Leica CL

Leica CL review: Clever, capable, quirky and costly

The Leica CL might be forgiven some of its oddities and omissions at a lower price. But if you've been waiting for a Leica mirrorless that looks like a traditional Leica and consider its quirks part of the experience, then go forth and spend. Oh, Leica. Once again you've given me the ambivalent feels.

Leica CL

The Leica CL is a new compact system camera, which fits in the same line-up as the Leica TL2, which was announced in the summer of 2017. It uses the same lens mount as the TL2, which also accepts lenses from the SL range. The components of the CL are very similar to those found in the TL2.

Leica CL review

Buying a Leica has always, and probably always will be, more about just taking nice pictures. That red dot is a status symbol and a connection to a strong heritage of photographers going back 100 years. For that reason, photographers don’t seem to mind paying what might generously be described as ‘over the odds’ for cameras from the iconic brand. Whether or not the CL deserves it’s very high asking price is questionable, but it’s certainly a more affordable route into Leica ownership than plumping for the M10. One of the best things about the CL is its ease of use. It’s an intuitive handling system, with simple buttons and dials readily on hand to choose your key settings, without having to faff about with menus (quick or otherwise). While image quality is excellent, there are plenty of other cameras out there which also provide great shots - but how you produce them is much more convoluted. For this reason, the CL is a camera you want to get out there with and use - for some, that’ll make it worth the extra investment alone. That’s not to say that the CL is without its drawbacks. A tilting screen would have been useful for composing street type shots even more discreetly, while being able to switch more easily between using the screen to set AF points and using the buttons is a problem that could potentially be fixed with a firmware issue. You’ll still be a reasonably early adopter if you go for a camera like this. As it stands, there are just seven L mount lenses, but they give you a coverage of 11-135mm and you can also use plenty of other Leica lenses (including M, R and SL) with various mount adapters. Still, the fact that Leica is continuing to invest in the system suggests it’s definitely one that’s sticking around. Where to buy Leica CL

The Leica CL digital is a camera I've been waiting a while for; almost 10 years now. But if you rewinded back to the technology world 10 years ago, you saw that mirrorless cameras weren't even a thing yet, and the Leica M9 hadn't even launched.