Leica Q Typ 116 Review | 108 Data compared

The DPReview in-depth review of the Leica Q (Typ 116) highlights the full-frame compact as a responsive, well-built tool featuring a 24MP CMOS sensor and a high-quality, stabilized 28mm F1.7 lens. Strengths include exceptional, sharp image quality, excellent low-light performance, and a highly praised, tactile manual focusing experience. However, limitations include a lackluster JPEG engine with mediocre skin tones, issues with raw dynamic range and noise banding, and a lack of weather sealing. Performance drawbacks noted are slow card writing speeds and an unreliable continuous autofocus system, making it better suited to deliberate shooting rather than action.

The Leica Q (Type 116) is a high-end, full-frame compact camera featuring a fixed 28mm f/1.7 lens that delivers exceptional performance and a sharp aesthetic aesthetic reminiscent of traditional Leica build quality without ignoring modern features. Priced heavily at $4,250, the camera powers on, focuses, and shoots in less than a second, featuring a 24.2-megapixel sensor that generates images with broad dynamic range and stunning bokeh. Its physical design consists of a solid magnesium-and-aluminum body, complete with a responsive fixed touchscreen, a bright electronic viewfinder, and built-in Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity. The camera performs surprisingly well for its class in continuous shooting, clocking in at 4.7 frames per second for JPEGs. Despite its excellent performance, the camera carries notable drawbacks, primarily a significant amount of moire in the images that requires heavy post-processing to clean up due to the lack of built-in reduction filter processing. While low-light video and photos hold detail remarkably well up to high ISO limits, JPEGs look visibly grainy starting around ISO 6400 because Leica opts out of noise smoothing. On the design front, the premium...

Leica Q Review Summary The Leica Q (Typ 116) is a landmark 24-megapixel full-frame fixed-lens mirrorless camera that closely mirrors the classic Leica M design but incorporates modern capabilities. Priced at $4,250, it is celebrated as an exceptional travel and street photography camera due to its superb German build quality, simple menu layout, and vibrant, punchy colour performance that mimics slide film. Its headline features include an incredibly fast and accurate autofocus system, 10 frames-per-second continuous burst shooting, a highly responsive rear touchscreen, integrated Wi-Fi connectivity, and a truly quiet mechanical leaf shutter. A major standout is the highly praised manual focusing mechanism, which relies on a beautifully geared mechanical focus ring and a dedicated macro mode selector rather than a sluggish focus-by-wire system. Despite its high praise, the camera presents distinct limitations. The fixed 28mm f/1.7 Summilux lens proves to be a polarizing specialty focal length that is wider than the traditional 35mm or 50mm standards. While the camera offers 35mm and 50mm digital crop frame lines, using them significantly drops resolution from 24 megapixels down to 16 and...

The Leica Q (Typ 116) is a highly responsive full-frame compact camera that features a fixed 28mm f/1.7 Summilux lens and an updated 24-megapixel CMOS sensor. The review highlights several major pros, including an exceptionally fast and accurate 49-point contrast-detection autofocus system that far outperforms Leica's previous X and T models. It delivers excellent image quality with very usable results up to ISO 12800, offers high-speed shooting at 10 fps with an impressive buffer, and boasts a market-leading, high-resolution electronic viewfinder alongside a responsive touchscreen. Additionally, users benefit from an innovative digital zoom crop mode (simulating 35mm and 50mm frames), integrated optical image stabilisation, and an electronic shutter reaching speeds up to 1/16000s. However, the camera comes with notable cons, primarily its lack of weatherproof sealing and a high retail price of $4250/€3995/£2900, which makes it an expensive option for a fixed-lens compact. In terms of performance, extreme low-light shooting at its maximum ISO 50000 produces heavy noise and banding, while the automatic white balance lacks precision in the RAW files. When switching to macro mode, the lens physically limits...

The Leica Q (Typ 116) is a fixed-lens, full-frame compact camera featuring a 28mm f/1.7 Summilux lens that delivers exceptional build quality, intuitive handling, and fast autofocus performance. The reviewer praises its minimalist yet functional design, outstanding image sharpness and contrast even wide open, and an incredibly quiet leaf shutter capable of flash sync speeds up to 1/2000s. Additional highlights include a high-resolution electronic viewfinder that reproduces natural colours, a smooth mechanical manual focus ring with a dedicated focusing tab, and an integrated macro mode allowing close-up focusing down to 17cm. However, the camera has several functional limitations, notably the lack of a RAW-only shooting mode, which forces users into space-consuming RAW+JPEG capture. While low-light autofocus performs reliably, the sensor exhibits noticeable banding in pushed RAW shadow areas at ISO levels above 6400. The reviewer also reports that the image buffer clears slowly, causing capture lockouts during continuous single shots at weddings. Minor design drawbacks include an easily bumped diopter knob, restricted image magnification limited strictly to the centre during manual focus, and a video mode that is virtually useless...

