Leica CL - Review 2022 - Bradford Lotes1962

The first Leica CL was released in the 1970s. A 35mm rangefinder, both smaller and less expensive than its contemporary, the M5. The modern CL ($2,795, body only) is a digital photographic camera with an APS-C epitome sensor, autofocus, and a touch LCD. But like its namesake, it's very compact, and priced signficantly less than an M10 ($half-dozen,595). Information technology's still a Leica, a luxury particular when it comes to cameras, and then don't expect it to practise more than more affordable options, like the Fujifilm X-T2, our Editors' Choice in the high-end APS-C mirrorless camera space, altough Fuji's X-Pro2 is a more appealing alternative for Leica aficionados.

Design

The CL isn't equally dramatically futuristic-looking as its sibling, the TL2. It instead goes for a archetype silhouette similar to the antique Leica III series, featuring an all-black terminate, a leatherette wrap, and standard physical controls. For comparison, the TL2 is carved from a solid cake of aluminum and boasts a huge affect LCD with just a pair of dials to adjust settings. Neither approach is necessarily superior to the other, but different. Leica says the TL2 is for people who want a camera that's as much a work of art equally the images it produces, and who are comfortable with an interface that'due south largely touch-based.

The trunk is slim and compact—it's very similar in shape to the discontinued X-Due east, but with a removable lens rather than stock-still i. The trunk measures iii.1 past five.2 by ane.8 inches (HWD), and weighs xiv.two ounces with its bombardment installed. With the new Elmarit-TL 18mm f/ii.8 ASPH. attached, I was able to slide information technology into a pants pocket. Information technology's not something I recommend, though, unless you've got roomy pockets. It'due south easy to envision carrying the CL in a small handbag or accessible jacket pocket.

A thin leather strap is included, and the torso features standard lugs unlike the TL2, so you tin add together your own strap if you wish. I enjoyed using the camera with a wide leather wrist strap, the HoldFast Gear Photographic camera Leash, which attaches to the tripod socket.

You can buy the CL in a torso-only configuration for $2,795. Leica likewise offers kits, something the company doesn't typically do. You can get the camera with the 18-56mm zoom for $3,995 or with the 18mm f/2.8 for $3,795.

You won't find whatsoever buttons or dials, save the lens release command, on the front end plate. The CL works with the same APS-C TL lenses every bit the TL2, and is likewise uniform with full-frame SL lenses without an adapter. Leica sells an official adapter to use M rangefinder lenses, which as a rule require transmission focus and aperture control. If you go with third-political party adapters you can mount pretty much any manual SLR lens to the CL.

The hot shoe is on the pinnacle plate, centered behind the lens mount—there's no born flash. To its right are two dials with integrated buttons, a small information LCD, and the shutter release, which is surrounded by the On/Off switch. Punch functions vary based on mode.

The left dial's center button switches between Car, Programme, Discontinuity, Shutter, Manual, and Video modes. The right punch'due south push button has a variety of functions available. Information technology's set to ISO control past default, but a long press brings upwardly a menu to remap information technology. The functions aren't every bit extensive as I'd similar to see—you can fix it to Exposure Bracketing, Exposure Metering, Photo File Format, Self Timer, Scene Mode, and User Profile, only that'south it. I'd honey to encounter AF Style added, and I'k sure other photographers would want other functions at their fingertips, similar control over whether the camera uses its mechanical or electronic shutter, the latter of which is useful when yous need to take images silently.

The monochrome data display is small, but it shows basic exposure info, including the shooting mode, gear up discontinuity, and shutter speed. Information technology will likewise show the ISO every bit you change it. It's backlit, with a calorie-free that goes on automatically in dim atmospheric condition. If you find this distracting, you can disable information technology, setting the backlight to be turned off at all times or on at all times via the menu.

There are only a few buttons on the rear. Play, Fn, and Carte are to the left of the LCD, with a four-way directional pad and centre Set button to the right. Pressing Set toggles the amount of data shown on the rear LCD or in the EVF, giving y'all the choice to view an uncluttered frame or a frame with exposure information overlaid. Yous can plough some information on or off—clipping alarm, framing grid, horizon line, and live histogram tin all be toggled.

You can set the function of Fn, with a long press, and while the options are a bit different than the programmable button upwards top (Exposure Metering, Exposure Bounty, Photo File Format, Self Timer, Scene Mode, User Profile, White Balance, WLAN), there are still some options missing.

