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A tale of two Leica cameras (sort-of)

biglouis

Well-known member
A tale of two Leica's (sort-of). My son had a simple registry office wedding today to his fiancée and I did the photography. Because of a back injury the best I could handle was my Leica Q (28mm, obviously) and my Panasonic GX8 with a Lumix Leica DG 25/1.4 Summilux. I class the GX8 as the camera that Leica should re-badge as the digital CL but - hey - what do I know?

Panasonic GX8+Leica DG Summilux 25/1.4


Leica Q



The Leica Q is an astonishing camera. The sharpness wide open is breathtaking. The colour draw is, to my eye, exquisite. It is beautiful to work with. It is ridiculously expensive but you are really getting a lens with a camera thrown in. I am (very) lucky to own one.

However.

I think if you compare these shots the GX8 and its PanaLeica also performs very well, although my experience is that it cannot match sharpness or lack of colour noise when you pixel peep at high iso. But like the Q and possibly because of the Q the GX8 and the 25/1.4 draw like-a-Leica. Together, the Q and the GX8 made a very capable pair of event cameras.

I have a book signing to do later in the week and I am thinking I will only use these two cameras and save myself weight and back-strain.

LouisB
 

dhsimmonds

New member
Hi Louis

Both great images but I actually prefer the GX8 version! I daresay it is the jpeg size reduction but to my eye and viewed on a 27" colour balanced and monitored screen the Q image is not so sharp. Are the labels the right way around?

However I have to say that your son is a chip off the old block! I only met you once I think, on a LUF meet and walk around London many years ago, probably when you were closer to your lad's age now.:ROTFL:
 

biglouis

Well-known member
Dave

Thanks for the kind comments. I think one reason the GX8 capture stands out is that the 25 (or 50eqv) fov combined with the shallow depth of field makes it a much better portrait lens than the 28mm on the Q.

One thing which does surprise me is that almost identical colour of the two cameras - and this is particularly shown in the flowers. Many digital cameras are distinguished by the way the handle reds. It is intriguing that both these cameras render the same. And incidentally, these are RAW files with only the exposure being tweaked and nothing else - both tend to underexpose.

You really do have to wonder how much electronics these two cameras share - even though one is a third or less the value of the other.

Perhaps there will be a chance to meet up again on a future Leica meet?

LouisB
 

bradhusick

Active member
I never liked the distortion that lenses shorter than 85mm give to faces, therefore these are out of the running for me.
 

biglouis

Well-known member
I never liked the distortion that lenses shorter than 85mm give to faces, therefore these are out of the running for me.
I disagree. Just don't put either lenses into a position where you are going to introduce distortion. That's why on the Q shot I introduce the subject within the context of the background.

Don McCullin has shot (and continues as far as I am aware) loads of portraits with his standard lens preference which is 28mm.

LouisB
 
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