Recommended in 2025? Leica CL 7-year review

After 7 years of using the little APS-C digital Leica CL camera this review will give you all the excuses you need if you are tempted to buy one. I will cover the Leica CL vs M240, M10, Leica SL, Leica Q and even Lumix. Lots of Leica CL sample photos plus related YouTube videos.

Prefer an analogue CL? See Minolta Leica CL film camera review

Topics covered in this article

1. Buying a Leica CL + First impressions
2. Is a Leica CL good for wedding photography?
3. Leica CL vs Leica M (M240 + M10-P)
4. Leica CL vs Leica Q series
5. Leica CL vs Leica SL series
6. Lumix vs Leica CL
7. Best autofocus lens for Leica CL
8. Best Leica M lenses on CL for portraits
9. Leica CL Portraits/ Photoshoots
10. Sharing my Leica CL camera settings
11. Must have M-L adapter for CL
12. Best Leica camera for travel is the CL
13. Favourite Leica M lenses for CL for travel
14. Leica CL presets – Example photos
15. Buy Leica CL Presets
16. Best film camera to pair with a Leica CL

Note – The digital Leica CL was sadly discontinued in May 2022*

1. Buying a Leica CL + First impressions

Back in 2018 I bought the Leica CL as a backup for my Leica M240 camera at the time. I wasn’t expecting to use it much but as a professional photographer I like to carry two digital cameras. I could never have anticipated what happened once the Leica CL arrived and I can’t believe I’m still using it over other cameras today. Read the full Buying a Leica CL + First impressions article to hear my thoughts first hand.

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2. Using a Leica CL for wedding photography vs M240

2.1 Photographing weddings to pay off my cameras

When starting out with my photography, as soon as I got more serious people started to ask me to photograph their weddings. As a new photographer wanting to buy (or pay off) expensive cameras and lenses, weddings are a great way to earn some money. (I recommend starting off as a second-shooter and working for free and build up from there).

I photographed weddings for over a year before stopping to focus my time on teaching Leica workshops instead.

2.2 Leica cameras for wedding photography

I started out my weddings with two Nikon DSLR cameras, I then moved to Leica. First I was using the Leica M9 + Leica M8, then it became the Leica M240 + CL. Is the Leica CL a good camera for wedding photography? Read the using a Leica CL for wedding photography vs M240 article for my post-wedding conclusion and write up.

3. Leica M240 vs Leica CL+ M10-P

3.1 – Leica CL vs Leica M 240

How does the Leica M240 compare to the Leica CL. As a long term owner of both cameras (9 years + 7 years so far) I can tell you exactly how each camera compares for real world use. Check out the existing Leica M240 vs Leica CL article which covers more details than the overview comments mentioned in the wedding write-up.

3.2 – A lot happened since buying the CL

Currently I own the Leica M10-P and Leica CL (and others). Since buying the Leica CL I quit my Corporate Finance career to become a full time YouTuber, specialising in Leica. You know the Leica CL is good when I have tested most of the digital Leica cameras from Leica and I still use the digital Leica CL.

3.3 – Leica M10 vs Leica CL (APS-C Mirrorless)

My older Leica CL articles are very passionately written but time for some real talk. The Leica M10 (or M10-P as I now have after the conversion) is a REAL Leica camera that gives you the true Leica rangefinder camera experience. Leica M cameras are the iconic model everyone can recognise and it’s what you think of when you think of Leica (whether a film Leica M like my Leica M-A or M7 or digital as here).

Like the M240, a Leica M10 gives you all the benefits of full frame versus the APS-C crop sensor Leica CL. As a YouTuber I often need to pack the Leica M10 as I need a ‘proper’ full frame camera for testing lenses. I can’t test new Leica M lenses on the APS-C Leica CL as the camera only uses the central portion of each lens image circle. The smaller sensor chops off any lens vignetting and any nice bokeh at the edges.

A 1.5x crop factor needs to be added to your lens of choice to so 35mm becomes effectively a ~52mm (35mm x 1.5 crop) and so on. These topics are already covered in the Leica M240 vs Leica CL write-up.

3.4 – Benefits of the Leica CL vs M10

It’s not all one sided though. The Leica CL is smaller and lighter than digital Leica M cameras and offers you autofocus. As the Leica CL is a mirrorless camera it is more robust than standard Leica rangefinder cameras. This makes the CL perfect for travel as we’ll get to below.

In summary here are reasons why I prefer a Leica CL vs Leica M10 –

• Smaller and lighter
• EVF makes it very easy to focus
• No rangefinder to knock out of alignment
• Option to use LLL close focus adapter
• Options of autofocus L mount lenses
• Perfect with small Leica M lenses

4. Leica CL vs Leica Q series

I own the Leica Q camera and the CL. The biggest issue for me with Leica Q cameras (all models) is the size. Leica Q cameras are not compact so the CL paired with a small M lens is a far better setup for travel. I original bought the Leica Q for wedding photography as they are excellent in this regard. Both cameras give you 24MP. See the full Leica CL vs Leica Q  article for more details and the Leica Q vs Q2 vs Q3 comparison to compare different Q cameras.

