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Leica Q3 43 unboxing and first impressions

dirk

LQF-Founder
Administrator
Hi,

my Leica Q3 42 arrived today. I have to charge it first. I hope that I will have the time to do some pictures tomorrow. It is getting dark already in Germany. But here are already some first impressions of the unboxing.

The Leica Q3 43 is not as well presented in a box as it was the case with the Leica Q3. This is a difference like night and day. This is disappointing to be honest. The package feels cheap comparad to the one of the Leica Q3. With other brands I would not care, but with Leica, I expect more. Especially if the Leica costs 800€/USD more than what I paid last year for the Q3 (Leica increased the price of the Q3 from 5.950€ to 6.250€ this year).

Even worse, there is no charger included anymore... WTF?

Come on Leica, this is not a a cheap product from the rummage tables at electronics retailers. I paid 6.750€ for a compact camera and get a cheap box of a 200€ P&S and even have to pay extra for the charger? Shall I be glad now that they put a battery at all in the box? Z04 Zeter01

I am sorry, but if Leica sets the bar so high with its marketing and with this price tag, they also have to deliver. People will judge them by their statements. This is only fair.

Ok, let's wait until tomorrow. I hope that my impressions will get better tomorrow...
 
I'll post the link on the L-mount forum.

This is the link:


This is only regarding the USB-C port requiremet. All devices have to have a USB-C connection. They want to achieve that you can use the same charger for all devices and this is only possible of all cameras etc. offer a USB-C port for charging.

But this has nothing to do with offering a charger for free (with USB-C port of course). A USB-C charger might cost Leica maybe 3-5 €. I payed 6.750 € and shall now pay Leica an additional
180€ Drop XL Wireless Charger plus 200€ for the Wireless Charging handgrip HG-DC1 (total of 380€) to charge the Q3 43?
 
This is the link:


This is only regarding the USB-C port requiremet. All devices have to have a USB-C connection. They want to achieve that you can use the same charger for all devices and this is only possible of all cameras etc. offer a USB-C port for charging.

But this has nothing to do with offering a charger for free (with USB-C port of course). A USB-C charger might cost Leica maybe 3-5 €. I payed 6.750 € and shall now pay Leica an additional
180€ Drop XL Wireless Charger plus 200€ for the Wireless Charging handgrip HG-DC1 (total of 380€) to charge the Q3 43?
The directive also stipulates that consumers must be offered the product with the charger unbundled. It seems most manufacturers are interpreting that as "don't supply a charger at all" !
 
The directive also stipulates that consumers must be offered the product with the charger unbundled. It seems most manufacturers are interpreting that as "don't supply a charger at all" !

What the EU want to say is that it should not be anymore a propriatory charger which is incompatibel with non-USB-C cables. Of course mAny brands will try to use this as an excuse to add nothing at all. But we are talking here about a price level of a used car. To save here 5€ is silly and only gets the costumer upset.
 
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What the EU want to say is that it should not be anymore a propriatory charger which is incompatibel with non-USB-C cables. Of course mAny brands will try to use this as an excuse to add nothing at all. But we are talking here about a price level of a used car. To save here 5€ is silly and only gets the costumer upset.
Yes, I know, but the position now is that manufacturers MUST offer their products where the charger is unbundled. It doesn't say "only offer" - yet. The EU are considering making this mandatory, as per this extract from the amendment to 2014/53/EU dated 29/6/22:

Unbundling should provide sustainable, available, attractive and convenient choices for consumers and other end-users. Drawing on the experience of the application of the requirements, the emerging market trends and the technological evolution, the Commission should consider an extension of the requirement related to the supply of charging devices together with the radio equipment to cables, and/or the introduction of mandatory unbundling, in order to ensure that the objectives of reducing environmental waste and ensuring consumer convenience are pursued in the most effective manner

It seems that manufacturers are already simply removing chargers. Will fit future regulations AND make more money for them. What's not to like? :)
 
mmmhhh... that will create problems in the future then. Let's assume you charge the battery and the battery dies or gets destroyed/explodes. The camera brand will always say: "You used the wrong charger". I mean there are chargers which are really garbage. But there is no way to say anymore: I used the official charger. Of course you can charge the battery in the camera. But do I really want to do this/ to risk this with an almost 7.000€ camera?
 
The lack of an external charger is disappointing but I can understand the need to cut down on unnecessary proprietary plastic components. I'm not convinced a charger is unnecessary though. I'm not a professional and I avoid battery wastage by not "chimping" at the screen every time I take a shot. If I'm away from home for a few days, I prefer to have a charger with me, so I've stumped up for the Leica double battery charger - which should arrive tomorrow. True to form, it's an expensive option and one which could have been offered as an option when buying the camera. Some may prefer (or at least be happy with) charging the battery in-camera using a USB-C cable.

I have Fuji X series cameras and Hahnel makes a 'Cube' to charge 2 batteries at a time. I'm hoping that they produce similar for the Q3 / SL batteries.

Another frustration is the inability to use filters in conjunction with the lens hood supplied with the Q3 43. Some are adamant that there's no 'need' to use clear protection filters but I disagree. I also like to use polarisers and other filters. For me, it seems a bit silly for Leica not have thought this through. Anyway, a JJC round hood is on its way and that will allow the use of whatever filters I want.
 
A charger costs nothing in production. But it is what it is. We can not change it. But combined with the cheaper box, it threatens Leica's media image.

Unfortunately it is raining here all the time. I would love to go out and shoot some images...
 
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