Leica CL Film Camera

Leica CL Film Camera

Leica CL

maker: Leica
format: film
lens mount: Leica M
Buy on KEH

In 1973, Leica and Minolta collaborated to design the smallest, lightest of the M series cameras with Minolta producing the bulk of the lot.

Features include:

  • Features a meter needle exposure system which is highlighted by a selective TTL meter with a highly accurate spot pattern (only a few later version even had a meter)

  • Mechanical operation with the metered being powered by a Mercury 625 battery

  • Shutter speeds: 1/2 s to 1/1000, plus B (which are visible in the viewfinder)

  • Projected Parallax corrected framelines for 40, 50 & 90mm lenses (the outside edge roughly equals a 35mm lens)

  • ASA range: 25 - 1600

Photos Taken with this Camera

Milan Galleria Christmas Tree
Kristina in a Coffeeshop
Poppies in Milan

Related Articles

Below is a list of articles in which this camera is discussed, or at least mentioned, on this site.

An Adventure in Gear Acquisition (mar 18, 2012)

When I started researching the two Zeiss ZM 85mm lenses—the expensive f/2 lens ($ 3,350) and the inexpensive f/4 lens ($ 875)—a few people sent me messages leading me instead to decide to buy the Leica Elmarit-M 90mm f/2.8 lens.

Almost Everything Must Go (may 19, 2012)

I have a crazy plan to sell almost all of my cameras and lenses and buy new ones. Looking through over 25,000 photos I took, I printed my fifty best for a small photo album. I discovered that I take better pictures with film and rangefinder cameras.

Vertical Use of Half Case (mar 3, 2012) ✨

I bought a half case for my Leitz Minolta CL (i.e., Leica CL) camera—the bottom half of the camera is wrapped leather. I bought it from a small manufacturer in China. It’s a very nice, but I don’t use it in the way many people do.