Two years with the Q

Before starting I just want to say that this blog isn’t about not getting the Leica Q2, if I had the money to hand I would buy the Q2. This blog will cover my experience with the Q, these settings and experiences can be transferred to the Q2.

When deciding that I was going to commit and buy a Leica Q, I wondered if the fixed lens and the expense would really be worth it, well two years on I haven’t looked back.

I feel the camera has become a part of me, an extension of my vision, the camera is a great tool.  Having less features than my Sony A7ii I was worried that not being able to change the lens would be a big deal at the time. What I actually found was that having limitations meant I was pushing my photography and style in unexplored directions, I was getting closer to the subject and felt I had more confidence when using the camera.

I have set the camera up for street photography, I personally struggle with the 28mm super wide at times when constructing architectural images and often feel a 50mm lens would be ideal. However, this is when I fall back to using my Sony A7ii for my landscape, and for me the Q is great for events, portraits and street photography.

The Leica Q-P has been out for some time now, released with a matt finish, a new shutter release button and de-badged. I have taped over the Leica badge on my Q and microphone holes with electrical tape as I’ve had a few people I have photographed who were very interested in the camera itself. The Q-P seems to be the same camera with a different housing, and isn’t one I feel is a worthy progression from the Q.

The Leica Q2 has been out since 2019 and the hype for this camera doesn’t seem to be dying down. With the updated battery and enough pixels to blow the the old Q (not out dated) out of the water. I have yet to hold a Q2 but from the update viewfinder and buttons, it looks to be a mighty camera that’s even weather sealed! The Q2 is a camera I would progress to!

Once I gained confidence within street photography in regards to photographing subjects close without their permission, I thought it would be a good idea to buy a Leica SF26 flash. The learning curve for the use of this was challenging, often with the flash being too powerful and over exposing the images. I experimented for over a week, even debating returning the flash and the camera back as I felt I was moving backwards. However, once I overcame some learning and technical difficulties, I continued to use the Q and have found the flash allows for real rich colours and makes the subjects stand out from the background. My photography has since moved on from using flash within my street photography as I think that the flash can be too intrusive when trying to create meaningful candid street images.

If you wanted to use flash then these are the settings I have previously found work best with the SF26 flash because the flash uses TTL (through the lens):

Flash tech set up:

Focus: Auto focus - centre focus

Aperture: Auto

Shutter speeds 500-2000

ISO 100-16000

Digital exposure under expose: -2 1/2

image using the sf26 flash

My photographic journey with the Q

Within a month of having the Q I was featured in Digital Camera magazine. I went on to have other projects featured, I of course can’t put this all down to the camera alone, but having my hand on a full framed small camera has been ideal to help me to construct meaningful street photography documentaries. One of the proudest moments was talking about one of my projects at a street photography festival in London. Overall the Q has had a massive positive impact on my photography life, my photography has also been shown in local galleries and international street photography festivals. 

The negatives

The camera is well built but there are a few snags I have come across. I went and photographed one of the oldest woods on Dartmoor and waited for a foggy day to make the images atmospheric, but the Q struggled from this outing and the view finder became condensated which I had to get replaced. The microphone holes sit on top of the camera which I have now taped because this could be a place for water to enter the camera. The camera is not weather sealed. The writing speeds to the memory card (I have brought a card with a quicker writing speed) could be improved when using the DNG raw I find the process slow compared to other cameras. The lens cap could also be improved as I found I was knocking the Leica cap off. I bought a rubber lens cap which works well. I have often found the wide angles awkward when I am stood close to the subjects and the overall image looks as though I’m further away, I use the 35mm crop but find the wide lens to be one of the draw backs of the camera. 

Overall

The Leica Q is still a worthy camera to have by your side, there are other cameras on the market that are similar to the Q but aren’t full frame, I have found the full frame useful compared to micro-four third cameras because of the low light capabilities and the depth of shadows and tones.  I really enjoy the Q, it has to be the best camera I have owned and is my go-to camera, which is what you really want from a camera. You want a camera that you WANT to pick up and use it and feel confident when using the camera.
 

