.DNG · 2015 · 24 MP full-frame

Leica Q RAW Files: Open, Cull & Edit .DNG Free

A fixed-lens full-frame compact popular with street and travel photographers wanting Leica image quality with autofocus convenience. Its fast 28mm lens and quick autofocus encouraged more spontaneous, higher-volume shooting than Leica's rangefinder line. Street sessions on this camera can still produce a fair number of similar frames worth thinning.

Leica Q RAW at a glance

RAW formatDNG — Digital Negative (.DNG)
Sensor24 MP full-frame
Resolution24 megapixels
Typical RAW sizeabout 22-28 MB
Released2015
RAW options14-bit DNG RAW, lossless compressed by default.

Editing Q files with imagic

imagic opens .DNG files from the Leica Q natively on Windows and macOS. Point it at a card or shoot folder and it builds previews, scores every frame for sharpness, closed eyes, and composition, and groups near-duplicate bursts — so a full shoot collapses to its keepers before you edit anything.

Processing runs through the bundled RawTherapee engine, entirely on your machine: batch-apply one look across the keepers and export JPEGs in a single pass. Nothing uploads, which matters at about 22-28 MB per frame. The 7-day trial is full-featured and needs no card; licenses are one-time, from €19.

Frequently asked questions

What RAW format does the Leica Q use?

The Leica Q writes DNG files with the .DNG extension. 14-bit DNG RAW, lossless compressed by default.

How big are Leica Q RAW files?

Expect about 22-28 MB per frame from the 24 MP full-frame sensor, depending on compression settings and scene detail. A full shoot adds up quickly, which is why culling before editing matters on this body.

How can I open Leica Q .DNG files for free?

imagic opens DNG files from the Leica Q natively on Windows and macOS — the 7-day trial needs no card. It culls the shoot with AI quality scoring, groups duplicates, and batch-processes keepers locally through its RawTherapee engine.

More about DNG

The Q's .DNG files share their structure with every Adobe (open specification) body using DNG — the full DNG guide covers compression variants, free openers, and conversion options in depth.

Other Leica bodies

Leica M (Typ 240) Leica SL Leica M10 Leica Q2 Leica SL2 Leica M10-R Leica SL2-S Leica M11

Cull a Q shoot before your coffee cools

AI quality scoring, duplicate grouping, and local batch processing for .DNG — free for 7 days, no card required.