I rank all cameras using the same assessment method, schedule and scoring system which you can read about here.
The CL scores low due to numerous issues with the design, shape, layout of controls and user interface.
Many current model cameras these days have evolved to the point they present the user with a good operating experience.
In the last ten years most camera makers have developed a greater understanding of design and control features which make their cameras a pleasure to use.
Unfortunately the Leica CL is not one of these. It appears to me that the designers have been excessively pre-occupied with the heritage appearance of the device to the detriment of good handling.
Vintage rangefinder Leicas from the mid 20thCentury have several styling features which have been replicated in the CL. These include the small size, flat front and back, rounded ends and a kind of multi-element superstructure along the top.
80 years ago photographers tolerated this as there were not so many options. These days many of the alternatives to Leica provide a more satisfying user experience at a lower price.
Actually the shape and size of early Leitz/Leica rangefinder cameras was determined by practical and engineering considerations. The Leitz designers correctly figured out the smallest housing which would accommodate the donor and receiver 35mm film rolls, the focal plane shutter, film gate and backing plate, lens mount, viewfinder/focussing system and a means of advancing and rewinding the film.
I doubt whether the idea of “styling” played any part in the design at all.
But retaining the same shape/size in the digital era when much more ergonomically capable options are available is all about nostalgic styling presumably in a bid to perpetuate the romantic idea of an idealised street/documentary camera.
So with these thoughts let’s move on to the Leica CL.
Setup Phase
The best thing about the CL in Setup Phase is the limited number of features, functions and capabilities which must be managed. This simplifies the process considerably especially when compared to a camera like the Canon R5 which I have been working with at the same time as the CL.
The CL Instruction Manual has 152 clearly written pages. The R5 User Guide has 920 pages, also clearly written.
Several months after starting to use my R5 I am still finding setup on this camera a work in progress.
By comparison I got the CL almost fully set up in a day without having to read the Manual.
The graphical user interface of the menus is good, navigation is easy, menu items are reasonably logically named and laid out and there is a Favourites menu the items in which are user assignable.
There are some nice touches. For instance the way Auto ISO is implemented is sensible and works well. You can set the minimum shutter speed in Auto ISO to a function of the lens focal length, which is desirable.
By the way as neither the camera nor the lens has a stabiliser I set this to 1/focal length x 4.
There are some oddities, however. I can scroll backwards through the five screens of the main menu (yes there are just five screens) using a combination of the right top wheel and the D-Pad, but I cannot find a way to scroll forward one screen at a time.
But the CLis like a bird. The best thing about being a bird is you have wings and can fly. But the opportunity cost of wings is the loss of arms and hands.
The opportunity cost of Leica’s “das wesentliche” philosophy which can be roughly translated as “keep it simple” is the absence of a truckload of specifications, features and capabilities which most modern cameras have and which many users find very desirable.
Setup Phase score 12/15
Prepare Phase
The CL offers a very restricted range of control access points which limits possible options in Prepare Phase.
Shooting mode is easily enough changed using the left wheel and button in much the same fashion as we see on the Canon EOS R and R5. But the little LCD window between the wheels is really small to the point I often find myself peering to see what it shows. The implementation of the same concept on the Canons is considerably more user friendly.
A range of user selected functions can be assigned to the Fn button and the right wheel button. The implementation of this makes good use of the two buttons via short press and long press options.
This allows two frequently used functions to be accessed with one short press.
But any other functions require a long press followed by a variable number of presses to access the desired parameter then change it. This is not the end of the world but it does mean that if you have the camera set up for, say, single AF with Aperture Priority autoexposure and Field AF mode and you want to change the parameter set it involves a mental effort to remember how to go about this and then several button presses to get there.
In addition I often find myself getting confused about which buttons to press, for what duration and in what order as these things operate in a fashion which I have not encountered in other cameras.
The process would become more practiced if one used this camera and no other but for people who switch cameras it can be a significant impediment to the workflow.
Prepare Phase score 10/15
Capture Phase, Holding
Holding is the least satisfactory aspect of this camera.
As supplied the camera comes with no handle and no thumb support. Some users say they don’t mind using the camera this way but I am not one of them. I hate the constant feeling that the device is about to fall from my hot clutching hands.
Way back in the old days I used cameras like this all the time because there was no choice.
Fortunately Leica offers a made-to-fit handle and a bespoke thumb support which slides into the hotshoe.
