Leica CL What do I dislike on the CL ?

[Joeri]

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One thing that I've had a few times with the CL is that for some reason it suddenly has switched to touch AF when I take it to my eye again. Any idea why that happens?

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[jaapv]

Connect to WiFi when that happens?

[Joeri]

Yes, that's it. Bug, but simple to avoid. Thanks.

[bocaburger]

I would like to pare down the size and weight of my travel kit and seriously thought about selling both my M240s, buying a CL and pocketing the difference while keeping my Nex 6 as backup.  I have a couple major issues with EVF's and really pinned hopes on the CL solving them.  I mean, for 10X the cost of my Nex 6 and being made by Leica I was sure the EVF would be superb. For one thing EVF's look unnatural to me, like tiny TV images. I lose the sense of directness I get with a rangefinder or SLR, and it dampens my creativity.  For another thing I shoot with glasses on and find EVF's extremely sensitive to eye position. The slightest bit off and the whole view gets blurry.  Very sadly, I found the CL did not solve those issues.  I now have my hopes pinned on the CL2. 

[jaapv]

I guess you have to wait for EVFs with IPS technology...

[ramarren]

I would like to pare down the size and weight of my travel kit and seriously thought about selling both my M240s, buying a CL and pocketing the difference while keeping my Nex 6 as backup.  I have a couple major issues with EVF's and really pinned hopes on the CL solving them.  I mean, for 10X the cost of my Nex 6 and being made by Leica I was sure the EVF would be superb. For one thing EVF's look unnatural to me, like tiny TV images. I lose the sense of directness I get with a rangefinder or SLR, and it dampens my creativity.  For another thing I shoot with glasses on and find EVF's extremely sensitive to eye position. The slightest bit off and the whole view gets blurry.  Very sadly, I found the CL did not solve those issues.  I now have my hopes pinned on the CL2. 

 

Regards the size and weight ... Considering my Leica M-D fitted with 'Lux 35 v2 and the CL fitted with Color Skopar 28 and the half case, there's very very little difference in the size between them. They're almost exactly the same width and thickness (body), the CL is just a mm or two shorter. The CL weighs ~7 oz less ... That's really not a lot of size and weight savings. 

 

Fundamentally, if you don't like or your eyes have a problem with EVFs in general, that's not really a fault of the CL camera. You many not like the fact that the CL has an EVF, but then you shouldn't be interested in a CL at all. The CL EVF is quite a good EVF ... not quite the equal of the SL EVF, but quite close.

 

I shoot with glasses on too and don't see the same blurriness. You might talk with your optician: I have my glasses made with high refractive index optics and a progressive lens with a wide mid section; they're very very thin. The frames I chose site the lenses quite close to my eye. As a result, I see minimal change with my eye slightly off center in the viewfinder ocular on any viewfinder: optical, reflex, or EVF.  

 

G

[wlaidlaw]

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Horses for courses and the CL is a front runner on more courses for me than my many other Leicas. My only wish would really be IBIS, as this is worth a lot of ISO, maybe 2 to 3EV, which would be equivalent to a very large increase in useable ISO. If no IBIS on the CL v.2 at least OIS on the 18-56 and the longer zoom. The close focus distance of the 18-56 is very useful for technical photos. I was trying to take a photo of a vintage 50/2.8 Elmar showing its technical problem, an unscrewed optical cell grub screw, preventing the lens extending. As I did not have my macro gear in France, in the end I had to use the SL and 24-90 with OIS to get a usable photo. it would have been easier to use the CL if it had OIS or IBIS. 

 

Wilson

[hector_jorge]

I´ve been a Leica user for many years, and I have several M and R cameras. I never considered to buy the excellent digital M´s. After years of travelling  decided not to carry bulky photo equipment like R bodys and lenses are because I became older and dislike to use big and heavy equipment. For years, I wondered why Leica can´t make a small M easier to keep inside a pouch or a pocket and with interchangeable lens. Now the CL is the answer, relatively small, with the possibility of use my M and R lenses and with a superb viewfinder and good autofocus. Many thanks Leica for hear me!

Edited July 19, 2018 by hector_jorge

[Joeri]

I would like to pare down the size and weight of my travel kit and seriously thought about selling both my M240s, buying a CL and pocketing the difference while keeping my Nex 6 as backup.  I have a couple major issues with EVF's and really pinned hopes on the CL solving them.  I mean, for 10X the cost of my Nex 6 and being made by Leica I was sure the EVF would be superb. For one thing EVF's look unnatural to me, like tiny TV images. I lose the sense of directness I get with a rangefinder or SLR, and it dampens my creativity.  For another thing I shoot with glasses on and find EVF's extremely sensitive to eye position. The slightest bit off and the whole view gets blurry.  Very sadly, I found the CL did not solve those issues.  I now have my hopes pinned on the CL2. 