The Leica Q (Typ 116) is a premium, niche compact camera that pairs a 24-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor with a fixed 28mm f/1.7 Summilux lens. The review praises the camera as a "speed demon" due to its quick 1.4-second startup, instantaneous autofocus locking (0.02 seconds in bright light), and rapid 10fps burst shooting mode. Standout features include an exceptionally sharp, wide-aperture lens capable of producing smooth bokeh, a high-resolution 3.68-million-dot integrated electronic viewfinder (EVF), and a highly functional macro ring that shifts the close-focus limit down to 6.7 inches. Additionally, it features solid anodized aluminum ergonomics with a helpful thumb rest, built-in optical stabilization, and strong Wi-Fi remote app integration. It even includes a unique digital crop frame-line mode simulating 35mm and 50mm perspectives while maintaining uncropped Raw files. Despite these stellar attributes, the review points out several definitive drawbacks. Most notably, the camera carries a steep premium price tag and lacks any form of a built-in flash or weather sealing. The implementation of the touch-screen focus is also criticized because the system forces you into the menu to switch...

Amateur Photographer awarded the Leica Q (Typ 116) a five-star rating, highlighting its exceptional 3.68-million-dot electronic viewfinder, premium build quality, and fast, responsive touchscreen autofocus. The review praised the camera's superb image quality, particularly noting a rich dedicated black and white mode, alongside a design that echoes traditional Leica rangefinders. Key drawbacks identified include the camera's high price point and the complete omission of an external microphone socket, which limits its utility for professional videography. Despite these limitations, the combination of superior optics and robust construction was seen as a major success.

The Leica Q Typ 116 is an exceptionally well-made, blazingly fast full-frame compact mirrorless camera that sets a new standard for its class. The camera features a robust aluminum and magnesium build, a near-silent mechanical leaf shutter, and an incredibly fast and accurate autofocus system that excels even in low-light environments. Its standout physical attributes include a beautiful 3-inch touch LCD screen and a class-leading, lag-free 3.68 MP electronic viewfinder (EVF). The integrated 24.2MP sensor paired with a fixed 28mm Summilux F1.7 ASPH lens delivers natural, three-dimensional color rendering and exceptional, tack-sharp image quality even when shooting wide open at F1.7. Additionally, it features a highly intuitive menu layout, smooth manual focus controls with physical distance markings, a clever mechanical ring for macro mode, and a useful Digital Zoom feature that offers 35mm and 50mm bright-line frame cropping capabilities. Despite its stellar performance, the camera has a few minor drawbacks and design limitations. While its low-light capability easily handles ranges up to ISO 3200 and 6400, shooting at its extreme maximum ISO of 50,000 introduces noticeable image noise, a loss...

The Leica Q is a highly praised, professional full-frame travel camera featuring a fixed 28mm f1.7 Summilux lens and a 24.2 megapixel CMOS sensor. The reviewer heavily commends its outstanding autofocus, exceptional electronic viewfinder, and superb high-ISO capabilities that deliver fully usable images even at ISO 10,000. Its standout feature is an ingenious manual focus mechanism featuring a physical tab and hard stops that build dependable muscle memory. The camera's interface is elegantly minimalist, placing 99% of the controls directly on the lens, which facilitates an intuitive, discrete, and joyful shooting experience. Furthermore, its reliable Wi-Fi connectivity and rapid remote application make file transfers to mobile devices seamless. Despite the high praise, the reviewer outlines several distinct drawbacks, most notably the baffling omission of weather sealing on a dedicated adventure camera. The hardware also suffers from cheap-feeling plastic port and battery doors, alongside an internal rattle from the optical image stabilizer when powered down. Usability quirks include a laggy, imprecise touch screen, an unremapable video record button on the top plate, and a loose ON/OFF switch that easily overshoots single-shot...

