The Leica CL has a vertical-running focal plane shutter, with cloth curtains, giving ½ to 1/1000 speeds. There is a through-the-lens CdS exposure meter mounted on a pivoting arm just in front of the shutter, like the Leica M5. The exposure is manual and the shutter is mechanical. The shutter speeds are visible in the finder. The finder’s frame lines are for a 40mm, 50mm or 90mm lens. The 40mm frame line is always present and the 50mm or 90mm frame line is automatically selected upon mounting of the appropriate lens.
Smallest and lightest Leica camera EVER
TTL metering (shared by only four other M cameras)
True Spot metering, thanks to the CL’s round 7.5mm CDS cell which meters 7% of the film area, just in front of the film
VERY sharp lightweight 4.5 oz 40/2 and 8.75 oz 90/4 Leitz or Minolta lenses. For years a Los Angeles dealer had a 20×30 print up in his shop, taken with the 40/2 on a Leica CL. It was tack sharp. In my experience the 40/2 is one of the best, and least expensive, Leica M lenses.
Shutter Speeds visible in finder (shared by only three other M cameras)
Meter needle visible in finder
Built in Projected Parallax corrected framelines for 40mm, 50mm, and 90mm Lenses, with the outside edges roughly equal to the 35mm
The 40 frameline is constantly visible, the 50 or 90 come up with those lenses
A good RF/VF, but not as good as M cameras
Shutter speed range 1/2 to 1/1000 plus B
Hot shoe (no PC connection)
X sync at 1/60th
A smooth, light shutter release
A comfortably wide 25-1600 ASA meter setting
Mechanical Shutter works even with dead battery
Very Convenient vertical strap mountings (wish all M’s had it)
A removable back for VERY easy loading
Leica’s only vertically moving shutter M mount
The CL can be used on the VISO, a special shutter release arm was made for it
Leica Summicron-C 40mm F2 lens in Leica M mount.
A very sharp standard lens for use with Leica M camera’s
Mount: Leica M Bayonet
Angle of view: 57°
Optical design : 6 lenses in 4 groups.
Distance setting : Manual
Focusing range : 0,8m to infinity.
Aperture : 10 blades f/2-f16
Filter mount: Internal thread for39mm.
Finish: black anodized.
Dimension : 23 x 56mm
Weight: 120 grams
