Leica Q (Typ 116) Digital Camera, Titanium Gray {24.2MP} 19012

Leica Q Typ 116: full-frame 28mm f/1.7 in your coat pocket.

The Q pairs a 24MP full-frame CMOS sensor with a fixed 28mm f/1.7 Summilux ASPH lens, an arrangement that forces you to commit to a field of view and rewards that commitment with optical performance that holds up wide open, corner to corner. The leaf shutter keeps operation nearly silent and syncs with flash at any speed, with a mechanical ceiling of 1/2000 sec and an electronic option that reaches 1/16000 sec. Optical image stabilization in the lens delivers roughly 2.66 stops of real-world benefit, meaning handheld shots at 1/8 sec are achievable with careful technique.

The manual focus ring is mechanically damped with hard stops and a locking tab, a genuinely tactile experience that most mirrorless cameras don't come close to matching. Single-point contrast-detect AF is fast and accurate, even in low light, and 49 focus points give you direct placement control via the four-way controller. The 3.68-million-dot EVF gives you a clean, high-resolution view for both composition and manual focus confirmation with peaking. Burst shooting tops out at 10 fps, though RAW shooters will want to keep burst sequences short given buffer limitations.

Shoot DNG. The JPEG files carry a color rendering that skews toward neutral-to-green, particularly in skin tones, and in-camera correction options are limited. Raw files, processed with attention to exposure, produce good color response and solid high-ISO performance through a wide ISO range stretching to 50000. At 640g in titanium gray, the Q is heavy enough to feel substantial in hand and light enough to carry all day, a balance that's kept it relevant well past its 2015 release.

Who It's For

Street photographers who work in available light will find the f/1.7 aperture and near-silent leaf shutter a practical combination for close, candid work at 28mm. Documentary shooters benefit from the single-focal-length discipline and the optical IS, which extends the camera's usefulness into dim interiors without flash. Travel photographers who prioritize image quality but resist carrying interchangeable-lens systems get a full-frame sensor and Summilux optics in a body that fits a bag's side pocket. Photographers already invested in manual focus technique, using peaking, magnification, and a depth scale on the lens barrel, will find the Q's focus ring among the most precise available on any fixed-lens camera.

Key Features

• 24MP full-frame CMOS sensor with Maestro II processor
• Fixed 28mm f/1.7 Summilux ASPH lens with optical image stabilization
• Leaf shutter with 1/2000 mechanical sync, 1/16000 electronic maximum
• 3.68-megapixel electronic viewfinder with 100% coverage
• Single-point contrast-detect AF with 49 focus points
• 10 fps continuous shooting, RAW/JPEG capable
• Manual focus ring with mechanical damping and locking tab
• 3-inch 1.04-megapixel touchscreen LCD display
• 1080/60p video recording with H.264 codec
• Built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) and smartphone remote control

FAQ

Does the Leica Q shoot raw, and should I use it?

Yes, it shoots DNG raw files. You should - JPEG rendering skews green in skin tones with no in-camera correction available, while DNGs processed with attention to exposure deliver solid color response and high-ISO performance across the 100-50000 range.

How much does optical stabilization actually help?

Testing shows roughly 2.66 stops of real-world benefit, meaning handheld shots at 1/8 sec are achievable with careful technique. The leaf shutter's silent operation makes slower speeds less fatiguing to monitor.

What's the autofocus like in low light?

Single-point contrast-detect AF is fast and accurate even in dim conditions, keeping pace with phase-detect systems in moderate-to-good light. The 49 focus points give you direct placement control via the four-way controller, though you can also focus-and-recompose without penalty given the 28mm field of view.

How's the manual focus experience?

The damped focus ring with hard stops and a locking tab is genuinely tactile - better than most mirrorless cameras. Focus peaking and magnification combine for precise confirmation, and the mechanical coupling feels mechanically coupled rather than electronic.

What's the buffer situation for raw shooting?

Small. Shooting JPEG+DNG at 10 fps gives you just over 10 frames before the buffer fills, then roughly 30 seconds of card write time. The camera only offers JPEG or JPEG+DNG as format options, not DNG-only.

Why is the 28mm focal length relevant nine years later?

It forces commitment to a specific field of view, which is either a dealbreaker or liberating depending on your shooting style. If the focal length works for you, the Summilux optics deliver corner-to-corner sharpness wide open and bokeh that stays smooth even at frame edges.

Does the touchscreen add value or just get in the way?

Mostly in the way. Touch AF and Touch AF+Release modes work, but the four-way controller is disabled when the camera is at your eye, forcing you to touch the screen again to reacquire focus. You cannot fully disable touch functionality, which creates accidental navigations during playback.