Advice please: Leica Q or X100T?

[-fp]

Hi all.

I've been shooting with the original X100 since launch day, apart from that last year or so when it's sat unused because it just got so slow. I've been using a DSLR which leaves me cold. Big heavy electronic thing.

I upgraded the X100 to the latest 2.10 firmware on Saturday and holy **** it's like a new camera. The manual focus is now sort of usable, but still too slow and not mechanical as I'd like.

I'm in the market for a new camera, with a young family I don't get lots of time for walking the streets and I'm spending more time documenting the family but I want it to be a nice experience. Not just a picture taking experience. The DSLR has to go. The X100 is ok for the moment but the kid is fast and the focus on that is slow 🙂

So I'm looking for something that is going to a: fill me with a warm 'oh my god I'm in love' feeling when I use it, allow me to shoot fast when I need to (the family) and slow when I get time (on my own, or days off).

I've always wanted a digital Leica, but from what I've read the X100T IQ and focus etc is so close and I can buy three for the price of the Q. But the Q has that red dot on it, has nice fat pixels, and I've already walked the Fuji road.

Thoughts please. Passion, argument, and debate welcome 🙂

Cheers.

 

[jsrockit]

The Q is way faster than the X100 with regard to AF and its manual focus implementation is superior as well. However, as you noted, at a cost.

 

[majid]

28mm is probably too wide for people photography, unless you like the exaggerated perspective. 35mm works, but not in all situations. AF is significantly better in the X100S/X100T.

I'd recommend getting a mirrorless system with fast AF and decent zoom lenses like the Fuji X-T1/X-T10. DSLRs don't have to be huge - the Canon Rebel SL1 is pretty svelte. Another option is the Sony A7R II.

 

[Jack Sparrow]

What about an X-E2?

 

[f16sunshine]

It Sounds like a family snapshot camera is what you are after.
The X100T should more than cover your needs. It's a great little image machine.

*The Wifi transfer works well which is important for sharing with Grandparents and other family.

*Apsc has Plenty of resolution for printing.

*It's a speedy af and even speedier pre-focus machine.

*Does not have a "jewelry factor" cost so trips to the beach and into the waves will be made with much less apprehension.

Spend the extra $3k you will save over the Q on a family vacation. Bring home some great memories 🙂

Cheers

 

[jsrockit]

The bottom line is that the X100T is still slower to AF than most every other comparable camera on the market. It's not the camera for chasing kids... unless you use work-arounds (which you may know from the X100). The Q really kills it in this department.

 

[taemo]

+1 on the X100T if its just for family shots, 1/3 the price of a Q, takes same batteries as your X100 but maybe play with XTransII files first as well and see how you like them. AF is quick enough although the Q is on a different league (m43).

Food for thought but what about a Ricoh GR?
local RFF shooter jky is killing it with his family/life shots with his GR which compares to the X100 in term of AF unless you use Snap mode
https://www.flickr.com/gp/111304155@N05/p05120

regarding X100T slow for chasing kids, I found it pretty fast; with kids or people in general IMO it's more a matter of knowing and anticipating the right time to press the shutter but these first 2 shots, I only had a split second to spot and take a picture of them

 

[Jamie Pillers]

The X100T AF has been plenty fast for me. It easily captures people in the fast-paced streets of San Francisco, so I'd guess it'd work fine for family. And I think the Fuji's 35mm lens is a better all-round focal length for family. Save the money you'd spend on Leica Q and use it for a trip to Hawaii. 🙂

 

[f16sunshine]

I've been playing around with the face detection in another fuji camera the Entry level XA1.
It works shocckingly well and quick to. I seriously doubt AF would be the issue with the X100T.
There are other issues that do slow that camera down.
The between one shot and the next shot in the original x100 is awful for fast shooting. (seemingly all fuji cameras although this XA1 is much better).
Has that been corrected in the X00T ? I'm betting it has.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Q for me stands for Quality. One of the, if not the only one, digital cameras where BW is good enough for me. But Fuji has fine colors without huge price tag.

Just yesterday we went to the zoo and I was using 28mm most at my FF DSLR. I was taking family pictures at the zoo. Not the zoo pictures.
It is great focal length on FF once you learn how to use it. Nothing complicated, you just have to be close. Same rules applied for street and family pictures. You could take strangers and family members pictures with tele and it will be full blown face on entire frame and it will be still not close enough.
28mm on FF gives you "I'm with them" feeling and perspective no cropper will gives.

Not sure if it rings the bell for first timer here. But red dot and leica experience is also worth of it. 🙂

 

[rpavich]

It Sounds like a family snapshot camera is what you are after.
The X100T should more than cover your needs. It's a great little image machine.

*The Wifi transfer works well which is important for sharing with Grandparents and other family.

*Apsc has Plenty of resolution for printing.

*It's a speedy af and even speedier pre-focus machine.

*Does not have a "jewelry factor" cost so trips to the beach and into the waves will be made with much less apprehension.

Spend the extra $3k you will save over the Q on a family vacation. Bring home some great memories 🙂

Cheers

This in *****s.

X100T will do a good job for you.

 

[kshapero]

The Pany LX100 has worked out well for me. I shoot in RAW and the dummy proof IA feature for JPG. Allows for fast AF of Grandchildren. I do not try to be too artsie with it, as I have my stable of film cameras for that.

 

[Lss]

28mm is probably too wide for people photography, unless you like the exaggerated perspective. 35mm works, but not in all situations.

The two cameras actually have a "similar lens" in this respect. The Leica Q can however be used in a 28 mode in addition to the crop-35 mode that you find useful here. The X100 family is limited to the crop-35 mode.

 

[-fp]

I think I'm going to grab the T, and wait for the second iteration of the Q. And then either grab a fixed second hand V1 or the V2.

 

[MikeAUS]

If money is no issue then it's an easy choice - surely ... Q!

 

[ruby.monkey]

If you're chasing kids around then a Ricoh GR Digital (or even GRD4) is an excellent choice; plus you have plenty of money left over for ice cream.

(This is coming from someone who loves his X100T)

 

[lcpr]

X100T because you can print from the camera directly to an Instax SP1 printer. Loads of fun.

 

[Vince Lupo]

The two cameras actually have a "similar lens" in this respect. The Leica Q can however be used in a 28 mode in addition to the crop-35 mode that you find useful here. The X100 family is limited to the crop-35 mode.

Actually you can use the two conversion lenses that are offered for the X100T -- one which converts the fixed lens to a 28mm lens, and another which makes it a 50mm lens. The 50mm lens is a fairly sizable chunk of glass, but it's pretty light and delivers great results.

 

[jsrockit]

28mm is probably too wide for people photography, unless you like the exaggerated perspective. 35mm works, but not in all situations. AF is significantly better in the X100S/X100T.

Let's remember that the Fuji uses a 23mm lens... cropped down, Perspective wise.

 

[Lss]

Actually you can use the two conversion lenses that are offered for the X100T -- one which converts the fixed lens to a 28mm lens, and another which makes it a 50mm lens. The 50mm lens is a fairly sizable chunk of glass, but it's pretty light and delivers great results.

Yes, these conversion lenses exist. There are also other conversion lenses on the market. I sometimes use a Nikon wide-angle conversion lens with the Sony RX1R (giving roughly a 24mm field of view). It visibly degrades the image quality but still produces rather usable images. I think this conversion lens is meant for some less demanding applications such as video cams anyway.

However, the point remains that a Leica Q is not at a disadvantage against a 35mm equivalent APS-C camera based on focal length.