way. The colours, the textures, the lack of distortion… it all comes together and looks incredible!
In Lightroom, the first thing I noticed was how much dynamic range was recoverable in the shadows. I have so much latitude for drawing out minute details that result in images that, when compared to the Fujifilm files, really jump out. Even the colours of the JPEG files are gorgeous, in my opinion. I expect that I will miss Acros, but having only standard, Vivid or Natural film styles to choose from makes me even more in tuned to what I am photographing (a bit like why I ride a singlespeed bike).
