Whenever a Leica product is reviewed or mentioned on Digital Photo Review's website several people will write a comment saying how well designed or beautifully designed the product is. Then, without fail, several commenters will make the statement that they Never Consider aesthetics or design when shopping for a car, an appliance, or a camera. I feel sorry for people who are incapable of seeing good aesthetic design as a valued feature in the material goods they choose to bring into their lives and use daily for years; maybe decades. It just doesn't make sense. A preference for good design is one of the things that differentiates us from robots. Or straight-line thinkers.
Sadly, I think I've spent far, far too long having to budget pennies and watch expenses. Now that I can actually afford to buy myself a wasteful but fun camera I find myself worried about the consequences of rough handling. Edge wear on the bottom edges of the camera from putting it down on rock walls and setting it on the pavement. Dings and paint chipping from bumps and scrapes. If I was really wealthy none of these things might bother me. If my camera got too scratched up (and if I cared about that kind of wear) I'd just trade it in on a new one. But my brain certainly isn't operating in that lofty, elitist sphere most of the time.
I thought I'd do what most paranoid, luxury camera owners do and try to protect the object as well as possible. To that end I started researching half cases. Half cases are what we old timers would recognize as the bottom halves of leather "every-ready" cases that came packaged or were available as protective, fitted cases for cameras. You may also know them as "Never Ready Cases." Camera makers supplied versions for each of their SLR cameras back in the 1970s. Something that vanished completely for a while but which are being resurrected for cameras now by high end camera makers and also many third party companies. A "half case" protects the part of a camera that seems to get the most incidental damage. The bottom plate and the bottom corners and edges of a camera.
I started out by looking to see what Leica might have for me and found that they make a nice half case for the Q2 camera but for the princely sum of $220. A bit rich, I thought, for something that used to come as standard for even most most base level interchangeable lens cameras from the past... So I researched further on one of my favorite online sites for a seller of all things Leica. Much to my shock, horror and amusement one can spend $350, $450 and up to $950 to purchase a small, leather half case from a number of companies which specialize in Leica cases, bags and straps. I want protection for my new camera but don't feel as though that protection should cost more than the monthly payment on a Tesla.
With my cheapness on full display I headed for the refuge of every bored bargain hunter: Amazon. There I found an assortment of Leica Q2 half cases which ranged in price from $17..95 up to and including the nose bleed options from Leica. Amazon, wisely, seems to have drawn the line at full on absurdity and are not currently helping to move many of the "over $500" half cases. And I have to say that unless the materials include leather found on some exotic off-world expeditions held together with unicorn mane threading I just can't see the difference in value of a luxe Leica branded case and any of the more "esoteric" cases.
I took a chance and ordered a Mega-Gear branded case for a whopping, eye-watering $28. Free shipping with Prime. The case arrived quickly as it did not require armed guards to ensure its safe delivery. The case looked just fine, smelled like real leather and also came with a leather strap. It fit snuggly on the first try but over the last few days has loosened up and feels more naturally fitted now. There are little trap doors on the bottom that allow one to change the battery and SD card without full case removal. The trap door works well on the battery side but is a bit misaligned on the SD card side. Nothing that can't be fixed with a little work and the sharp edge of a Kershaw Leek pocket knife blade. But the case does what I wanted it for quite well; it creates a good, stiff, resilient barrier between the sweet black anodized body of the camera and the harsh chaos of the outside world.
I might try one more case in the $60 range but then again I may just decide to be happy with this one. It does the job. The step up might do the job with a slightly better fit...
Certainly I'm opening up myself here to the scathing rebuke of some "witty" commenter who will no doubt contrast my willingness to "overspend" on a camera ("should have gotten a Sony and a bag full of lenses!") but be too cheap to spend Leica-Style money on a case for the same. Let it fly. I agree. I can only blame this particular shortcoming on being raised by depression era parents who thought things like college educations for their kids and retirement accounts were higher priorities...
Once I solved my equation concerning a good compromise for keeping the body of the camera in good shape it occurred to me that I should also depart from my usual, "No gratuitous use of non-essential lens filters" stance and figure out how to protect what is probably the most expensive part of this expensive camera; the lens.
My usual take on lenses is that they are replaceable, meant to be used naked, and perform best with the fewest added air glass interfaces. Meaning no filters. Especially cheap filters. The urge to toss a "protection" filter on every lens, from crappy kit lens to weird third party optical catastrophe lenses bugs me. But as I started to ponder this use case a thought made it through my thick skull and I realized that this camera was a complete system with a non-removable lens and one scratch or chip on the front surface of the lens could be financial armageddon. I can't even guesstimate the cost of replacing a Leica front lens element on a Q2 but I know it would not be cheap, reasonable, slightly expensive or even "a bit pricey."
