Leica CL vs Leica C

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Leica CL and the Leica C, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

Leica CL was introduced in November 2017 and Leica C was introduced in September 2013. Let us first list highlights of the models.

Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Leica CL over Leica C.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Leica C over Leica CL.

We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

Screen

Leica CL and Leica C have 3.0" Fixed screens with 1,040k dot and 920k dot resolutions respectively. Leica CL also features touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality allowing users to select a specific point on the screen where they want the camera to focus. This feature can be helpful for achieving precise focus in both photo and video recording.

Viewfinder

Leica CL has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 2,360k dot resolution and Leica C has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 200k dot resolution. Leica CL has 100% coverage with 1.11x (0.74x 35mm equivalent) magnification and (0.46x 35mm equivalent) magnification.

Leica CL features a 24.24 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.6 x 15.7 mm and a total area of 370.5 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 50,000. Leica C features a 12.1 megapixel 1/1.7-inch CMOS sensor with dimensions of 7.44 x 5.58 mm and a total area of 31.1 mm². Its native ISO range is 80 - 6,400 and expands to 80 - 12,800 in boosted mode.

Leica CL is equipped with Maestro II processor and can take pictures up to 6014 x 4014 resolution. Leica C can take pictures up to 4000 x 3000 resolution.

Leica C has an image stabilization.

Built-in Wi-Fi

Cameras have built-in Wi-Fi which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.

NFC on Leica C

Leica C has Near Field Communication (NFC) technology which simplifies the process of pairing it with other NFC-enabled devices like smartphones or tablets. It allows to quickly transfer photos and videos or remotely control the camera from compatible device. NFC can also be used for authentication and security purposes. It can verify your identity before accessing certain features or transferring sensitive data. It can be used with NFC-enabled accessories as well, such as lenses, flashes and GPS devices.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Leica C has a USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) input for data transfer. connector for video signal output.

Battery

Leica CL comes with BP-DC12 battery pack with battery life of 220 shots.

External Storage Slots

Leica CL has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II) card slot. Leica C has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

Shutter

Leica CL has Mechanical Focal Plane shutter and Electronic shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/25000 sec with electronic shutter and up to 1/8000 sec with mechanical shutter on Leica CL, and up to 1/4000 sec on Leica C. Cameras can shoot continuously up to 10.0 fps.

Flash

Leica C has a built-in flash with maximum range of 7.00 m. Leica CL has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected via Hot Shoe. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/180 sec on Leica CL.

Leica CL body has dimensions of 131 x 78 x 45 mm (5.16 x 3.07 x 1.77") and Leica C body has dimensions of 103 x 63 x 28 mm (4.06 x 2.48 x 1.1"). Leica CL weighs 403 g (0.89 lb / 14.22 oz) and Leica C weighs 195 g (0.43 lb / 6.88 oz).

Leica CL

Leica C

131 mm

78 mm

103 mm

63 mm

78 mm

63 mm

45 mm

28 mm