It’s the camera of many dreams: The Leica Q3 is in high demand. But Wetzlar is not resting on its laurels. The factory is providing a Leica Q3 update with some firmware improvements. And Macfilos is providing a Leica Q3 update with some more information on availability.
A few days ago in a Leica Store. A customer comes in. He asks: “Can I buy a Leica Q3 here?” The answer is reminiscent of the old Radio Yerevan jokes that were popular in the then communist countries (read here more about it and find something to laugh) : “In principle yes, but…” In fact, no Leica dealer in the world seems to have Q3s in stock. It was no surprise that the third iteration of Leica’s most successful camera for decades would be in high demand, but the backlog of orders was exceptional, even for a Q model.
But this Leica Q3 update reveals to what extent the orders are exceeding production figures. And this affects all outlets. Even in the two Leica Stores at the heart of the brand, in Wetzlar, the Q3 is not available to the occasional visitor who is desperate to fork out €5,950. That’s what we heard from people who tried.
Out of stock
The same is the case in serious online stores and from other reputable resellers. Meister Camera with branches in Hamburg, Berlin, and Munich do not have the camera in stock. And we hear the same from other Leica Stores, both run by Leica itself or independently. There are simply too many names on the waiting lists, which was the case even before the details of the new Q were revealed. That’s the key message of a Leica Q3 update, six months after the camera’s launch.
But there is hope, says Markus Wintersig, owner of Leica Store Konstanz. “This situation has relaxed”, he told us on a recent visit, “and the multi-month waiting list should be resolved soon”. However, he can’t promise that someone who orders a Q3 at the beginning of October will have the camera by Christmas. Has it something to do with the fact that customers place multiple orders, much to the dismay of dealers? In a few cases, potential customers of the Leica Store Konstanz withdrew their order because they had already bought the camera elsewhere. But in general, people on the waiting list do actually make their purchase, the staff at Konstanz say.
Dealers in the UK, including Red Dot Cameras, tell us that the waiting list is around six weeks, thus giving hope that the backlog is gradually being reduced. However, if you live in the US, the wait could be longer. The Leica Store in San Francisco projects having one next February, were you put your name on the waiting list today.
Firmware update
For those who are lucky enough to have a Q3 already in their hands, there is some good news: We have another Leica Q3 firmware update, version 1.3.0, which you can download here. The update brings improved connection to Leica FOTOS, a fix for an error which caused the device to freeze, improvement to face detection, and bug fixes in the firmware.
I am going to preorder the Q4.
I keep my fingers crossed for you! Claus Sassenberg has just published a wonderful travel piece with many Q3 photos on Messsucherwelt. The images alone should whet your appetite, even if you don’t get the text.
Thanks Joerge-Peter. I’m on a waitlist with my local AD and I will wait (sort of patiently) until it turns up. I’ve no interest in cluttering up waiting lists at other sellers, on the off chance I might get mine a day earlier. I just hope that Leica makes a few well-discussed corrections to the firmware before mine lands.