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With the introduction of the new CL ($2,795+), Leica now makes two interchangeable lens APS-C cameras. Its older brother, the TL2 came out earlier this year with a focus on minimal design and a modern, smartphone-derived touchscreen interface. Most loved its sparse, chamfered body and excellent image quality, but camera nerds couldn’t stand its lack of an electronic viewfinder and inability to change the ISO by turning a dial. Like they did with the refresh of their flagship M10, Leica has again yielded to the nerds with the new CL.
Let’s get something straight before things go too far, the Leica TL2 is a good camera. It’s really pretty, wonderfully fast, the sensor is on par with the rest of the industry, and the system’s higher-end L mount lenses (just look for the most expensive ones) are beyond APS-C peers from Sony and Fuji. The new CL, however, aims to take all that was good about the TL2 and add a big, bright, integrated viewfinder and the general control scheme from the M10 and Q. The good news is, it totally worked.
After testing the CL for a couple weeks with the also-newly-launched 18mm f/2.8 (28mm equivalent) pancake lens, here’s what you need to know.
The Good: The CL keeps all the power and imaging performance of the TL2 and adds all the photo-nerd bits that are so essential to the Leica shooting experience. The addition of buttons inside the two top dials make for quick mode swaps, the button layout on the back will be immediately familiar for anyone who’s used a Q or M10, the addition of a top-mounted display for key settings info goes miles to make this camera feel like the analog Leicas of yore, the viewfinder is bright and lag-free, and aesthetically the CL is way more hit than miss —- at least to my eye.
Who It’s For: Anybody who wants to get into the Leica APS-C ecosystem or has a bunch of Leica lenses laying around. Also, if you want the flexibility of interchangeable lenses and can’t deal with the gigantic-ness of the SL.
