Leica Q3 Menu Settings (Part 1 - Photo)

Leica Akademie instructor Nick Rains looks through the Photo menu settings on the new Leica Q3 and explains what they do and which settings he prefers to use.
This quite long video covers many of the intricacies of Photo Mode, and there will be a follow-up video (Part Two) in the coming weeks covering more of the Photo menus and the menus in the Video mode.

[@RYN988]

I’ll come back to this in mid 2024 when my order is fulfilled. I can tell this is going to be useful!

[@SR-fr7fw]

I have seen quite many videos here about the settings of the Q3, but this is by far the best one. Thanks a lot for taking your time to explain all that in a very calm and easy to understand way. The Q3 is my first Leica, so getting such basic tips is very helpful for the start

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Glad it was helpful!

[@rob-in-the-marsh5311]

Very useful video. Keeps to the point and covers all the essential options very clearly, (unlike some other videos).

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Glad it was helpful!

[@richardbentley]

Thank you Nick. New to Leica, but not new to photography, really appreciate your clear and concise run through. Thanks for making this.

[@hangingoutwithryan]

Thank you so much for the great video! I have owned a Leica SL2s for a year now, and I am currently eagerly awaiting the opportunity to acquire my Q3. Seeing how similar the menu is to my current camera brings me a great deal of happiness.

[@MrGuto]

Excellent video! I’ve had my Q3 for 4 months now. Learned a few great bits from your video. Very well put together. Thank you!

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Great to hear!

[@gerdgreczka8857]

I like the way you explain. Not only in this video. Gerd from Germany

[@user-yb1ip8iu1y]

That`s the best explanation of menu settings I have seen. Best regards from Germany

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Glad it was helpful!

[@roberttorrie3651]

Thanks, Nick. Your videos are so easy to follow, especially with my camera in hand and the pause button handy.

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Glad to help!

[@peterlecointe3537]

I am a new Leica user and this overview was very helpful. Thankyou

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Great to hear!

[@Bladmuziek]

Absolutely the best explain-video of all settings on this camera, thanks a lot! I use my Q3 for over a year now and I immediately changed a few settings. I do have a little extra tip. I noticed after a while that the battery went very low quickly. This appeared to happen because I didn't use the EVF (only the LCD) and usually carry the camera in front of me on the carrying strap. I had this setting (EVF/LCD) at 'auto'. Therefore the EVF turned on all the time using battery. Well, maybe I helped someone with this small tip.

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

I prefer to turn the camera off when it's hanging on my shoulder. It's very quick to turn on again, and you can turn on the power switch by feel as you lift the camera.

[@HudShot]

Thanks Nick, very useful. Just got my Q3 and getting back into photography after a very long time. Only used a very basic digital camera more than 10 years ago and before that it was all film. I love that you explained things simply and given practical examples of how certain features and options might be used. For me I'm trying to equate and compare with film cameras. And so far so good.

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Glad it was helpful!

[@HRWG99]

Brilliant demo

[@adamlucas6090]

Hi Nick , Thank you. As always an excellent presentation. Valuable and easy to understand. Actually this is my first Leica camera. And what a beauty it is. Exceptionally tactile, wonderful ergonomics and super lovely images. The camera inspires. I just like to pick it up all of the time and take images. Never felt this way before. Adam.

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Glad it was helpful!

[@JS-shim]

Great video Nick. Of all the settings, I have had trouble with finding a goldilocks setting for the AF. As a long term Q2 user, I have found the best parts of the Q3 to be its sensor and low light capability, when compared with the Q2. ISO 25000 does not seem to be a problem with this camera.

[@alaindardenne6966]

Thank you very much for all information and it was very interesting

[@stevecahill9106]

Excellent video! Clear and concise. Well done.

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@pixelfoto1]

As always Top Class, thank you

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Very welcome

[@geertvancompernolle8401]

Thanks for the clear guidance. I would like to have some more guidance o the M and L mods. When taking pictures inside, would it be advantageous to use the L mode so that a similar low light advantage is achieved as with the SL2-S compared to the SL2.

[@paulhart1218]

Thank you - very helpful.

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Glad it was helpful!

[@batikman22]

Excellent excellent excellent. Thank you so much.

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

You're very welcome!

[@stevehill-cousins9766]

Brilliant I found this really helpful thanks

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Glad it helped

[@cleftoftherock6797]

Great instruction thank you.

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Glad it was helpful!

[@minazhassam9821]

Awesome thanks for sharing. V clear.

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Glad it was helpful!

[@AndrewHardacre]

I’ve had my Q3 for 2 months and I love it. However I’m not getting anything like 300+ shots from a battery. It’s mainly street shooting and I have already turned off Bluetooth. If I get 150 I think that’s about it. Any suggestions or recommendations other than turn off the LCD? Many thanks.

[@tacul9333]

Very useful. Thanks!!

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ducanhvutran185]

Ah cool!