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more straight outta Plymouth images:

https://www.ryanhardman.photography/p342197456

One shot interview with Richard Bram

What made you push the shutter button to capture this image?

October, 1992, Sergeiev Posad, Russia. It was the first snow of the season as I stepped up onto the sidewalk. To this day, I’m not sure if I consciously made a quick hip-shot or if my elbow accidentally tripped the shutter of the Leica M3. In the long run, it doesn’t matter.

Is this image part of a wider project, if so what is the projects focus?

That trip to Russia in 1992 was a seminal moment in my growth as a photographer. For the first time in my career I was on the streets of someplace new, at the height of my powers, with lots of film, no agenda, no shot list, and complete freedom to photograph whatever caught my eye. It was my first truly great experience of what I would later think of as street photography.

Why is this image special to you?

It expresses perfectly what I was feeling at the moment: the excitement of being in an entirely new place, far different from anywhere I’d been before, the beauty of falling snow, and feeling very, very cold.

Are there any photography books that inspired you to capture this image?

Directly no, but the influence of Kertész, Cartier-Bresson, and others of the classic period is clear to see. They, especially Kertész, were my first masters when I was studying photography in the public library. To this day, I have more books by these two men in my library than any others. I hadn’t yet gotten deeply into Frank and Winogrand; that came a bit later.

What camera are you currently using?

Mostly either a Leica M10 or a Leica Q, but also a Nikon Df if I need a longer lens. I have a lot of glass for both systems that I’ve accumulated along the way so I try to keep it to one of the two systems. When I shoot film (which I do whenever I want black and white), it’s usually with a Leica M6.

Please tell us about yourself.

After a lack-lustre business career came to an ignominious end, at the tender age of 32 I went mad and decided to become a photographer. Thirty-six years later I am still doing it.

Links to your social media and website

richardbramphoto.com

Instagram: photobram52 

Twitter:Photobram

Facebook: richard.bram.39

An interview with Giuseppe Andretta 

Planning

RH: What attracted and inspired you to your current documentary project?

A: I was attracted by the violence of self-harming tcharmil teenager in Morocco and when I decide the editorial project as a fanzine I was inspired by punk fanzines and the punk culture because I saw some similariEes between the tcharmil appearance and the punk ground- breaking culture in the ‘70s

RH:  Can you talk us through the planning stage for your project?

A: When I realised that the subject was interesEng for developing a photo project I started to show the photos to some friends and pho- tographers just to have an opinion and a different point of view. This is why it turned out that way,

RH:  Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

A: from the photography side no, but I am very sorry for not having taken any video.

Implementation and Completion

RH: How have you dealt with any challenges and difficulties within your project?

A: I’ve tried to face everything with calm and paEence the biggest challenge was to get accepted by the gang, they were much younger than me. I tried to be as much as I could similar to them, I did the same thing they did and be in the same place sharing my experience.

RH: How long do your projects tend to take from start to finish?

A: I am not a professional photographer so this is my second project. The first one last 2 years and the second one 5 years but one was lost for my health problems

Editing and Sequencing

RH: Do have several images to edit of one fleeting moment or do you have one well-constructed precise image that you have captured?

A: I use to shoot several images and then select and edit only one.

RH: Within the editing stages, have you felt the project has taken on a different narrative than first envisaged?

A: Yes, in the beginning the project was considered for a color print exhibiEon and it ended up in a black and white fanzine

Tips and hints

RH: What would you recommend for people starting their own photographic project?

A: Just to find a great and interestng subject, no matter which camera or equipment you use.

RH: Does the camera really matter?

A: No!

RH:  Any books you would recommend reading to get the creativity started?

A: Wow there are so many photography books I have and I think it will be obvious to suggest. I think that the best ones are: “Gipsies” by Josef Koudelka and “The Americans” by Robert Frank. But I will sug-

gest to ‘deviate’ from any standard point of view, I suggest to be ex- tremely curious in every place and situaton.

RH:  Would you recommend a*ending photography workshops?

A: Yes, they are very helpful if the teacher is a photographer that you like and has teaching skills! Some great photographers are good pro- fessionals but very bad teachers.