Moving up from M8..to Leica Q or 240?

[napoleonesq]

I am offered an almost new Leica Q with the grip and extra battery for $4000 or an M240 for 3400. I am moving up from M8...and I am loving the reviews of the Q, but I am having a hard time deciding between the two. Mainly, because I do have a few really good M lenses and thats what is making it tough for me to decide.

Any suggestions? 🙂


Thants

 

[Out to Lunch]

If you'd look at it from a monetary perspective, only just keep in mind that your Leica lenses will hold their value while the Leica Q body/lens will be obsolete in a few years from now.

 

[napoleonesq]

That is a very good point. M240 is definitely a better buy in a longer term.

 

[CameraQuest]

I am offered an almost new Leica Q with the grip and extra battery for $4000 or an M240 for 3400. I am moving up from M8...and I am loving the reviews of the Q, but I am having a hard time deciding between the two. Mainly, because I do have a few really good M lenses and thats what is making it tough for me to decide.

Any suggestions? 🙂


Thants

the M240 without a second thought. Its far more versatile.

 

[raid]

I agree with Stephen on this issue. The M240 allows you to enjoy all of your lenses. It may even suggest to you to use some old SLR lens from old times.

 

[jloden]

I'd also go with the M240, unless you feel *really* compelled by the 28mm lens on the Q, or perhaps the autofocus.

If you already own a stable of M lenses an upgrade to a digital FF body M is a smarter move than buying a standalone fixed lens camera I'd say.

 

[icebear]

Well, that obviously depends if 28mm is you favorite focal length. The M240 sounds like a good deal. It's a body only and if you do have to invest in additional lenses, the total bill quickly changes. The Q's IQ is stunning and the auto focus works like a charm. I got one mainly for my better half and she loves it. The Q is not an RF obviously and when you get a great shot it is much more because of the camera than when you use a RF and are fully in control. So there is a little less satisfaction with the Q. If you just care about the end result, simply forget about this aspect. I don't have any experience with the M240 and my MM and M9 are out for sensor replacement and I decided against a 3.5k upgrade to a new M240, M246 or M262.

 

[vladimir]

I am offered an almost new Leica Q with the grip and extra battery for $4000 or an M240 for 3400. I am moving up from M8...and I am loving the reviews of the Q, but I am having a hard time deciding between the two. Mainly, because I do have a few really good M lenses and thats what is making it tough for me to decide.

Any suggestions? 🙂


Thants

By getting M 240 you are saving $600 plus you will have use of all your M and future M lenses. I would definitely get an M if I were you.

 

[napoleonesq]

Thank you all...I wanted the 240 for a while, and you just helped me with the decision 🙂 I think that is the best long turn decision anyway, and I don't have my lenses laying around collecting dust, and I wouldn't feel bad about selling them.

 

[willie_901]

I don't see how the Q will be obsolete a few years from now. Unless one suffers a low probability electronic component failure. A Q should take excellent photographs for at least a decade.

 

[Mcary]

I don't see how the Q will be obsolete a few years from now. Unless one suffers a low probability electronic component failure. A Q should take excellent photographs for at least a decade.

Agree!

To me the whole idea that a digital camera will be obsolete after a few years or any period of time is silly and only based on camera manufacturers desire to sale more cameras. Rather then basing the decision to upgrade/purchase a newer camera simply because reviewers and the internet says your current camera is obsolete one should ask themselves what if any short coming their current camera has. Are they finding that it doesn't have enough resolution to produce the size or prints they'd like to make? Do they find that they can't shoot in certain lighting do the ISO limit's. If the camera is AF do they find AF performance lacking.
Bottom line is the time to upgrade is when you're current camera stops meeting your needs or you have new additional needs that it doesn't meet and not just because a new model is released or someone on the internet say's your camera is obsolete.

 

[icebear]

I don't see how the Q will be obsolete a few years from now. Unless one suffers a low probability electronic component failure. A Q should take excellent photographs for at least a decade.

Indeed, any camera can break down, so it needs repair. But in case it is working no camera being top notch today will be obsolete unless your are in that hamster wheel of the latest and greatest "must have".
The Q has a sensor size of 4000x 6000 i.e. 24mp and a properly focused and exposed shot holds easily up on monitor to 200% view with a little sharpening and noise reduction (each about 15 -20% in LR4.2) that is close to MM quality (only18 mp bw). How big does anyone want to print🙄 ?
The Q is a step ahead of the M9 from my experience but that doesn't mean the M9 is obsolete or the Q will be obsolete. A camera is obsolete IMHO when it limits your ability to take the shots you want but then most likely you have made the wrong choice for your needs anyway. I can't see the any camera being clearly superior to the Q in real world shooting and not some bench testing resolution comparisons.

 

[napoleonesq]

Well, I ended up getting the M240 with Black Dot which will arrive by Wed...I think it was the right decision, and I can use my lenses, including my all time fav 35mm Summilux, and I am not limited to 28mm. I think I was Wooed by the cosmetics and the "new" factor, and the luxury of auto focus even though I hated the auto focus on every camera I have touched since using a rangefinder.

 

[Doug]

Congrats on your "new" M (typ240)! And if you still have your M8, consider keeping it. The sale value is so low now it could well be worth that to you as a second body. Say, put a 21mm lens on it and let it pretend to be a 28mm setup.

That's pretty much what I did... sold my M9 to fund a 240 and kept the M8 as worth more to me than I could sell it for. Still a very fine camera! 🙂

 

[Manuel Patino]

If you have some good Leica lenses already, by all means the M240 was the right choice. I have the M240 and have bought several Leica lenses over time. I have really enjoyed shooting with the M240. It's been very rewarding. For some reason I've kept my M43 gear and a DPM2 but it makes no sense... I hardly ever shoot with the EM-1 and even less with the Sigma.

Today I posted all my M43 gear for sale and I hope to get rid of all of it. I will also sell all the "legacy" lenses that I accumulated to play with the M43 body. I need to empty my shelves and clean out my act LOL! Besides, I just purchased a Leica Q 😉 And need to offset the cost LOL!

 

[jsrockit]

Well, I'll look at this from a different point of view. Do you prefer AF? Is the 28mm your favorite lens? Then the Q makes sense. If the answer to the questions above are no... then M240.