Play is self-explanatory, with Fn serving equally the Delete push and Ready confirming that yes, yous want to delete an image from the carte du jour. Menu brings up more than options, including the ability to delete everything off the carte and to turn on Wi-Fi. There's a Delete Unrated pick here too—the left top button rates an paradigm with a star, protecting it from beingness deleted using this part.

The 3-inch LCD is typical for a mirrorless camera, though non as large as the three.seven-inch panel used by TL2. It is quite sharp (1,040k dots), brilliant, and supports touch input. The affect integration for focus isn't equally seamless as I'd similar it to be. Tap to focus isn't active in every focus style, so you have to decide if you want to be able to touch the screen to move the focus point, or to apply the rear directional pad to exercise then.

The EVF is at the top left corner of the rear, just as it would be in a rangefinder photographic camera. In that location'southward a diopter control to its right, so y'all tin can tune its focus to match your eyesight. It'south a very big EVF, with 0.74x magnification, on par with what you get with the Fujifilm Ten-T2 (0.77x). Resolution is strong as well, with an OLED panel that packs 2,360k dots into its frame.

If you lot opt to use Thou lenses with the CL, yous'll be happy with the EVF. Its size and resolution brand manual focus a pleasant experience, especially when paired with in-camera focus aids—magnification and peaking. These are also bachelor when using a native lens in manual foucs mode. 1 thing missing for native lenses is an on-screen focus calibration, a feature I'm used to seeing in mirrorless cameras. It's not only a friendly reminder of which direction to turn the focus ring to move from the closest focus signal to infinity, but information technology besides gives yous an idea of subject distance, and lets yous know when you lot've reached either extreme of focus.

Connectivity

Leica opted not to include any sort of USB, audio, or HDMI connections on the CL. There'southward a door on the bottom plate that covers the removable battery and the SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot. An external charger is included for the battery, which is the same type used by the electric current V-Lux. It is rated for 220 shots past CIPA, and recharges fully in about two and a half hours. It'south not a bad thought to bear a spare bombardment or two, especially if you're using the CL every bit a travel companion.

Leica CL : App To make upward for the paucity or ports, Wi-Fi connectivity is included. The CL works with its own app, accordingly titled Leica CL, available for Android and iOS devices. The app supports image and video transfer, including support for transfer of Raw (DNG) images to phones that support the format. Raw files are large, almost 45MB, but transfer to the iPhone 8 Plus was very speedy.

Remote control via the app gives you full command over the exposure, lets y'all alter shooting mode, and supports tap to focus. You tin also record video, though you lot're limited by the CL'due south capabilities—the camera itself doesn't support transmission control over shutter or aperture when recording movies, merely exposure compensation.

Performance and Imaging

Leica CL : Benchmark Tests The CL is quick. It powers on, focuses, and fires in almost a second, and tin lock focus in bright light in a quick 0.1-second, and in very dim low-cal in about 0.ii-2d. A focus assist axle fires in dim conditions. It does its task well, but can exist a bit vivid in your subject's optics if y'all're taking a portrait.

The autofocus organisation is contrast-based and covers the entirety of the sensor. There are several autofocus surface area options, including zone (basically a box), pinpoint, and field of study tracking, all of which are moved using the rear directional pad. If tracking is enabled, the focus point moves with the identified subject as long as you lot concord the shutter push button halfway down. Oddly enough, touch functioning comes into play to re-center with a double-tap, but you can't tap to ready the point location in these modes.

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In that location's also a wide setting, which cedes control of the focus area to the photographic camera, along with an choice for face detection. If you want to apply the touch screen to set the focus point in these modes you can do then—options include tapping to focus merely, or borer to focus and immediately fire the shutter. Unfortunately, at that place'due south no way to motility the focus point if you lot use a touch setting and shoot with the EVF, which limits its appeal and utility. The CL would benefit from a unified focus manner that supports both bear upon and the rear directional pad.

The CL has two shutter modes, electronic and mechanical, and it lets y'all choose which one to use. The mechanical shutter tin fire as rapidly every bit ane/8,000-2d, and syncs with an external flash at upwards to one/180-second, with support for forepart and rear pall sync. The electronic shutter tin burn equally speedily as 1/25,000-second, but doesn't sync with a flash. The CL is silent when using the e-shutter, only you lot can set it to make a audio to let y'all know an image is being captured—the speaker emits a small, simple click, like to the sound of a cloth shutter in an older film M.