I shoot out in the elements a lot so I ordered a high quality 49mm filter and put it on the front of the lens ASAP. So now....just now....I'm ready to venture out into today's mist and take a few shots with this pampered German art piece. I hope it's worth all the trouble.
And.....yes.....I am crazy enough after shooting with the Q2 for only one weekend.....to actually be considering what kinds of things I could also do with a Q2 Monochrom. But I'll have to wait for a full recovery of the stock market before I even begin to go down that road...and my crystal ball is hazy there.
Over time I'm sure my prissiness about the "expensive camera" will wear off and I'll use it the way I've always used cameras. And stop babying it. That was the trajectory with the SL2 and now I consider it in the same light as my old and crusty SL cameras. Everything hits its equilibrium in time.
11 comments:
I'm totally on board with just about everything you wrote in this piece. Industrial design plays a significant role in just about every purchase decision I make, and I'm aware/accepting that there is a price premium for pleasing aesthetics. Once in a while I give in to a marginal design that I convince myself would be wonderful with just a few well-considered modifications. Of course that hardly ever works out as intended but my motives were pure. The flip side of that is the tinkering I do with devices that are pleasing in the first place but need - in my misguided opinion - some "enhancement." That brings us to the case for the Leica body. It's gorgeous out of the box and the half case is seat covers on an Eames chair. One man's opinion.
Car analogies: In my formative years I was a Porsche guy. Another iconic design and many/most owners of that period put "bras" on the nose to protect against stone chips. If you haven't seen this you can imagine. They were functional and if you didn't install one and drove at speed, you did indeed get stone chips. Each owner had to make a decison and I lived with the chips. Actually, I periodically touched them up. You don't paint a moustache on the Mona Lisa. I have one of the very first Miatas, and it looks like a well maintained but 32+ year old car. I call it patina. I could restore it, but they're only original once. Maybe a bra would have helped.
Kirk, you'll get no argument from me about favoring vehicles, appliances, cameras, tools and other purchases that represent good design. It's a part of the joy of owning and using them. But, while well-designed products usually end up being attractive, good design and good looking are two different things and aren't always seen together. The same goes for well made. But I'm certainly with you on the Q2.
I think your Leica CL is going to feel neglected.
If you want to further embellish your Q2, the aftermarket, anodized-aluminium Otect Q-Cap lens cap that attaches to the lens hood is available for $75. Some users don't like the lens cap that came with the camera. That cap is available as a replacement for $38.
Kirk, I think you have to look at the case price as a percentage of the camera price. Is spending 5% of the camera price on a case unexpected or selfish? We also, as species, seem to like soft leather.
I bought a case and some straps from Leica store Miami on a 50% discount recently; wait for one of their sales.
I heard that a new front element on your 28mm summilux costs $300 to $500 to replace by Leica. Would take 2 to 4 months.
Cheers.
https://www.angelo-pelle.com/product/case-for-leica-q2--and--q2-monochrom-open
Hello Kirk,
This is what I have for my camera.
Very good product.
Cheers from France.
Interesting that you mention Unicorn mane thread.
You do know Unicorns are in the Holy Bible nine times.
Cats are not in the Bible at all.
Just say'n...
And there is a veiled reference to Centaurs in every book of the Bible....
Sadly though, in the new and old testaments Leicas are only mentioned three or four times. And even then the mentions are only about the M series.
Just also say'n.....
I use to purchase half cases for my cameras (such as the fuji x100) but always eventually removed them, not liking to disguise my cameras. I have since adopted small hand grips instead. They blend in a lot more, help with the handling of small cameras, and protect the underside of the camera. Amazon sells a nice looking one for the Q2.
Cheers,
Marc
Thought I would share my experience with the Q2. Bought one a couple of months ago and next day took it out for some street and cityscape shooting in Toronto, for about five hours. Carried it handheld with a Peak Design wrist strap. Enjoyed it, files were wonderful, but the photographer's artistic vision was lacking. Woke up the next day to find a blister on one of my fingers (I think from rubbing against one of the edges). Maybe a half case would have helped soften the edge. Have not used it since.
Would like to know about Leica references in the Bible.
As for True Heroes, try these Leitz Saints.
https://jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com/leica-and-the-jews/
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