4.1 – Benefits of the Leica CL include

• Smaller and lighter
• Interchangeable lenses
• Crop sensor gives more reach

4.2 – Advantages of Leica Q cameras

• Full frame sensor
• Fast 28mm f1.7 Summulix fixed lens
• Leica Q2 and Q3 offer more megapixels

5. Leica CL vs Leica SL series

The Leica SL and Leica CL are both Leica mirrorless cameras but come in at different ends of the spectrum. I own and use both cameras and each has its strengths. As with the Leica Q and CL, the Leica SL also has 24MP. See my Leica SL vs CL vs Q vs Lumix post for more details and Leica SL vs SL2 vs SL2-S to compare different SL cameras.

5.1 – Benefits of the Leica CL camera

• Smaller and lighter
• Mirrorless Leica, smaller than M bodies
• 1.5x crop if you want more range

5.2 – Advantages of Leica SL cameras

• Leica SL cameras can now be found cheaper
• Full frame sensor versus APS-C
• Twin SD card slot
• Bigger battery
• Better ergonomics with larger lens
• Bigger, higher res viewfinder
• Base ISO of 50

6. Lumix vs Leica CL

The Leica CL is a more of a Pany-Leica than a true Leica, and I say this as someone that loves Leica. Don’t get me wrong, the CL feels better made than any Panasonic Lumix camera I’ve owned and more Leica-like in its simple minimal design and menus. I’m not anti-Panasonic cameras at all and I own the Lumix S5, Lumix GX80, G100 and GX880.

6.1 – Lumix S5 vs Leica CL

Benefits of the Lumix S5 and similar Lumix S cameras is these are full frame and more similar to the Leica SL than the Leica CL. You can find Lumix cameras much cheaper than the Leica CL and both cameras can take great photos. I used Leica R lenses on my Lumix S5 and the images look like Leica photos. See my Leica SL vs CL vs Q vs Lumix S5 article for more.

6.2 – Lumix G100 vs Leica CL

Many of us love the Leica CL for the small size and interchangeable lenses. This begs the question. Why not get an even smaller and lighter camera by switching to Lumix G cameras. Cameras like the Lumix G100, GX80 and GX880 can be bought at super low prices and the MFT lenses are tiny.

I love Lumix micro four thirds cameras for product shots and for video but the Leica CL somehow seems more like a real camera. (My ranking would be iPhone > MFT > CL > SL > M > film camera). That’s why my preference is film. (Also MFT gives a 2x crop so it’s less practical if you want to adapt Leica M mount lenses).

7. Best autofocus lens for Leica CL

When it comes to autofocus lenses for the Leica CL, you can use any Leica L mount lens. These can be lenses designed for full frame L mount cameras like the Leica SL or Lumix S5 or for APS-C L mount cameras.

7.1 – Leica TL lenses

Leica made their Leica TL lenses for the APS-C Leica cameras. If you want something small I recommend the Leica Elmarit-TL 18mm f2.8 pancake lenses.

7.2 – Sigma DC DN lenses for APS-C Leica CL

Sigma make their range of DC DN Contemporary lenses for APS-C cameras like the Leica CL. Popular lenses include the 30mm f1.4 DC DN and 23mm f1.4 DC DN. Check the official Sony website for all options.

7.3 – Sigma DG DN lenses on APS-C Leica CL

If you own both full frame L mount cameras and the crop sensor Leica CL you will likely want to consider full frame lenses. Sigma make their DG DN lenses for full frame L mount cameras like the Leica SL and Lumix SL. I’ve tested quite a few for YouTube. My favourite on full frame was the Sigma DG DN 90mm f2.8 compact lens. Small Sigma DG DN lenses pair perfectly with the Leica CL if you want a compact autofocus setup.

7.4 – Leica SL lenses on CL

If you want potentially the best Leica optics on the market you should consider Leica SL series lenses. You can use these on your Leica CL but remember the 1.5x crop factor. One lens I really like is the Leica Summicron-SL 90mm f2 APO.

7.5 – Lumix S lenses

The best back for the buck autofocus lens for Leica L mount must be the Lumix S 50mm f1.8. This was the lens that Leica went on to rebrand/ rehouse to sell as a kit lens for the Leica SL cameras.

You can also get the affordable Lumix 35mm and 85mm lenses as part of their plastic fantastic range. Great optics and lightweight for travel.