Regardless of the shutter y'all utilize, outburst shooting is available at a brisk nine.8fps. It can go on that pace for 32 Raw+JPG, 34 Raw, or an unlimited number of JPG shots. Yous will have to wait a bit for the buffer to clear afterwards a full burst, about 55 seconds for Raw+JPG and 35 seconds for Raw when using a SanDisk 280MBps retentivity menu. Continuous focus is available, but it'due south just constructive from shot to shot when shooting at the photographic camera'due south medium shooting speed, about 4fps.

I simply received the 18mm f/two.8 lens to use with the CL, and then I wasn't able to really stress its focus organisation when tracking subjects. Merely the Leica L arrangement doesn't include a lot of telephoto lenses—there's an APS-C 55-135mm zoom and a huge, heavy full-frame xc-280mm available. If shooting fast activity is a priority, in that location are better options available, like the Fujifilm X-T2, Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, and Nikon D500.

I used Imatest to examine the CL's image quality. The 24MP APS-C sensor is the aforementioned in the TL2, so I was not at all surprised to run across just about the same level of functioning. When shooting JPGs it controls noise through ISO 3200, keeping information technology under 1.5 percent. Detail remains quite strong through ISO 6400, although noise climbs to ii percentage. At that place's some slight smudging at ISO 12500, the top setting I experience comfortable recommending when capturing JPGs. At ISO 25000 paradigm quality takes a step dorsum, and there'southward a more pronounced drib at ISO 50000.

Raw capture is besides available, and Raw photos at farthermost ISOs look meliorate than JPGs. There's certainly some grain at ISO 25000, but detail holds up well. And even at the meridian ISO 50000 setting, Raw images testify strong contrast and color quality, although rough grain does detract from very fine lines. If you're a Raw shooter, you should feel comfortable using the CL at any available sensitivity.

The CL shoots video at 4K at 30fps, at 1080p at 60fps or 30fps, and at 720p at 30fps. Only at that place aren't any other options, and you lot don't have admission to aperture, ISO, or shutter speed control when recording moving images. Exposure control is express to EV compensation. Every bit for audio, you get what you lot go with the internal microphone, which is okay for casual apply, but not suitable for anything more serious. Video quality is stiff, and the 4K footage looks clearer than what y'all get from the TL2, simply the frame gets cropped significantly at that resolution. The entire width of the sensor is used for 1080p capture.

There'south likewise no optical or in-trunk stabilization bachelor when pairing the CL with an APS-C lens, which is a downer for handheld video. The only stabilized lenses available for the system are the ii big full-frame zooms—the 24-90mm and xc-280mm. If yous're happy with recording an occasional video clip, the CL will get the job washed. But for serious video work, look elsewhere. If you want to stay in the Leica ecosystem, the total-frame SL is the camera to go. But the overall best mirrorless camera for video is the Panasonic GH5.

Conclusions

Rumors have swirled about a digital version of the Leica CL for years, just virtually take pointed to a compact, full-frame K-mount photographic camera with an EVF rather than an optical one. That's non what we got. Instead the CL is an extension of the company's autofocus mirrorless system, with an fantabulous ASP-C image sensor, a big, crisp EVF, and simplified controls that don't stand up in your way. It'southward a Leica, and it's priced equally such, merely I recognize in that location are photographers out there for whom that isn't a barrier.

If you're one of them and you love the idea of the CL, it'due south a solid purchase with some caveats. The camera'south design has the potential to handle admittedly beautifully, but it needs a few firmware tweaks to become there. I love the directional pad for focus option, but the center button should then reset the focus point position and not a double-tap on the screen. In general, the impact functions and programmable physical controls could both be amend leveraged—at that place's no reason to limit the scope of their functionality.

With some tweaks to the interface, I'd rate the CL a scrap higher overall. I honey a few things about information technology—its size, overall industrial design, prototype quality, EVF, and Wi-Fi system. It also benefits from a growing native lens library, a relatively speedy focus system, and the power to use just about whatsoever lens on the planet with an adapter. And while I won't say I hate, I'm certainly disappointed by the video feature set, the way the impact screen is implemented, and rather anemic battery life. The CL volition satisfy a certain niche, and so it'due south no threat to oust our Editors' Choice Fujifilm X-T2, a more crowd-pleasing, Swiss Army knife of a camera. But if y'all're in that niche, and you stay aware of its foibles, the CL is worth a look.