 

I wear glasses too and I found that some glasses work better than others. The further away your glasses are from your eyes, the harder it is to get a good view of the EVF. Having said that, the CL works pretty well with my glasses, better than the M with wide angle lenses. But the SL is still superior.

[gfweir]

1. Focus point, only experienced this a few times not enough to drive me to distraction

2. After being caught out a couple of times I’ve learned to always have a spare battery

3. Don’t use grips

 

For me the biggest bugaboos are;

No cable release thread - my workaround is to set 2 second shutter delay, bit of a pita but it works for the most part

30 second max on the shutter, this is my biggest challenge

[ramarren]

...

No cable release thread - my workaround is to set 2 second shutter delay, bit of a pita but it works for the most part

...

 

Both Kaiser and Hama make mechanical cable release adapters for point and shoot cameras that may work well enough for me. Do a search on "cable release adapter" and you'll see a variety of solutions. There are also companies that make such adapters that anchor in the hot shoe for some cameras ... I think I saw one of these on Ebay for the Leica X2. 

 

I have a similar need, and one of these types of adapters would do the job for me, for my copy stand work. I'll be experimenting. 

 

I do wish Leica had put a plug for a remote release on the camera...

[Joeri]

Connect to WiFi when that happens?

 

BTW, the T does it too...

[Jeff S]

I’d consider the CL rather than the SL if it had:

 

- OIS in zooms

 

- Equivalent weather sealing, body and lenses

 

- Improved EVF

 

But only if the size and weight advantages substantially remained.

 

Jeff

Edited July 22, 2018 by Jeff S

[frame-it]

30secs ? no Bulb mode?

 

 

30 second max on the shutter, this is my biggest challenge

[jaapv]

I’d consider the CL rather than the SL if it had:

 

- OIS in zooms

 

- Equivalent weather sealing, body and lenses

 

- Improved EVF

 

But only if the size and weight advantages substantially remained.

 

Jeff

Have you compared the two EVFs? I did and the difference is marginal, the lower resolution of the CL is not really visible and the high-speed-movement "stutter" performance better. On static subjects I prefer the SL, on fast-moving subjects the CL.

[Jeff S]

Have you compared the two EVFs? I did and the difference is marginal, the lower resolution of the CL is not really visible and the high-speed-movement "stutter" performance better. On static subjects I prefer the SL, on fast-moving subjects the CL.

Limited store demo, but I preferred the SL a bit. The bigger concern is that I haven’t yet found an EVF that I enjoy, SL included. But I’ll get over it at some point given the technical advantages.

 

Jeff

[bocaburger]

The bigger concern is that I haven’t yet found an EVF that I enjoy, SL included. But I’ll get over it at some point given the technical advantages.

 

Jeff

+1 although I wish I could be as optimistic as you about getting over it as long as there are still cameras with optical viewing systems.  I often use the EVF on my M240 in conjunction with ultrawide lenses, SLR lenses, and for extreme closeups, and the technical advantages are there but it's such a breath of fresh air to switch back to the optical viewfinder for the bulk of shooting. 

[Jeff S]

+1 although I wish I could be as optimistic as you about getting over it as long as there are still cameras with optical viewing systems. I often use the EVF on my M240 in conjunction with ultrawide lenses, SLR lenses, and for extreme closeups, and the technical advantages are there but it's such a breath of fresh air to switch back to the optical viewfinder for the bulk of shooting.

I won’t get over it in that sense, likely always preferring OVF for sheer viewing pleasure. I just meant that eventually I would cave in and buy a camera with EVF despite this, since there are many potential technical advantages to off-sensor viewing and focusing, not the least of which is the freedom from camera/lens calibration.

 

Jeff

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[Joeri]

Indeed, camera-lens calibration issues can lead to complete madness and issues can always return. For me the biggest advantages of the EVF is the fact that I can see (and focus) in very low light. With the M9, I sometimes kept my focusing eye closed when leaving a low light wedding dance area for a quick sanitary stop. With the SL, these old tricks are no longer needed.  

 

And indeed, the EVF of the CL is not much worse than the SL (which is simply terrific). It has a lower resolution, but it is a bit smaller too, canceling the resolution advantage partly. I honestly think that the CL is quite a brilliant camera. Haven't taken it to a wedding yet, but that will happen soon. 

[JayBird]

I dislike the plastic lens hood.