Maximum supported size SD card for Leica CL?

[TxnBluDvl]

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Hi all --

I have a new to me Leica CL coming and have had a hard time determining what the largest size SD card that is officially supported by the Leica CL.  The specs and instructions only indicate the type, but not the max size.  A quick search of the forums and internet doesn't provide a definitive answer.  

Edited February 26, 2024 by TxnBluDvl

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[tommonego@gmail.com]

I would get a couple of cards, I have 4, 2 32GB and 2 64GB cards. One a trip I have filled one of the 32GB cards but never a 64gb card. I generally have a computer with me while traveling. My cards are all 90/95 mb/s San Disk exteme variety and have worked well with the CL. You cannot download directly from the CL, you have to pull the card and have a card reader. I noticed most cards are now 200-300 mb/s I have no experience with those in a CL. 

[jaapv]

What sense does a massive card make?  If it fails -that can happen, goes through the washing machine, gets stolen , chewed by the dog, etc. you lose 10.000 images. For security even 32 GB is much. 

[LocalHero1953]

I don't think I ever had bigger than 64Gb in my CL, but since I always download daily, the space was unnecessary for stills. If you take video, that will chew through lots of gigabytes. The CL will only record for about half an hour, so 64Gb would cover that, unless you do multiple takes (by which time the CL will be overheating).

I now have 2x256Gb SD cards in the SL2-S, and 1Tb CFe in the Blackmagic🙂.

[TxnBluDvl]

It would actually be more for future proofing to a common size SD card for a future SL. I prefer to keep a stack of the same size cards — I liquidated everything I owned a few years ago so get the chance to start from scratch.
 

64gb seems to be the most common largest size people go with for a CL but it feels a bit small for an SL, especially as we get into the newer models. 
 

But, I’m also concerned regarding compatibility of the larger sizes in the CL. There’s at least one post that says a 256gb card couldn’t be formatted for the CL. And, I don’t want to risk compatibility or corruption with an unsupported size just for the sake of trying to get to a common SD card size across CL and SL. 

[tommonego@gmail.com]

I think it is not the size but the speed of the card that makes the difference. The cards I am using in my CL are 90 and 95 mb/s cards. Which was an above average card speed in 2017 when the CL came out, the original SL is older than this and also a 24mp camera. The SL2-S is also a 24mp camera, depending on the RAW file size you could use a CL compatible 64gb card in the SL or SL2-S. If you are considering an SL2 or the not out yet SL3, then you would want a bigger faster card. These cards would not be compatible with the CL. Using a slower card with the SL2/3 would also hamper the performance of these cameras. While reseaching your question I did find 128gb cards that were 100mb/s mostly from 2nd teir card manufacturers. I had a similar experience when I bought an M8, the cards for my CL wouldn't work, I had to find 8 or 16gb SDHC cards for the M8. 

[jaapv]

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16 hours ago, TxnBluDvl said:

It would actually be more for future proofing to a common size SD card for a future SL. I prefer to keep a stack of the same size cards — I liquidated everything I owned a few years ago so get the chance to start from scratch.
 

64gb seems to be the most common largest size people go with for a CL but it feels a bit small for an SL, especially as we get into the newer models. 
 

But, I’m also concerned regarding compatibility of the larger sizes in the CL. There’s at least one post that says a 256gb card couldn’t be formatted for the CL. And, I don’t want to risk compatibility or corruption with an unsupported size just for the sake of trying to get to a common SD card size across CL and SL. 

Switching cards between camera types is not a good idea generally - we see plenty of problems by posters doing just that, mostly without reformatting. Each camera should have its own set of cards.

[TxnBluDvl]

Thanks to everyone for the insight. @jaapv that's a good point that I hadn't surfaced yet in my research.  Increasingly, seems like good practice that each camera should just have its own dedicated set of cards.

I've decided to go with a set of 64gb cards for the CL and will cross the higher capacity card bridge when I get the next Leica. 

Edited March 1, 2024 by TxnBluDvl

[Le Chef]

Like @jaapv I use a maximum size of 32GB for my CL and 64GB for my Q3. It's safer to switch cards more frequently than rely on one large card, particularly if you're taking the trip of a lifetime or going to a one-off event.