[@aartb2836]

Thank you Nick....well and clear explained. Q: I miss the possibility to center the auto focus area, so im always using the arrows on the wheel selector on the back. Do you know if there is a function that does the same, and could be assigned to a Fn-botton?

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Sorry, no centering like on the SL cameras. Not sure why, it's a requested feature for future f/w updates. Rather than use the arrow, I tap the screen if touch screen is on.

[@stevenbirds2920]

Thank you for making the video and presenting it in a clear and concise manner and in particular at a reasonable pace. So many people these days treat these things like a thirty second sound bite and want to be finished before they even start. I am on a waiting list for this camera as many are here in Europe. My main system is based around the Olympus OM-1 and I am very used to shooting using exposure compensation and in particular taking note of orange and dark blue flashing blinkers in the viewing and or on the rear screen to show parts of the image which are over and under exposed. Can you please confirm if the Q3 offers the same blinker option in the menu? Your talk seemed to refer to it but I don’t believe you showed this in the later parts of the presentation. Thank you. Regards, Steven.

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Yes, turn Clipping on in Capture Assistants.

[@kenn6592]

Fabulous insight into what the Q3 can do. Very clearly explained. Thank you. Now, I just need to commit another $10,000 to camera gear 🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

You can do it!

[@awpqq]

very useful video thanks - still waiting on my Q3 - maybe this week?! :)

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Hope so!

[@emeixon]

Thanks a lot for this comprehensive guide!! So much better that reading the instructions manual 😅 Do you know by any chance if there is a way of maintaining different default settings for photo and video? So for example, that every time I switch to video mode my ss is 1/50 and when I switch to photo it's 1/250? Thanks again!!

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Regarding specifically shutter speeds, sorry, no. On the SL2 and SL2-S this is possible because the shutter dial is 'multi function'. On the Q3 it's not possible because it's a dedicated dial - if it's set to 1/60th then that's it. However, other settings will indeed default back to where you left them when you swap from Photo to Video, and back eg ISO, focus mode etc.

[@R0dan]

Very helpful. Just ordered mine and of course, it is back ordered😢

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Oh no!

[@naturephotos8908]

Hello, I have a serious problem with the Leica Q3 I just bought. The camera's settings constantly change without my consent. For example, the setting I made to shoot only DNG automatically changes to DNG&JPG. Then I set the ISO to 100 and it automatically switches to Auto ISO without my consent. This problem also occurs also in some other settings. I tried to solve the problem with my own means, but I couldn't. Maybe Am I doing something wrong while adjusting the settings? Do I need to lock the settings I made? If so, how and how is locking done? I would appreciate it if you could guide me on how to solve my problem. With thanks, Moiz Cukurel

[@kaweeno]

I have the exact same problem. Can't figure out how user profiles work. I have spent hours changing settings to my liking only to find out that the camera disregards them. Very frustrating.

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Your best bet would to be to take the camera to a Leica store and show the staff the problem. I't a bit hard to troubleshoot this via KZbin comments! But it should not do that. Once a User Profile is set it should remain set, and one a menu option is chosen it should stay chosen.

[@CcCc-ss4vn]

Why do Nick Rains use nails for selection on Leica Q3 thumbwheels?

[@lcvlorenzocevavalla8592]

I found very disturbing that AFL and AEL allow to take only one picture withe AE or/and AF locked because after the first picture it resets and I did not found a way to keep the values locked if I want to take more then one picture with the same value as I can do with every other camera I use.

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

You can shoot multiples at locked EV and AF values by not lifting your finger off the shutter button and maintaining the half-pressure. If you lift your finger it will refocus.

[@lcvlorenzocevavalla8592]

An what about if I want to keep the exposure locked and I need to refocus? @@LeicaCameraAustralia

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

In that case I'd simply use manual exposure.

[@onebadassacrobat]

Amazing, another video of a camera that nobody can get their hands on. I will download this one and come back in 8 - 12 months LOL

[@GregDeMichillie]

Nice video, but you accidentally skipped a couple of sub-menus: including Focus Assist, Touch AF, AF Tracking Start Position, EVF Frame Rate. Wondering if you just take the default on those?

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Yes, you are right. I missed those but will include them in the next installment about video settings. But I do confess I did miss a few accidentally! So much to cover! Thanks for the heads up.

[@GregDeMichillie]

@@LeicaCameraAustralia I guess you can tell how much I like the video because I was following along with my Q3 in hand and that’s how I noticed! Thanks for all the great content.

[@JoeGiz64]

I ordered mine in June from BH…nothing yet.

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Massive list of back orders for this camera. It will be worth the wait I'm sure.

[@ducanhvutran185]

The lens will break if you drop the camera since it is too heavy.

[@CcCc-ss4vn]

Very annoying.... Nick uses indexfinger nails on thumbwheels. Please use your thumb on the thumbwheel.

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

The camera is on the table for demonstration purposes - in this position it's easier to use my forefinger to operate the dial. Naturally, I use my thumb when actually shooting.