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Leica CL


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There are a few enthusiasts here - I'm one of them!

 

Took out my CL the other day after using other cameras for a while, and was astonished all over again about how compact, light, unbelievably quiet, and generally wonderful the camera is. If it comes with the Summicron-C 40 then you'll find the unit is both compact, and also unbelievably sharp with lovely out-of-focus rendering. I also like the midway focal length of that lens.

 

All in all a really wonderful camera with only one tiny drawback in my view - if the meter battery runs down during a roll, then you need to use an external meter until you're ready to take off the back (necessary to access the hidden battery compartment).

 

Maybe not a 'true' 100% Leica - but as it's such a gem, who cares?

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Plasticman said it all. Great little lightweight camera and the Summicron-C 40/2 is a gem. I have mine in my pocket everyday when I walk the dog along the beach and invariably shoot a complete roll.

 

 

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Agreed! I got my CL about 30+ years ago as a lightweight travel camera. Used it bicycle touring in Scotland (two of us with all our gear on a tandem), and other places. It developed llight meter problems and sat in storage for many years, then had it fixed a few years ago and I continue to marvel at it. Great feel and silent operation. It's the main reason I wanted to get an M5. I'm tempted to try a CV 40 1.4 on it for low light, but the Summicron is really nice.

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The CL is about as good as it gets for most things. Last time I used mine in a heavy duty way was during a recent trek through Anatolia, but it's usually if not always at hand for any grab shot the Digilux 2 (or another digital) might otherwise now take.

 

It's no wonder that the CL set all but knocked off the M boxes & that their production was halted to try & keep the Ms alive. The lenses are the same & the boxes were handier & way cheaper for all casual & most other work. You can think of the CL either as Leica "entry" or as "arrived."

 

Good shooting! :)

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Now I have a Minilux which I love but I miss the manual settings.

Would you consider the CL much better or equal to the Minilux in image result wise?

 

ps: keeping in mind I am into model/fashion photography (more the zoo magazine, purple magazine type, not the clean flashy type but more the pure and raw type) and street photography.

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The CL is a robust take anywhere sort of camera. Being light and compact it was been a companion during hikes all over the world and has witnessed situations I would hesitate to subject some other camera's too. With it's 40mm Summicron it's a gem, certainly not for the purist but a fabulous entry to wonderful world of Leica.

 

Regards

Charles

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The CL is a robust take anywhere sort of camera. Being light and compact it was been a companion during hikes all over the world and has witnessed situations I would hesitate to subject some other camera's too. With it's 40mm Summicron it's a gem, certainly not for the purist but a fabulous entry to wonderful world of Leica.

 

Regards

Charles

 

My goal is to do street photography with it. Still doubting between a CL( which is a bit less expensive including lens) and an M2 (excluding lens).

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If street is your planned use, I would counsel in favour of the M2 with a 35 or 50mm lens, some ISO 400 film and Sunny-16 as your guide. That's how I work, with both my M2 and II; it is intensely liberatng.

 

Regards,

 

Bill

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If street is your planned use, I would counsel in favour of the M2 with a 35 or 50mm lens, some ISO 400 film and Sunny-16 as your guide. That's how I work, with both my M2 and II; it is intensely liberatng.

 

Regards,

 

Bill

 

the M2 seems to be my number 1 right now too, but would you, just to make it clear for me, explain why the CL would be less appropriate for street photography than the M2?

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The CL is a very unobtrusive camera and though I seldom use it for street work it would, with the 40mm summicron, make for a good shooting tool. The only drawback being the location of the strap lugs, somehow the configuration is not conducive to quickly lifting the camera to eye level (at least not for me:confused:) As illustrated earlier in this thread, a wrist strap would be ideal.

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The CL with it's marvellous 40 Summicron-C is perfect in the street. She is small and the 40 is very sharp on the point and has got on the other hand a very good useably depth-of-field range. The 40 is much wider than the 50, more a wide angle lens like the 35, but if you make halfperson or closer portraits it is better than the 35.

So it is the perfect compromise if you don't have the money to buy 50 and 35.

The viewfinder of the CL shows the 40 and the 50 frames together, if you use one of this lenses and the 40 and the 90 by using the 90mm lens.

The M viewfinder is bigger, clearer and bit easier to focus but does not show you anything else. The CL viewfinder shows the shutterspeed and the lightmeter needle and has very precise spot measurement.

If you find a CL in good condition, I am very sure you will love her;)

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