If money was no object I'd buy this camera
Some things just don't make sense. And the Leica Q3 Monochrom selling for a mere $7,950 is one of them. It's a camera that only shoots in black and white. Yet I want one of these in the worst way.
There are a few reasons why. Here's the first.
I mentioned running across this camera in the wild when eating at a restaurant in Darby, Montana. At the table next to me was a person holding a camera. I thought the form factor looked like a Leica, but I didn't see the distinctive Leica "Red Dot" you'd typically see on their camera bodies. And then I heard those glorious words. "It's a Leica Q3 Monochrom.
He was describing the camera to what appeared to be a group of co-workers. Now to a table of non-photographers, the word Leica means nothing. And I could tell they were struggling with the concept of a camera that only shot black and white images. He excitedly tried to explain the appeal of a camera that only shoots black and white.
While the people at his table struggled to understand the appeal, I did not. Because I've seen images straight out of the Leica Q3 Monochrom and they are (to put it mildly) incredible.
I decided to save him from his less than understanding friends and struck up a conversation with him. As I held that beautiful piece of German engineering in my hand I knew why he was excited. It screamed go create images with me. Everything about it felt well-thought out.
Even the images I was viewing on the camera's screen were incredible with zero post-processing of any kind. That's what a dedicated sensor made specifically for black and white images will get you. So I definitely shared his enthusiasm for what this camera could do, even if his friends didn't.
Here's another reason I'm attracted to the camera. It felt substantial and well built. It reminded me of the feeling I had when I held my Nikon FM or my Olympus OM-1 35mm cameras. That's not a feeling you get from many modern digital cameras.
And the last reason. When you know everything coming out of the camera will be black and white, you just think differently when you create images. You pay more attention to the little things. The lighting. The shadows. It's hard to explain, but the limiting factor of shooting in black and white actually plays into how you approach a photograph.
So the real question is this. Will I ever own one? The chances are slim, although I'd be perfectly fine with a good used one. My favorite camera I ever owned was my black, brassed-out Nikon FM. In a former life a professional sports photographer beat it up pretty good before it reached my hands.
As much as I gush over the Leica Q3 Monochrom, I doubt it could take the beating that Nikon FM took. But, I'd be willing to part with a few thousand if a serviceable used one came along. It's a camera that doesn't make sense, yet makes all the sense in the world.
Until next time, take care...