The Newsprint: The Leica Q2

The Q2 has an incredible build, there’s no doubt. And it’s this build quality that provides the backdrop for the rest of the qualitative features of the camera. Without a sturdy build, you can’t get that feel. And without the feel, you can’t experience what Leica wants you to experience.

For many photographers, the Leica Q series is endgame-level hardware, so I’m of course jealous that Josh has gotten one. It sounds like a joy to shoot with.

Part of why this is an “endgame” camera is that this sucker ain’t cheap. A new Q2 goes for $5,795, which is substantial for basically anyone’s budget. Thank goodness Josh got his used!

But then I think about what I spent on my camera, a Canon EOS R6 with the RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens, which add up to an MSRP of $4,700, so they’re at least in the same ballpark. That said, it all comes down to what you need. The Leica is really built for photographers, while the Canon is more of a balanced device for photographers and videographers, and if anything leans more towards video. That lens is also a variable focal length, allowing me to have more flexibility than the fixed Leica lens (even if the 47MP sensor makes digital zoom more useful than on most cameras).

This has all been a long-winded way of saying I’m jealous of Josh’s camera, which looks fantastic and seems to take wonderful photos, even if it doesn’t make any sense at all for me to sell all my camera gear to get one.