I used the Leica CL + Lumix 50mm f1.8 lens to give me a 75mm equivalent focal length for my latest model shoot trip to Lanzarote.

8. Best Leica M lenses on CL for portraits

After owning the Leica CL for nearly 7 years I’ve been very fortunate in that I’ve tried most of the Leica M mount lenses. In my early days of blogging I had to buy each lens before I could review them. Now brands send me new lenses prior to release so I can make review videos for YouTube. See the full list of lens reviews if you are looking for something specific.

8.1 – Leica CL + Manual focus M lenses (Polish Models)

Check out this write up from one of my model photoshoot trips to Poland. In this article I share images from the following Leica M lenses on the Leica CL. I explain how I manually focus Leica M mount lenses on the Leica CL and what I do to focus easier and more accurately. Below are reviews for lenses covered in that article –

• Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 ASPH II
• Leica Summaron 35mm f3.5
• Leica Summicron 50mm f2 DR
• Leica Summicron 75mm f2 APO
• Leica Macro Elmar M 90mm f4

8.2 – Leica CL with M mount lenses (Budapest Models)

Here I take four more Leica M mount lenses to use on the Leica CL for photoshoots in Budapest, Hungary. Links to reviews of each lens below –

• Leica Summliux 50mm f1.4 ASPH
• Voigtlander 40mm f1.4 MC Nokton Classic
• Voigtlander 35mm f1.4 MC Nokton Classic
• Leica Summicron 28mm f2 ASPH – YouTube

8.3 – Voigtlander lenses for Leica CL

Some of my favourite lenses for the Leica CL camera are made by Cosina Voigtlander. If you pair small Voigtlander lenses on a Leica CL this gives you a fantastic portable setup for travel. I speak more about lenses for travel further down.

8.4 – Best M lenses for Leica CL (today)

After 7 more years of lens experience under my belt (and lots of new lenses released) we now have lots of lens choices. If you asked me today what is the best Leica M lens for the Leica CL I would pick lenses that have a fast maximum aperture for portraits. You need this on an APS-C sensor to get closer to that full frame look.

Lenses I would recommend considering include –

• Voigtlander Nokton 21mm f1.4 (= ~32mm)
• Thypoch Simera 28mm f1.4 (= ~42mm)
• Funleader Artizlab 35mm f1.4 (= ~52mm)
• Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 ASPH II (above)
• Light Lens Lab 50mm f1.2 “1966” (= ~75mm)
• 7Artisans 50mm f1.1 (= ~75mm)
• Thypoch Simera 50mm f1.4 (= ~75mm)
• Voigtlander Nokton 75mm f1.5 (= ~112mm)

9. Leica CL sample photos (Portraits)

As a model photographer the Leica CL isn’t my first choice of camera for portraits. Full frame sensor cameras like my Leica SL or M10-P normally give a more pleasing look for female models. With that said, if you use fast lenses (as mentioned above) you can still creative nice Leica CL portraits.

9.1 – Portraits with Leica CL

If I’m using the digital Leica CL for a model photoshoot this probably means I was overseas and I wanted to pack film cameras too. In the UK I tend to use my Leica SL or even my Hasselblad H3D-39.

9.2 – Teaching model photography

Most of the photography workshops I’m asked to teach include model photography. It’s nice to own an expensive Leica camera but it’s even better to know how to use it properly. Check out some of the workshop testimonials if interested or download my Model Photography Handbook (eBook).

10. Sharing my Leica CL camera settings

10.1 – YouTube video showing my Leica CL settings

Here is a quick video to share my Leica CL settings if you’re interested –

10.2 – Settings for taking the photos I share

For my workflow I have the Leica CL setup to capture DNG (only) files. I use SanDisk SD cards and import all the photos into Adobe Lightroom for editing. I add a MrLeica Leica CL preset to the first image and copy and paste settings across all images. See here for benefits of using Lightroom presets.

11. Must have M-L adapter for CL

11.1 – Light Lens Lab L-M adapter with close focus

In the early days I used the Leica branded Leica M-L adapter to mount Leica M lenses on my Leica CL camera. Light Lens Lab then released their M-L close focus helicoid adapter and this was a complete game changer. The LLL close focus adapter focuses to infinity when collapsed but you can extend it to allow closer focus on EVERY Leica M lens AND every lenses adapted to M mount (such as LTM lenses or even Nikon F lenses as I do).

11.2 – LTM lenses on Leica CL with LLL adapter

The beauty of the Light Lens Lab L-M helicoid adapter on the CL is it overcomes the close focusing issue of vintage rangefinder lenses. Many modern rangefinder lenses focus as close as 0.7m (or closer) but classic lenses have a limited MFD of 1m.

Vintage screw mount lenses (aka. LTM lenses) are often small so are a perfect match for the CL camera. The issue was the 1m close focus distance. With the release of the LLL helicoid adapter you can now enjoy all vintage glass and get closer than 1m.

