The Best Photographers Using the Leica Q Series
Few digital cameras have captured the imagination of photographers quite like the Leica Q series. From the original Leica Q (Typ 116) to the Q2 and the latest Leica Q3, this line has become synonymous with elegance, simplicity, and pure photographic intent.
With its full-frame sensor, fixed 28 mm f/1.7 Summilux lens, and beautifully minimalist interface, the Q series distills the Leica philosophy into a form that’s fast, quiet, and ready for the decisive moment. Across the world, some of today’s most admired photographers have adopted the Leica Q as their daily companion — proof that great storytelling often needs only one lens and an honest eye.
Why Photographers Love the Leica Q
The Q is designed for immediacy. It powers up almost instantly, its autofocus locks in a fraction of a second, and the tactile controls feel like a classic Leica M distilled for the digital age. The 28 mm focal length — with in-camera crop options to 35 mm and 50 mm — makes it ideal for street, travel, and documentary photography.
Its Summilux 28 mm f/1.7 lens is razor-sharp wide open yet renders beautifully soft bokeh, giving Q images their distinctive character: a mix of clarity and emotion. Add weather sealing on the Q2 and Q3, and it’s a camera that’s as rugged as it is refined.
The Masters of the Leica Q
Below are some of the most notable photographers who have embraced the Q series and used it to define their visual voice.
Alan Schaller – The Master of Light and Shadow
London-based photographer Alan Schaller is perhaps the most recognized Leica Q photographer in the world. Known for his dramatic black-and-white compositions, Schaller uses the Leica Q2 Monochrom to explore geometry, contrast, and the psychology of urban life. "The Q is everything I need and nothing I don’t", he’s said in interviews.
The fixed lens forces him to work within limits — a creative constraint he credits for sharpening his eye. His partnership with Leica has produced numerous exhibitions and books that showcase the Q’s ability to translate light into emotion.
Phil Penman – The Urban Historian
Known for his iconic images of New York, Phil Penman has long been part of the Leica ecosystem. While his work often involves the Leica M, Penman uses the Leica Q2 for its autofocus speed and reliability in fast-changing street environments. His shots of city life — cyclists, rain, and motion — highlight how the Q2’s full-frame sensor and Summilux lens handle detail and contrast with elegance.
Jonathan Jasberg – The Leica Q2 Monochrom Storyteller
Jonathan Jasberg, winner of the Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2022, is one of the most accomplished contemporary street photographers using the Leica Q2 Monochrom. His richly layered black-and-white images — taken across cities from Tokyo to Mexico City — reveal the camera’s extraordinary dynamic range and tonal subtlety. Jasberg has described how the Q2 Monochrom allows him to work with total discretion while preserving the depth and texture of analog film. The fixed 28 mm Summilux lens, paired with the silent leaf shutter, enables him to capture spontaneous human interactions with clarity and intimacy. His award-winning project “Into the Crowd” is a testament to how the Q2 Monochrom’s full-frame sensor can translate chaos into visual poetry.
Giedo van der Zwan – Capturing Humanity with the Leica Q
Dutch photographer Giedo van der Zwan is best known for his acclaimed series “Pier to Pier”, a long-term project documenting beach life along the Dutch coast. The entire project was shot with the original Leica Q, whose 28 mm Summilux lens allowed him to blend wide environmental storytelling with precise focus on human emotion. Van der Zwan has spoken about how the Q’s discreet design and fast autofocus made it ideal for his candid street portraits. His work exemplifies how the Leica Q’s fixed-lens simplicity can become a strength — forcing a photographer to move, engage, and anticipate moments rather than zoom in from afar.
The Rise of the Leica Q3
The Leica Q3, launched in 2023, represents the series’ most advanced evolution yet. It features a 60 MP back-illuminated full-frame sensor, the Maestro IV processor, and an improved hybrid AF system that combines phase and contrast detection for lightning-fast accuracy.
It also introduces tilting touch display, 8K video, and wireless charging via the Leica Charging Pad — all while retaining the minimalist handling that defines the Q lineage. The Q3 refines every aspect of the formula: more resolution, more flexibility, yet the same timeless feel that connects photographers directly to the moment.
The Q Philosophy
What unites all these photographers is a shared belief that limitation fuels creativity. The Leica Q’s fixed lens and manual controls demand mindfulness — a slower, more intentional way of seeing.
In a world obsessed with more lenses and megapixels, the Q reminds us that the power of photography lies not in versatility, but in vision.
Conclusion
From Alan Schaller’s architectural chiaroscuro to Jonathan Jasberg’s rich black & whites, the Leica Q series continues to prove that simplicity can be the ultimate sophistication.
Whether you shoot with the original Q, the Q2 Monochrom, or the new Q3, you’re joining a lineage of photographers who believe that a single, honest frame can say more than a thousand complex ones.