Do I really need a Leica Q2?
The Leica cameras are said to produce photographs with a certain vibe. Since a long time I was wondering what this vibe could be and if it is really this unique. Maybe I will miss something if I never use Leica in my whole life?
So I borrowed a Leica Q2 for a weekend. In order to make a true comparison. I ordered a Sony 28 mm F2 lens and put it on my Sony A7RIII. These two systems are pretty comparable in sensor resolution (47 vs 42 Mpix) and the primary specifications of the lenses (F1.7 vs F2).
I took a number of images with both cameras in RAW format. I did not compare creative settings for jpegs. After adjusting whitebalance, the gradation curve, the HSL panel and the calibration I ended up with a very similar color and tone.
I did a second comparison for a night shot with artificial lighting. Adjusting white balance and applying the preset created before brings the Sony image very close to the Leica image.
Is Leica better than Sony?
In terms of color and tone there are some differences betwenn the Leica and the Sony. Using Adobe Lightroom for tweaking the white balance and the tone curve helps to bring the two systems pretty close. With further fine tuning using the HSL panel and the calibration, and sometimes the individual RGB tone curves I was able to match all comparison shots I made. Looking at the sharpness the built-in Leica Summilux 1:1.7/28 ASPH. is outstanding and beats the Sony 28 mm F2 lens. Considering the price of the Sony lens, this is fair. However, the Sony 28 mm is not bad and I really like the focal length.
I would be glad to have a better 28 mm alternative with autofocus for the Sony full frame system (if you know one, let me know in the comments).
Next time I get a Leica camera in my hands I will take some comparison shots using my color checker. That should make it easier to match the Sony to the Leica.
So, finally my answer to the question "Do I really need a Leica Q2?" is NO.
Well, at least for now.