12. Best Leica camera for travel is the CL

When I was teaching one of my Leica workshops in Vegas a few years back I had access to the latest Leica M11, Leica Q3 and others. Despite that, the camera I used the most by far was the Leica CL. The Leica CL really is the best digital Leica camera for travel.

13. Favourite Leica lenses for travel

In this article I share my top 10 favourite Leica lenses for travel. I prefer compact lenses for all my cameras so you can use the same lenses on your Leica CL. The only caveat is the article was written with full frame cameras in mind so remember the 1.5x crop factor of the APS-C Leica CL sensor.

13.1 – Best M mount lenses for Leica CL for travel

Some of my absolute favourite tiny lenses for the Leica CL mirrorless camera include –

• Voigtlander Color Skopar 21mm f4
• Voigtlander Snapshot Skopar 25mm f4 – YT
• Voigtlander Color Skopar 28mm f2.8
• TTArtisan 28mm f5.6
• Light Lens Lab 35mm f2 8-Element LTM – YT
• Voigtlander Heliar 40mm f2.8 – YouTube

13.2 – Best Leica TL lens for travel

If you prefer to use autofocus, the best Leica TL lens for travel is the compact Leica Elmarit-TL 18mm f2.8 (which gives you a 28mm equivalent lens). If you prefer zoom lenses you can get the compact Leica TL zoom lenses designed for the Leica CL.

14. Leica CL presets for Lightroom

This article is the best Leica camera for travel (linked above) but it also publishes images using the new Leica CL preset pack. As I continued to use the Leica CL camera my editing became more refined so I re-issued my Leica CL preset pack to replace the ones first developed back in 2018. Find all my Leica presets here to download.

15. Best film camera to pair with a Leica CL

If you appreciate the small form factor of the digital Leica CL, what is the best film camera to pair with it for your next photo trip? One of the biggest reasons I use the Leica CL is the small size allows me to fill my bag with film cameras instead. Let me give you a few options to consider.

15.1 – Leica iii camera for travel

My first choice of film camera for a lightweight travel setup is always my 1930s black paint Leica Standard. You can use any Leica iii camera and I use various models. Leica iii cameras accept LTM lenses so the trick is to pack a selection of screw mount lenses to use on both film and digital.

On the mirrorless Leica CL I use the Light Lens Lab L-M adapter + a slim M-LTM adapter. Ultra compact and still amazing images. This is my goto kit for travel and especially if I’m planning running or cycling adventures.

15.2 – Analogue Leica CL + digital Leica CL

If you prefer Leica M mount lenses the smallest option is to pack the Leica CL film camera + digital mirrorless Leica CL. Again, using the same set of lenses across both cameras means a compact travel bag. I’ll be honest, I don’t love the Minolta Leica CL film camera. The analogue Leica CL rangefinder has a low magnification so it’s not comparable to a proper Leica M body, but it is smaller and lighter.

15.3 – Pack a Leica M film camera

Let’s say you only use Leica M mount lenses and you want to use a proper Leica M film camera, which camera would I recommend? You have lots of options but here are a few that come to mind –

• Leica MDa – Totally bomb proof for backpacking but zone focus only
• Leica M-A – Viewfinder/rangefinder + fully mechanical so no batteries needed
• Leica M6 or Leica MP – Both give you a built-in light meter for difficult lighting
• Leica M7 – When you want auto-exposure but still the simplicity of Leica M

15.4 – Space for a Hasselblad

The beauty of making your digital camera setup so small is it frees up space in your camera bag for more important cameras. For one of my US Leica workshops trips last year I carried the little Leica CL + a Hasselblad 501c. Both fit in my 3.5L Wotancraft bag.

15.5 – Other medium format camera options

With the digital Leica CL kit being so small (when paired with a compact lens) this gives you more than half a 3.5L Wotancraft bag free to add a second camera. Some of the medium format cameras I’ve travelled with in the past that would fit include –

• Mamiya 645 Super
• Mamiya 6
• Fuji GF670
• Fuji GA645
• Fujica GS645
• Any of the many vintage folding cameras

Digital Leica CL price?

If you are looking to buy a digital Leica CL camera you will need to look on the used market. Occasionally people write to me saying they found a new unboxed CL but they were discontinued in 2022 so this isn’t common. For used cameras I would check places like MBP and eBay for listings. (See the DiscountCode tab for money off links and codes).

Leica CL prices seem to range from around £1500-£2500. Body only should be under £2K but prices are slowly rising now the camera has been discontinued. (The CL was cheaper to buy 3 years ago than it is today). When you are getting close to £2K you might want to consider a full frame Leica M camera instead. See the Leica M camera comparison guide.

More Leica CL YouTube videos