The Leica Q (Typ 116) stands out for its exceptional build quality, relatively small form factor (weighing 1.4 lbs / 640g), and its outstanding fixed 28mm f/1.7 Summilux lens. Reviewer Liam Gordon praises the lens for its corner-to-corner sharpness, soft bokeh, and contrasty, beautiful colours. The 24-megapixel sensor delivers highly recoverable shadows and adequate performance up to ISO 6400. Additionally, the single-shot autofocus is sufficient for daily use and tracking fast children, while the dedicated video record button and built-in image stabilisation allow for quick, casual video clips. However, the camera has notable limitations, particularly its laggy EVF, which overexposes the view and can cause missed shots. The manual focus ring is overly tight and lacks a hard stop at infinity due to the autofocus mechanism, making zone focusing feel unnatural. Gordon also notes that the lens suffers from heavy distortion correction and shoots wider than a true 28mm focal length. Further gripes include a fiddly power switch that frequently freezes the camera when accidentally moved into continuous mode, a clunky menu system, an unresponsive touchscreen inside menus, and a...

The Leica Q (Typ 116) is a premium fixed-lens camera featuring a 24-megapixel full-frame sensor and a 28mm f/1.7 Summilux lens, delivering exceptional sharpness, fast autofocus, and a 10fps burst mode. It combines a 3.68MP electronic viewfinder, touch screen, and Wi-Fi within a robust, 1/16,000-second shutter-equipped body. While offering stellar performance, the camera is constrained by a high price, a bulky, heavy design compared to competitors like the Sony RX1, and the lack of a built-in flash. Additional drawbacks include lackluster touch-screen focus implementation and the absence of a 24fps video recording option.

The ePHOTOzine review of the Leica Q (Typ 116) highlights a premium compact camera featuring a 24.2-megapixel full-frame sensor and a fixed 28mm f/1.7 Summilux lens, offering rapid 0.15s autofocus and excellent handling with a 3.68m-dot EVF. Key advantages include exceptional image sharpness, impressive low-light capability, a useful dedicated macro mode, and superior battery life compared to rivals like the Sony RX1. Notable drawbacks, however, include a lack of weather sealing, a slippery grip, and a tendency to underexpose images with somewhat muted out-of-camera JPEGs.

The Leica Q (Typ 116) is a premium, ruggedly built full-frame compact camera featuring an excellent electronic viewfinder, fast autofocus, and a 24-megapixel sensor delivering high-quality images, according to a review by What Digital Camera. While praised for its performance and handling, the camera lacks a microphone socket, has a high price point, and requires diving into menus for basic settings due to a lack of quick-access controls.

Despite being considered "the closest to perfection" by the reviewer, the camera has a few notable limitations. On the hardware side, the physical back button next to the thumb rest is locked exclusively to shifting between 35mm and 50mm digital crop lines rather than being user-assignable. The camera is structurally large compared to true pocket options like the Ricoh GR, and its fixed 28mm lens might not appeal to photographers who prefer 35mm or 50mm focal lengths. Finally, it is a highly specialized "photo-only" tool lacking creative filters or robust movie-making features, and it comes with a steep $4,500 price tag that remains a significant financial barrier for the average working-class photographer.

The Leica Typ 116 Q (and its stealthier Q-P variant) is a full-frame, fixed-lens compact camera featuring a 24-megapixel sensor and a sharp 28mm f/1.7 Summilux lens. The reviewer praises its exceptionally intuitive handling, featuring an aperture ring and tactile lens tabs that allow the user to easily toggle between macro and manual focusing modes without digging into the menu system. Image quality is highly lauded for striking an elusive, beautiful balance between sharpness, bokeh, and color rendition. Additionally, the camera boasts a beautiful electronic viewfinder (EVF), a surprisingly fast 10 frames-per-second (FPS) burst rate, and a highly accurate 49-point autofocus system for standard daily shooting. However, the camera reveals its age through several key drawbacks. Its autofocus tracking, eye-detection, and video capabilities fall short compared to modern competitors, and its face-detection feature is described as terrible. Due to the lack of modern UHS-II or XQD card support, users will experience slow file writing times and long buffer clearance pauses when shooting at maximum burst speed. Furthermore, the straight-out-of-camera (SOOC) JPEGs are weak compared to brands like Fujifilm, making it...

The Shutterbug review praises the Leica Q (Typ 116) for its exceptional German build quality, pairing a 24-megapixel full-frame sensor with a sharp 28mm f/1.7 Summilux lens for excellent image clarity, especially at ISO 3200 and below. Key highlights include a 3.68MP electronic viewfinder, fast autofocus, and user-friendly Wi-Fi connectivity via a dedicated smartphone app. Conversely, the review notes significant image noise and horizontal banding at extreme sensitivities of ISO 12,500 and above. Additionally, the camera's lens hood design is criticized for requiring the removal of a separate ring, which prevents the standard lens cap from being used. The review concludes that despite a high $4,250 price, the Q is a brilliant entry into premium Leica photography. Shutterbug.com