I've been shooting since 2003, and over twenty-plus years I've learned one thing for sure: there's no single perfect camera. There's the right camera for the moment. For me, that comes down to two very different tools that work beautifully together, my Canon R5 with the RF 24-70mm f/2.8L and my Leica Q2.
One is my workhorse. The other is my wandering companion. And when I head out to shoot the street, clip a Retropia waist level viewfinder onto the Leica, and start looking down instead of through, something about the whole experience changes.
The R5 and the 24-70: my workhorse
When a client is counting on me, the R5 with the 24-70 f/2.8L is what's in my hands. Weddings, corporate events, dance recitals, Wellness Week at a big Bay Area campus. That kit covers wide room shots to tight portraits without a lens change, and the autofocus locks on and stays locked.
It's fast, it's reliable, and it never makes me think twice. But it's also big. Body plus lens is well over three pounds, and when you raise a camera like that on a sidewalk, people notice. They stiffen up, they turn away, or they start posing. Great for a family portrait. Not so great for the quiet, honest moments that make street photography worth doing.
Meet My Leica Q2
The camera in the header photo is my Leica Q2, and it might be the most personal piece of gear I own. Not because of what it cost, but because of what it took to get it.
I bought it during the pandemic. Like a lot of people, I was spending more time at home than ever, and one day I looked around my office and realized how much stuff I’d been holding onto. Old hard drives. Camera equipment I hadn’t touched in years. My old Trek 5500 OCLV in US Postal colors, a bike I loved but hadn’t ridden in a long time. So I started selling. Piece by piece, anything that was taking up space or no longer earning its keep went out the door, and slowly the Q2 fund came together.
When it finally arrived, it felt like I’d traded a pile of “someday” for something I’d actually use every day. And I have.
What drew me to the Q2 is its simplicity. One fixed lens, the Summilux 28mm f/1.7 ASPH, paired with a full-frame sensor in a body small enough to carry everywhere. No zooming, no lens swaps, no decisions to second-guess. You just walk, look, and shoot. That 28mm field of view has taught me to move my feet and get closer to the story.
Then came the personal touches. The leather half case was the first addition, and I love it. The rich brown leather against the black body gives the camera an old school, classic rangefinder feel, and it adds a little extra grip without adding bulk. It just feels good in the hand. Next were the Peak Design anchors and strap. They make it easy to switch between carrying setups depending on the day, and the quick-release design means the strap is never in the way when I want to set the camera down for a shot like the one above.
To finish it off, I added a B+W 49mm UV filter. That front element is too beautiful to leave exposed, and I consider a quality filter a must for every camera I own. I’ll dig into why in a future post. Every time I pick up the Q2, I think about everything I let go of to make room for it. Turns out it was worth clearing out the office.
Where the Leica Q2 fits in
The Q2 is the opposite in all the best ways. It's compact, quiet, and unassuming. That fixed 28mm f/1.7 Summilux is sharp, bright, and wide enough to tell the story of a whole scene. The leaf shutter is nearly silent, so I can take a frame without anyone hearing it.
The 47 megapixel sensor gives me room to crop, and the built-in 35, 50, and 75mm crop modes mean I'm not really stuck at 28 when I need to get a little tighter. It's weather sealed too, so a little Bay Area drizzle doesn't send me home.
Where the 24-70 gives me every focal length, the Q2 gives me one, and that's the point. A fixed lens makes me move my feet, get closer, and actually look. It slows me down in a way the zoom never does.
The secret ingredient: the Retropia waist level viewfinder
Here's the part I'm most excited to share. The Q2's rear screen doesn't tilt, so shooting from the hip usually means guessing. The Retropia waist level viewfinder solves that. It slides into the Q2's hot shoe, and I compose by looking down onto a bright ground glass screen, just like a classic Rolleiflex or Hasselblad.
The best part? It's built around a 28mm view with framelines for 28, 35, and 50mm. That lines up perfectly with the Q2's 28mm lens and its 35 and 50mm crop modes, so what I frame in the finder matches what I'm shooting. It's purely optical too, with no batteries, no electronics, and nothing to charge.
That simple change makes a huge difference on the street:
- I disappear. With my head tilted down, I look like I'm checking my camera, not pointing it at someone. People stay relaxed and natural.
- I see differently. Holding the camera at chest or waist height gives a lower, more intimate perspective that feels fresh compared to eye-level shots.
- I stay present. There's no screen glow or menus in the way. Just the scene, framed and simple.
- It's fun. Honestly, it brings back the joy of shooting for myself, and it starts great conversations with curious strangers.
It does take a little practice. Like the classic finders it's modeled on, the image reads reversed left to right, so my first few outings had me panning the wrong way. And since it's optical, it frames the scene rather than confirming focus, so I lean on the Q2's fast autofocus and zone focusing to keep things sharp. At about $65, it's one of the most fun upgrades in my bag.
How they work together
On a typical outing, the R5 handles anything planned or fast-moving: a friend’s portrait, an event I’m covering, a moment that needs reach or bulletproof autofocus. The Q2 with the Retropia rides along for everything in between. Walking between locations, grabbing coffee, wandering a farmers market, catching light on a downtown corner.
The best example of this pairing came at a recent event I covered for Workday. I outfitted the R5 with the 70-200mm f/2.8L, which gave me the distance I needed to capture candids without being in anyone’s space. From across the room, I could catch real moments: a laugh between colleagues, someone leaning in mid-conversation, the energy of people genuinely connecting. When guests don’t notice the camera, they stop performing for it, and that’s when the best images happen. The 70-200 also compresses the background and softens busy event spaces, so the people stay front and center.
The Q2 covered the other side of the job. When I needed to get up close for portraits or pull a group together for a quick shot, I’d swap to the Leica. Its compact size and quiet shutter make it far less intimidating than a full-size DSLR-style body with a big telephoto lens attached, so people relax right away. The 28mm lens is wide enough to fit a whole group in tight quarters, and with the Q2’s crop modes and high resolution, I can still frame a clean, flattering portrait without stepping back.
Switching between the two felt natural all night. The R5 let me observe from a distance, and the Q2 let me step in and engage. Together, they gave me a complete story of the event, from the unscripted in-between moments to the smiling faces everyone wants to share afterward.
When I’m out purely for street photography, I often leave the Canon home and bring just the Q2. And on event days, even when it’s not part of the working kit, it lives in my bag as my personal camera, the one I reach for when I want to capture the day for me.
Two cameras, two mindsets. The R5 delivers. The Q2 explores.
Find your companion camera
You don't need a Leica to try this. If you shoot with a big, capable kit, I'd encourage you to find a small companion that makes you want to wander. Pair it with a waist level finder, get out on the street, and look down for a change. You might be surprised by what you see.
I'd love to see what you capture. Tag the Snapbox Collective and share your favorite street frames with me. See you out there!