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Leica turns on the vintage charm for CL compact

Leica turns on the vintage charm for CL compact
The undeniably stylish Leica CL compact camera
The undeniably stylish Leica CL compact camera
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The undeniably stylish Leica CL compact camera
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The undeniably stylish Leica CL compact camera
The Leica CL features an 2.36 million dot electronic viewfinder, as well as a 3-inch touch-enabled display
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The Leica CL features an 2.36 million dot electronic viewfinder, as well as a 3-inch touch-enabled display
Retro looks and modern technology combine in the Leica CL compact camera
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Retro looks and modern technology combine in the Leica CL compact camera
The Leica CL boasts 10 frames per second continuous shooting capabilities
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The Leica CL boasts 10 frames per second continuous shooting capabilities
The Leica CL features fast 49-point contrast autofocus
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The Leica CL features fast 49-point contrast autofocus
The Leica CL has two function dials up top, with a display plate inbetween for a quick settings check
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The Leica CL has two function dials up top, with a display plate inbetween for a quick settings check
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If Leica's TL2 APS-C compact looks just a bit too modern for you, the company has dipped into the retro design cabinet and launched a modern snapper with a traditional feel that shares the same moniker as its pocket-friendly 35 mm film rangefinder from the 1970s. The undeniably stylish CL is technically identical to the TL2, but stands apart in terms of handling and aesthetics.

The new L-mount camera is wrapped in a stylish magnesium alloy/aluminum body, which is home to a 24 megapixel APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm) CMOS sensor and Maestro II image processor. This pairing gives the camera 10 frames per second continuous shooting capabilities, ISO 100 to 50,000 sensitivity and fast 49-point contrast autofocus.

It has similar twin function dials up top for adjusting aperture, shutter speed, ISO and exposure values, but gains a 2.36 million dot electronic viewfinder that's said to have latency so small it can't be perceived.

The Leica CL features an 2.36 million dot electronic viewfinder, as well as a 3-inch touch-enabled display
The Leica CL features an 2.36 million dot electronic viewfinder, as well as a 3-inch touch-enabled display

The 3-inch, 1.04 million dot touch-enabled LCD panel supports gestures, and is joined by physical menu buttons and a joystick controller. And there's a second display plate between the function dials to the top for a quick settings check.

The CL can record 4K video at 30 fps and has built-in Wi-Fi for wireless transfer of photos and videos. As you might expect of a modern camera system, there's a dedicated CL app for iOS/Android that offers wireless remote shooting.

That traditional compact camera look does come at a price though. Where its TL2 stablemate has a lensless price of under US$2,000, the Leica CL is due for release at the end of November for a body-only price of US$2,795.

Source: Leica

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