This ergonomic assessment is done with both in place.
Holding is better with the accessories but both also bring some downsides.
The handle allows a full five finger grip and a secure hold on the front of the device. However in my hands the right side strap lug presses uncomfortably into my middle finger.
The camera can be used with just the handle but it feels unstable to me like this with my thumb always looking for something to hold but finding nothing.
Holding is more stable with the thumb support in place but then access to the wheels is restricted, particularly the left one.
Even the ergonomically compromised Sony A6xxx models offer a better holding experience than this camera.
Holding score 8/20
Capture Phase, Viewing
The monitor screen is nice with a clear sharp view of the subject in Capture and Review Phases.
There are downsides however.
The screen is fixed, an anachronism in the present era.
Camera data is superimposed over the lower part of the screen completely obscuring the preview image. This data toggles on and off with a half press of the shutter button. This means you can see the whole screen or the data but not both together.
In addition the data is rendered rather small especially the analogue exposure indicator.
Although touch screen is enabled, its functionality is limited. It works well in playback mode and can be used to set the position of the active AF area in Capture Phase of use. But it cannot be used to move active AF area when one is viewing through the EVF. This is a pain because the way the camera is configured for holding puts the right thumb very close to the screen. This means the only way to move AF area in Capture Phase is with the D-Pad which is awkwardly placed low and far to the right so I have to release grip with the right hand in order to operate the D-Pad.
The EVF has a nice panel giving a clear sharp preview with well balanced contrast and saturation. The eyepiece optics are good and the round eyecup is comfortable in landscape or portrait orientation.
Camera data are clearly displayed and appear below the preview image, not superimposed over it. But the lettering and numbers are small even though there appears to be space available for larger ones.
Viewing score 11/20
Capture Phase, Operating
The CL is generally responsive to user inputs with no apparent lagginess.
Autofocus is contrast detect type but is generally quick, responsive and accurate. Face detect is available and works well but eye detect is not available. Face detect is either/or. Many other cameras allow face/eye detect in addition to any of the standard focus frames with the ability for automatic face /eye detect or user toggled selection.
Some cameras get big design elements wrong, others annoy with little frustrations which could easily have been avoided. Unfortunately the CL has both.
One of the silly little things is the lens cap on the TL 18-56mm lens. Most lens caps have edge lugs and central lugs. These caps are easier to grab with the edge lugs. But the TL 18-56mm lens cap only has central lugs. Yet another minor detail but one which makes me ask why ? every time I remove or replace the cap. I suspect the answer is “styling”. The cap without edge lugs probably looks more elegant than the usual type, although I have to say this is the first time I have ever associated the idea of styling with a lens cap.
My main criterion for evaluating ergonomics in Operating Phase is that all primary and secondary exposure, focus and framing actions can be easily carried out while looking continuously through the viewfinder without having to substantially change grip with either hand. Many current model cameras manage this quite well.
But not the CL. The main problem is that the position of the AF area cannot be moved with the touch screen while looking through the viewfinder. That facility is not available.
So the right thumb has to drop down to the D-Pad which is located low and far to the right side of the body. To do this the user has to substantially release grip with the right hand. Even then the D-Pad is awkwardly located for use in either landscape or portrait orientation.
I have already mentioned that the thumb support partially obstructs access to the top plate wheels.
I also found no way to return the AF area to center with a single press on any button. To be sure the AF frame is centered one must first press the center button on the D-Pad to bring up the level gauge (which allows the user to see where the center of the frame actually is) then jog the AF frame with the edge buttons on the D-Pad until it is in the center. Some critics of my work might say I am just quibbling but my practice is to re-center the AF frame at the end of every capture session to be sure I know where it is at the start of the next session.
Another minor issue is that exposure compensation cannot be set to revert to zero automatically when the camera is powered down.
Operating score 13/25
Review Phase
The CL manages this phase reasonably well but it lacks capabilities commonplace on other current model cameras.
Touch screen functions are fully enabled in review phase.
The focus point is not displayed and frames captured in portrait orientation cannot be set to appear upright with the camera held horizontally.
Review Phase score 4/5
Total score 58/100
Comment
This is a low score for an expensive model from a maker with a long and storied history of camera making.
If the CL delivered spectacularly good image quality one might tolerate the mediocre ergonomics. But there is nothing special about the sensor, processor or lens so I have to conclude that there are more appealing options to be found elsewhere in APSC territory.